It's Hard to Get By Just Upon a Smile

So maybe I don't quite appreciate the tonal shifts from episode to episode. After the high stakes darkness of the previous episode, for a season finale, this episode felt quite disposable for much of its running time.

Talking about stakes is something that sort of bothers me. It's something that Sam Van Hallgren did all the time on Filmspotting But really, this episode felt like it had no stakes.
What were the stakes?
-would Maxxie go to Anwar's birthday party despite Muslim intolerance towards homosexuality
-would Tony be able to finally convince Michelle to get back with him
-would Sid be able to tell Cassie about his feelings before it was too late

While in the grand scheme of the show, those really are some high stakes, instead much of the time was spent on Anwar preparing for his birthday party and his zany DJing uncle. And while I was a fan of Angie and Chris, the plot twist that she is engaged was just lame. Even the rush for Sid to find Cassie was deflated by shear zaniness. Sid being committed. Really?
The only really strong moment for me was Maxxie and Anwar's dad, which was able to show tolerance in a mature and realistic way, and makes me wish that more people were that level headed.

Luckily, the episode was still able to pull of an astounding conclusion, in a way that made me feel that maybe the creators were so excited about the execution of the end, that maybe they quickly overlooked the rest of the episode. Of course it reminded me of Magnolia, which really can never be a bad thing, but it also really is a great combination of plot and lyrical content.

So on to Season 2. I have to wonder what the impact of Tony's accident will be. It should be interesting to see such an arrogant self-confident character who basically think he can do and get away with whatever he wants struggle. And what about Sid and Cassie? Is she still leaving?

Sometimes I Think I Was Born Backwards

While I have already made mention of the ways that Skins so deftly balances comedy and drama within each episode, the tonal shifts that the show is able to handle from episode to episode are also quite impressive. While I didn't totally love the comedic ungrounded shift of the Anwar and Maxxie episode, it could not have been any further a cry from this episode featuring Effy, which was so dark, twisted, and generally fucked up. Even the little bit of humor ("What is so sexy about thighs? What can you possibly do with a thigh?) was undercut by the present awkwardness of that exchange being between Tony and his father.
This awkwardness was then carried through the episode (at least before things just got weirder and darker) with Tony crashing Chris's. The strain of the group was palpable. Actually, and to my surprise, I was actually feeling sort of sad for Tony who was lonely enough to turn to the paperman. The fact that Tony later confesses to feeling like everyone wants a ball buster around made it seem even sadder that while Tony is conniving and manipulative, he does it partly because he thinks it's who his friends want him to be.
After finding Josh such a sweet counterpoint to Tony in his first appearance, it was really surprising to see him so dark and menacing. He first seemed to be someone that was most likely over-medicated by his psychologist mother, but there is something royally wrong with him. And what is with the villians of the series wearing scarves? Mad Twatter did too.
Though Effy really hasn't done anything since her first appearance at the beginning of the series where she had Tony help her sneak back home, it was really interesting to have an episode feature her. Though I was already told that she wasn't going to speak, I still found it to be surreal and mysterious, in a way that means that I don't want an explanation. Her dreamy monologue before passing out was enough for me ("Sometimes I think I was born backwards. You know, come out my mom the wrong way. I hear words go past me backwards.") and while I guess it makes me wonder if her inability to speak is psychological or by choice, I kind of like it as just something weird. I sort of dread the idea of her being like Silent Bob, where any time she does speak it's supposed to be profound (which is sort of what happened in the season finale with her telling Tony what a twat he is.)
I don't want to finish writing without just mentioning how much I loved the confrontation between Sid and Tony. I finally feel like I can begin to understand why Sid is so loyal to Tony, even without much of a real explanation. Also, the scenes between Sid and Cassie were so sweet.
Josh's ultimatum to Tony had to be one of the most fucked up things I have seen on television, ever. EVER.

It's Like a Fucking Episode of the OC in Here

Clearly Michelle and Tony can't be our star-crossed lovers. So is it Tony and Abigail (I'm sure she'll also be pissed when she finds out about what Tony did with those pictures, yah?), Michelle and Josh, Sid and Cassie, Cassie and her new boyfriend (though they have so much in common, depression, self-loathing), Malcolm and Michelle's mother? Boy, that's a lot of romantic conflict and potential.

