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.

Don't Whisper Yell At Me

So it looks like there is hope for Friday Night Lights, though I still have my doubts.

And I Don't Want to Miss a Thing

While CNN was discussing the satellite plummeting to Earth, they of course couldn't resist showing footage from Deep Impact and Armageddon, as well as saying that the President will be shooting down the missile.

Of course, this got me thinking, if the missile misses, will George W have to board the satellite and self-detonate it while he tells Jenna and Barbara that he loves them?

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.