The Third Generation: A Skins Retrospective

[@viquetoriaa]

I LOVE JAL ❤️ how can people call her boring?? she had one of the best story arcs in gen 1 and she was one of the only who was a genuinely good and caring person, her relationship with chris was also the best

[@evening-7303]

literally she’s one of my favs 😭😭❤️

[@petalchild]

It's interesting because the first time I watched it, as a young teen, Jal kind of faded into the background for me and I was a lot more drawn to Cassie (I was a moody weirdo kid and even though I never suffered from EDs I really identified with her) but when I watched it again a year or so ago (~23 y/o), Jal was by far the most compelling character for me, and definitely one of the only characters I'd actually want to know in real life (with the addition of Maxxie probably). I think she gets overshadowed because she's one of the most reasonable, responsible, and actually realistic characters, and she's surrounded by a bunch of characters that are constantly acting impulsively and doing ridiculous things. Also, racism more than likely plays a role in the way she's dismissed by a lot of viewers if we're being honest.

[@lmaoaims]

Jal, I loved herrr I feel like she deserved so much better, idk if u noticed but I feel like POC in tv shows like this are never given a interesting enough storyline

[@viquetoriaa]

@@petalchild i agree with you on that last bit and im glad you like her more as character now :) i've always related to her bc just like yhara said in the video: she was always caring and was there for her friends, but didnt have anyone else care about her the same way, at least no until chris and her developed a closer relationship, and thats how i always felt in my life, surrounded by people, but always felling alone.. also her relationship with her dad was very similar to the relationship with my own dad that i had when i was a teenager and was watching the show (2015/2016) so that was another point that i really could sympathize with in her arc. overall shes a very underappreciated character

[@viquetoriaa]

@@lmaoaims right?? i feel like only her and grace really had some thought put into their stories, but we know how one of them ended up... i would've loved if we had more moments in the series that were focused on them

[@littlebitaver]

'Skins' helped Jack O'Connell find the success he has today and I'll always be proud of him for bringing so many layers to Cook.

[@please_im_a_staaar]

I've always loved Cook's heavy accent and his way of talking. Season 1 in JJ's episode he said "I pissing love you, JJ. Feel the love." and I still laugh 3 years later. I dunno, maybe I'm just easily amused lol.

[@magnoliashoals]

Oh SO many layers. It was a sensational performance in both his seasons.

[@lucycortis8334]

@@magnoliashoals he was a proper onion cook was

[@magnoliashoals]

@@lucycortis8334 💀

[@freyaallan3267]

@@flawedsanity they’re just referring to his layers, it’s not actually a slang word

[@rachellydiab]

This is minor but the way the 3rd gen was dressed/styled looked nothing like how teenagers dressed\what was actually cool at the time it came out. Some of the ugly/absurd outfits in s1 particularly did actually reflect that kind of tacky teen rave culture in the early 2000s. Trying to still dress them in that way ten years later didn’t work at all. No cool girls dressed like Mini...

[@Emh19]

Mini looked like she was dressed by someone who worked for Disney in the mid 2000's

[@lesbiangoddess290]

@@Emh19 pfffft. Why is this so accurate

[@Kmkmkms]

@@Emh19 THATS WHAT I SAID liv too

[@laurellee1435]

The o ly realistic ones were the uncool ones like Chris/Allo because guys like that never change with the fashion. Until they gave him a beiber/sceneasque makeover which was just no. I know he's supposed to have become more open minded but metal heads are stubborn and when they become open minded it's usually bright purple long coats or something rather than being more conventional

[@revolcona]

I think one thing no one is thinking about is the age gap between the writers and the characters. Of course by the time gen 3 appeared it became part of the "teen drama written by 35 years old immature people stuck in their teen memories" trope.

[@strawberryfairy1102]

freddie's death literally made me sick to my stomach and put me in a weird headspace for about a week. I've never had such a visceral reaction to a character's death like that before but my gosh. I think it was the brutality of it + the fact that literally NO ONE got closure. not even gonna count cook for that bc all he saw was freddie's bloody clothes.

[@magpielvira]

i was literally so scarred by it. to see effy’s supposed shot at healing be not only completely manipulated and ruined by the therapist’s intentions, him blunt force trauma murdering the person she was closest to, who saved HER from dying…as a very mentally ill teen effy was my favorite character who i saw myself in. so to feel like i was in her shoes, and like her story was the type of thing that happens to troubles girls, that whole plot line made me hysterically upset for a loooong time

[@rosem3980]

Thinking about Freddie's death literally makes me feel sick at how brutal it was and how they portrayed the event

[@user-ve4gr4jd7s]

Yeah and season 7 showed us how he had evolved since, but the episode about Cook focused more on his attraction to a new Effy than the aftermath of the murder he committed and the impact that Freddie’s death had on him. We don’t even know if he told anyone that Freddie had been killed…

[@Syndixal]

Ye I can handle gore and terrible stuff but I don’t know why it just made me sick, poor Freddie

[@favour4039]

same

[@pavladavlas]

Rich & Grace had the best, most wholesome and least toxic relationship out of every relationship in the entire show. I legit cried when Grace died.

[@sp00kyg1rl]

My ex and I watched it from first to third gen, the end of the third gen made us both ball!! We were not expecting what happened.

[@jamescarr1265]

when they wake up in the morning in Morocco 😭 what a vibeeee

[@leleste5465]

And to this day , I still cry over her death when I remember it

[@justschr]

Rich & Grace made the 3rd Generation for me. Along with Minnie & Arlo.

[@princess4509]

basically frankie was ruined by the male gaze

[@liallialcroc]

Exactly

[@halfbloodprincess989]

truuuee

[@lmaoaims]

This is the ACTUAL truth

[@Liz-mp5dq]

I felt so sorry for the actress when she was describing the bikini situation. I can't imagine what it was like to stay on the show so you can represent young teens who relate to you're character only for the writers to completely change everything for the sake of sexiness. Also the way the teen actresses were treated by these creepy grown men was so gross.

[@WeirdVoyager]

Except it was a female writer who ruined her character. She returned in the second season after failing miserably on the US Skins adaptation. Curb your sexism.

[@manvi5333]

AND UR SO RIGHT ABOUT JAL SHE DESERVED MORE LOVE FROM THE AUDIENCE 😩

[@yespls6260]

I loved Jal! And the actress did a great job especially when she was grieving Chris-- it was heartbreaking.

[@robertalopes744]

Jal was my favorite, she literally was the only one that was stable

[@johanaforever965]

@@robertalopes744 Don’t forget Maxxie

[@aliceadzowa]

Season 6 is awful, and Grace’s death completely unnecessary, but Rich saying “I just spoke to her, I speak to her all the time” and Chris Addison’s character saying “Me too” chokes me up every single time. Both actors are incredible performers.

[@SaberToothPortilla]

Honestly, I don't mind this Gen at all for that specific reason. Yeah, there's a lot of bleh in there, and extremely questionable decisions being made throughout, but when it works it works, and it still felt like Skins. That scene in particular, and also the one where Liv is about to beat the piss out of Mini, before she pleads with her for her baby's safety, they give me chills. I genuinely don't think most of this Gen was particularly bad, but the handful of severe errors were enough to tip it for most people. Any problems Gen 3 had, Gen 2 did just as well. Gen 2 just never dropped anything quite so obviously like Gen 3 did.

