While watching these two episodes, I kept going back and forth on what I thought of the show. I felt connected to the characters because they were so relatable and intriguing and I wanted to root for those we got a deeper look at (especially Cassie), but the common “extra-curriculars” were taken just a little too far for me. As many other posts and comments have noted, Skins sensationalized the party culture to an extreme that hindered the believability of the entire show. Not to say that I didn’t enjoy it, but some moments just left me thinking, really??
The development of characters – although not so in depth for those other than Tony and Cassie – drew me in enough to feel some sort of connection to them. I felt badly for Sid when he was stuck with the drugs he couldn’t pay for, and I was worried for Cassie when we discovered she had an eating disorder. These kids are dealing with real problems, and even if they may be expanded more than the typical teenager sees for the sake of television, their reactions seemed genuine and real. I may not know someone in each of these situations personally, but I could see these things happening in real life. It really drew me into the show as a whole. As the episodes go on, I’m sure each character’s back story is revealed with more detail, but the little taste we got of the few characters with larger story lines made me hopeful for the deeper connections the audience would make with each person.
The partying culture portrayed on Skins seemed more way more dramatic than it needed to be. I understand overemphasizing something for the sake of entertainment. So many US shows do that too. But the same message would still be portrayed to the audience even with a more subdued and, in my opinion, realistic party scene for these kids. Maybe things like this actually happen to young students on a regular basis. Maybe my super strict, all-girls, private, Catholic high school sheltered me from what some high school students actually do, but either way, I thought it was just a bit too much for my personal preference.
Overall, I enjoyed the two episodes we saw, but did they keep me interested enough to watch the rest on my own? I haven’t watched any other episodes, and honestly, I don’t think I’m going to keep tuning in. It was good…but not great.
I think you make a good point in criticizing the over the top, dramatic nature of Skins. We’ve watched shows in this class that have contained believable characters, plot, and other aspects but Skins was just too over-the-top for me to buy in to. Some might call it edgy but I felt like it was just trying to push as many buttons as possible and came off as just too much. A show doesn’t have to be believable to be good, but I feel Skins creates expectations that are not attainable in real life. Teens will emulate the behaviors in real life expecting the same results. We talked in class about the “Skins parties” where kids got together and had parties like they saw in Skins. Compared to a show like The Inbetweeners where the teens talk and act like real people, Skins was just too much teenage fantasy to be believable.