Antiquity

I think Freddie does care about Cook (more than he lets on, anyway), but he doesn't know how to handle him anymore. Like we saw in the preview "Cook for president", he told Naomi (or more so himself) that "he'd lost him". When prompted by Naomi whether he meant JJ, Freddie hesitates and then says, "Yeah, him too." imo, this shows me that he's concerned about it all.

thatsnotmyname-x

Indeed...I just can't believe that's who he apparently gets together with!

Enigma

Wow, it's amazing to see how much discussion this episode sparked. I just watched and my feelings are kind of mixed. I think Cook came off horribly in this episode but it wasn't really shocking as it's not any different from what we've seen all season. Although this episode being from Freddie's POV I think we saw a deeper look at just what brought Freddie to this point in their friendship. Alot of people have been rather harsh towards Freddie in regards to his friendship with Cook, but I always thought it was evident...........and this episode confirmed it........that this didn't happen overnight and was just some sudden thing. Obviously these issues have been building for awhile now..........well before we were introduced to them in the premier. Just because we've seen them hanging out and saying friends for life doesn't mean there weren't any issues there or that Effy being in the picture somehow started all of this. If anything she has maybe been a catalyst to push things to the forefront between the guys, but like I said, all of this was obviously already there. I have to admit I'm not a Cook fan at this point. This is usually the type of character I fall for but I just haven't seen enough to not dislike him. Aside from his scenes with Panda at the end of her ep which I did love. But, when it comes to JJ and Freddie, it's obvious to me that they put up with alot from Cook and we've seen him use them and abuse them at various points............it's not hard to understand why Freddie feels the way he does and why things are falling apart in the friendship no matter what history they have and how much they love each other. I think all of the characters are complex and I look forward to learning more about their history and what makes them tick, etc. But, yeah, Cook really made me actually dislike him which wasn't the case before even though I didn't care for him much. Having said that, it was also obvious to me how much Freddie means to him even if he is being just as destructive in the friendship as he is to himself in life. It was kind of fascinating to watch even as I was getting angry. I'd really like to see what brought these guys together in the first place and what makes Cook live the way he does.

As for Freddie........I've been kind of indifferent to him. I was hoping I would understand him better after this episode but much like Cook's episode I really didn't. But, I kind of liked that it didn't go the cliche route I thought it might have. I've mentioned it before but the one thing I've enjoyed on Skins is getting these glimpses of the character's parents and home life )or lack of home life) because it really tends to shed alot of light on why the character is the way they are and their actions (or non actions), etc. I think we did learn some about Freddie even if it wasn't as much as some of us expected.

In regards to Effy and the guys.............I'm still not shipping either couple. I've liked moments she has had with both guys. But yikes, after this episode it's the first time where Effy has really kind of irked me. I did think she was messing with Freddie even if she wasn't purposely doing it to hurt him. And I don't get her being with Cook at the end. I know we don't know if Cook went to her or she called him but it's kind of a moot point in regards to Effy because either way it was evident what was going on. After her earlier attitude in the episode it was weird she had changed her mind. Either there's something about Cook she can't stay away from for whatever reason (because I don't see deeper feelings on either side yet) or what transpired with Freddie shook her/scared her (either because she does have feelings for him she has never had for anyone or just for the simple reason that she feels she can talk/open up to him in a way she can't with anyone else which scares her) so much that she went to Cook . But, again, why Cook? Because she knew it would affect Freddie. I guess the flaw in Effy or Cook meeting up with each other that very night to purposely hurt Freddie is that either one had no way of knowing that he would show up. So while that might have been the reason on either side or both sides it wasn't necessarily to directly hurt him in his face. Cook's smile/look was pretty manical in that scene. I'd be curious to hear commentary on these episodes.

As for all the OOC talk..............I don't really ever buy into that and I don't like to paint characters in a box. I do however agree with poor writing in regards to a character (or relationship) as it does happen. But, really I didn't find any of that the case in this ep. I find all the discussion even more interesting because I don't think we know any of the characters (even Effy who we know the most) to say what's OOC or not. And I agree that events, people, situations, etc. can change the way we expect a character to act or react. And though I didn't expect it before I started watching the show, the writing on Skins has been pretty great. As much as Effy bugged me in regards to Freddie this episode it wasn't because of the kiss (very hot actually) or hand thing, or showing up at the shed, etc........it was because of the mixed signals she was sending him. But, it's obvious that Freddie has affected her in some way (whatever you believe that to be)......and I don't think it's not something we didn't see from the very first episode. Freddie is a new and different person in her life so who's to say we should be surprised or find it out of character for her to react to him in a way we haven't seen her with anyone else. I'm in the camp that says that just means there's something different there with Freddie than what she has had or felt with anyone else whatever it may be. But, yeah, like I said, I'm not pro either ship at the moment so I'm just staying open minded and watching to see what happens next.