[@Silvercentipede]

If instead of skins season 5 and 6 they just focused on a show about Grace and Rich that would have suited me just fine. :)

[@therealviejo2516]

@@Silvercentipede honestly Rich’s episode of season 6 made me feel like the show should have been about Rich and Arlo they were just my favorite part about that whole generation

[@amyhleigh]

@@Silvercentipede u u. U v

[@aliexiety]

I think about this scene a lot for the past couple of years

[@lyricholmes1827]

I loved Anwar and Maxxie’s ending. The fact Maxxie is about to head off with his boyfriend, and Anwar’s all teary-eyed, not quite sure how to say goodbye, and Maxxie is like, “mate, buy a ticket? Come with me? Why should we be apart, we’re best mates.” And then Anwar is just like, “yes, you’re absolutely right, let’s go.” Skins is at its best when it centres around the beauty and depth of platonic love and intimacy. Anwar’s dad accepting Maxxie being gay, and showing Anwar he doesn’t have to shut his friend out because of his religion, was really beautiful to me. Tony and Sid crying as they said goodbye, Tony’s “I always loved you best,” ugh, I wish we saw more of their deeply complex friendship. They had a wonderful opportunity to show Frankie and Minnie’s complicated and confusing friendship as it interacts with and develops into romantic attraction - and sex. Frankie being genderqueer and Minnie being scared of having sex for the first time, not sure how to enjoy it, if she’s able to enjoy it, and if the people she’s intimate with truly care and value her because she can’t seem to care about herself was interesting and relatable. Grace and Rich were wholesome, as were Rich and Alo. It would have being interesting if they explored Nick and Matty’s brotherly relationship more, how them going after Liv and Frankie was really about them chasing after to each other and being desperate to connect. Would have made more sense to me, honestly, and would have built on what we saw between Tony and Effy, Freddie and Karen etc. Like to me, Freddie and Cook were the best parts of Second Gen and I cared more about their friendship and how much they mean to each other than anything else.

[@oldaccxunt]

Rich's character development from incel beginnings to sweet loyal supportive boyfriend is one of my favourite character arcs.

[@villainousthoughts]

I just hated that they shed his metal head aspect, it felt cheap like they discarded a costume. Like metal heads can't be soft kind and loving while also wearing leather and listening to thrash.

[@spiralations7304]

@@villainousthoughts agreed

[@pizza8050]

@@villainousthoughtsUm yes they can.

[@stephenswift9896]

@@pizza8050 I think that's what he meant.

[@solongsuicide9]

@pizza, "um" holy mother of misinterpretation lol. Clearly they were talking about why it seemed *_the writers_* may have changed his appearance. As if the writers thought the way he dressed would conflict with him being loving & caring. I liked it, at the time, but in retrospect, they weren't faithful to the characters & just tried to make them all more "normal" & "sexy" to make them more appealing to the audience (which had the opposite effect).

[@marywallace3378]

Sometimes I stay up at night thinking why didn’t the school administration ever wonder why one of their students died every 2 years lol. I have mixed feelings about there being a death every generation.

[@chrissy3875]

SAMEE

[@sheisaMachine]

Tbh a lot of students at my school died as frequently

[@hailey-rosevintora6211]

@@sheisaMachine Same. Like I Can List Off Every Student Who Died In 2013, A Student Was Struck By A Car 2016, A Student Died By Natural Causes 2019, 4 Students And Another Passenger Was In A Car Accident, 3 Out Of The 4 Students In My School, And The Passenger Died. Only One Girl Survived And That Was Because She Was Wearing Her Sestbelt

[@glass.hammer]

Every year at least one student died at my high school. Three were suicides, one was an accident, one was an overdose, and my friend died of heart failure after her transplant was rejected. Not only did my administration not really care, everyone in the school knew someone was going to die. It was like a goddamn lottery.

[@dgirl142]

Both my parents are teachers. My dad's worked at the same school for over 20 years, it is a rural area really close to the city and the connecting road is very tricky. At this point, it is not odd for us to see my dad get a call about one of his students or former student dying in that road. My mom has worked in a few schools on the city, when she worked high school we got to see a lot of deaths due to * illegal * circumstances. Regular people would be surprised at how that is just part of working at a school.

[@IsSarahPi]

I have my criticisms of Skins but we are so blessed for the acting talent it gave us (namely Daniel Kaluuya, Nick Holt and Dev Patel)

[@cheshirerose2001]

Don't forget Jack O Connell and Kaya Scodelario as well

[@Hana9916]

Joe Dempsie!

[@sj8569]

Don’t forget Joe Cole in Peaky Blinders!

[@luxielisbon]

Well Nicholas Hoult was already famous before Skins

[@Syndixal]

@@sj8569 who did joe Cole play?

[@liandralima8872]

all of the scenes and interactions between grace and rich made this gen watchable to me

[@karensmith1521]

discord.gg/pFYmpuReDn I made a discord gc where for skins fans where we can discuss about various characters and themes and stuff join if you want. It will also be a good opportunity to mk internet friends

[@veva1451]

Same. They were the only characters that weren't toxic in some way and it was really nice to see a healthy relationship in skins. Hated that they killed Grace. She was one of the best characters in the generation.

[@emeve3377]

same

[@DOOMbyach]

omg the scene where Rich is watching the video of Grace after she passed away makes me cry everytime :'(

[@deborah5646]

rich, alo, and grace carried the whole fucking thing they r the only reason I watched that gen

[@edensmokes]

Am I the only one that feels like nick having feelings for franky was so random and out of the blue, like they barely talked and all the sudden he’s in love with her like wtf-

[@maverickbull1909]

Yeahhhhh haha “I think I’m in love with you” WHAT. I assumed it was because all of a sudden she had her bazookas out constantly.

[@yasminp7640]

@@maverickbull1909 HAHA

[@jamescarr1265]

literally.

[@Kelenerz]

No, lol. The writers completely pulled that one straight out of their asses. Instead, they should've continued developing Nick's feelings for Liv and had them date once Liv eventually reciprocated his feelings.

[@steljar]

RIP to Mini and Franky's potential romance/exploration of attraction and sexuality because lord knows the chemistry was through the roof with those two

[@kullaniciadimmus]

Frrrrr i think they queerbaited us. Franky x Mini could've been amazing couple even tho they're little bit problematic as singles

[@jamescarr1265]

their actors were so good

[@homosoftommorow]

Omg it bothered me so much that they introduced this in season 5 and dropped it in season 6 then referenced it again in the episode where they run away together as a joke. I hated how the writers treated both characters in season 6.

[@sweeety969]

They were so hyped and the only reason to even watch those shitty seasons but they did them so dirty I'm still mad about it.

[@Sara88890]

@@homosoftommorow Right, and even if the two didn't work out as a couple, they were really hinting at Mini's character having a crush on Franky, and dealing with feelings of internalized Homophobia. I think she was so harsh on Franky at first because she recognized things in Franky that she saw in herself but didn't like, and tries to hide, as image conscious as her character is; but at the same time she had this weird obsession with her, perhaps because Franky is unapologetically herself. I was looking forward to seeing how her sense of self would develop in season 6 if she started to come to terms with her sexuality, and maybe drop some of her obsession with being seen as "perfect". They destroyed all of the story lines, and characterizations they set up in season 6 for pretty much every character. Edit: for typos

[@youcansparkle]

I fully ignored how bad this generation is because I fancied rich

[@oblive4623]

SAME LMAOOO

[@please_im_a_staaar]

Long-haired Rich doe... When they cut his hair, he just looked like a generic Bieber-looking white boy from 2011.

[@KateKatastrophe]

I HATE the way they killed him as a metal head. Grace loved that about him why get rid of it!?

[@parkinglotedits6544]

Rich and Grace were the only scenes I cared about lol

[@taylor-dz7lp]

@@please_im_a_staaar nahh he looked so cute with the short hair. i honestly prefer it

[@oblive4623]

I wish wish wished they explored Mini's sexuality, as well as Franky's identity.

[@laurena9563]

As a queer kid growing up, I felt like a lot of series when they started to portray other queer kids tended towards the one token gay character to show how "progressive" they were. Featuring a character who was objectively "popular" but afraid to have sex, or even uninterested in sex entirely, but interested in both sexes romantically, would have been a HUGE step forward in portraying biromantic asexuals. Another thing that turned me off about watching the show religiously (even though my friends were huge fans) was the sexualization of teens and a lot of male gaze issues. I would have loved to have a character earlier who dressed like Franky and dealing with perhaps how people constantly assumed she was a butch lesbian, or constantly guessed about her sexuality. That's what a lot of genderqueer people deal with, or even queer people who don't follow strict gender norms. It would have totally followed in the show showing real struggles of "real" teens, but not have every plot line based solely on hormones.

