My thoughts on the finale of the current series of Skins…
Both good and bad, the episode was. As an episode itself, for the most part, it was good, but cluttered, all over the place, lost, confused, and then things just magically fell out the sky. Much like parts of this season and it’s cast as a whole. Characters that have only gotten characterization in passing glances or in moments long past suddenly were delivered quite a bit of resolution, magical resolution, it felt at times.
Other characters just seemed to drift away on the breeze. Things were bad for them yesterday, and things were pretty bad for them today too. Tomorrow looks like more of the same.
I know a lot of people have said that this past series was Cook’s series and the ending reflects that. I think that’s half right. I think the ending reflects a certain ownership and attention to detail that was really only assigned towards the end. There’s nothing particularly noble about Cook at all. He’s a loud mouthed braggart who doesn’t walk the same planet as the rest of the humans and thinks everything’s a giant fucking party to be snorted, dranked, fucked, or smashed to bits. That’s the total extent of what he was to offer and experience emotionally. But, in that lack of access to the full spectrum, I think he’s incredibly human in that regard. Key Cook moment this season to me? The bit where he watches his little brother doing all the same stupid shit he’s doing and he sees, if for just a moment, how tragic it is. Anger is not a gateway into much else, it’s an anchor, and no matter what Cook’s turned it into over the years, it’s always weighed him down.
But I think Cook got a perfect ending for his character. He got a noble ending, a final situation in which he can engage something on his own terms, and it could go on either way. He’s not going to get the girl and he’s not going to get his friend back, but he can at least do right by them, fists blazing rather than brains.
I don’t necessarily think it should’ve been Effy’s series, but I’m kind of shocked that it wasn’t. I’m still seriously surprised where her character went this last year.
The reason being… well, for four years, she’s really been the central point of this show. She’s a character who existed here, there, and everywhere, only materializing as a human when her emotions got involved, the rest of the time it was like she could see deep into the heart of people, and at moments, break the fourth wall and look right into us.
I don’t want any kind of explanation for that per se, nothing supernatural, just something more, something more… fitting? But maybe the fact that I’m not satisfied by her conclusion is what makes it work? She’s a beautiful, bright young woman who could’ve brought the world down to it’s knees in worship of her, but now she’ll be stuck at home, being cared for by her mother, trying to keep the demons in her head and grieving a boyfriend that she’ll never really know what happened to. I’ll only be able to think of the character and the actress who plays her, Kaya Scodelario, as one and the same, with those haunting beautiful blues.
Whereas series 2, the last to feature the generation 1 cast, was full of standout episodes, this past series, the best I can think of were Thomas’, Emily’s (the closest to a Naomily episode as you’ll get), and, shocking myself, JJ’s. Though parts of Katie’s and Freddie’s episodes were just gorgeous. I think that’s been a huge different between the two different generations for me: Generation 1 had so many wonderful episodes as a whole, but generation 2 had so many perfect moments, and they were all over the place.
Generation 2 also seemed to inherit a much goofier mentality from the writers and a sillier group of parents and adults that they were surrounded by. As Britt and I were talking about, the adults seemed to be obsessed with 80s music something fierce this year. It’s not a bad thing, just an interesting thing. Music is such a quintessential part of this show, just as it is such a cornerstone of a life lived, especially that of a teenager.
One last thought and then I’ll shut up: Is Freddie’s sister going to be the link between this generation and the next one? Is she going to return as “the new Effy?” My first thought is that that would be a negative idea, partly because I find her to be a silly character, and not just a silly character, but one who’s constantly defending their silliness rather than just be silly (for example, she basically gave Thomas her pop culture resume in this last episode as if Thomas cared). But, on the other hand, she represents an interesting and somewhat similar dichotomy when you compare her to Effy…
(picture via sophisticated-simplicities)
