by riese & crystal
Skins is back! Sorta. The season four premiere aired in the UK a few days ago, however if you live elsewhere then you’re gonna have to wait a little longer til it plays on your teevee. BBC America needs time to censor out all the good lesbian scenes. But I know you’re an internet-savvy bunch that doesn’t let geography get in the way of a good lesbian storyline, and so you’ve probably already seen the episode (viewable here).
If you’re yet to jump on the Skins bandwagon then you should know that it follows the lives of a group of kids in Bristol, England, who have a fondness for underage drinking and sex and MDMA. Two of the girls – Naomi and Emily, aka “Naomily” – had a lovely yet dramatic romance in season three and we’re all dying to see what becomes of it in season four. Catch up by reading part one and part two of our Naomily recaps.
So I’m going to take a little break from the Good Ship Audiostraddle and bring you the Skins recaps each week (with Riese, because teamwork makes a dream work). Last year I only recapped the Naomi and Emily storyline however this time we’re considering recapping the entire thing, straight parts and all, ’cause this is a really good show you guys. What do you think? Do you care about the other characters’ story lines? We won’t recap it if you won’t read it, so let me know!
Episode 401: Thomas
Every Skins episode is focussed on one or two of the characters, and this week it’s Thomas, the African immigrant who arrived in Bristol in season three.
Hey ho we have a new theme song! It’s actually just a progression from the original theme song, I like it. The theme song is not the only thing that’s grown up, notably all of the Skins kids look a few years older (but probably not wiser) since we last saw them in season three. That’s a very good thing, I now feel less like a creep for having adult thoughts about Effy.
I mean Naomi and Emily are cute and all, but Effy is why I am here.
At the Discotheque
The show opens to a black screen and the sweet, sweet sounds of someone snorting cocaine and sauntering, all lost and druggie, into a buzzing nightclub. Thomas is probably there to shift the few pounds of weed remaining from season three, remember how he had like ten pounds of weed? As the Bolivian Marching Powdered Mysterious Girl navigates the club she passes some of our favorite people from the neighborhood, like Cook; fucking a girl in the stairwell while some dude looks on. Kids these days.
Silly Girl, Gummies are For Kids!
But where are Naomi and Emily? Did their romance last the season break? Are they doing blowbacks? Are they at home with their cats, murmuring sweet nothings into the cat-ears?
OH HEY LOOK! They’re inside the club! Sucking face! On the stairwell! This is how every episode should start, continue, and end.
The Planet After Dark Meets Capricia meets Skins
They’re really going at it, too, they look happy and it’s a lovely few seconds. Teenagers of Bristol, I applaud you for letting these young lovers have a bit of a pash with no staring or interruption.
Well at least until the anonymous girl from the opening scene Jenny Schecters it off the balcony railing and dies with her head split open bleeding all over the floor!
It’s a Long Way Down
Then the Bobby shows up with a fey assistant, prepared to crack down on the club-owner and DJ Tommy Thomas, who organised the party but doesn’t know that dead girl or where she got the drugs or the idea that she could fly.
After the lady-cop & her assistant leave, the club owner throws Thomas a big envelope of cash – profits from that night’s party – and threatens to “snap his spine” if he mentions the club’s many illegal activities to the police, it’s all very dicey.
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Pandora’s Box
It’s late and so Thomas brings his girlfriend Pandora home to his overcrowded apartment and gets busted by his mother, who does not believe in neutral colours but does have very strict beliefs regarding sleepovers.
Pandora bumbles about, promising Thomas’s Mom that they won’t have sex and that while they have done “stuff,” that “stuff” has yet to include sexual intercourse. The mother wants to know where she can find a virgin in this country. Probs in middle school, or Lezzie Town (according to what we presume is Thomas’s mother’s definition of “sex.”)
I feel like the real issue here is that mum is worried because Thomas’ brother is sick. Not common-cold sick, but oddly-immobile-like-a-mannequin-except-when-imbibing-strange-liquids sick.
Thomas should have shared some of his weed with the twenty-one year olds in the Skins writer’s room, so far this episode is super depressing. I’d prefer something more like the poppy fields in Wizard of Oz.
