'Anne Shirley. Anne with an "e."

I got heaps loads of DVD boxsets for my birthday. Anyone else may have found this rather too much, Damages, Dallas and Lark Rise 1 AND 2! But for me it was very much appreciated and loved! But my favourite gift by far was the Anne of Green Gables set off my ma and pa.

Growing up, Anne of Green Gables was shown as series one christmas and we recorded them all dutifully onto two VHS tapes. Those tapes still exist, though not in top top form, in fact there is more fuzz than anything left of them, but it just shows how much those tapes were watched by myself and family. It's been years since I watched AoGG but to now have them on DVD is so enjoyable.

I watched all the episodes yesterday in one foul swoop of nostalgic bliss. The great thing is you remember so much, even the dialogue, but because I'm so much older I can understand more about certain underlying storylines that I'd not picked up on when I was a kid. Especially in the later episodes (Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel) revolving and going into some detail about Anne's love life as well as Marilla's.

It didn't matter that I knew what was coming next scene after scene, it as like meeting up with an old friend and sharing fond memories. When I opened the dvd's we put them straight on and my dad is in the middle of watching them all himself, utterly happy to sit and watch this entertaining series. He exclaimed whilst watching that the writer of such a girl must have had a full and vivid imagination which pretty much sums up Anne herself, there is a girl with a full and active imagination. But that someone can create such a character, so wholesome and good and full of flaws which she easily bandies about without sometimes the realisation to hold herself back is so satisfying to watch.

Anne is a wonderful character, Megan Follows brought the character wonderfully to life. As for the supporting cast, they made the world of Avonlea and it's inhabitants such a charming place to want to be part of. It's been a wonderful trip down memory lane, so much so that I already want to watch them over again, especially with my younger cousin who I'm hoping will fall in love with Anne Shirley and her antics as anyone ought to.

It would be tragical to say this show wasn't anything but perfect.

Skins: Season Three Episode Six - Naomi

Hmmm, well every series has an episode which dissapoints and I think this one may have been it for me.  It was simply, snorefestedly boring.

Naomi seems to be going through a mid teen crisis and I'm not sure what it's really all getting at.  Her relationship with Emily is going in a direction, although I can't exactly see what direction that is.  The friendship with the teacher was quite surprising in a 'when did this happen, how long has this friendship being going on'.  I also feared they were going to go for another 'Ange/Chris' relationship from S1 but thankfully it took to a different direction. Though i'm not sure how much more a kid is going to be messed up when her teacher first mistakenly this she fancies him and wants a relationship, kisses her then starts dating her mother.  Bordering on stalkerish one may think.

Even the Cook moments, as he runs for student president, weren't enough to keep me amused or interested.  It all felt too obvious, because face it, no kid is going to vote for Crispin 'I'm so boring people would rather watch paint dry/eww girls are weird' or, unfourtunately, Naomi because the majority of kids would rather have a party in sixth form than take an active interest in politics like Naomi healthily has.

The one saving grace of the episode was the fact that FINALLY a girl has said NO to Cook.  I was beginning to think he had a pheremone which caused every girl to drop to the floor and put her legs in the air.  Even more surprising and perhaps the most poigniant moment of the scene was the fact that Cook, who before now we'd have assumed would press the matter of having sex with her, just said fine, okay, shrugged his shoulders and walked off.  Naomi expressed what perhaps everyone was thinking with her surprise and actually voicing what the audience was thinking and Cook, though not in so many words but certainly in his, dare I say, gentlemanly gesture, proved that though we think it, some young men do have morals to them and won't bully and press and talk a girl into having sex with them just because he wants to get his end away.

So the culmination of the episode I think was Naomi 'finding' herself and figuring out who she is in the world, which every teen goes through and Skin's in it's special ways, is all about young teens figuring out the world around them and how they fit in.  While interesting it didn't spark or generate much interest, Naomi is still a bit of a mystery.  Though her realtionship with Emily is taking tentative steps we've yet to see how either of them are going to actually go forward with it.  Aside from the moving forward with this relationship, the episode did little else except add more layers and depth to Cook's character which in itself is a welcome addition.

 

So, previously I was wondering if this season of Skins would be impressive as the last two.  With a full cast change (aside from Effy, Pandora and some parents and teachers) and a new generation of teens to follow, I was concerned I'd miss the old characters too much.  However, in light of the recent episodes, I think I may have fallen for this show like I did way back when Tony &co were running riot.

