Why, Me? - Season 16

A sixteenth season of ***Why, Me?*** was announced by *Tanzania* on July 9, 2037; despite Max Black’s revelation on June 17, 2037, that no future seasons of the show were going to be made. The season premiered on March 6, 2038 and finished on February 12, 2039, after a total of 22 episodes. All the cast from the previous season returned in main capacities including recurring cast member, Lila Miller; meaning the number of cast members this series increased to seven. Phoenix Whitby appeared in a recurring capacity this season as a replacement for Miller. The series averaged 3.79 million viewers per episode.

## Plot

Another year in Northdale has begun - filled with fun, sadness and laughter! Mandy has struck up a relationship with Phoenix Whitby yet tensions turn rife with the group for her when she helps Max set up a seperate YouTube channel and an eating disorder of hers is revealed. The YouTubers continue to thrive in Max’s mansion yet Jo’s rule is questioned this season but they eventually stay loyal to her despite her leaving them in a place with a fine. New dieting rituals, being kicked out of the theatre illegal meetings, an unexpected birthday speech, a new passion, a possible departure and the crackdown of a tight-knit relationship are just part of this new magnificent season! Will the gang keep their bond strong or will all the cracks over the year prove too much?

The series kicks off with the gang standing in Max’s mansion half destroyed from a beam that became alight. Lila also brings in some discouraging news that her house will be guttered because of the failed pipe leak. Max asks her to move in with the gang but also help re-build and re-furnish a new version of “Max’s Mansion”. She gladly accepts and while her and Max are out shopping, Mandy shows Ryan, Mandy and Jo, her new friend, Phoenix, who has an opposite end of the spectrum personality. Andrew and Jared prepare to have all the gang stay overnight for three days while Max’s mansion is restored. In the following episode, the gang all move into their new mansion which involves them gleaming at the new perks while also remembering the old. Also in this episode, Andrew and Jared are forced to defeat Jared’s ex when he unknowingly enters their home and disables their cables leaving them unable to call for help. Despite getting him arrested, their internet struggles persist which results in them losing out on the YouTubers 24-hour record attempt to be live on the camera without falling asleep. However, they do win the record for 22 hours live with the most people on set. With all the gang involved, in the following episode, Max enlists Phoenix’s help as he contemplates a return to YouTube on a solo basis. Jo is really angry at Max as she still has hurt feelings for him “abandoning” their channel and Mandy is extremely angry with Phoenix for using her skill set from being a previous vlogger to help Max. Max decides to strive ahead though with Phoenix campaigning behind him. When the gang are invited to a cookie making class by Charlie yet things turn awry when Andrew makes a machine set off an alarm, they make it his duty to fess up and get Charlie out of trouble. However, when tables are turned and Charlie is let off being fired from his jo and community service and Andrew faces prison time, the gang get it together to get him out. Jared feels the tension between him, Jo and Ryan when he reveals intimate details of their kiss without their consent after they confided in him with confidence. Also in this episode, Max makes the ultimate decision to leave YouTube for good. Max and Andrew’s relationship also is close to tatters as a political debate stemming from nothing to do while the YouTube gang are out filming (where Phoenix feels isolated after weighing in her opinion), causes them to no longer speak to one another. Andrew and Jared’s feelings are hurt when the rest of the gang reject their day out at the beach due to other commitments. When they are not heard from, the remaining gang members search every alleyway to find them. In reality, the pair have visited the hospital after Jared broke his ankle. Phoenix finds it funny when Mandy struggles to cope with a secret the former reveals when the two have a sleepover; while those back at home, struggle coping with Lila’s new healthy diet. Mandy feels the effects of the gang as their anger turn towards her when she gets them thrown out of the theatre that they were set to meet the stars of; although her status soon becomes hero when she gets them noticed despite it not being in the most conventional way. Mandy’s stuck in the middle of Ryan and Phoenix too when a previously offensive comment is reported to Ryan making him become overprotective. Jo is hurt when Lila and Jared question her intentions when she confides in them that she will illegally meet her kids.

