Plus, how the awkward, klutzy Chad 'is not far from how I remember myself at that age.' Pedrad’s uncanny and gender-blurring transformation into this 14-year-old train wreck nails every mood swing: the giddy delight at being in proximity to the high school bros he hero-worships, the petulance and irrational despair when he fears being denied access to their insular world. In the premiere, he makes a typically awkward first impression as freshman year begins by humble-bragging to cooler upperclassmen about sex, a subject on which Chad is obviously far from expert. As the lies escalate, he’s finally asked: “Why are you telling us this?”