[@jadenalise]

Yes they should’ve elaborated on Mini’s obvious crush on Frankie

[@maya-zd8jr]

Yeah! I was so convinced Mini would be gay :(

[@OpheliaNL]

@@laurena9563 ''biromantic asexuals''. Oh FFS. 😂😂

[@Gabe413]

@@OpheliaNL whats so funny?

[@standanddeliver24]

While series 4 was a disaster, this was the season that made me really see the strengths in Jack O’Connells acting. Love him or hate him, Cook was compelling to watch cause of Jack.

[@JC-yy8iv]

Cook’s whole arc was so amazing, at the beginning of season 3 I thought, there’s no way they’re ever going to make me like this guy (I suspected they would repeat the Tony thing and have him get hit by a metaphorical bus and become a better person, but I was like no way, he’s too awful). I don’t think the writing alone could have swayed me, Jack really sells it and really puts Cook’s humanity on display

[@laurahall7681]

Check him out in Eden Lake if you haven't seen it!!

[@elijahwinchester6690]

i love cook as a character, and his strongest moments were with freddie. jj as well, sometimes. the relationships between them should've been more of the focus. they felt far less shallow than the effy lust plots, and the fighting over her when she offered nothing outside of sex for either of them. or, maybe she served as a source of sex _and_ as someone who needed his caring for, in freddie's case. but, he had that with cook and didn't need another dynamic to explore that nurturing part of him. and, cook had more genuine and believable care for freddie, in my opinion. him comforting fred at the firepit, with just the two of them, was one of my favourite scenes from the second gen. hell, maybe from all generations! and jj working as the glue when they needed to come back together after separating was interesting. i loved the dynamic between the three and got bored quickly with effy's one-noted rubbish.

[@modest_mind2526]

He was like watching a car crash compilation.

[@gabimaza780]

The infinite love I have for that man Mainly because of that role… is probably unnatural lol but it’s how I feel about Frankie before they ruined her and then even some parts after they ruined her… I see myself in those character and I love those actors so much for playing these characters that I saw so much of myself in. I felt seen by people I’d never met and it felt so important. That’s why I’m so angry at what they did to Frankie

[@jaycille1536]

shout out to Minnie’s eating disorder featured in one (1) episode

[@dinazupokva]

I’m glad somebody else noticed 😭 I think they thought because they already had Cassie that they didn’t need another character with an eating disorder which is kinda stupid lmao

[@0ffline333]

Can’t remember if this was confirmed or just a theory, but I remember reading it wasn’t supposed to portray eating disorder behaviour, just how “controlled” (re: neurotic) Minnie was

[@UltraViolet666]

I agree, but the way I see it now, it was toxic diet culture induced by stress in that episode and perhaps not a disorder like Cassie was suffering with

[@magpielvira]

@@0ffline333 i think that’s also telling that they didn’t understand EDs. it isn’t always about losing weight as much as it extremely disordered thinking and attempting to gain control of their life & bodies when they otherwise don’t have that

[@loolfactorie]

Watching your diet isn't an eating disorder, it was just representing her mildly "obsessive" routines.

[@Raregirl101]

During season 4, I began to think that freddie's sister Karen was gonna lead the next series because she was the right age, was given more screen time at the end, and she was given a lot of empathy when she admitted she felt insecure that she didn't feel like she liked 'the right things'. I think she should have led season 5/6 because it would have given more context - I have in mind Karen starting college but also dealing with the grief of freddie's death and sort of figuring out her place in the world/making friends at college type thing

[@Raregirl101]

I also feel that the strength of gen 1 was that it started off an established friends group that had great chemistry so their friendship was convincing - I think gen 3 would have been good to begin with an established friendship group if they were to ditch all previous characters and begin from scratch

[@Raregirl101]

@@everythingeverything8627 ohhh my mistake, i thought she was younger

[@livixx8465]

i was thinking cooks younger brother lmao

[@alegd96]

I thought Katie and Emily's little brother would xD

[@anikaharrell5377]

Wow that actually could have been great what a tragic missed opportunity

[@kat8559]

If they went with minixfranky and didn't kill off grace i would have given this season much more credit.

[@kat8559]

Mini was so clearly the effy replacement idk why they had to destroy franky's character to make their show sexier. Just make them kiss! That's my shit!

[@mooncherrie]

they make it look as if they have to kill a character every gen, first Chris, then Freddy and then Grace

[@FreyaEinde]

Feels like they only had that death because the other two generations had a surprise death and ehhh

[@karensmith1521]

discord.gg/pFYmpuReDn I made a discord gc where for skins fans where we can discuss about various characters and themes and stuff join if you want. It will also be a good opportunity to mk internet friends

[@elijahwinchester6690]

and if ritch wasn't so underutilized.

[@aronbrown7286]

I remember being so excited about Franky being genderqueer or trans, and then they made her... a Hot Girl?? A HETEROSEXUAL HOT GIRL?? I peaced out the moment Franky showed up onscreen in Season 6.

[@laurena9563]

I remember my friends being super into Skins growing up, but as a queer asexual kid, the unnecessary sexualization of a lot of the teenagers really turned me off a lot of the series despite following along loosely. A script about Mini being scared to have sex, or a genderqueer/trans person in Franky that wasn't involved in a ton of sex scenes initially really would have appealed to me and would have been forward thinking for the time. Not all people want to have sex, not all people want to dress for the male gaze. If they wanted to really continue that idea of "real teenagers" as a selling point, I think evolving with that plot line would have made a sort of "next step" jump of portraying "real" teens with "real" struggles.

[@devonmunn5728]

I saw on the wiki it was said she is pansexual but yeah its more so a "hey look we have a pan character!!" And then not really representing it

[@diamond5156]

same

[@faeriefayee]

Wtf just because she expresses herself that way means nothing. Not every gender queen teenager have short hair or whatsoever. Sounds exactly like a boy who awaits "androgynous look" to a nb person. Fuck u.

[@MK_ULTRA420]

lol subverted expectations

[@vabvaab]

Making the teen female cast (only!!! the boys aren't of course) come in before adult men, in bikinis, telling them to freaking starve themselves... jesus fucking christ. Michael Bay vibes.

[@camilofajardo9199]

In euphoria, Riverdale, Elite, and much others series that directly go "teens" happens the same darling, isn't only happen in skins

[@oscarwilde3670]

@@camilofajardo9199 I don't know shit about Euphoria and Elite but the actors in Riverdale are in their 20s. Not the same.

[@TheRealityofFake]

@@camilofajardo9199 I'm honestly not sure how much of that happens today in the era of #metoo. Do you have any quotes from actors from these shows?

[@gabrieleferreira5396]

@@camilofajardo9199 no it doesn't happen. in euphoria i already saw the crew talking about the filming process and is nothing like that. elite and riverdale i don't really know if that still happens it has to change

[@Leo99929]

Nothing was mentioned about the male cast. It's inconclusive if they did the same but just haven't talked about it. I acknowledge it's probably unlikely they did, but with the information given, we can't say with certainty. Life has too many problems we have no choice but to deal with, without getting upset over something that may or may not be true. That can't be a healthy way to live, extrapolating and imagining things to get mad about. Also "starve" is a bit melodramatic: "to die or perish from lack of food or nourishment. · to be in the process of perishing or suffering severely from hunger." They were purportedly (and believably) told to skip a meal and have a light dinner. That's inappropriate and bullshit, as that will make zero difference but could give them a complex about their body, but it's a far cry from almost dying from malnutrition. Would it be considered starving to suggest the same thing to someone who's morbidly obese and who's quality of, and potentially actual, life depend on losing weight? How else would you lose the weight? Eat less- Move more: That's how weight is lost.

[@treasuremage7546]

"I'm bored. Make it sexy." Yep, it's Brian's fault. Studio pitch: Make a teen drama show, but without involving creeps.

[@moustik31]

Yes, I feel like a similar conversation happened with Euphoria and its creepy showrunner.

[@jamescarr1265]

@@moustik31don’t even… Sydney Sweeney is naked in literally every scene

[@yangto996]

"I'm bored make it sexy." wow... just wow.

