Monday, July 19, 2010

Oils. And stuff.

To be honest, at first I was the tiniest bit appalled. What is this loud show about these obnoxious teenagers whose lives seem to be an endless blur of getting drunk, getting high, getting fucked, fucking each other and fucking up royally? But then, I kept watching. First impressions are important, but they rarely tell the whole story. Setting a locker on fire at least catches your attention, right? And then, all of a sudden, I knew. I knew that this wasn’t just about kids looking to party, but about kids realizing how weird and confusing and exciting and terrifying and disappointing and beautiful life can right at the cusp of adulthood – and often well thereafter.

So, now, well – I’m a believer. I hadn’t watched “Skins” ever before. Of course I’d heard all about it. Friends had raved about it. Writers had waxed eloquent about it. But I’d never watched, until this weekend. But then, boy, did I watched. I started with season 3, for obvious reasons. I watched the first six episodes all in one setting, finishing just as the sun was starting to make its presence known. Waking up later that morning, was like waking up after having great sex with someone new for the first time. You look over and think, “I get to do this again and again. FUCKING BRILLIANT.” The next night I marathoned the last four, swallowing them whole without bothering to chew. And as we speak (well, I type, you read – semantics), I am using all of my willpower to not make a few clicks and start watching season 4. Oh, that intoxicating first blush of love when you can’t keep your hands off each other.

Skins is so many things: Hilarious, overblown, sexy, fun, heartbreaking, confounding, joyous, randy, poignant, silly, absurd, wise, disturbing, courageous and real. Also, dude, how does every teen in Britain have such seemingly effortless access to weed? But mostly they’re just good stories, spun so well that we can’t help but care what happens to every single one of these obnoxious teenagers.

Gosh, and we haven’t even talked about Naomily yet. I’ve downloaded their episodes to my iPhone and carry them around with me in my pocket everywhere I go. That’s now I feel about Naomi and Emily. I’m not sure I’ve watched another show, another scene on TV that has made my wibbly bits feel all wobbly and then my spirit feel so shattered in a less than three minutes flat. In fact, I’m sure of it. And then the cat-flap. Even if they only existed in that one episode it would still rank as one of the most nuanced, most honest, most amazing portrayals of gay teenagers to be put on screen. “So be brave, and want me back.” Man, is that not falling in love in a nutshell?

Smitten, just smitten.

20 comments:

  1. Oh, I'm so glad, Miss Snarker! Hooray for the Brits! I hardly ever watch anything other than USA-imports (House, Grey's, Human Target, Huge, The Big Bang Theory, 30Rock - the list could go on and on...), so to have a home-grown programme get such rave reviews is great - and tempts me to dive back into Skins, too!

    Thanks!

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  2. Welcome to the fold :D

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  3. I really like Naomily, but aside from them, 3rd/4th seasons are no where near as good as the 1st/2nd. If it hadn't been for them, I would have stopped watching.

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  4. Anonymous5:18 AM

    So glad you're on the skins bandwagon. I love that storyline. so well done. well acted, well written. beautiful

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  5. I am so happy you enjoyed it!!

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  6. My gf and I walked around saying oils and stuff for weeks after that episode lol

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  7. Speaking of handy access to weed..Did you notice you posted this entry at 4:20? Righteous!

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  8. Very nicely written. That show definitely gets to you and I also watched it in a short time span. Addicting.

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  9. Not going to spoil you but CAN I JUST WARN YOU PLEASE that S4 is not the non-stop shower of puppies and rainbows of S3. There is much Naomily sadness and angst. Just so you are braced.

    Also, weed was just always about when I was British teenager. I knew a few people who always had it (both for themselves and to buy), and someone would always bring it to any social occasion. Just like my special friend vodka.

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  10. OMG! Skins is a favorite. I'm so glad you finally watched it. I have to admit, I was hesitant when I heard Series 3 was starting with a brand new cast. But it turn out soo much better than before, and yeah that had to do with Naomily. God those girls I two keep them close on my iPhone. Just for those moments when I need a reminder what love is.

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  11. i think you should send heather a packet of garilbaldis and a carton of mango juice:) have fun in cyprus!

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  12. Anonymous9:07 PM

    YESH! All the raving about Skins on AE and AS didn't even faze me for some reason. I guess bc here in the states, "teenage drama" means some vanilla schmoopy junk on the CW or somesuch, with an occasional poignant storyline about a teen who has a mild crisis in betwixt all the bullshit sexzilla hosebeast backstabby pointlessness. Then they hug that shit out to some Nickelback song and get back to speed dating.

    See, in the states, we don't get TV like this, about kids - where it's right up in their lives, telling it from the inside, and telling it exceedingly well, and not sanitizing any of the gory bits that we all know as kids we were into. I heard that MTV is making an American Skins. Can I just say FARG NOO to that in advance? See paragraph the first.

    But then a month or so ago I saw something at Autostraddle that went 'zing!' and a lighbulb went off in my brain. It was a comment and a music video at Youtube. I watched. I was dumbfounded and dumbstruck, wondering how the heck had I never seen this gem of a show? And how the heck had Naomily not registered on my screen AT ALL?

    So I got Seasons 3 and 4 and tried - tried so so so hard - to watch them over the span of about 2 weeks. It was joy. Pure joy. Still, 2 weeks. It was over too fast. I mourned. I mourn.

    It's over now... and I'm bereft. Where do Skins watchers go when their 2 seasons are up? A movie will be great, but it won't sate my NEED for more of these characters. Espesh Naomily.

    I think the only other show about teenagers that I ever gushed on this hard was Buffy. I love my deep, complex, layered character dramas. <3

    /ramble

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  13. Despite my joy at your finding a happy place in media (which I am ALWAYS a supporter of, of course), I have to say, I am still, somehow, not convinced. I think it's the fact that it's about teens. I find them... frightening. Much in the same way, I believe, that Liz Lemon does. lol

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  14. Yes I love Skins too! I only started watching at S3- mostly for Naomily- but found myself liking just about all of the characters, even Cook. I hope the American version that's coming out isn't too awful.

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  15. Fridax2:09 PM

    So glad you finally experienced the brilliance that is Skins. Teenage angst or not, the series offered lots of mind-fucking lines/scenes/emotions, I cannot believe I almost missed out on it, too.

    Have it on my iPod as a reminder that love exists. Or soliloquy. :)

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  16. Anonymous4:52 PM

    Finally! a new cult serie, unforgettable caracters, great script, actors and actress. Adult storyline at last. Welcome to the club..

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  17. Hey Miss Snarker,
    Can I ask where you got the episodes? Did you stream them or get the DVDs? I was going to stream but can't find them consistently online (or not without giving a credit card).

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  18. See, i don't understand. I started watching Skins on netflix, and the one i'm watching does not have the same charachters as the one you're watching. The one i'm watching has Tony, Michelle, Sid, Cassie, etc, and there is no one named Naomi or Emily. And i looked at the photo at the beginning of the article, and i didn't recognise any of the actors. Are there two different versions of the same show? Or do the charachters completely all change at one point??

    I am really confused. Um...help?

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  19. Shay - There's Skins season 1/2 with the characters your mentioned - Tony, Cassie, Sid, Jal, etc. and then there's season 3/4 with Naomi, Emily, Katie, Effy, etc. I think the only common bonds are that they go to Roundview College and that Effy is Tony's sister.

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