Hi *waves*

So, today i’m gonna talk to you about this fantastic tv show Skins, and why it is fantastic. But first a little
background on the format of the show, since the season i’m gonna be recommending is season five, and
you might be weary of so much catching up.

In fact, there is no catching up required.

One of the interesting things about Skins is that it changes its cast completely every two seasons. How
does it do that? Well, Skins is a show about teenagers in collage - the British kind that only lasts two years
(and before you roll your eyes and sneer, let me just say the portrayal of teenagers on this show – I have
not seen anything like it on tv; it’s authentic and raw and just perfect.)

So, because they use collage as the background, the way it works is that seasons 1 & 2 are generation 1,
seasons 3 & 4 are generation 2, and the current season is generation 3. There usually are 10 episodes per
season (now there seem to be 8, though) and each episode is from the POV of a certain character, except
for the finale which is about everyone (all the characters are friends or become friends, so most of them
show up in every episode, but there’s always POV character).

Anyway, the point is that you don’t have to start with the first season because the story basically gets
rebooted every two years. You can just start with season five and enjoy the absolute greatness that it has
been (every single episode, I kid you not).

Let me introduce you to the cast. (I’ll try to keep it as spoiler-free as I can)

Meet Franky Fitzgerald.

Skins has a history of handling queer

characters quite well (there’ve been gays,
bisexuals and lesbians in the past), but they
have outdone themselves with their
portrayal of Franky. You see, everyone sees
Franky as a girl, but Franky is not so sure
about that. And the way they’ve shown the
confusion, the anxiety, the desire to fit in,
but also not compromise oneself – it is top
quality writing, acting and producing. On a
teen show!

Even just on a Watsonian* level, Franky is

interesting – creative, ingenious, troubled,
wise, scared and brave at the same time,
insecure yet unwilling to be anyone but Franky. Watching hir** try to make sense of the world and hir
place in it has been a pleasure. And oddly enough I trust them not to screw it up.

* Watsonian vs. Doylist

** gender neutral pronoun. Ze, hir, hir like she, her, her/he, him, his. (click here if you wanna learn more about this)

Important people in Franky’s life include hir adoptive gay parents.

Also new friends Rich Hardbeck (right) and Alo Creevey (left).
Best friends. Outsiders. Stoners. At first glance the most American-type teens on Skins, ever.

Rich is a metalhead. Alo would not feel to out of place in American Pie. It is very likely that they will
remind you of some 80s Keanu Reeves flicks – but that only lasts until their respective POV episodes (#2
for Rich and #6 for Alo) when they’re flashed out more and begin growing up a bit.

Then there is Grace Violet.

Gracie loves ballet, and acting. She may seem like the naïve, nice girl, but she’s not a push-over. She is
lovely and quite fierce and keeps surprising me.

Also, Grace
can totally
rock a ballet
dress at a heavy
metal concert.
So yeah.
Let’s move on to Mini McGuinness.

Aka the Queen Bee of the series.

Mini is popular, bitchy, seemingly perfect. In reality, of course, she’s just as messed up as everyone else –
maybe more. Mini is also apparently very difficult to write about without giving anything away plot-wise.

Which is sad.
Mini’s best
friend is Liv

Malone.

Liv is not very impressed with the world in general, and Liv really likes to have fun. But there are also
people she cares about.
Like her Mom

Her little sister Maude (whose interests include sci-fi and reading)

And her big sister Bella (who happens to be in prison)

Liv’s episode might possibly be my favorite (though it’s so so difficult to chose just one). And it could
easily work as a stand-alone movie.
Mini’s boyfriend is Nick Levan.

Captain of the rugby team. King of the school. Alpha male.

I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking “such a douchebag” – and I was too. But then his episode
came along, and let me tell you, if I hadn’t already been sold on this season, this episode (#5) would’ve
done the trick.

What they did was, they took the episode about the straight popular alpha male, and chose to use it to
explore how fucked up patriarchy is and how damaging constructions of masculinity are! And then they
had him reject said constructions. On a teen show! (Basically, I COULD NOT EVEN)
And finally, this is mysterious Matty Levan.

Matty is Nick’s older brother. Also, he’s mysterious. And he makes weird faces. You will like him.

So, that’s the cast. Do you need any more convincing?