[@toni-lh4yr]

grace made 3rd generation watchable for me tbh

[@toni-lh4yr]

rich too

[@trinaq]

Ditto, their actors gave their performances their all, and made me wish that Grace and Rich got a better ending!

[@mmps18]

I loved Gracie!! I'm so sad at what they did with her character

[@mimigigihere]

i liked mini and alo as well. i do have a soft spot for franky though because she had so much potential - i loved her style in series 5 and i hate how they made her a discount effy

[@Capricorn152]

Same. Grace was my favourite!

[@shanmarie000]

franky was so irritating to me and everyone being in love with her really tuned me out of gen 3

[@austinwalker240]

Frankie is one of my all time most hated characters.

[@savanafrenzy]

Same.

[@matilde5271]

i'm sorry but i feel like that when i think about effy. i watched this series as a teenager and rewatched it like two years ago but Effy CONSTANTLY makes me furious because GIRL WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING and why is everyone fascinated by this girl

[@austinwalker240]

@@matilde5271 Effy kind of made me mad as well, but I still cared about her. For whatever reason with Franky I just couldn’t.

[@kamarihowell8814]

@@matilde5271 Because she was so fucking PRETTY

[@francescaroel2533]

Frankie was such a great character in series 5. Her style, her love of stop motion (which became nonexistent in series 6) and how unapologetically herself she is. It would've been amazing to have seen her evolve throughout both seasons while still being rooted to her interests and her personality. But no, it's like we got a completely different person in series 6. Even though I know her character was hated in this season, I still had a soft spot for her because I just felt so bad for the complete destruction of her character. It was so pointless and stupid (not to mention the fact that her relationship with Mini from series 5 changed completely in series 6).

[@avery9122]

i had forgotten that franky did stop motion. and i JUST watched series five, like two weeks ago. that tells you something. thank you for reminding me.

[@tateguy]

god if they wanted to "replace effie" minnie was RIGHT THERE. she was RIGHT THERE

[@nad4brahma]

Minnie just have the mean girl vibes on season 5, I think they wanted to pick a more "deep and interesting" character to become Effy. Effy and Franky has one thing in common: they're written to be "different" and destacable, which is why they chose her for the replacement. Don't misunderstand me, every Skins character is, in essence, notable. The creators just didn't develop them at all.

[@gabimaza780]

Hahahahaha literally

[@maverickbull1909]

No

[@fleeting188]

mini was supposed to be the katie i think, it wasn't necessary to have an effy though

[@marivillalva9084]

liv was more like an efffy actually, fucked up family, drug abuse and casual sex

[@РутаАсадаускайте]

In my headcanon, Mini realized she was a lesbian, she and Franky got together (Franky didn't become a sexed up male gazey Effy 2.0 of course, she's still gnc); Grace didn't die and she and Rich lived happily ever after; Liv, Alo and Nick all got some actually interesting arcs and Matty disappeared from the face of the earth

[@hotchisonfire]

No comments because everyone agrees. And adopts this version heartily.

[@gabimaza780]

It was literally THAT simple and that obvious but noooo

[@kellynn739]

I'd even take Mini still getting pregnant but she and Franky raise the baby.

[@salem4800]

Wait… this ISNT canon (cuz it should’ve been ✨)

[@Vampirepup_edits]

No because why was matty even there I forgot he existed for 2 episodes lol

[@mmps18]

I liked the first season of gen 3 but was bummed how the second season they just forgot about the sexual tension between Mini and Frankie and also did away with Frankie's genderqueerness! Also rich stopped being metal pretty much entirely. Also what was the point of Alex/why did they need to kill Gracie? Such a bummer

[@definitelynotabby8555]

literally everything that was exciting or unique was killed dead

[@lesbiangoddess290]

Honestly tho. It was so disappointing.

[@ceciliatapioca]

Personally, I loved the Luke plot line but I agree it could’ve been a girl. The rest I agree.

[@lilac.mascara]

Please I can't get over how Rich basically raped Grace

[@meat1575]

what happened? i refuse to watch it

[@taylorgayhart9497]

“A case of irresponsible show running, lazy writing, and what happens when creators stop caring about the things they create.” Sooooo basically teenage Game of Thrones.

[@lesbiangoddess290]

Pretty much.

[@danielmullen6482]

frankys switch always made me so wildly uncomfortable because her whole arc in s5 was about rejecting the femininity people pushed on her and then suddenly off-screen she just became ok with it? what happened!!!!

[@Generalfund]

Franky had an incredible body and she seemed to develop quite a bit between those seasons. Can't really blame them for showing her off in a show this clearly exploitive

[@fromhell11112]

@@Generalfund i think its mainly the director changing, the character truly died

[@LeanneModenPoet]

Chris' death absolutely traumatised me. Those first two series were utterly brilliant.

[@sp00kyg1rl]

I cry every time for Chris and even Grace. She didn’t deserve what happened.

[@SamyTheBookWorm]

On a related topic, a lot of people really hate Series 7, the “where are they now” season, but I don’t think it’s nearly as bad as people say it is. I think a lot of people were expecting something different than what they got and that made them hate it. I know people hated that Cassie and Sid broke up, but they were literally in high school and Sid spent most of their relationship being a shitgibbon. It makes perfect sense they broke up. It makes sense that Cook got into organised crime. And it makes sense that Effie ends up in prison, too. As problematic as season 4 was, at least they attempted to make a logical progression for the character they had rather than trying to just make her completely different like they did with Franky.

[@r.s6187]

Totally!! I think a lot of people thought season 7 would be like the OG series. But the characters were literally teenagers in seasons 1, 2, and 3. That kind of carefree, partying lifestyle isn't sustainable and it doesn't last forever. A lot of what people loved about the originals was the sense of youth; of being a carefree teenager and the situations that would arise because of it. If you have a show that occurs a few years later like season 7 did, everyone is going to be in their twenties. And while, yes, a lot of people in their twenties still party, it's also a time of getting your life together. Friends go their separate ways, people start working, high school couples break up...all things that occurred in season 7. Like, of course Cassie and Sid broke up. Their relationship was pretty toxic tbh. It makes sense that Cook would turn to a life of crime after what happened with Foster. And it makes sense that Effy would work a fast-paced job and cheat to get ahead. She's always been incredibly cunning and crafty. The only issue I have is the *SPOILER* unnecessary death in Effy's episode. But I won't get into that. I thought that season 7 was interesting. It was subtle. It was tonally distinct. It was a bit depressing, but in an, "all of the young carefree characters we knew and loved have matured and grown up and are now a part of the world just trying to find their way" kind of way. While there are valid criticisms of the season, I definitely don't think it deserved the hate that it got just for not being like the original.

[@julesbyrd]

yes!!! not to mention cooks amazing character development in series 7

[@babybluebabyblue]

yes! i mean i think season 7 could've been much better but i really like the path they took, im the same age as kaya so i always felt on the same page with the generations and it was so real the way your perspective in life changes so much from being a teen to trying to be an actual adult and i think they represented that so well

[@gabimaza780]

You know what’s crazy is that they asked Dakota blue to be in one of those episodes just about her but after what they did to her she said no. Enough. And didn’t do it. I wonder though what their story line would’ve been then for her. Would it some how redeemed the mess they made?

[@GwendolynnBY]

skins pure is maybe my favorite part of the whole series, honestly

[@oliviac5756]

"holy shit i forgot nick" wish i could say i blamed you mate

[@sammyg2923]

When she was listing the characters, I was like "hmm, wasn't there someone else?" And then I hear "holy shit, I forgot Nick" and I burst out laughing cuz saaame.

[@dojacatwetqueef4152]

The most irrelevant character in a show ever💀

[@gracebediako1666]

Nick never had good episodes lol

[@holymail7863]

nicks storyline was too much for me to handle, how did he go from being a being the best on the soccer team to being a crazy obsessed stalker

[@phelovepokemon]

"We're in somerset Nick!" "To the f*cking squirrels then!" This quote lives rent free in my head

[@summerstargrrrl]

yeah the third generation is the worst one and i say this as someone who’s favorite generation is the third one. it’s my fave solely for grace and rich, everyone else is pretty irritating but grace and rich are so perfect they make up for it. and yeah i never rewatch season 6.