Sexual Healing
Pandora was exiled to the couch but she can’t sleep, she keeps seeing the dead girl’s face. And the best cure for Dead Girl Face is, obviously, sex, so she goes to her man in the night and so they do it.
We transition from serious actual f*cking to a giant musical number the next morning at apparently the Funnest Church of All Time. Thomas has been dragged there for some spiritual healing.
Last night’s sex with Pandora becomes merely a distant memory when Thomas spots a hot girl in the choir and they make sexy eyes at each other for the entire worship session. Well, “solemn eyes” is Thomas’s default facial expression, although he does smile for about three seconds in this scene, which makes me believe in God. ALMOST.
Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory of the Coming of the Lord
Thomas’ mum dobbs Thomas in to the Rev for spending too much time “fooling and fornicating” with undesirable types. This heavy episode becomes momentarily light-hearted when Thomas’ sister tells the Reverend his lecture is a plagarisism of Star Wars and “Obi Wan is like God but with better weapons.” [Riese sidenote: true story my Rabbi often used Star Trek The Next Generation storylines as a jumping off point for his sermons]
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Next: No Sex in the Laundry Room at the hospital… OR IS THERE?
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High School is a Battleground for Your Soul
It’s the first day back at school, which means other Skins cast members are around the corner. In fact, some of them are literally around the corner making out. Life is not a nightclub, children.
The kids are lounging on couches, working on their laptops, playing foosball and generally engaging in what the adults call “tomfoolery.” North America should pay attention, clearly the UK has its education funding sorted out.
Despite these fancy toys, the entire Skins gang is chilling in the homeroom, looking miserable, probs because Effy isn’t there.
My Life Does Indeed Suck Without You
We meet Professor Blood, the new campus director who welcomes the kids by telling them that “this place is rubbish and so are you” and that this year will be all about CHANGE, like Obama’s presidency and the David Bowie song “Changes” and the Tupac song “Changes.” If you fuck up, ProfBlood will “expunge” you. ProBlo says this all in a sort of fancy tone of voice that makes it hard to take him seriously. The kids, who are props on drugs, give him the Episode 401 Blank Stare of Death.
Speaking of death! Everyone’s then dragged to the gym ’cause it’s time to interrogate all the kids about how Last Night a DJ Did Not Save That Girl’s Life.
They begin with Katie who will probably shop a bro and blame Naomi. Or will she? Will they be friends this season? Who knows! Why answer these questions when we could just continue down the Road of Depression.
Naomi has grown her hair out, it looks pretty. I guess having an alternative lifestyle on top of having that alternative lifestyle haircut she rocked during Season Three’s Great Indecision would be a bit intense.
Emily, who’s hair also looks lovely today, is ranting and raving about the unnecessary police interrogation. Naomi must’ve taken Lesbian Relationship 101 over the break because when she gets caught out not paying attention to her girlfriend’s rant, she’s real quick to offer a “yeah that’s fucked” even though she probs has no idea what she’s agreeing with and it’s cute. This’s the only verbal interaction they’ve had yet since the tonsil hockey, so I’m clutching at straws here.
You Know What Let’s Bust this Popstand and Go Make Out on Camera
I’m glad to see that neither of these girls are wearing flannelette, plaid, tartan or any material that is typically found at an upholstery.
Although the question of the hour is “Who Killed That Girl?” I’m pleased that the gang quickly addresses my aforementioned question — WHERE’S EFFY?
Emily: Hey, Freds, have you heard from her?
Freddie: Who?
Emily: The Empress of Cleopatra, who do you think.
Freddie: Nah.
Emily: I thought she might just show up, you know first day back.
Freddie: Yeah, well, she didn’t.
Freddie is so shaken by that interrogation he can’t possibly handle another, and so he leaves just like Cook did. Where’s the expunger? I thought kids were gonna get punished and stuff this year.
JJ: Guys you’ve got to not talk about Effy.
Emily: Why? She really f*cked Freddy over.
JJ: No, we’re just not going there. I mean, me, Cook and Freds, we’re getting through it.
