Why, Me? - Season 12

***Why, Me?*** producers announced a second revived season by *Tanzania* and a twelfth season overall on December 9, 2032: having just wrapped production on the previous season due to a popularity surge after ten episodes had been rolled out. Along with the announcement of a new season, they confirmed that all six castmates would be returning - for the first time in the history of the show. Additionally, they announced the casting of new castmate, Ricky Diaz (Jax’s childhood friend who comes to Northdale in search of philanthropy work). The season consisted of 20 episodes.

Former castmate, Dan (who appeared in all seasons produced by *LinkMe*), died unexpectedly on September 5, 2033 - a week before the intended premiere. Due to calls for the show to be cancelled and/or for this series not to air, all episodes were pulled off air and *Tanzania* announced that the twelfth season premiere would be delayed yet insisted it would still go ahead as planned and no decision on a thirteenth season had been made. At this point, fifteen episodes had been shot. Production ceased with immediate effect and announced they would offer support to all crew and cast surrounding Dan’s death. With one episode unscripted, a tribute episode to Dan (discussions by castmates) was confirmed to be in production in October and later confirmed to be the first episode of the season airing. Eventually the season premiered on November 12, 2033; with the highest ratings viewing of 5.23 million. When the series ended on July 22, 2034, the series averaged 4.16 million viewers per episode.

## Plot

The gang are back with some new adventures for another CRAZY year living together! With Jax‘s childhood friend, Ricky, in town, him and Joyce now have a new address yet this doesn’t stop the gang from being just as tight-knit and having each other’s back in every situation. Max, Keira and Ryan‘s YouTube career reaches new highs despite competitions with Mary‘s direction. With a whodunnit causing Jax holding the group hostage, difficult siblings, old castmates back as Northdale turns 100, a new Dog and new life ambitions, will the group still keep together with new avenues being explored each day?

The series starts off with a tribute episode to Dan since his unexpected death: with all castmates but un-introduced Ricky delving into his highlights. The second episode of the series is Christmas-based and shows the gang throwing Mary her best Christmas yet as she is upset about being forced to cancel her yearly trip home to Pennsylvania due to her Lyme Disease diagnosis. The group’s close-knit community has it’s biggest knock yet when Jax and Joyce move out to move in with the former’s youth friend, Ricky. Holding Ricky accountable for Jax and Joyce moving out, Max hides an invitation to him and housemates to see Ricky get awarded for his philanthropy work at a special ceremony. After discovering the invitation that Max held from them, his housemates confront him which results in feelings reaching breaking point. Things later subside and things go back to normal. When Max hires a new cleaner and things start to go missing, it takes Jax to find the common denominator as everyone living at “Max’s Mansion” turn on each other; later on, Joyce enlists the help of the group to help play her employer at his own game - much to the reluctance of the YouTube trio as they take her leaving their YouTube channel personally. A trip to New York to promote the YouTube trio and also help Ricky explore his charity work is thrown into chaos as the trio are accused of helping promote “fraudster” Ricky. After bailing Ricky out of jail, the gang use a chat show as the platform to explain their story and try and get rid of the trio’s lawsuit in a bid to leave New York and return to Northdale. A mid-season episode break allows Jax to delve into seven secrets that only cast and crew know about the show.