Episode 4 - Pandora

I think it's safe to say, Pandora may be the funnest, zaniest and sweetest characters of Skins ever to be created.  Her episode mainly revolved around her birthday party in which ensued games of twister, a bouncy castle and everyone wearing matching PJ's.  After the previous week, in which she fell hard for the new addition of Thomas only to lose him, Pandora is struggling to enjoy her party and wondering if her boyfriend will ever return so she can 'surf and turf' (have sex).  The party was a girls only affair, (though of course Cook found a way to crash it) and anyone who thought that it woudl go without a hitch, doesn't know these new girls. 

Brownies laced with MDMA meant Pandora's overbearing, over protective mother was soon chilling out which meant the girls could let down their hair and have some fun.  A few revelations were made, Panda's mother makes sex tapes with the dude next door and Effy and Cook are continuing with their 'friends with benefits' relationship.  Meanwhile Naomi and Ems are using the bouncy castle as a place to get better acquainted and poor JJ was in serious danger of spiralling into a panic attack causing Freddie to come to his rescue.

What Skins interestingly does is not only focus on one character at a time, but give us small indications of what's to be expected in other characters stories, moving us along in a large arc.  The friendship of Cook, JJ and Freddie seems to be like a piece of elastic, stretching to breaking point only none of them want to own up to the fact that growing up doesn't exactly mean they will all move in the same direction.  Effy seems intent on carrying on the affair with Cook no matter the fact she seems well aware of how Freddie feels about her.  Panda reveals that although she doesn't appear to be the brightest button and puts across a feeling of naivety that she's not beyond doing the wrong thing. She will do the unexpected, which is why I was surprised and to be honest, disappointed that she forgoes common sense and sleeps with Cook.  Cook has confirmed that he's one hell of an arsehole, and I found myself remembering that I knew guys like him back in school.  In a way I see him as a 'Bender' character of The Breakfast Club, the criminal of sorts who's misunderstood but underneath has issues, only I'm just unable to like him on any level.  Perhaps it will change, but for now he remains unlikeable for me.

Episode 5 - Freddie

Of all the episodes, I expected Pandora's and Freddie's stories to be the most interesting.  Panda mainly because she's the quirky one and you knew the writers would give us some laughs as well as add to the drama of the show.  With Freddie we'd previously been given little to go on, he stayed somewhat under the radar which made him interesting merely for the fact that there was evidently a story to be told. 

Freddie simply is a nice guy.  The episode reflected this brilliantly and it made it an interesting watch.  Like I've already pointed out, the Cook, JJ, Freddie dynamic seems one reaching a bend in the road so to speak.  As the episode progressed we learn that these three have known each other for a long long time.  Three very different people who just happen to be best friends.  Only they are people with secrets, who keep things from one another and that can never be a good thing, because once the secrets out, things can never be the same again. 

Continuing with the arc of Freddie's liking for Effy I found myself hoping he'd wash his hands of her.  Effy has problems, but that's no excuse to string someone along which is exactly what she's doing with Freddie.  Playing with someone elses feelings and emotions is never a safe game to play and someone's bound to get hurt.  It seems whilst some stepping stones were made in resolving the issue between the two characters, barriers have also been put  in place which may send them reeling.  Cook also plays this game, he knows how Freddie feels about Effy but has already got the girl and now uses it to rub in Freddie's face.  You have to wonder when the friendship will shatter into a million pieces.

Cook has already proven what power he'll hold over people when you cross him.  That he's shatters someone's dreams out of spite shouldn't come as a surprise, that he did it for himself, JJ and Freddie is evidence of his loyalty and love of his friend.  The final scenes between Freddie, Cook and JJ were wrenchingly honest and open about how friendship can bring out the worst in people, even if the act is something done for the greater good.  What struck me was that, though Cook gives a sudden, open and honest act of maturity in telling Freddie how much the friendship means to him, he still manipulatively goes to Effy straight after.  The final moment of Effy and Cook looking down at Freddie was somewhat cutting and menacing.  That Freddie walks away makes you wonder how he will deal with these two in the future.  Does the friendship of Cook, JJ and Freddie remain as it did before or have the lines been drawn? And does Effy even deserve the chance to be with the guy who would treat her with greater respect than Cook will ever show her.

~

That Skins has caused me to think this way isn't really surprising.  It took me a good few episodes before I started to enjoy the first two series' but after a while I was hooked.  Skins takes real issues and mixes in great drama and comedy with at times, over the top moments, so what you get is something vaguely representing reality while at the same time asking us not to take everything to heart and to have a bit of an open mind while it tells us the story.

It's clever, confident and defines a generation which is almost certainly miss understood.