Emily: She dumped you all?
JJ: Well kind of. Effy’s gone and we’re happy. The status of the tribe is protected. We’re happy, right?
Then that song starts playing — “The Cave” by Mumford & Sons (buy it here) the same one that was in the BBC Winter Season extended trailer. Maybe The Cave will be to 2010 as The Blower’s Daughter was to 2004 (Closer, The L Word (at 7:13))?
+Speaking of disappearing, Cook is in the bathroom dumping drugs that look suspiciously like the same drugs that the disco girl took before jumping off the railing and suspiciously like the drugs that stole six months of my otherwise perfect life and about 60,000 unnecessary heartbeats HEY-O JUST KIDDING oh what he’s doing this with the door open, but I’m trying not to nitpick.
Thomas suspects as much, but Cook denies it and they exchange harsh words about each other’s current & former girlfriends and then start brawling because that’s what Thomas and Cook do.
The Second Rule of Fight Club is Not in the Bathroom Boys
Freddie breaks it up because the cops just called Cook’s name. Maybe they’re just hungry. Hahahahaha!
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Pandora finds Thomas in a classroom. It looks like she got pregnant last night otherwise I see no reasonable explanation for this denim skortall jumpsuit thing she’s wearing out in public.
There’s Only One Condition in Which I Will Remove this Outfit, and it Involves Your Penis
Pandora tells him that heat is getting the kids down and so they’re skipping school to go to the pub even though they’re underage and should be doing trigonometry not tequila shots.
Thomas: Is that the answer for everything? To go and get pissed?
Pandora: No, Häagen-Dazs is the answer for everything.
Pandora goes for the makeout, and Thomas is into it until Pandora sticks her little hand down his pants and then he’s confused. She ends up leaving offended that he has his priorities straight and is going to do his homework instead of the pub.
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Thomas is trying to study but is distracted by EZ Girlish phantom music… so Thomas walks the halls of his high school to discover that the girl he’d been making bedroom eyes with at church is actually enrolled, and is singing a lovely song, just like in High School Musical! Right now a dance-off or some basketball-themed choreography would really lighten this episode up a bit.
Killing Me Softly With Her Song
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Thomas is so inspired by this girl’s singing that not only does he smile, but he drags his siblings to “prayer group” the next day. Turns out that she’s the Preacher’s Daughter, and Prayer Group involves a bunch of kids and maracas.
All the kids are being noisy while Andrea’s trying to have her John Mayer moment, so Andrea yells at them, “Jesus says shut up!” Eh, Jesus says a lot of things.
“What do you want to sing? Andrea asks. The children answer:
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These kids are ten kinds of awesome. Andrea says no, because “those are all people who can’t really sing, don’t wear very many clothes and get married far too young.”
Um, wrong on all counts? Lady Gaga sometimes wears a lot of clothes, like all that S&M stuff and the BK King crown and etc. None of them are married and they’re all amazing singers. I hate her, I was ready for a new YouTube viral sensation of the Prayer Group Children doing Single Ladies.
“What do we call those people?” she asks, and the kids respond “Americans!” I thought they were gonna yell “Trashwhores!” Same diff.
Then Thomas & The Daughter of the Preacher Man share a duet, it’s sweet, kinda; except the fuck-me eyes they’re giving each other while singing “Hey brothers, let’s go down, down to the river to pray,” really make me think that “the river” isn’t exactly what they’d like to go down on.
How pure, look how Jesus brings people together to celebrate life in His name!
The Preacher Man finds Thomas in the kitchen. He asks Thomas why he never noticed Andrea until this week when they’ve been going to school together for a year. Thomas doesn’t know. The Preacher Man says it’s ’cause the Preacher’s speech inspired Thomas to see things that have always been there that Thomas has never noticed before.
Thomas could be like, “No I just got new contacts,” but instead he does that blank stare thing again.
Thomas: She’s beautiful — she’s a beautiful singer.
Preacher Man: She is, she serves the Lord. If you put your trust in him, and obey his rules, you see the world in a new way, it’s wonderful. Just open up your heart, Thomas, and give me your soul. Give it to me.
