Jenna Hamilton is a fictional character from the teen comedy-drama television series Awkward., which aired on MTV in the United States.
This situation makes Jenna infamous at her high school; being constantly referred to as "that girl," with varying crazy stories over how she tried to kill herself.
At the end of the first season, Jenna decides to go to the year's Formal with Jake, but only as friends, as she is still uncertain about Matty, who did not explicitly invite her.
However, after watching a film in French class, Jake and Matty decide to patch things up between them but they reveal to each other that they are both still in love with Jenna.
Once school starts, Jenna is put into an advanced writing class run by Mr. Hart, who's known for being hard on his students.
It's revealed that the reason behind Jenna's new-found anxiety is that she might be pregnant after having unprotected sex with Matty one time during the summer.
When it turns out to be a false alarm, her mother decides to help Jenna get on birth control, but warns her not to tell Matty about the pregnancy scare.
Jenna's father then discovers her birth-control pills, and calls Matty's parents to tell them that their children are having sex.
After being called out by Mr. Hart for not taking risks, Jenna decides to read an excerpt from her blog for an open-mic night.
"[1] She also said Jenna "can be the shy, introverted girl, whereas on her blog she's snarky, she's introspective, she's a little bit wiser, she'll write the truth… and then probably not act on it.
Daniel Fienberg of HitFix applauded Rickards' acting, writing that "she effectively embodies the Everygirl vibe required for the part.
"[4] New York Post's TV critic Linda Stasi compared Rickards to actor Elliot Page, explaining she is "the kind of kid whose pretty face and adorable bearing is swamped by her ability to look awkward and offbeat.
"[5] Hank Stuever of The Washington Post was also positive towards Rickards' performance noting "she effortlessly manages to elevate the unfresh premise of MTV's new comedy.
[10] Entertainment Weekly wrote Jenna "navigates the sharky waters of high school, friends, mean cheerleaders, and cute boys with a snarky voice-over that makes her—and Awkward.—easy to fall in love with.
"[11] The Huffington Post deemed Jenna's voice-overs "witty" as "[they] make this high-school dark comedy stand out from a crowd of stereotypical high school prime-time soaps.
"[12] David Hinckley of the Daily News wrote: "If the dramas are exaggerated, Jenna makes the trauma feel legitimate, and her narration gives everything a knowing undertone of humor and self-awareness that keeps the most uncomfortable moments from being painful.
"[13] Reviewing the beginning of the second season, HitFix's Daniel Fienberg was critical of the Matty-Jenna-Jake triangle storyline which had been put forward, diminishing what he first liked: Jenna's look at the high school humiliations.