Many traits of character’s personalities become visible this season - for example, from Mary leading a taskforce to hunt a troll trashing and later hacking the trio’s YouTube videos and defending herself when she buys Max a Dog as a birthday gift - much to the dismay of Keira and Ryan (due to dislikes and allergies) to Jax sticking up for himself when Max strongly advises him converting to Catholic. Joyce is also shown to be strong in certain situations as she doesn’t only win a challenge against Ricky regarding 10000 calories but she also tackles her “biggest challenge in life” - patching things up with her mother. Towards the end of the series, Ricky, Jax and Joyce grow closer as they follow him out on a “buisness trip“ to Louisiana and feel he’s in trouble yet discover he is aiding his sick nephew and didn’t want to make it a “big deal”. Keira and Ryan compete for the most likes on an Instagram post on this episode too. Jax hosts a hostage at his home when his stash of Candyfloss, that is no longer on sale, goes missing - aware that one of the gang must’ve taken it since he had some just before Game Night. Ryan feels hurt when he believes the gang drove his sister out yet they convince him that she simply had overstayed her welcome after ripping into Joyce about her looks and family issues. Ryan later enlists the help of Jax to help Keira snap out of her overhauled appearance and personality after the pressures of fame get to her while Mary and Max sit down to discuss the YouTube trio’s upcoming appearances. Mekhla, Ariel Dungres, Daniel, Andrew and Jack O’Meara reunite as part of Max’s entertainment line-up when Max holds a party to mark Northdale turning 100. The series concludes with Mary facing new ambitions as she accepts her new job to “accommodate her lifestyle: living with her new illness”: much to the upset of the group but in particular Max. Although tough at first, the group make sure her last few days in Northdale count and prepare her for her new role and see her off as she starts the new chapter of her life.

## Cast and Production

On December 9, 2032, a conference was held regarding the show. The show was officially renewed for a twelfth season - with an episode count of 20. John Smith, a writer for the show, said that the “fantastic cast” were the reason for a surge in popularity and that the ratings had shown the new season was the best ratings the show had ever had. As well as revealing all the cast from the eleventh season would be returning, they unveiled Ricky Diaz as a new casting and revealed they had “scoured” the country for three weeks prior with “endless meetings” with “top talent agents” to find “another fantastic addition”.

Production begun on January 4, 2033 and was split into two halves. A source later said that this was too make way for *Tanzania*’s new diversity plans. Part A, the first ten episodes, finished shooting on April 17, 2033. As part of both the diversity changes and Summer break, production only picked back up again on July 16, 2033. Midway through shooting Part B, on September 5, 2033, former castmate, Dan, died unexpectedly. On September 10, *Tanzania* made a long statement after a series of meetings. Calls had been made to cut all episodes already produced of the second series and even more seriously, to take the show off air completely. *Tanzania* refuted this and said they would “press on” with the series and “roll out” all recorded episodes. The September 13 start date for the twelfth season was announced to have been postponed though “out of respect for Dan’s family”. They said, however, at that current time, the forefront of their efforts was “consoling” all cast and crew and giving them all support “neccessary“. Later on in the statement, they announced that only four of the five remaining episodes had been scripted ready for production since it ceased immediately after news that Dan had died and therefore, a tribute episode to the “lovable character” would open the series whenever it “re-graced TV screens”. On October 9, 2033, it was announced that the tribute episode would open the series, as promised, on November 12, 2033. Following on from that, a Christmas episode would premiere the next week before brand new episodes were released in the New Year. On November 16, *Tanzania* announced that production had wrapped after a “tough year”. Jax Garcia later spoke out and mentioned that the tribute episode to his “best friend” was “surreal” and that the final four episodes took a “huge toll” on his mental health since he was “constantly reminded” of his “partner in crime”.

## Trivia

* When five previous cast members return for the nineteenth episode, seven of the eight castmates are featured from the fourth season; while five of the eight castmates are featured from Season 6.

* Five main characters are absent this season:
	+ Ricky Diaz is absent during five episodes this season. He is absent during the episodes, *Dan: Never Forgotten*, *Jingle De La Wary*, *Friday’s Ammesia*, *Catholic Hunter*, and *Spoiler Alert*.
	+ Mary De La Wary is absent during three episodes this season. She is absent during the episodes: *Joyous Joyce*, *Catholic Hunter*, and *Intentions: Not Approved*.
	+ Keira is absent during three episodes this season. She is absent during the episodes: *Joyous Joyce*, *Catholic Hunter,* and *Spoiler Alert*.
	+ Ryan Alexander is absent during one episode this season. He is absent during the episode: *Catholic Hunter*.
	+ Joyce Gunvalson is absent during one episode this season. She is absent during the episode: *Friday’s Amnesia*.