But before Thomas can hand over his soul, his brother starts coughing up his own soul and the whole fam ends up back in the hospital, where the doctor wonders why this is Thomas’s brother’s third lung infection of the month — perhaps there is mold or dust in the home? Thomas says there is, Mom yells at him, Thomas runs into the hospital hallway…
But Andrea sees Thomas running away and chases after him, then starts making out with him…
It’s like Grey’s Anatomy. Where’s the Lesbian Couple? Exactly!
Andrea & Thomas work their way into the laundry room and bada-bing bada-boom, SERIOUS SEX SCENE. Is this how you serve the Lord, kids? IS IT?
[Song: Ida Maria – Keep Me Warm]
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Thomas lies in his bed with his money for a little while. Then Pandora & JJ show up at Thomas’s moldy home with Reese Witherspoon movies and donuts. Thomas doesn’t want any donuts because he’s not hungry. No wait actually it’s ’cause he slept with someone else. He tells Pandora she did it first. It would be awkward that JJ is there, but he’s too invested in Sweet Home Alabama to pay much attention.
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Panda’s upset and so is everyone else, giving Thomas the cold shoulder and calling him adorable British insults like “tit”.
[song: “Near Town” by the Amazing Broken Man]
Angry classmates won’t be a long-term issue though, ’cause Professor Blood decides to make an example out of Thomas over his involvement in that whole death at the disco thing by expelling him. Thomas decides to make a bad example of himself by going to the bar and drinking ten bajillion shots of vodka.
At the pub he spots Cook and Naomi at a corner table and accuses Cook once again of supplying the dead girl with the drugs that he’s now taking the fall for. Cook says that Thomas has a “congo cock.” They get into another scuffle and then!
I Guess Like I Should’ve Told You Then
Naomi breaks the fight up by fessing up that it was actually her who supplied the dead girl with Cook’s drugs ‘because whatcha gonna do when your mum’s at home, crying on the phone ’cause no-ones home and she’s hungry, and the only thing to do is to sell some drugs for a little bit of money..’. Thomas points out that the girl is dead now. Thanks Captain Obvi.
Naomi pleads with Thomas to not tell Emily, but as we know the truth always comes out when you’re a teenager on the TV. She’s likely just planted the seed for a world of Naomily relationship drama in this season. I wish the drama was more like, “oh we did it with a strap-on yesterday, how about today you just go down on me, naked.”
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Also, I Burned Down Wax
Honesty seems to be Thomas’ only policy today (perhaps we can thank the vodka for that) and so he visits his latest squeeze, choir girl Andrea, and confesses to having a girlfriend. He tells Andrea that he loves his girlfriend but that Andrea “feels like home.” Eek. She peaces out, and considering who her Daddy is, Thomas is maybe dodging a bullet. Though he’s gonna have a lot of spare time on his hands: No school, no girlfriend, no drugs, no nightclub, no other girlfriend.
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The next day, Thomas’ mother questions whether their life in the UK is really a better life than what they’d left behind. Thomas is gonna make sure that it is — he takes the profits from the disco and rents his family a bigger, cleaner apartment with furniture and a washing machine. I hope he has a few more kilos of weed to keep up on that place.
With his heart set on a fresh start, he goes to Pandora’s house to ask for forgiveness for sleeping with Andrea.
Kneel to Condition all the Feelings That You Feel
She isn’t having a bar of it because, “you just don’t trust me with your thoughts and that fucks it” and Thomas tells her he loves her and then walks away defeated.
When Pandora walks back into her house, what follows is the most beautiful 15 seconds of television I’ve seen in a long time, featuring two of my all-time favourite things in the one scene:
Yes, Effy told Pandora to reject Thomas to give him some time to think about what he’s done. Which he does. At his new apartment with his siblings and his Mom. Despite the joy and coloring happening around him, he cannot smile because he’s just lost everything. Well you know what Janis Joplin says, when you’ve got nothing, you’ve got nothing to lose. And you know what Tyler Durden says, It’s only after you’ve lost everything that you’re free to do anything. So let’s all be winners.