Jared struggles to move on this season when Andrew attempts to out him and his brother, Lucas, when he sees them out together yet not knowing the real reason: planning his best birthday ever. The gang show their support for Lila as her crush from the mall fails to show up to their date yet is left shocked when the gang bring her the best gift ever. Andrew is left physically hurt when he stands up for Jared who receives hateful remarks as he dresses in drag yet luckily, the gang are there to take the brutes down. Shockwaves are sent through the house as Max announces that he will be leaving Northdale to move close to his children after a troll reminds him that he is missing out on them growing up. Realising that the process is far too quick and that they’ll struggle on their own, the gang attempt to discuss the open options. Luckily for them, Max decides to stay but to increase contact with his children although does warn that he could leave Northdale “any day soon”. Jo’s position as head of the YouTube channel is abruptly finished as she rejects content from the YouTubers and they outvote that she leaves the reign. However, scrambling for a new leader and with her tempts to regain the decision, the group decide to let her have her role back. Phoenix’s patience is tested as an eating disorder secret of hers is revealed and none of the gang take time to comfort her. As Lila and Jo go boyfriend diving, Max frets on how to deliver the news to Jo that the YouTube channel is under threat unless she pays a fine. Therefore, Lila is left to pick up the pieces as she covers the date for Jo. The series ends on a sombre note as Andrew and Jared’s relationship crackdown is highlighted when Jared is named as the sole hero when him and Andrew defeat a notorious criminal - championing newspapers, friends topic of conversations and TV reports. As the last few minutes air, Andrew announces that he has been sleeping rough yet once he saves up money, will go and visit Daniel and his wife and temporarily stay there to patch their relationship fully up. Jared is shown to be reflecting with a bag on his back, leaving the series on a cliffhanger.

## Cast and Production

On June 17, 2037, after a decrease in ratings, Max Black announced that no future seasons of the show had been planned. *Tanzania* confirmed this a day later attributing it to “a combination of things”. Despite this, on July 9, 2037, the network announced there had been a backlog in ratings and that popularity had surged within the season so that a sixteenth season had been ordered. Due to two special episodes being planned, they announced the series would consist of 22 episodes. After mounting speculation, John Bailey, a representative for the show, confirmed that Lila Miller would become a main cast member once again after a reduced role during the fifteenth season. Two weeks later, on July 31, 2037, the full line-up was unveiled with all cast members from the previous season joining Miller. John Bailey also hinted that future series of the show were predicted and that no future “mid-season breaks” would occur and that it was a matter of “listening to viewers”. He also said that recurring roles would become a “regular thing for the show” and that Phoenix Whitby would be the seventeenth season’s recurring character although he did stress that not all of them would “follow in Lila’s footsteps“ - i.e. become a full-time cast member. Production begun on September 26, 2037 and wrapped on May 18, 2038. A trailer was released on February 14, 2038 and the following day, Jax Garcia stated that he would make a guest appearance in the upcoming season; which many fans trolled him for after making a plea that he would separate himself from the show after previously leaving out of respect for late Dan‘s family.

## Trivia

* Three main characters are absent this season:
	+ Andrew is absent during four episodes this season. He is absent during the episode, *Solo Intentions, He Says, She Says, Spy Stake,* and *Mean Manager*.
	+ Ryan Alexander is absent during three episodes this season. He is absent during the episodes, *Spy Stake*, *Open Talk*, and, *Cupid Fined*.
	+ Lila Miller is absent during two episodes this season. She is absent during the episodes, *Ankle Issues* and *He Says, She Says*.

* Phoenix Whitby was the second recurring character in the show’s history.
	+ She appears in eight episodes this season. She appears during the episodes, *Ponies and Vampires*, *Solo Intentions*, *Awkward Confrontations*, *Trumped Day Out*, *Balancing Rituals*, *He Says, She Says*, *Farewell, Max!*, and, *Open Talk*.