While this was Michelle's episode, it was hard to feel much sympathy for her. Even she has proclaimed herself as a sexual object, so to see her actually emotionally distraught by Tony's actions really seemed like payback for her ability to take him back all the time. Thankfully, and surprisingly she did not take him back this time. "I think I might love you" just didn't cut it. Again, Michelle's weaknesses seem to be directly in correlation with her mother, who also allows herself to be treated as a sexual object (enough about her ass, gross; "I really loved having sex with him"), and has been married and divorced several times. Malcolm may not be as bad as Tony, but he doesn't exactly seem a great fit for Michelle's mother. Nonetheless, she is quick to want to take him back.
Hopefully this is the episode (and I imagine it is with only 2 episodes left in the season) that there are actual repercussions for Tony's actions, and everything doesn't just return to the status quo. It would be kind of hard to believe Sid going back after finally having the gaul to punch Tony in the face. And Michelle finally realizing that he is "lying, sneering, taunting, and manipulative."
Usually, the injection of new characters for the convenience of conflict is bothersome, but it worked for me here. Even if we never knew about Abigail's brother Josh before, he served as a nice counterpoint to Tony ("You're very upfront. Is there any other way to be.") Their relationship seemed sweet, and it's too bad that Tony was so conniving and manipulative to ruin it. I can't imagine that this is the end of it though. The truth will have to come out somehow. It's kind of hard to believe that Michelle thought that Josh's psychological problems would really come out with nude pictures of is sister, but I'll go with it.

I also loved the music in this episode with the use of Magnetic Fields and that short cue from Bright Eyes "First Day of My Life." That use of music alone could have sold me on Josh and Michelle by reminding me of this:

Lastly, I really want a Bongo Dongo Dog.

Looking for Your Sexy Saturday Night Leopard Skin Thong

Maybe they should have called this episode something like "Anwar and Maxxie Go to Russia" or "Skins, Russian Style." This was by far the lightest and zaniest episode of the show so far, which definitely threw me off after the higher emotional moments of the last episode. It was still a lot of fun, and a nice diversion, but so far the low point of the show for me.

Anwar and Maxxie have really worked well as comic relief, Anwar being especially hilarious, but while Anwar's muslim background and Maxxie's homosexuality could make for interesting drama and conflict, it didn't really do much here. I think it's commendable that Maxxie is actually a fully realized character, emotional and sensitive, rather than flamboyant, but while the mix of drama and comedy usually works so well, the story here was so filled with hijinks that the emotions never really resonated. I kept waiting for the dramatic moment for everything to change (like the way the Jal and Chris episodes were able to turn themselves around), but didn't find it in the main story.
Instead, it was Chris and Angie finally getting together. "Let me in. I'll show you my reverse psychology." And that Decemberist music cue! And that next morning. "I don't have sex with my 17 year old students. How old are they normally?"

And maybe a little in Sid seeing Maxxie's drawing of Cassie.
Unfortunately though, because of the zany hijinks, the episode felt wildly out of continuity. Those crazy Russians with their hoses, glue factories, Neil Diamond, Friends watching ("We were on a break"), and money scams. Also, I know that Tom was just written into the show, but can they kill him off and fast.

And what the fuck is wrong with Tony? I don't even know what to make of his pass at Maxxie.

You Can Say Goodbye to Sunshine, Sunshine

I have been so ready to start blogging about multiple episodes for expediency (I wanted to be caught up by now) but I keep finding so much to talk about after each episode that I can't force myself to condense anymore than I already am. Even grabbing screengrabs, there are so many highlights and excellent moments in each episode that it's hard to decide what to focus on.

Sid has been my favorite character so far, and it's no wonder that I absolutely was enthralled with this episode. There was so much going on, and yet it was handled with such cohesion.

For a show about a bunch of teenagers, I remain transfixed by the role of adults and parents, and Sid's dad was no exception. Of course, Sid's dad was a real asshole, but again, it isn't that simple. His constant repetition of words and use of short sentences ("Why are you speaking in such short sentences?; "You snook, you snook, you snuck out"), Mark is merely attempting to be a hard ass, rather than the weak and sniveling man that he really is. Besides the tough guy performance (including being an absolute klutz), there is the way that he seems overtaken by Tony telling him about his landfill project, as if aiming to please, and then the final reveal of Sid's mother leaving, Sid berating his father and him letting him get away with it, and then the way Mark has to ask Sid if he can enter his room to return his TV and stereo. You can almost see Sid's weakness's in Mark.



