‘NYC Prep’: It’s the season finale already?

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‘NYC Prep’ capped off its season and school year last night with the feeling of uncertainty one gets when crossing the threshold that is high school — or the first season of a new reality show. The fate of our prepsters can go either way in terms of their individual paths as well as their future as reality TV stars. But before we look ahead, one can’t help but look back and assess how far they have come in eight episodes.

Jessie: Instead of a graduation ceremony, the episode culminated with the Operation Smile gala, otherwise known as her raison d’etre. She’s clearly put a lot of work into planning the event, and her cutthroat attitude toward anyone whose commitment doesn’t match hers convinces me she’ll be fine in the real world. If anything, Jessie has remained consistent. She’s been ambitious, straightforward and unapologetic about her status and goals in life from the beginning. The only crack in her armor has been her relationship with PC. Her behavior went from jealous ex-girlfriend to mother hen in these few episodes, and he’s the only person who can ruffle her feathers. I’d be curious to see if their friendship survives college.

PC: As much as people despise his arrogance and obnoxiousness (not to mention his guyliner), PC is the best thing about this show. He embodies all the preconceptions one has about privileged kids: the self-important swagger, the designer wardrobe, the carefree attitude about responsibility. His behavior seemed atrocious at times (the flakiness, the offhanded comments at dinner parties, his Fashion Week meltdown), but he’s never failed to keep things interesting. I’m glad we got to see a more mature, genuine PC last night. His apology to Carmen Marc Valvo as well as his conversation with Jessie over the future of their friendship showed he does in fact have manners and the capacity for adult relationships.

Taylor: The girl’s been the resident heartbreaker and the ingenue, but I’m still left wondering what else about Taylor would keep audiences interested. As the youngest and the sole public school student, she often remained the quiet observer while the other peacocks flaunted their feathers. Sometimes I questioned whether she had much of a personality, but her remark about Camille giving one good piece of advice ‘out of the thousand things that come out of her mouth’ proved that there’s more to her than we’ve gotten a chance to see.

Camille: Everyone has gone to high school with a girl like Camille. She’s the overachiever who strives to fit in even though it’s clear she’s just not cool enough. You’d actually feel a bit sorry for her if she weren’t so judgmental and controlling. However, her cattiness toward Jessie at the Operation Smile gala did pique my interest. Camille is Blair Waldorf without the wit or charm, and I’d love to see what she’d do when she becomes a senior.

Kelli: The aspiring singer got a chance to perform for an audience in last night’s episode. Despite her nerves, she sounded good. Her journey toward building a singing career could be an interesting aspect of the show if it continues. Otherwise, Kelli just seems too jaded and over it all to make herself a likable presence.

Sebastian: Like Jessie, Sebastian has remained consistent throughout. He started out as the Lothario and he ended with girls on the brain. Even at the charity event he organized, his main goal was to invite and impress all the hot chicks he knew. For a 16-year-old boy, you can’t expect any more or any less. I’d like to see if he’d ever follow through with his ‘quality over quantity’ goal and if he’d ever cut that hair.

It’s yet to be seen whether ‘NYC Prep’ will get another season to prove itself. If it does, we’ll get treated to more of Sebastian’s hair flips, Kelli’s eye rolls and, hopefully, a set of new and improved prepsters. If not, we’ll just have to observe the Upper East Side through the eyes of ‘Gossip Girl,’ which is completely fine with me.

Do you want to see another season of ‘NYC Prep’? Was it all you had expected?

-- Enid Portuguez