[@omgitskittyandjaja]

me being obsessed with grace and rich lmaooo when she died i was like: hmm. must i really keep watching this? I finished it but it wasn’t the same

[@devonmunn5728]

I loved Grace and Rich too

[@mooncherrie]

same, im still mad about what they did to grace, like my girl was having a moment of happiness and they just kill her?

[@cuntyaunty]

Yas!!! Grace and Rich fan club roll call🙋🏾‍♀️🙋🏾‍♀️🙋🏾‍♀️🙋🏾‍♀️

[@karensmith1521]

discord.gg/pFYmpuReDn I made a discord gc where for skins fans where we can discuss about various characters and themes and stuff join if you want. It will also be a good opportunity to mk internet friends

[@swish3432]

FACT CHECK: Maxxie’s bf isn’t shown in the show bc maxxies bf is ME and I was unavailable

[@jey7421]

as a person who had selective mutism till i turned 14 (and still haunts me), growing up while having someone as effy with the same issue was really comforting. she didnt talk with anyone except for a few people, and it wasnt for a exact shyness thing but those she thinks are valuable enough to listen to her will do (me, on the other hand, was for a extreme social anxiety case that didnt allow me to talk since i saw myself as a "no one wants to listen to me," kind of problem and stutter a LOT when i did. i didnt trust people and hated everyone bc they were able to speak and i wasnt). and even when the 2nd gen came and she started talking more and more until it was common to see her using words and not only gestures and eye movements- it didnt bother me bc i saw it as in a "oh, she made it. she found the people shes comfortable with and safe enough to talk to" but what really bothered me was how her speaking made her be less "mysterious" and "cool" as if it was a aesthetic to have selective mutism (bc it wasnt a "im not a talkative person" it was a "i dont talk even tho i can", and it was even written on her blog and implied she had s.m), her development couldve been so much better, but apparently on s4 they forgot she ever had it and made her personality be completely different... they couldve even brought it up on THAT ONE ep but no, it never happened

[@mickleyinc20]

people had no interest in Jal because she was a well adjusted genius and SWEETHEART all while being the only black girl on the show back in the naughties--to do this day no one can convince me it wasn't just blatant antiblack horseshite. her and chris carried HELLA

[@andreab3866]

I loved Jal so much, one of my favourite characters in the show!

[@sagnik3556]

or maybe, just maybe it was because her character was too one dimensional.

[@neonlights8012]

@@sagnik3556 that’s valid but that’s the writers fault

[@aybikegizemkayacan8068]

@@neonlights8012 it may be the writer's fault, but at the end of the day, people are allowed to call her boring.

[@sagnik3556]

@@aybikegizemkayacan8068 same. calling anyone who doesn't like her racist is such a strawman lmao.

[@blueberrysk1es]

jal and chris were hands down the best characters of the first generation

[@moongi325]

they're my favourites of all generations + Cassie

[@jamescarr1265]

omg yes.

[@ames-inthe-grass]

okay but i need to know your opinions on season 7 tho, the one where it’s just effy, cook and cassie

[@pao1erin2]

Yesss, please

[@millsrome]

i was about to comment this, we never hear even a small mention of season 7

[@prettypleasewithsugarontop4858]

It was so bad I pretend t didn’t happen

[@xhadow8815]

Ummm yessssss! I personally wasnt that big of a fan of it but I would love to see her thoughts on it.

[@itslonda4157]

Cooks episode was everything !!!! 😭

[@TheNumnutRandomness]

I did a full-body shiver when Laya recounted her experience with the creator when he that she looked " _Great_ ." These poor kids

[@ornellaro-ga4067]

as much as i disliked gen 3, the ending where rich says goodbye is genuinely a great ending to such a messy and chaotic season. it feels like the closure of a life stage which is really nice, and it's also the end of the disaster that season six was which makes it even better

[@mizzlle9700]

"Why are so many producers, directors, and writers so obsessed with the sex lives of teenagers?" Sam Levinson has entered the chat

[@jamescarr1265]

Sydney Sweeney..

[@BassicallyKiyash]

This aged great

[@Feathersky101]

I like the darker tone of gen 2 in concept. It's just a shame the writing was so messy because showcasing a friend group that slowly falls apart, contrasting from gen 1, could have been an interesting angle to go if the writing hadn't been nonsensical and if they dedicated more time to fleshing out all of the characters rather than making it the Effy show.

[@jamescarr1265]

i thought there were some other good characters like Cook and Katie and… oh yeah the rest were butchered in series 4 lol.

[@jayrampant]

The actress who played Frankie was the lead in the film adaptation of The Golden Compass. That has literally nothing to do with anything but I never realised until I just IMDbd her

[@glass.hammer]

That’s the greatest character growth of all.

[@em3952]

She was also the lead in the movie version of Jacqueline Wilsons the dustbin baby

[@sarasthoughts]

Oh my god I never realised that!!

[@VapeKidJr]

franky was robbed of the arc she deserved

[@OcyTaviAh]

You know what everyone also seems to forget about Gen 1? The weird musical cover ending of season 1. That was the weirdest thing Skins ever pulled tbh

[@hanstone2662]

YES OMG

[@victorrocha5755]

I hate that shit so much. Gee, it was just so fucking bad...

[@faycoleman9023]

It was terrible! Tony busted up and still singing while Effy wailed in the background is still super funny though! The only good to come out of that scene.

[@aaliyah7996]

I cringed. Hard.

[@j.m251]

For some reason, I love it 😂. Can’t tell why. Think it’s just so random that it made me love it

[@MATTELMADE]

As a British teen, season 1 definitely explains life as a kid in london, Bristol or any city in England

[@Xx1nf3ct3d_Sc4bzxX]

you guys were parting that hard in the UK? nice lol.

[@maevemonroe]

“Getting up to no good and realizing their actions have consequences” is basically the description of all good television. And also my life.

[@OMGheyitsalexis]

Okay but the third generation did have some great soundtrack choices

[@JC-yy8iv]

I wish I could find somewhere to watch it with the OG soundtrack again. The Netflix version swaps out the majority of the music for mediocre royalty-free shit bc the music rights for broadcast and for syndication are v different

[@alexisienna]

the song from the final scene of series 5 is still on my playlist to this day

[@mschell350]

RIGHT?!

[@devonmunn5728]

@@alexisienna same

[@karensmith1521]

discord.gg/pFYmpuReDn I made a discord gc where for skins fans where we can discuss about various characters and themes and stuff join if you want. It will also be a good opportunity to mk internet friends

[@breydanhammer8417]

Honestly, my favorite part of this generation was alo's first episode. His family were genuinely some of the nastiest adults yet. The fact that Alo showed such deep love for them regardless, spoke a lot to the type of guy he was. Also, just Alo. He was always fun, charming and supportive, if a bit creepy.

[@sirbuffalo]

I agree with you completely, I loved his character. I think the creepiness was just him being a hormonal teenage boy who got overzealous about getting laid lol. I went to high school with boys just like him. They'd act gross and creepy when in a group of other boys or in front of the whole class, but, whenever I talked to them one on one, they'd always surprise me by often revealing the hidden layers of their real personalities, their hopes, dreams, interests and passions. They'd act respectful and polite in private, but like total creeps in front of others.

[@jamescarr1265]

we did not need his season 6 episode with THAT plot… jesus

[@nykan2880]

Gen 1 was so successful because it accurately reflected what we (I was 16 in 2007) were doing. They way they dressed, the lies they told their parents, the skins parties (just house parties but later dubbed skins parties after the show). This group of kids weren't rich, like 90210, they made their own fun, just like we did. The hardships they faced were very similar to the British teenage experience (failing grades, dealing with strict Muslim parents, or coming out). The later generations tried too hard to be angsty and deep, and just ended up falling flat.