And then there was the romantic drama. Tony really is a manipulative, and even I found myself believing that he was going to do what was best for everyone and give Tony a shot with Michelle, but really he is so conniving that I'm not really sure what he's going to do. It's pretty masterful that at no time do I think that he is simply indecisive, but it's instead that he believes in his motto "That's the great thing about the universe. Unpredictable. That's why it's so much fun...Bang." Things can change in an instant, and Tony rolls with it. (Is this foreshadowing what a difference an instant can make from the spoilers I've accidentally come across about the season finale?)

And that motto of unpredictability and change was followed through the rest of the episode as Sid's relationships with both his father, Michelle, and Cassie took drastic and dramatic turns in an instant.

Other highlights (because the show isn't all drama and theme; it's damn funny):
-"And no Asian Fannie Fan"
-Anwar and Maxxie as Sid's angel and devil
-Sid's Me and Dog shirt
-"I'll kill you you fucking flat chested cocksucking spastic horse fucker."
-Sid getting beat up by a girl gang and then getting pissed on by a homeless man"
-"Don't leave me hanging, G"

Let's Have Some Harmony Here

And now back to our regularly scheduled program....

Being that I watched most of this episode Thursday night, and then rewatched, this is far less a first impression than my writing on the first three.

That being said, I really enjoyed this episode far more than the Jal episode because of its humor as well its smaller moments (namely the unconventional romantic ones), as well as the balance that the show has struck so well so far. Each episode has been so entertaining, and while easy to watch, funny, and light hearted, also have a real strong amount of depth, drama, and pathos.


While most teen shows either abandon parents altogether, leaving one to wonder who in the world takes care of these kids, or streamlines them in with their own subplot about an adulterous affair, I am really impressed with the way adults and parents have been used on the series. The show is really reveling in the trope of childhood abandonment (with Cassie, Jal, and now Chris) but in such different ways. These aren't just deadbeat parents (not all of them at least) but each failing their children on different levels. That probably makes the show sound so much darker than it actually is, considering it of course is so fun to watch these kids drink, take E, and fuck.

The amount of sex and male nudity has me really pondering what it is about nudity and sex that we as Americans get so worked up about. For whatever reason, without even delving into the sex vs. violence exposure debate, we as a Americans find it so that any actor that is willing to bare it all (outside of pornography) is so daring and praiseworthy (i.e.: Viggo Mortensen's bathhouse scene in Eastern Promises), and yet here is an actor basically doing the same type of work on a weekly television series who probably is not receiving much praise at all. Meanwhile, he's showing a wide range of emotions, and not doing some hammy Russian accent.


Highlights:
-Angie coming to Chris's party, the music changing to "Lift Us Up" for what seems to be a forthcoming romantic moment, only to be ruined by Chris's erection
-"Speak for yourself, Casanova."
-Sid talking about his physical needs to a drunk girl
-everything about Michelle's boobs and the dramatic clincher of "Your eyes are supposed to fucking blur too."
-"Your stiffy is digging into my back."
-"Receipts don't cover Pop Tarts"
- Cassie abruptly asking Sid out on a date.
- The simple fact that Chris wasn't responsible for Peter's death. I was really expecting some really lame high drama there, but it instead hit the perfect note.

Double Super Chunk Sprinkle Surprise

I'm trying to catch up with Skins as fast as possible. I often find that when I burn through a series, I don't remember much, but am hoping that if I blog each episode as I go, I will remedy that.

Based on the first two episodes, I wasn't quite sure what the format of the show would be, but it seems that the format is to focus on an individual character every week while still advancing the plot. As with any ensemble, there are always going to be favorites, and from even the pilot, which I guess was Tony-centric, Jal really hadn't made much of an impression at all. It seems curious that the third episode featured her with how small of a role she seemed to have so far. Because of that, I'd have to say that I didn't especially enjoy the first 25 minutes of this episode very much.

