In this week’s episode, Skins meets CSI meets old-fashioned melodrama when Emily starts to dig into Sophia’s death and question her relationship with Naomi. It was an emotional rollercoaster, but a good one.
On to the recap!
What happens once your summer of love ends and you have to go back to the real world, where there is parental disapproval, a broken relationship with your twin sister, a mysterious suicide that you are unknowingly connected to, and Effy Stonem? (Well, Effy didn’t have a big role in this episode, but she is very much a part so-called real world.) That is Emily’s world right now and it is a mess.
Emily and Naomi are madly in love; they play house at Naomi’s and ride Emily’s moped around Bristol. But Emily’s mother isn’t crazy about Naomi. While her father (who has some issues of his own that I’ll get to later) accepts the relationship, Emily’s mother is pressuring and bribing Emily to staying in the UK next year, so she doesn’t go traveling with Naomi. I appreciate this storyline with Emily’s mother. I sometimes found that Maxxie on Series 1 and 2 offered a too idealistic portrayal of teen homosexuality, one where the parents always knew and could therefore easily accept it. In Emily’s case, her mother is completely shocked that her daughter is gay and cannot believe Emily, hence her reaction to Naomily. It is refreshing to see how a mother-daughter relationship is affected by the mother’s inability to accept her daughter’s sexuality. It also goes without saying that Naomily having the most serious relationship on Skins is a refreshing change in television in general.
Back at school the reality of Sophia’s death still exists and the police question Naomily about their involvement. Apparently, Sophia considered them friends. Emily says they’ve never met and Naomi reveals that she dealt Sophia MDMA the night died. There is also a Emily-Cook smackdown, which is always fun to see.
Emily ventures to Sophia’s house and meets her mother. She learns that Sophia talked about Naomi, Emily, and “that crowd” all the time, and meets Sophia’s brother Matt, who doesn’t believe that Sophia committed suicide. Among Sophia’s things (aside from that cool spinny thing – does it have a proper name?), Emily finds a college brochure with Naomi and Sophia pictured together and a key to a locker. Slowly the mystery unfolds…
Naomi admits to meeting Sophia at an open day. She didn’t tell Emily because she didn’t want Emily to know about the open day. It turns out that Naomi feels pressured by Emily to travel after college, when that might not be what she wants. The two go to Sophia’s cadette locker and discover her “I’m Naomi’s stalker memorabilia”. Sophia clearly had a thing for Naomi. For a brief moment all is forgotten when Naomily hides from the marching band and gets it on.
Meanwhile, Effy’s back and she wants Freddie. The two share fries, a dance/make-out session at a party, and watch as Cook starts fighting everyone. The always good-hearted Effy doesn’t let Freddie step in when Cook has at JJ. Also, Cook and Freddie had chlamydia over the summer. Somehow Effy (the intermediary?) lucked out and didn’t catch that.
Later at the Fitch’s, we meet Katie’s new boyfriend and learn that Rob is bankrupt. Emily and her mum fight over her mother’s treatment of Naomi. Katie tries to intervene only to have Emily shut her out. Emily decides to move out and in with Naomi, despite Katie’s pleas (in twin speak no less) for her to see. I’m looking forward to Katie’s episode because this is an incredibly selfish character who is just realizing what her life will be like without her twin. Should be good stuff.
That same night, Naomily and the gang are at a party. Pandora is trying to make Thomas jealous by dancing with a random guy. It’s good to see that although Thomas was expelled from Roundview, he’s still included in the gang’s shenanigans. JJ is the comic relief as always. Effy and Freddie are hooking up. Emily confides to Cook that she doesn’t trust Naomi, but their bonding moment lasts briefly. Cook sees Freddie and Effy together and picks a fight with the next guy he sees. Poor JJ gets caught in the middle. We already know that this fight is going to have repercussions from the trailer for next week’s episode, so I don’t want to dwell too much on my least-favorite and never-ending love triangle. Especially when I get to write a whole recap on it next week!
From this party, we finally get to the climactic scene of tonight’s Emily. Emily and Naomi join Matt on the roof of the club where Sophia killed herself. The moment the episode has been leading up to is finally revealed. Naomi cheated on Emily with Sophia. It is gut-wrenching and emotional scene. Emily is heartbroken and walks away; Naomi screams for Emily. “I was scared!” she shouts. “You’re always scared,” Emily responds.
Emily returns home and cries in her father’s arms. Rob Fitch has quickly become my favorite parental figure this season. He reveals to her that he cheated on her mum and tells her that only she can decide whether or not to forgive Naomi. And it seems that Emily does; she goes to Naomi’s and the episode ends with Emily entering the house. But Naomily’s blissful romance has ended. Emily might be able to forgive Naomi but can she forget?
On the next episode… Cook.
@Cinefille 