[@jesspopps]

Exactly this. I ran away from home roughly the same time gen 1 started and I identified SO STRONGLY with Chris. I’ve seen people say it was unrealistic, but although I was never into drugs, most of my friends were taking pills and speed every weekend and we were definitely always looking for someone’s house to have parties in.

[@Jmcinally94]

Matty was the freakiest fucking dude ever, it's mad that a single person contemplated getting with him. Looks like the sort of kid who turns up to school with a samurai sword and threatens the teachers with it when they tell him he can't have it

[@ruliak]

The whole time during this video I was like "yep, yes, oh my god yes exactly!" Also props to Michelle's actress, she is doing genuinely amazing work with that podcast.

[@fernanda5487]

I hated what they did to Franky in the sixth season, like I'm still mad at it. Mini waa my favorite because I could personally relate a lot to her on some levels, and I also thought she and Franky were going to be a thing, It'd definitely been more interesting than what we ended up getting. Now watching your video I think they totally could've had Mini and Franky connect on the basis that they're insecure about the roles they're assigned to play. Franky didn't conform to a gender binary was my take, and Mini genuinely felt scared to have sex and her hyperconforming to feminity drained her a lot. I genuinely think that would've made for a great plot and something for them to develop a great friendship. Whatever, maybe I'll write fanfic!

[@karensmith1521]

discord.gg/pFYmpuReDn I made a discord gc where for skins fans where we can discuss about various characters and themes and stuff join if you want. It will also be a good opportunity to mk internet friends

[@philstrachan]

My teenage son and I came across Skins and watched it together. It gave us the opportunity to talk about things that otherwise would have been awkward. I think the actors were all very real, the casting was spot on. We felt as the series/generations went on, it became quite dark and lost much of its comedy that gave it a good balance. It will always be one of my favourite shows ever and so well made like a lot of English tv - and it was no wonder the Americans couldn't get it anywhere near right. We watched the first two EPISODES of the US version before we went "Nah" and never continued.

[@chiabee14]

‘Oh yeah, grace is dead, and if you thought Freddie’s death was unnecessary....’ I snorted out loud

[@jimbobbby]

The best thing about skins was it's ability to spot and nurture young acting talent. Dev Patel, Daniel Kaluuya, nick Holt, the entire cast of game of thrones, etc.

[@baru0chan]

i hated what effy represented - the manic pixie depressive dream girl who loves being abused and who is nothing but a glorified aesthetic for tumblr girlies who spent their time romanticizing depression and toxic relationship. so i was happy they finally let effy and her bullshit go, and then they gave me franky... i was so mad lmaoooo

[@eternalbliss330]

u guys just think they glorified effy cause she was pretty. nothing abt effy’s arc was aesthetic or somethign anybody above the ages of 15 would want.

[@myatee4134]

@@eternalbliss330 it kind of was season three. But season four showed how awful she truly felt. It seemed more glorified because of the media. Which was stupid

[@FuzzyKittenBoots]

@@eternalbliss330 So you have a character who walks around looking a mess, she barely talks, when she does she isn't very nice to anyone. She is seriously mentally ill, not just depressed, but very ill. She is instantly one of the coolest girls at college, all the boys want her, hell her therapist wants her, and despite being rather unfriendly she now has several female friends. And in the show I think they make it clear that it isn't despite her being 'pretty but broken' that everybody wants her, it is because of it. Effy isn't just a little romanticized, it is what defines the character.

[@jamescarr1265]

Effy was the more abusive person in her relationships though. Abusive is a stretch but she was incredibly toxic to her friends like Pandora and she was extremely mentally ill.

[@jamescarr1265]

@@eternalbliss330it’s the Tiktok edits that make people think that she’s some sort of girlboss like no

[@giovanna.yukari]

can"t believe this video exists and it"s yours. I admire ur work so much and i wanted a skins video so bad!

[@beatrizgaspar6697]

Frankie is the problem. The series would be mid without her, with her is bad. Specifically her love life. I just hate that love triangle so much.

[@fenschrute7724]

Frankie was such a missed opportunity. Why make her androgynous and have her be a straight girl with a love triangle between 2 super annoying characters. Uggg

[@beatrizgaspar6697]

@@fenschrute7724 specially because they simultaneously undermined every other plot line about the other characters. Skins was good bc it was a very shared ensamble piece, with interconnected friendships. It rly piss me off how much time was spent in pointless and underdeveloped romance centered around her, without any good and touching exploration of why these characters were deeply into her. And this all ties in with the changes to her character bc after they did that you start to wonder were did the character u initially like went and the romance seems even more pointless. Even tho i love minnies relationship with aloe i would have loved to see her with frankie. Actually, a minnie/aloe vs Minnie/frankie love triangle were minnie comes to terms with being bi and frankie explores her pansexuality would be much more interesting then the love triangle insipid and reasonless we got.

[@fenschrute7724]

@@beatrizgaspar6697 God a Frankie/ Alo/ Minnie love triangle would have been amazing. Again such a missed opportunity.

[@moongi325]

love triangles are the worse 🍅🍅🍅👎🏻

[@aphextwen]

also i met sid and JJ's actors on the tube and they were the loveliest people ever, sat with us, spoke with us and asked us about our night, took pictures etc. I walked past liv and alo's actors in shoreditch and being awkard said 'oh you guys were in skins!' and they gave me the dirtiest look and walked straight past lmfaooooooo. first two generations SUPREMACYYYY

[@jamescarr1265]

omg wtf they gave dirty looks? fuck them honestly

[@Dartagnan010]

I think to make this generation better, they should've: - Kept Franky exactly how she was instead of trying to make her Effy 2.0. One thing that was excellent with Franky from the get go was that she had already accepted her identity and how she chose to present herself to the world before we even met her, so they should've continued on that route and concentrated more on how others came to accept her as she was, and on her finding her birth mother like she did at the end of the series. - Kept the storyline of Matty's hit and run, but had him kill someone that's not in the cast. That would have put a dent in his relationship with Frankie, as he would have run away without giving her any news, leaving her worried and alone. - Left Franky and Minnie's relationship hostile to begin with, but make that a catalyst for Minnie coming to terms with her sexuality, through her attraction to Franky. Maybe make them a couple in season 6 once Franky realizes that Matty is a dirtbag. - Kept Grace and RIch's relationship development as it was, but made her pregnant instead of Minnie in season 6, and have her drop out, becoming everything that her father was dreading for her to become, whilst having Rich navigate through his feelings of becoming a father, especially since his relationship with his own dad was discussed in season 5. - Had Nick put all the girls aside (Minnie, Liv and Frankie) for a moment, explore his professional journey after his career in sports crashed, and see him try to find a new purpose. It would have also been great to see development in his relationship with his father, and maybe there could've been a bridge there between him and Rich. - Alo's whole story with that 14 year old girl was the only bit that I would have kept intact. It was hilarious, wildly inappropriate and such an Alo-esque segment. I could also really see Alo and Minnie becoming fantastic friends and I would have loved to see them develop a great friendship. At last, maybe Alo could've found someone who truly loved and deserved him like JJ did at the end of his season. - Had Liv explore her insecurities of always pursuing and falling for people who are unavailable for her. That girl had massive mommy issues and a huge inferiority complex, especially with her sister and her friends. Exploring that would've been worthwhile!

[@coopermakescasksandbarrelsP]

this would be the perfect gen 3 storyline

[@demonic_myst4503]

Ironic to talk about aceptance when a good chunk this video is blaming the dhow for not changing her for the comunities headcannon

[@demonic_myst4503]

Frankys sexuality wasnt a mystory she is pan not lesbian not straight she literaly states she doesnt care the gender she likes people

[@Faye-Jane]

This would’ve been amazing!!!! I wish they done this. Gen 3 wouldn’t be hated on at all if they done this.

[@witchlamb]

maaaaaaan... like a lot of mentally ill teen girls/afab people i really loved s3 and effy (unhealthily so - effy was a role model in the eating disorder communities i participated in, which, yikes), which was why s4 was such a colossal mindfuck. like the blatant anti-psychology messaging is just terrible, the worst, it's SO irresponsible, on top of taking a topic that earlier series of skins would have handled delicately (mental illness) and treating it the same way a soap opera would, including with random amnesia. ugh.

