1. Effy in brief.
So Effy is in the nuthouse and being treated by a psychiatrist who is even nuttier than she is. He convinces her to suppress from her memories all the bad things which have happened resulting at one point in her not even knowing who Cook is. When she cracks up again, Freddie tells the psychiatrist they don't want her treating Effy. At this point Skins moves ludicrously into schlock-horror psycho-killer mode when the nutty psychiatrist lures Freddie to his house where, offscreen so we aren't really sure what's happened, he appears to bash Freddie's brains out. While this in itself is no loss, the act itself is where Skins jumps the shark and just about completely forfeits any pretense at reality, heightened or otherwise.
2. What else happens.
They get their exam results. Naomi gets 3 A's, Emily gets BBC (a joke?), JJ does good, etc. Effy, who hasn't even taken her exams, fails the lot. But no. Wait! Here's the oh so kind Principal (yes, I know, we all thought he was a total shit) has given her new results -all A's. Hurrah! The fact that she might otherwise have the college's new improved results plays no part of this. I was a little amazed that he could do this given that the exams are externally set and marked. But this is Skins land where psychiatrists can be psycho killers.No sign of Lara, not much else happens.
3. Why this series is the biggest disappointment in the entire history of television (a slight exaggeration, but not much).
I absolutely adored the previous series (see my extended essay/recap at the start of my blog) and probably repeat watched it more than anything else. Then, even in solo episodes, members of the group played a large part. Here one or two of them might appear in glorified cameos and that's about it. There is no group. Bluntly, it's gone completely up its own arse. I'm so disgusted I've even cancelled my pre-order for the DVD.
In between writing bits of this, I've checked the recap over on AfterEllen and the writer thinks the same as me about the nutty psychiatrist and Freddy's death. We don't usually agree -she recapped JJ's episode and seemed to spend most of it talking about Emily's & Noami's extended cameo- but we're as one on this. The last episode has a hell of a lot to do to redeem itself.
Oh well, Channel 4 have just authorised another two series with a new cast. Please let them be better than this one which has gone from brilliant to crap.
1 comment:
Wise words Ian W. As a psychiatry trainee I was raging about yet another ridiculous portrayal of psych illness and treatment in what used to be a great show. Hypnotism/brainwashing, patients all wearing the same uniforms and an adolescent who has recently attempted to kill herself by slitting her wrists being sent home with a bunch of pills and no contact with services except a psychokiller shrink - real quality stuff. How can we really attempt to fight "stigma" when this is what we're up against?!
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