More than that, I feel sorry for myself because now I’m depressed. I came here seeking lesbian makeouts!
THE END.
What did you think? I was surprised that they opened with such a heavy episode, a far cry from the hilarity we saw in first episode of season three. And if you were looking for funny, next week’s episode – 402: Naomi & Emily – won’t deliver any lols either. Check out the 402 trailer and get ready for DRAMS
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More:
Autostraddle Complete Playlist for songs used in Episode 401 of Skins on itunes
Individual Songs You Probs Want:
[Song: Ida Maria – Keep Me Warm]
[Song: Mumford & Sons – The Cave)
Pages: 1 2See entire article on one page
you should always re-cap the whole thing .. s’good
Arr! Major anger for the first ep of the new series! It was well boring: the final minute of the ep + tiny minute-long preview of Naomi & Emily’s episode was more exciting than a whole hour of Thomas! (Could just be cause it’s Naomi and Emily, though…). Still, can’t wait to watch next week’s! :D
Recap the whole thing. The Naomi/Emily storyline is great for the lesbian action, but it’s the other characters like JJ and Pandora who have the funniest lines. Also, I hope we get more of Thomas’ sister; she was hilarious with that Obi-Wan line.
like god, but with better weapons!
Truth!
Please continue to recap. It is good. That is all.
Nice recap, I also loved the Effy reveal at the end, thought it was nicely done.
I really liked the episode, though Pandora (prob my fave character from last series) was weirding me out a bit – I much prefer pyjama-Panda to nympho-Panda.
Nice as it would have been to indulge naomily mania, I’m glad that they went for a different character first, and set up a story arc that will intertwine with their relationship. For me, where good and bad drama differs is in convincingly portraying how characters react to situations, and how these situations impact their relationships. It seems like the cause of the stereotype about all TV lesbians dying/turning psycho is that the writers run out of ideas after the initial “let’s make these girls dyke up!” revelation, and rather than think up anything fresh, they try and make drama out of the relationships imploding for no real reason.
I know Skins will do a better job than that, so really looking forward to next week!
even when Panda was pyjama Panda and not yet nympho Panda, she’s always been overly hyper with impulse control issues (remember, Panda’s mom was like, “we do these breathing exercises”). so i guess discovering how fun sex is and wanting to do it all the time isn’t really too much out of character for Panda.
hopefully Panda will get together with someone nice. or make Thomas pay.
Your recap owned the actual watching of episode one. I dunno where they got those pop tarts from… not spotted in UK since, err… ’99.
they looked like s’more flavor to me
S’mores = Best PT flavor ever
Maybe while Effy was taking a break from her irl friends she met some nice people on the interwebz and they sent them to her?
Maybe Effy went overseas during the season break? Did she offer any explanation as to where she disappeared to? I wasn’t paying any attention to her dialogue.
I would like to recognise how awesome it is that you used British spelling like “organised” instead of “organized”.
PS- Not British but love subtle humor.
That’s why I help to recap the show, because I am Australian and can write and speak using British slang and spelling. I bring s’ to the table.
S’s are so much better than Z’s (except, you know, in my name)
Brill recap, so much funnier than having watched the episode… however you can be assured that everyone I know, including all the straights and the bis and the gays, want Naomi-and-Emily-love. We don’t care about gender, we just want the love, yo.
Personally, from an overall story point-of-view, I’m glad it’s not all about them. Though the indulgent part of me disagrees.
Perhaps it’s blasphemy to say this, but as much as I love Naomi and Emily, Katie (the evil sister, so everyone else says!) is my favourite character. I was gutted that there was, like, none of her this episode. Even Effy had more lines than Katie. (Not that I cared at the time of Effy, coz Effy was gaw-jus and Katie was lush in all two split-second shots she had to herself.)
Then again, I like to think that Katie had such a problem with Emily being gay because she was repressing her own homo-sexy feelings, and we could have had Katie come out as a secret lesbian or a bisexual girl too, with all the self-loathing drama and finally acceptance to boot. This would be me dreaming, because it’s never gonna happen in the show.
