Since Season 1, Effy has been a dark and mysterious character. But now more than ever, she has reached her breaking point. The episode starts with her and Cook having sex, except Effy is completely zoned out. Her relationship with Cook has also reached its breaking point; either they need to be together or just end the unhealthy relationship. After he leaves, Effy goes to call Freddie but just reaches his voicemail. It is clear that her breakdown is beginning. The song used during this sequence, “A Little More of You” by Ashley Chambliss, perfectly captures Effy’s mood.
Eventually, she finds her mum downstairs (how great was Effy’s mum calling the likes of Nelson Mandela and Bono bastards?) and tells her that she and Cook broke up. Clearly Effy just wants someone to care about her. She’s not getting that from her parents so she is trying to find that something through sex and drugs.
Effy goes to Freddie’s where she finds him making out Katie. Katie is my least favorite character this season. From the way she treats Emily to how she thinks that she is more important than she is, makes it impossible for me to find anything redeeming about Katie. The fact that she invites Effy to her party in the woods (only if Cook doesn’t come) only because she can drive is such a nasty thing to do. Katie’s just a nasty person.
The gang heads to Gobbler’s End. As much as I love how each episode focuses on one character, Skins is best when the entire group, Naomi, Emily, Freddie, JJ, Katie, Thomas, Pandora, and Effy, gets together. During the drive, the group runs into some poachers who purposely scare them (and me). When the poachers chase them down the road, I was pretty freaked out as well.
Meanwhile, Cook surprises Effy with dinner and “a f**king gateau”, except he learns that Effy isn’t there, that she told her mum that they broke up, and that he wasn’t invited to the party. As much as my gut tells me to hate Cook, it’s the moments like this when he shows compassion that make me love him. He is also clearly smitten with Effy, which makes their relationship more complicated.
Back in the woods, there is some major tension and secrets just waiting to be revealed. Thomas knows about Pandora and Cook (or as JJ brilliantly desribed it, “Carnal relations”), but hasn’t said anything. Katie clearly doesn’t want Effy there and “steals” Pandora from her. And Freddie and Effy are still crazy for each other.
Effy knows that Pandora is upset (she still doesn’t know about Panda’s carnal relations with Cook). Panda tells her: “Relationships just can’t stay the same, can they? Can’t always be lovely and lush and not full of weird silences all the time. People can’t always be perfect cause that’s not real is it? It’s not real cause things change. Don’t they?” Poor Pandora; she’s the only character (other than JJ) who can make me smile one second and break my heart the next.
It is nice though to see Effy making an effort to help Pandora with her relationship problems (which was one of Panda’s complaints in episode 4). But she is still Effy so the only knows how to solve the problem with drugs. Effy reveals the shrooms she found and the entire gang digs in, except Katie who can’t believe that queen bee Effy has stolen her thunder again. Next thing you know, they are all tripping and somehow Effy and Freddie end up holding hands.
Katie then takes it upon herself to call out Effy: “I didn’t even want you here in the first place and you’ve ruined my night. The only reason I invited you here was because you can drive and you’re sort of embarassing yourself, don’t you think. It’s pretty sad throwing yourself at your mates boyfriend.” Ouch. Yet another reason for me not like Katie. Effy doesn’t want to fight with Katie, but Katie just rips into her. She also calls Ef a “desperate whore”. Double ouch.
Then the creepiest thing happens. In the distance the gang hear the poachers they met earlier. After appropriately freaking out (hearing gun shots does that to people), it is revealed that good old Cook was just playing a joke. That’s what happens when you leave him out of a party; he shows up anyway. Then the secrets come flying out. Cook blames Freddie for taking JJ and Effy away from him (“Effy doesn’t want me anymore, do ya princess?). Freddie reveals that he is still crazy about Effy and doesn’t care for Katie. Pandroa reveals to Effy that she also has been having sex with Cook. Oh yeah, no one likes Cook anymore. Thomas breaks up with Pandora and storms off into the woods. This scene is so intense; I really can’t do it justice, so here is a clip of it.
Effy begins to trip big time and what happens next is so intense; you can watch it in the YouTube clip above. Katie and Effy square off in the woods over Freddie, which is completley confusing because Effy is tripping. It ends with Katie, in many ways, getting what she deserved. Effy hits her over the head with a rock and leaves her lying unconscious in the woods. Okay. I’m being harsh. But Katie did deserve to be hit, just not with a rock. Effy then finds Freddie and they FINALLY have sex. But it can’t come without major consequences.
Katie is missing. Like really missing; no one knows where she went. Well Effy knows but she’s not about to tell everyone that he knocked Katie unconscious with a rock. Effy waits until they’re almost home to call the police and explain what happened. Then Effy’s real breakdown begins.
Her mum, noticing something is wrong, gives Effy a bath, during which Effy just cries. When Effy goes to call her friends, no one picks up their phones. Eventually Freddie calls her back and informs her that Katie has 8 stitches in her head. He also knows that Effy did it. No one is talking to Effy now, not even Pandora. So Effy calls the only person who will always take her back: Cook. And the two outlaws get in a stolen car and drive.
Where do you think Effy and Cook are heading off to? If I had my way, it would be to find Tony (Effy’s brother) but that is very unlikely. Tonight’s episode is twin centric and as the trailer reminds us it is the penultimate (already?) episode of season 3.
@Cinefille 
Good write-up. I recently re-watched this episode and loved it. I liked Effy a lot more after this episode.