TV Review: Skins 6.1, 'Everyone'
Skins has started a fresh new run and begun it with an episode that felt more like a series finale rather than a premiere.
rating: 4
Well, everyones favorite TV series about teens smoking, drinking, doing every drug they can and engaging in the sort of sex most of only wish we had back in the day, is back. Yes, Skins has started a fresh new run and begun it with an episode that felt more like a series finale rather than a premiere. We find our friends in Africa. Morocco, to be exact. Why? Well, hey, everyone needs a holiday. This particular one appears to not feature any parents, which I find interesting. Maybe its just my American sensibilities, but no parent I know of would send their teen off on a vacation with other teens and no adult supervision. Anyhow, we catch up with Alo, Nick, Liv and Mini as they are heading to the airport to pick up new arrivals Rich and Grace. Rich, it must be said, looks vastly better with short hair, though the pink t-shirt and short-shorts are an interesting departure from his fashion norms. As one of the locals says, I know many ladybody who would want to meet him. Indeed. Everyone soon arrives at the holiday house theyre renting. It doesnt have water, electricity or, in certain parts, such as Rich and Graces bedroom, a roof. No matter, because what it does have is a large amount of weed that theyve found. As they get settled in, Matty and Frankie show up. Theyve been off in Tunisia where, according to Frankie, they spent much time talking, having sex, talking, having sex, talking, etc, etc. Shes gotten very sick of it, and doesnt know if she wants to continue to be involved with Matty.
As night falls, Rich and Grace hear the sounds of a party. Minutes later, theyre using Alo as a tracking dog, following him through the wastes to what appears to be a heck of a bash. There they meet blond haired pretty boy Luke, who Frankie starts immediately lusting after. In the light of day, he comes by the holiday house to mention that the weed they found is his. He takes it back, but invites everyone to a beach party. They go, not realizing that while theyre gone, quite a large amount of other, harder drugs are removed from the house by Lukes associates, one of whom later explains to Matty that if he ever wishes to see Frankie again, hell need to take these other drugs on a three-hundred mile drive to Marrakesh So basically business as usual for Skins. Like I said, in many ways this felt like a series finale rather than a starting episode, especially with the way that it ended; a way that owes more than a little to a finale from an earlier series. I was also a tad vexed by a point in the story at which it jumps forward three weeks with no real notice or explanation. But beyond that, it was a good episode. It was nice seeing all the characters again, and it was fun having them in a new setting (which did actually appear to be Morocco and not just some rock quarry with a palm tree). Plus it was nice seeing everything Alo has to offer, as it were. I do remain confused, however, by the fact that since day one the series has had no problem showing naked males from behind but wont do the same for females. Its an odd double standard I just dont understand. I continue to like the third generation of characters way more than the second, and Im looking forward to seeing where the show goes from there. For now, this is a good start.