I also noticed / thought it was weird that Katie was barely in this episode – I guess it’s possible that she has a really good scene in 402 and so they wanted to save that as the series introduction to Katie’s character.
I hope so! In the meantime, Emily is breaking my heart in all the promo shots for this week’s episode. Drama, drama.
I think you should stick with recapping the whole show! I think Thomas could be alot more interesting but i feel like he never says anything! he just stares mostly. But anyway, next week should be intense. Lost tuesday & Skins thursday…I might not be able to handle it.
you should deffo recap everything, skins deserves that (as you said, it IS really good). oh and i think you should include this gif instead of that naomily ‘making-out-in-the-club’ screenie because it sums up their appearance in this ep very well and is a great reflection of this scene –> http://fuckyeahlilyloveless.tumblr.com/post/363574183
I agree with everyone else: recap the whole show. Cause recaps are so nice. I like when you talk about inappropriate thoughts of Effy, so then I know I’m not alone.
I was soo excited for this to start and then was seriously underwhelmed. It was dramatic, and it wasn’t ~bad per say, and it did set up for a whole shit-ton worth of angst and drama… but it was kinda boring on the whole. But that’s Thomas, I guess. He’s not as good a character anymore as he was when he was binging donuts and giving his shoes to Emily. Also, I just want to say PLEASE don’t let this dead girl turn into another Sketch (cause it kiiinda looks like that’s where it’s going, i saw you, shrine to namoi in her locker (not that i wouldn’t build a shrine to namoi, cause i totes would cause she’s hot, but i really hated the whole sketch stuff.)).
Oh, I forgot to mention that: I’m glad you’re back too, Eff!
yeah i know what you mean. i saw 401 and 301 today (401 first, with my sister just to find out shortly after that she hasn’t seen any skins so far so we also did 301) and srsly 301 interoduces you to so much awesomeness i cant even tell! and then there’s the series four premiere who just.. you know, sucks as a premiere. i mean, if i hadn’t known skins before, i would deffo not go for more of it after this episode. just sayin’.
oh and that girl thomas was bangin, she’s so getting pregnant. it’s so so so obvious.
OMG I didn’t think of pregnancy. FML there’s so going to be a teen pregnancy plot. It’s Chris and Jal part 2. Except this time she’ll keep it cause she’s super religious.
‘That church girl is getting preggo’ is the first thing I thought when they headed into the closet. And/or maybe Panda (imagine her momma reaction!) because I don’t think Thomas knows what a condom even is…
I think Effy should be in every show. I can picture it now…Effy’s Anatomy, (not) Ugly Effy, The Eff Word.
The issue I had with this episode, only one because Skins is back and so is Effy (Yay), is that it seems like Emily’s nickname for Naomi is Naoms. Do any of you know if that is a common nickname? I found it odd and rather pointless.
Also I would like to join the religion Thomas’s sister described.
I think it’s “Nomes”? There was a lot of nicknaming happening in this episode, I did notice that. Like a lot of people adding “s”es to names.
I think it’s cute and I would like it if my girlfriend called me something cute like Nomes. I picture her with a beard and big red hat.
…and a bottle of Maker’s!
I think it is Naoms. The writers (name choosers?) clearly didn’t think enough about the difficulties of the name Naomi (Nameomi?) the nicknaming options are slim. Nomi, Namesie, Names, Omi, Nayo? Nay-nay? Ayo?
LOL is this a BCW’s avatar reference?
I’ve known a few people that have gone by the nickname “Naoms”. Maybe it’s only common in countries rules by the Queen.
LOL I don’t know why but I found that incredibly hilarious.
it’s “Naoms”, I think it’s because she (Naomi) started calling Emily “Ems” last season..
I wish the drama was more like, “oh we did it with a strap-on yesterday, how about today you just go down on me, naked.”
lmao
Please continue recapping the whole episodes! I totally love the other characters’ plots. I lke Thomas and think JJ is hilariously awkward/cute. And there’s Effy OF COURSE.
So my favourite parts were definately “Obi-Wan is like go but with better weapons” and “Americans!”