[@ollieno971]

I’ve never seen the later seasons but skins never handled mental health problems right. They romanticized shit so much. Like the characters Cassie and effy specifically, like Cassie literally giving young girls (like me at the time) a step by step guide on how to hide your ED from your family. It was so toxic and bad but people don’t want to admit it bc of nostalgia

[@please_im_a_staaar]

Effie was a role model among eating disorder girls? Not Cassie?!

[@houssan3953]

@@please_im_a_staaar they both were. i used to spend a lot of time on the forums back then and they were by far the most popular "role models"

[@szilva01]

I never understood the thing with Effy's psychiatrist making her forget memories like wtf was that .

[@mariashaki89]

@@szilva01 the attempted suicide-psychiatrist-Freddy's death plots were the worst things they had done on the show. It was so much unnecessary drama.

[@sophiegaal2057]

This feels like the cathartic rant/ conversation I would have with my friends about gen 3 but none of them have actually watched it so thank you !!

[@lh9591]

I’d love a Degrassi analysis. The last seasons of TNG (with the exception of Cam’s storyline) as well as Next Class felt so hollow. So many reused storylines and everyone has a personal stylist.

[@noahreisner5199]

I’m sorry but season 10-12 of degrassi were peak degrassi

[@lh9591]

Noah Reisner definitely an upgrade of the bland seasons of 7-8, but I felt like many characters had no agency, and characters would disappear completely from episodes, unless they were the center of the plot. For example, when Alli runs away. How are Clare and Jenna not concerned about this at all? Plot lines that should be resolved in one episode are now two parters. Why is a pogo stick competition a two part conflict? Edit- but I want to acknowledge that 10-12 is FAR superior to s14. S13 Zoe’s “Unbelievable” episode was great, and Becky’s character development was great, only for Zoe and Becky’s character development to be undone for the sake of drama.

[@brooke4089]

Next class is so funny to me because it seems like they just had a spiny wheel of plot lines and characters that they just assigned randomly

[@noahreisner5199]

@@lh9591 I mean everything having to be two parters is a pretty weak complaint although I suppose valid in rare circumstances, 10-12 definitely was the tightest tho in terms of exciting storytelling, consistent character development, and important conversations. It knew it had to become a bit more like gossip girl to stay relevant and it did while still talking about important topics.

[@noahreisner5199]

@@lh9591 like the early seasons just told whatever story they felt they needed to and assigned it to a random character. Why was Emma of all characters anti abortion outside of a shallow read of her character for example. The early seasons have their fun but they are very after school special unfortunately

[@kittycattt93]

Dakota Blue Richards said in an interview not long ago that she got shouted at because she said the wardrobe and first script for season 6 were so out of character for Frankie and she said she felt like they were trying to make her another "Effie" in season 6, which she wasn't keen on but because of how they shouted at her for questioning their choices for the character she just tried to do her best with what she got because she didn't want to get fired. Edit: you just started talking about April Pearsons podcast which is what I was referencing lol!

[@jamescarr1265]

that’s so sad omg. i can imagine her just not being very keen and suggesting some changes and being roared at. some adults think they’re so much better than children.

[@viggiviggs8614]

i thought the whole thing with mini was her being a lesbian in denial? and then they just kinda forgot about it... the only character i really liked was rich, but his whole purpose in the end was to carry grace's legacy.

[@leaj9803]

At the end to the show when Rich said Goodbye to the Camera I wanted to cry he didn’t deserve to loose his love 😭

[@littlebitaver]

Gen 2 was always my favourite because I related to Effy more than any character ever through the entirety of my teen years. However, it's been over 10 years and I'm still not over Freddie's unwarranted, unceremonious death. The betrayal was real.

[@penelope.6046]

I was so mad when minnie and franky didn’t end up together or at least addressed, for me minnie had a lot of potential as a character we could remember

[@candyisreading8813]

Such a great video! I didn't know the environment was that difficult for the cast but of course it makes sense! If you're going to hire young you need to protect and look after them! I also think Kaya Scodelario who played Effy has spoken up about wishing that they had an intimacy coordinator. I think the show's downfall for me was season 4 - Freddy's death was so out of the blue, abrupt and also very violent?? I remember the shot after all this time. A shame because I loved season 3 (although now looking back at it the writing for Effy's character is a bit yikes!)

[@laurahall7681]

This is undoubtedly the most special show I've ever watched and it helped me cope with a LOT of feelings as a teenager. I've seen every generation multiple times and I will never get bored or tired of them.. this show was a real passion project, and Sid doesn't get enough recognition.

[@kahldrialeighsun1208]

Frankie feels like an unintentional meta reference to conforming dissolution in patriarchy...and it breaks my heart. To think of all the young people at such a venomous era in our times for anyone not similarly privileged losing a valuable touchstone in representation. I have been enjoying your work. I learned so much from your Brittany Murphy video. Thank you for such illuminating perspective xox

[@discendos]

I just wanted to say that this was such a fantastic video and put so many of the words I couldn't muster, on to paper (so to speak.) Franky was such a disheartening change, Michelle deserved much more, and Effy should not have been the blueprint for every season!

[@breohtbrusmid489]

Skins was a show I tended to watch after being out on the piss, and came back home pissed, a halal burger + fries in hand and just enjoying the surreal wierdness of it all! Pretty suitable when your out of your head! So glad it worked in America. UK shows tend not to translate very well stateside very often.

[@xhadow8815]

Sucks cause you guys got some banggers!

[@TheLilyMustang]

Chris from Skins & JT from Degrassi Next Generation are still haunting me.

[@marywallace3378]

To this day I cannot watch the episode with JT. I’ve seen it one time and that was enough.

[@lesbiangoddess290]

Same tho. JT made me bawl my eyes out for weeks after he died

[@kristenfontaine589]

I never actually watched Chris die. I skipped that episode. 😭

[@maiaschmidt41]

I totally overlooked how bad this gen was bc I loved Grace and Rich’s relationship

[@Nayenezgani_]

SAME LMAOOO😭😭

[@juliacudney]

bombarded by knowledge of my own existence once again! youtube is not a safe space!

[@viquetoriaa]

in my opinion, from best to worst: 1 - season 2 2 - season 1 3 - season 3 4 - season 5 5 - season 4 6 - season 6 i only liked season 5 bc of rich and grace, and mini carried season 6 on her back... yes there are some good moments but they are kinda messy, and dont even get me started on THAT death in the beginning of s6.. ruined the series for me

[@cynm3745]

Yeah I felt like grace and Richie were the only reason I carried on watching

[@wearepublic]

Also. Idk if anyone else ever thought this but Grace always gave off big neurodivergent vibes to me

[@gothiccck6296]

I thought she was enlightened 🤣

[@lostforever773]

Yes

[@qsxsqsxs]

Grace was honestly my favourite character in the whole show, when they killed both her (and Franky's character) in Series 6, I just lost interest. Gen 3 had such great potential to be good tbh.

[@fkaharrison]

I just wanna say that Dakota is such an extraordinary person, I remember she had to deal with some asshole recently who was treating her in such a bad way on instagram due to Franky's development on series 6 and she just tried to deal with the situation in the best way she could, these are people who have to live up to the standards of so many other people in the industry and viewers, critics or fans and women like her, April or Laya definitely don't deserve the treatment they get, they are such brave, determined and sweet people and the fact that they speak up and keep being resilient about so many things still today after so many years speaks a LOT. Producers should be more aware, viewers should be more aware, everyone should be. I liked your video a lot, because it concludes a lot of thoughts i've been having for years, i grew up watching the show and i have a lot of love for all of the actors and many, many of the characters, there were a lot of missed opportunities as the show progressed from series 4 and on but I will forever be thankful for what the stories, characters and the show did for me. Not thankful for the literal and conceptual deaths of Freddie, Grace, Franky and Naomi.

