Finnegan

On this board's thread about Skins s1e1, we've discussed the symbolism of the first thing scene in the first episode of the first series of Skins: Tony Stonem's bed cover (duvet): a faceless naked man lying face-down, separated from a faceless naked woman lying face-up, Tony between the two.

That contrasts markedly with the opening shot of the second series: the above-the-altar stained glass window, the only source of light in an otherwise dark traditional church. As it is shown, Bach's Tocatta and Fugue in D Minor is played by the church's pipe organ.

Series 2 relates the rebirth and redemption of Tony Stonem, whose original flawed character died when "hit by a bus" -- when he finally felt love -- at the end of series 1. The flaw in Tony's original character was that he misused sex to manipulate people for his amusement rather than to express love. No less than that flaw is symbolized by his bed cover in the opening shot of s1e1, his rebirth and redemption is symbolized by the opening shot of s2e1.

Maxxie Oliver, the first character seen in s2e1, first appears vaulting over the church altar from behind it, and running into the nave to stage a dance performance that shows the crippled Tony what one can do with one's body. As Maxxie tells Tony in the episode's final scene, while teaching him how to write his name:

Maxxie's entrance, vaulting over the altar, underscores that he is a manifestation of divine love, a messenger, an angel. Behind the ostensible story-line that only Maxxie stays with Tony during the trauma of the death of his old character and his rebirth as a character capable of using sex to express love, of using eros to serve agape, is a symbolic rendition of a familiar old story: in times of trouble, when all others cannot help you and abandon you, God remains with you.

Increasingly, I think, the reason why teen dramas now draw such scriptwriting talent is that, in a post-theological culture in which religion is less about "belief" and more about love, scriptwriter who want to tackles serious core cultural issues find themselves writing about learning how to love -- and that leads them into teen drama. Unfortunately, neither most of the audiences of teen dramas nor most people who are interested in cultural criticism seems to get this. Pity. But the contrast between the opening shots of Skins s1 and of Skins s2, the bed cover and the stained glass window, illustrates the point beautifully.

Postscript (October 2012): The church in which the opening scene of s2e1 of SKINS (Maxxie dancing for Tony) was shot is St. Paul's Church in Portland Square, Bristol, just north of Castle Park. That church, while remaining consecrated, was converted into a center for training in circus and theater arts in 2005. For photos and documentary evidence, see my 2 October 2012 post on this board's "Series 2" thread, at http://www.fanforum.com/65666282-post299.html .

Finnegan

The song, "Bad Before Good," from the 2007 album, Probably Art, of the Bristol band, Day One, featured prominently in the soundtrack of s2e1, so perfectly states the theme for s2 of Skins:

So familiar, so traditional a message. Experience beats innocence. That's why free will is worth having. But repentance, changing, turning, hurts like hell.

The whole metaphor of Tony Stonem's being hit by a bus for his learning to love is a delightfully artful restatement of that. Artful precisely because "being hit by a bus" as a metaphor for an intense emotional trauma is so cliché.

When I first watched the show, I didn't like it's use of the "hit by a bus" metaphor. My initial reaction was: Why use such a crude, hackneyed metaphor? And why suggest that physical trauma is necessary for emotional or moral redemption? But the more I've thought about it, the more I've come think that we're not supposed to take the bus as anything more than a metaphor for love. The fact that "being hit by a bus" is such a hackneyed, clichéd metaphor signals that. It signals that the surface level of action, from Tony's telling Michelle Richardson "I love you" by cell phone at the end of series 1 to Michelle's telling Tony "I love you too" by cell phone at the end of s2e7, is chiefly metaphor.

natalielorella

When Effy is on Tony's special need toilet, she is supposed masturbating (or starting to), right ?
I know that that kind of toilet has a sort of water system to help to clean, but because Effy doesn't need help, it is obvious that she is using it for pleasure reason only
She is also urged her mother out with the excuse that she has to pee, she problably has already planned all .

Dacrown

That moment is one of my favorites, Effy's " ooh lala" was just brill!

natalielorella

" ooh lala" was so classy and naughty at the same time. I'd like to have her aplomb during "that moments"

Jon_Robb66

I have to give Effy credit for this one.

minkyfan

Bad Before Good is on my iTunes playlist

Only Effy would realize that a disabled toilet could be useful for masturbation

natalielorella

That song is goooood. I like even "Clutch" of Fat Segal.
That's because she is so smart. "In fact, she's the cleverest ****ing person I know."

Dacrown

Yeah...I really miss that smart gen1 Effy.

natalielorella

Yeah... Me too.
A little folkloristic stuff: In Italy we use bidet, a type of sink intended for washing ... the genitalia and bottom. Some people claim to use it also for pleasure purpose, however I've never did it this way

Dacrown

We have bidet too, although I find it rather hard to use it for that purpose

natalielorella

I find it hard too ... I think adjusting water direction and stuff, but mine can't be adjusted

Dacrown

Well, if it can, then there must be no problem

minkyfan

See I never understood the appeal at all. It's just being shot in the butt with water that's incredibly off target and doesn't even clean you

Dacrown

Depends on the pressure!