-Note, the little boy who says Lady Gaga totes has a rainbow xylophone in front of him…
This episode gave me the sads AND the lols. It’s the magic of Skins.
I watched this episode while in bed, half asleep. so, for the moment, I don’t really remember my feelings. Except, are Naomi and Emily SITTING ON A CUPCAKE in that photoshoot?!Also, the theme song reminds me of SBS. I don’t know if it’s the graphics?
yes it’s a giant cupcake!
Ok so i’m totally thinking that they sexed up this season for sure. The massive amount of sex scenes is a given, but also, look at their clothes! Naomi used to wear cute little overalls with colorful funky leggings and baggy t-shirts, now she’s all into lots of sheer and all things black! I mean i still think she’s a hottie but i kind of liked her shorter hair before, and i also think she lost a lot of weight, that seems to always happen. anyone else notice this?
oh and Emily looks great. i’m glad that the bangs are gone and they switched up her and Katie’s looks more.
*Please recap the whole eps from now on; I like this!*
Okay, that being said, I can comment on the show. I love love loved thomas in season 3 what with the doughnuts and peppers and giving Emily shoes and Panda a second chance but I am totes not feeling him in season 4. I thought this episode was kind of a let down from the awesomeness of season 3, but then again, season 2 was way sadder than season 1. Maybe it’s the pattern that is Skins. I trust it’ll get better though. Even if it doesn’t though, I’ll have the wonderful autostraddle recaps to keep me gigglin’…PLEASE!!!!
Oh and for the record, Beyonce is totally married to Jay-Z.
Riese, if my rabbi was as awesome as yours, we might have started going to temple a lot earlier in my life.
Can’t wait for next episode. :/ Sooo nervous….
“I mean Naomi and Emily are cute and all, but Effy is why I am here.”
yes, yes, and YES!
working from home includes watching the new episode, right?
YES.
Working from the office also includes watching the new episodes.
Prediction for next episode:
Naomi approaches Emily (who is at the edge of a building) and is suddenly joined by the cast of Glee where they all join in singing Third Eye Blind’s “Jumper” and Emily comes to her senses or just remembers how sexy she finds Noami and steps back from that ledge, my friend, and they kiss and make up and oh-so-much-more and it’s all on top of a building with beautiful music playing and all is good in the world with episode 402 ending how 401 started- cute Noamily romance.
Okay so maybe I’m an optimist not a realist.
I think any scene that involves the combination of music and cute girls on a roof top is a winner. Remember Empire Records?
Did you watch the first generation skins? First season was light and funny and everyone was friends, and then the second season came around and suddenly everything was real heavy and serious. I don’t think this season is going to be as much fun as last season at all.
I watched the first generation, you’re right – I found the second series fairly hard to watch, it was quite confronting. In general I think one of the things this show does really well is to show the consequences of people’s actions. But that does get depressing.
I reckons Naomi might end up in prison. DUN DUN DUDNNNDNNN Hopefully not, but they killed someone in the finale of the last ‘set’ of characters, and I can’t imagine they’ll want to just rehash that. Hopefully she’ll wear some sort of boiler suit, and Emily will bust her out of prison
Favorite parts of this recap:
– Linking to a definition of Bobby. :D
– The graphic with Freddy saying “Haiii!”
– the viral video of Single Ladies comment (we taught a 5yo camper just the “oh oh ooh” part last summer and it was THE cutest thing I’ve ever seen)
– Effy and poptarts. That was such a brilliant build up to just the right surprise. Where did she get the poptarts? I don’t know. But if Effy wants poptarts then I will fly over with a suitcase full (after March when she’s turned 18).
Please please do recap the whole thing!
I love that you looked up Effy’s age to see when she hits adulthood.
I needed to know exactly how guilty I should feel. My carefully calculated conclusion (based on made up maths using my age, her age and an unnecessary variable labeled q): Not that guilty(q).
it’s such a depressing episode. and i was thinking it better not turn out to be like L Word Season 6– where they start of with a crazy girl offing herself and plunging the rest of the cast into drama.
Somehow I totes feel it’s going to be exactly that. Please please prove me wrong skins. I can’t remembs how Sketch went down so I can’t compare it to that at all.