[@erikaarreola216]

Grace's death really effected me simply because of how senseless it was! Having Rich and Grace be together as an endgame would've been perfect for Jamie's 'lighter direction' of the show. It would've been nice to see a couple that is a high school sweetheart trope be together forever, even if it doesn't feel realistic at times. Also, I might get some hate or controversy for this.... but I do wish that Franky and Nick's relationship was explored more. I would've liked to see how their friendship developed into the romance. I mean since the showrunners went full cishet with Franky for series 6 then might as well go all in and give her chance to explore a relationship with the 'misguided' jock. pls don't judge me for this one *hides behind table*

[@victorrocha5755]

I honestly approve this message. Remember, Franky conforted Nick in his episode in Season 5 and he even defended her back at his house party in Alo episode and they almost danced in Season 5 finale when the car broke... Some points that they could have been better closer friends was kinda there, but not quite. I also like alot in Alex's episode that Nick was dancing with Franky and Alo, and she was being sandwiched by them both.

[@joWorld664]

Considering her other options were creepy matty and drug lord Luke, she could do much worse than nick haha

[@Tyann464]

in my opinion as a brit, the buzz/ essence of skins died off after the 2nd generation more shows aimed for their target audience was available so it wasn't all we had any more

[@shannoncampe5101]

I’m a Generation 3 apologist because I think there are some strong character beats and enjoyable performance, despite too much focus on romance in those seasons. Thanks for shining a light on it, Yhara! Your videos are always such a treat.

[@ACey96]

my big take away from gen 3 is, i never actually felt that they where friends in small groups yes alo and Rich mini and liv (kind of) but as a whole group they never had a purpose to actually like each other and it felt off

[@gothiccck6296]

Alo rich and frankie

[@buri.bii3]

iirc the book delves into the friendships more (before series 5); I felt Mini & Liv were closer than the trio they formed with Grace (who met them in Newquay over the summer as Mini/Liv were friends way back as per mentioned in the book).

[@cait3666]

@@buri.bii3I was so confused where grace came from because she supposedly went to an all girls school but also the girls met in at least year 10 defo not at the posh boarding school

[@jamescarr1265]

sounds more like gen 2 to me.

[@emkevanschalkwyk4936]

Season 5 were honestly my second favourite. The character development happening was incredible. The focus on the friendship was also a nice take. I loved it

[@imluvbabygurl81]

VERY FEW likeable characters this generation tysm for talking about this

[@MidwestEmu]

A skins video is what brought me this channel and I'm beyond excited to get another one!

[@Name-dl3uq]

HELL YES SKINS Also I have been watching you for a week and you are so eloquent and interesting, I could watch your videos for hours if not for school lol Also I love your editing and videos overall - so aesthetically pleasing 💕💕

[@sapphic.flower]

I never watched Skins but having irl teens (and yes, 18 and 19 year olds are still teens. don't give me the "but they're legal" loophole bs) on tv with bikinis and underwear and getting intimate is so messed. Even worst that the girls would get openly judged on their sexines for the show. Wasn't it supposed to be about "real teens" without the beautification? So shouldn't all body types be represented???

[@katfujioka212]

Yeah, there's something extremely creepy about young actresses having to line up in bikinis and judged on how 'sexy' they look. Sure, real teenagers sometimes dress 'sexily', but a show as committed to realism as Skins would surely understand that not everyone (especially Frankie!) would dress like that...

[@aj7058]

Having now seen the footage of the guy who was lining them up as well. Just really rubs it all in.

[@camilofajardo9199]

Euphoria does the same

[@karensmith1521]

discord.gg/pFYmpuReDn I made a discord gc where for skins fans where we can discuss about various characters and themes and stuff join if you want. It will also be a good opportunity to mk internet friends

[@TheRealityofFake]

I don't think the issue was necessarily just that they were in revealing clothing or filming intimate scenes. It seems to be about how it was done. Like bringing in actors and having them film a sex scene on the first day without any real discussion or preparation. Or requiring the girls to parade around in bikinis in front of the producers. I think those are the things that really cross the line. The actors did go into this knowing that they would be filming sex scenes so that wasn't the main issue. It seems that the producers and show runners were really taking advantage of these actors who were all new to acting and didn't know what was appropriate and what wasn't.

[@davidostrowski679]

Literally watched this whole video in one sitting last night. One word. SPECTACULAR! I wasn't a big fan of gen 3 at the time, but weirdly I quite liked the darker tone of season 6. Season 5 felt a bit like obvious pigeon-holing, ie the metalhead, the mean girl etc. Looking back, your point about Dakota 'playing 2 characters' is spot on. At the time, the immediate change in her character wasn't so noticeable for me and in some ways, weirdly felt natural, but again in hindsight, the blatant sexualisation and feminisation (is that a word?!) was so forced. I'm glad you highlighted what Dakota, April and Laya have said. As a male, I didn't even think of how it must have been for these young women having to film such scenes at their age! How was it even acceptable! Oh lord! The three of them should be commended for speaking up. Deaths. Absolutely. Freddie was just ARGH the final nail in the coffin for S4. I quite liked the shock of Grace's death. I feel as though the darker tone was all about the grieving process, especially in how Liv and Franky responded to the point of destruction. Jal was the star of gen 1, especially how she developed in season 2. Without Jal, there wouldn't be a gen 1. You'll notice I'm mentioning the female characters more, that's for a reason. I feel like male characters didn't have the same level of depth or development, with the exception of maybe Sid, Tony, Chris and Rich. Even Cook, taking season 7 out of the equation, I felt like he was underdeveloped throughout gen 2. Season 4, Katie's episode is one of my favourites. Katie had genuine development whereas I felt Emily kind of didn't, and Katie's episode felt like a true character exploration like season 1 and made her likeable. Plus, Megan Prescott is brilliant. Mini had so many missed opportunities. The attraction to Franky, the anxiety around sex and so on. I could say so much more! Thanks for your awesome video!!

[@jamescarr1265]

Katie’s season 4 episode is one of the show’s best. she had great character development.

[@maddieatkinson1527]

im forever frustrated with how minis sexuality wasnt explored. they set up so many hints of her being queer and hinting at her and frankie getting together but never delivered. im so sick of queerness being hinted at and then never executed, its tiring

[@demonic_myst4503]

massive issue with most these coments effy was never hinted to be lesbian she was implied to be oan even this video showed a clip of her outright stating she doesnt like men or woman she likes people Generic pan character writing

[@maddieatkinson1527]

@@demonic_myst4503 we are talking about different characters

[@demonic_myst4503]

@@maddieatkinson1527 oh yea lol minis character eas under utilised

[@aderyn7600]

I as a trans person really related to the first part of Frankie's arc and then.... I got really frustrated because I saw so much of myself in that character and then was told to do basically the opposite of what I wanted to do. which isn't like... cancel worthy it just very much frustrated me as a teenager and I immediately stopped watching after that.

[@gothiccck6296]

As a goth I loved her, rich and alo's friend group relationship

[@emegvf]

Yeah when I first watched I was a young teenager and had short hair just the same as frankie. I was thinking I was nonbinary at the time and I am asexual. I related to frankie being an outcast and nonbinary and they took that away and it was horrible.

[@RemeberChester]

Omg I've had forgotten the creepyness of Matty lol, I won't sleep tonight, but amazing video as always🙌

[@Shirley.Temper]

Franky’s genderqueerness and sexuality was sth i found so so interesting watching generation 3 as a teenager but I HATED how they had away with that in season 6 just for the sake of turning her into another effy

[@rachelleellers7481]

I loved all the generations of skins. It always felt like a new element, and I rewatched seasons 1 &2 in the first Gen, because I first saw them when I was probably 13. I since have grown up, watched all the seasons of each generation and I love how every season, in each generation, to me at least, felt so real and so raw. I could genuinely connect with a lot of the characters from each generation, as if I was in high school again. Minus the creators being total creeps, I feel for the actors, really upsetting knowing how young they were and what they went through. But this was a great video, I really enjoyed!

[@gingerspice1788]

Season one episode one is the most beautiful and genius episode in tv history, I can almost smell every character. It’s also incredible how we learn information with each of the characters instead of knowing information and waiting for each character to learn.