I missed seeing most of the other characters in this episode. And I'm really feeling bad for JJ who is in the middle of things right now with Cook and Freddie.

I loved the shots/lighting/direction in this episode though and the music as always was great.

Not my favorite episode by any means but definitely one of the most interesting so far.

Oh, and Cook kissing Freddie was hot. Loved that. But, seriously I wanted Freddie to punch Cook.

And I did love that we saw some progression from Freddie in this episode .

smoothaise

Mel Epic post. Not a suprise from you. When you have a passion/obsession with something, you really give it your full and undivided attention. So I am glad to see your a full blown Skins fan.

Interesting take on EFC. But, I'll let you catch up before you and I go into details on that. And great point about not necessarily needing to say a character is being OOC, because at that same argument, who's to say they aren't capable of being depressed or even angry.

ITA - the FC kiss was hot. Eh, he head-butted him... I don't think a punch would be necessary. It was just as effective.

Enigma

Ken - Thanks. I'm definitely a full blown Skins fan now. I'll be caught up by the end of the week for sure and we can talk more. I'm definitely curious to see where things are at now with the current episode.

That's true, he did head butt him (forgot about that while I was replying).........I agree that was just as effective.

smoothaise

^ If anything, it was an insult... because Cook probably expected Freddie to punch him. And he didn't want to come off as predictable.

Sweet. Too bad next week is the finale

Artemis

*blinks*

Well, I'm definitely not a fan of Cook's...AT ALL. He was already 3x04, but he went backwards in this episode. He's a horrible friend. Definitely hated that ending scene. And how he got Karen to lose was disgusting.

I don't care about either E/F or E/C.

The only thing I can say of this ep was that I.hate.Cook.

lisztomania

this episode was the first episode that blew me away, tbh. coz at least everything was so pretty. and the music. i'm shallow like that.

Finnegan

Before discussion, I'd like to ask a quick factual question, please:

In reality, are shows like the fictive "Search for a Sexbomb" in which Freddie's sister participates in s3e5 common?

I know of only one such show: Search for the next Doll, a 2007 CW show broadcast the same year in the UK on T4, involving the US burlesque group "Pussycat Dolls" founded by Robin Antin. The executive producer of the show was Robin's brother, Steven Antin. So:
-- Are such shows common? Can anyone cite others like that for me, please?
-- Or is Skins basing its "Search for a Sexbomb" on Antin's "Search for the next Dolll?"

Noooo ... I thought mods didn't do irony, Nia.

Yes, s3e5 is by far the best episode of series 3. Unlike any other part of s3, s3e5 strongly and artfully foreshadows the end of "gen 2" in the closing four episodes of series 4. It does so chiefly by means first of discussion of, then by repeated allusions to, the suicide soliloquy in Hamlet. After Naomi's comparison of Freddie to Hamlet, and the repeated subsequent allusions to Hamlet in this episode, one can hardly be surprised that "gen 2" ends with deaths including Freddie's.

Perhaps the most artful of these allusions is at 22:30 minutes into this whole-episode clip. Freddie, in his shed, finds Effie's highly symbolic death's-head necklace (itself recalling her death's head T-shirt in s2e6, Tony's dream episode). As Freddie holds up the death's head, JJ, performing a magic trick, says to him: "I'll choose for you." But while we hear JJ, we see only the death's head. The symbolic implication is that Effy will help Freddie make Hamlet's choice between life and death -- and chose not to be.

All posts both on this thread and on its predecessor are from early 2009, before s4 aired. Only since early 2010, when s4 was first aired, could we appreciate s3e5 as foreshadowing -- something not discussed here previously.

Beached

Yes. It's a piss-take on crap British weekend TV 'talent' shows. Try searching Britain's Got Talent or The X Factor for overwhelming proof

I guarantee it's in virtually every other thread on this board. Also, the soundtrack and cinematography of this ep....quite incredible.

raybanchica

mte

lisztomania

yeah i remember super long posts analyzing the parallels between freddie and hamlet. i don't remember which thread it was on now tho. i think it may have been the freddie/effy thread?

raybanchica

this will always be one of my favourite skins eps ever. everything was on point. the relationships, the characterisation, the humour, the pacing. just love it.

mary ksand

It's definitely one of my favourites as well. I like that we got a chance to have a look into all the main characters' lives but the episode was still focused on Freddie as it should have been. We saw different sides of all the characters and what kind of influence they all have on Freddie's life, how he feels about it and what kind of influence he has on them as well.

roswellcharmed_2000

As a Freddie stan I must say that I despise the idea that there was foreshadowing of him dying in 305. To me that seems ridiculous because it seemed pretty obvious to me with how 407 was and how stupid 408 was that killing Freddie with a friggin baseball bat was not a planned thing. Especially after 405, Freddie's episode that series, it just didn't make any sense. No one wants to see a guy struggling to help his girlfriend when she's having a breakdown, getting through that and then being murdered.