While there were some funny moments with the music instructor being told the band swears too much ("Fuck my donkey! That's good!") and Sid in the dressing room ("She didn't like it! Too small!"; what is it with this show and it's brilliant use of the seeming sounds of sex?) I was really just waiting for the episode to return to the plot lines I loved so much in the first two episodes.

Once Chris, Tony, Maxxie, Sid, Michelle, and Cassie made it to the party, the episode really picked up.

In the first episode, I never saw the dub-step party girl (Abigail?) as an actual threat and conflict for Tony and Michelle, but again, I am curious to see how that will all play out. I guess the rectangle just expanded to include another member, though I am sure there will be a few more women in Tony's sights.

And poor Sid. I really do find myself attached to the characters that just sincerely and genuinely want the girl, so hearing Michelle and then Jal tell him they love him " more like a brother thing" made me cringe in a good way. Because of her sincere and genuine affection for Sid, I felt bad for Cassie too.

Most surprising was the really quick resolution to the Mad Twatter plotline with the clever twist of his associate William.

Somehow, the way the stories intertwined, I still found myself caring when Jal's clarinet was destroyed, and when she caught a vulnerable glimpse of her father ("I got skin. I got kin to think of") but I was still not entirely sold on the distance Jal felt with her father, and while I assume that her mother must have died, I was simply left wondering what tragic thing happened to her.

Still an enjoyable episode, but I hope that the other episodes cover more interesting ground with an individual character.

Amino Fats and Fishy Oils, They're Cool

I am tempted to describe Skins as a teen issues show, maybe Degrassi, on crack, but the acting is just so much better and it is actually feeling so much more subversive so far.

What a wonderful misdirection for the opening of the episode. I entirely expected the opening shot to be Cassie's dilapidated and broken home, only to find out it was a food fight party at Michelle's. Instead, Cassie's home life comes with a wonderful nuance and contradiction. It is joyful and bright, her parents are horny and in love, and they love their new baby boy. The problem is that they are so self involved that they don't pay enough attention to Cassie to realize what's wrong, just assuming that she is getting both the attention and help she needs at the clinic.

Without the right balance, the relationship between Alan and Cassie could have come off as creepy; an old man telling a young girl that he loves her, but I was really moved by the depiction of the one adult that seems to really care about Cassie, who is so desperate to find someone who cares. I loved that final moment in the diner while Cassie tried to make excuses and use her usual deceptions for not eating. Also, maybe I am an absolute sucker for pining and lingering romance, but I sure hope that Sid starts to care and have feelings for her, even after two episodes.

A little bit of me is worried that in a way, Angie is almost like the guiding adult, a Miss Bliss or Mitch Leery, but again, her character strikes such a balance between the responsible wiser adult and a naive young adult that makes mistakes in a way I really don't think I have ever seen on a show that I feel like I don't have to worry too much. Plus, I feel pretty assured she will do the irresponsible thing and sleep with Chris.

I also can't wait to see how Madison and Sid plays out. Two episodes in and I am already looking forward to seeing how that plays out, Tony and his neighbor, the love rectangle of Sid, Cassie, Michelle, and Tony, and Angie and Chris.

Really, maybe my expectations were extremely lowered by hearing the show continually described as fun trash, which it is in some respects, but as a fan and casual viewer of most teen high school shows from The Wonder Years, Dawson's Creek, The OC, Saved by the Bell, Degrassi: The Next Generation, Friday Night Lights, as well as Buffy Season 1-3, I feel like I'm really seeing something entirely new and original presented in a way I have never seen before.

A Formal Announcement (for one reader)

I don't think I was quite prepared for that.
What wonderful trash!

I've blogged plenty today, so I won't say too much, and will wait to really discuss more until I've watched a couple more episodes and had some time to digest, but here are my initial off the bat questions, and things I can't wait to see play out after just watching one episode.

-How many episodes until Chris does Angie the teacher (or will it be the other way around)?

-Why is Sid even friends with Tony? Just to be closer to Michelle?

-What the fuck is Cassie's deal? Loved the trampoline sex psych out. She's like a mix of Drusilla and the "your aura, it's purple" girl from Almost Famous.

- The French teacher from the all girl's school is Tony's neighbor! Awesome!

Why didn't you push me into watching Skins sooner?