Love it!!! Great re-cap.
Sidenote: Beyonce is married.
As you were.
i always <3 SKINS…yayyy…
really really excited for ep.2! yay NAOMILY!!!
I can’t remember where the interview was from (something tells me it could have been the Diva one…) but Lily Loveless and Kathryn Prescott were asked where they saw their characters in five/ten (again, memory failing) years. They said that Naomi and Emily would be travelling the world together, setting up orphanages, doing good… you know, stuff that would mean they’re definitely going to be together at the end of season 4! :)
It was a pretty heavy episode to start with, I’m hoping it’s not setting the mood for the entire season.
Omh honestly thatd be great if it means that, esp because next ep is looking like a downs-zer.
I think you should recap the whole thing because I’m not going to watch this show, just live vicariously through the recaps.
i fastforwarded through all the parts that weren’t naomi and emily [aka 77/78th of this episode] so that i could get to the brill [!] recap faster.
Thank you.
Thanks so much for recapping the whole show. I’m in Miami so thanks for the link too :) (Though I do have BBC America it pisses me off that they edit it at all — assholes.)
Unlike say Grey’s Anatomy or even the L Word or any show with lez characters this is truly the first show where I’ve become engrossed with ALL the storylines not just the ones I relate to best. Hell I’m even fond of Cook.
A “skins season 4” search brought me to your site so there’s this too. Good morning! :)
Dude ‘watching’ Cook and nameless girl: pretty sure that was Freddie, altered and woozy. Swan Diver passed everyone (except Effy, obvs) during her trip around the club.
I like Lily Loveless’ hair longer/softer like this, too. Her #alternativelifestylehaircut was too harsh and made her look really bitchy (which I guess was the point when she was introduced.)
Aaaa, the preview for next week!
Looks like “Noams” will continue to break Emily’s heart–nothing new there. But what’s Emily doing up on that roof? Lord. At least we know she won’t jump. They basically just did that this episode…
I’m still a little worried though ’cause LESBIANS ALWAYS DIE!
Kaya Scodelario (Effy) did an interview and she said that she would had loved to have been involved in the action between Naomily, take note Skins producers, take note!! So do you guys in the US get Skins the same day as it airs here in the UK?
P.s, Totally love autostraddle, been following you for a few months and have been itching to comment, but always shyed away, you guys are just too awesome..ok, gushing over!!
I’m glad you commented! Commenters are too awesome.
Whenever Effy’s character used to appear in series two as a support role, I’d pick up a gay vibe. So even though it was likely just wishful thinking, I was sorta surprised that when they announced lesbian characters that she wasn’t one of them.
This season of Skins isn’t playing anywhere outside of the UK at the moment, and probably won’t for a while. We have to rely on youtube etc to do the recaps.
Wow, thanks for replying,and so quickly too! I’m kinda embarrassed as having watched the grammys tonight on ITV2 I was interested to read about why Taylor won and Lady Gaga didn’t (I love Gaga and someone should of really turned swifts mic down during that duet with stevie nicks)anyway I noticed that you had already picked up on that interview, so please ignore my comment about that…see thats why I shouldn’t comment on these things as I make a complete num-nut out of myself!! Oh, i didn’t realise that about not playing outside the uk as your recaps are fabulous, well if ever you want a heads up after its aired here…thanks again!
It’s tragedy. Not drama, tragedy. Like “they all end up dead” tragedy. I can’t handle it. I watched through 403 and it’s beautiful and honest and real but so so heavy. anyway now I’m going to either ingest an entire week’s caloric intake in ice cream, (hägen-dazs?) or… something. long walk calls my name.
good job recapping though. you guys rock.
def. keep doing full episodes.
Just watched this episode.. Thoughts:
– Why are PK’s so bad? It took Thomas 3 days to get in her pants. What a whore! Although that scene was nice, like it was love instead of just f-ing.
-Thomas is very random and boring. No more Thomas episodes
-STILL HATE Pandora’s voice. She still annoys me.
-Cook is STILL a tit!
-Freddie forget Effy and come see me!