Skins Season 4 finale – A happy ending to an awfully bad season

To say the season finale of Skins wasn't very good is an understatement.

It was a badly written, unbelievable, random and rushed ending to an already badly written, unbelievable, random season, so at least in that way it was very fitting.

Perhaps the writers got lazy, perhaps 8 episodes just isn't enough to tell any stories properly or perhaps I'm just old and I expect too much from a teen drama.

Whatever the case may be, I thought the season finale was bad. The only good thing about it was Naomi's speech at the end, but even that was ruined a little by it coming totally out of the blue, which didn't help believability.

Previously on Skins: Emily moved in with Naomi and then she found out Naomi had been cheating on her with Sophia, who ended up committing suicide. Then Emily got back at Naomi by doing some drugs and making out with a random girl at a BBQ they were throwing. As if that wasn't enough, Emily started seeing another girl, all the while the two of them continued to live together and pretended nothing is wrong.

So what exactly happened in the season finale? A lot of storylines, regardless of how meaningful or plausible, needed to be finished. If you think that means things get resolved or are explained, think again.

Everything just gets wrapped up really nicely and the writers try to fool us they all live happily ever after, even though we all know if there's one thing those Skins kids are not, is happy.

The episode starts with Emily waking up next to Mandy, the girl she was on a date with last episode. Uhoh. Emily doesn't seem too happy about it.

Meanwhile, Thomas is busy running, we see Cook shagging someone, Katie is visiting Effy in the mental institution and Panda is being chased by two psychiatric nurses while she's on a jumping ball. Why? Because it's Skins and nothing ever makes sense. It is very amusing though:

Back at Naomi's, Emily is still trying to figure out what happened between her and the girl in bed with her, when Naomi comes home. She bursts into the bedroom and starts chatting excitedly about how she bought eggs. Emily is just standing there looking worried, waiting for the moment Naomi finds out there's a strange girl in their bed.

Turns out Naomi isn't surprised at all, and the reason Emily and Mandy were in bed together was because they were too drunk and Naomi slept on the coach.

Naomi then goes to look at Mandy's breasts and declares it's a shame she's straight and asks Emily, "Is this bad?" I don't know what exactly she's referring to, but YES, this scene (and plot line) is indeed very bad, I don't even know where to start.

Almost as bad is the next scene in which we have to watch Panda sing a song for Effy for at least 3 minutes. Dear writers, you couldn't have used these minutes to actually try and tell a story?

I'm starting to think things can't possibly get any worse, but I shouldn't have let that thought out, because next we see Cook and Naomi in Naomi's kitchen listening to Cook's hook up being very loud on the toilet. WTF?!

Upstairs Emily and Mandy are talking about what's going on between them, and of course, they have to do this semi-naked. Emily is saying nothing is really going on and Mandy disagrees and tries to seduce Emily, saying she'd take her to Mexico and,  "make love to her on the beach."

Too bad they chose the world's worst actress for this role, as she delivers all of her lines without any kind of emotion. In fact, I don't think she's even capable of any facial expressions, other than indifference.

Then way too much of the season finale is wasted by a boring scene at Naomi's house. For some reason, almost the entire Skins cast is there (convenience?). They are all sitting around not enjoying themselves and Naomi is trying to get everyone drunk even though it is still morning.

No one wants any drinks, but Naomi does and she proceeds to get totally drunk. Then she wants to have fun and ends up dancing with Mandy, while Emily is just sitting there. Naomi just keeps on talking crap and eventually Emily thinks it's enough and runs off crying. Meanwhile, Mandy makes a move on Naomi. WTF?!

At night, Naomi and Emily are in bed together. Emily tells Naomi "I love you," to which Naomi replies, "Don't lie." Ouch. Naomi then gets out of bed and puts some clothes on. "My mom is coming back next week, maybe you should go," Naomi declares, and walks out of the bedroom. Double ouch.

Don't these girls every talk? You know, more than making accusations or declarations. Things aren't looking very good and we only have half an episode left for them to live happily ever after.

Before this happens we are treated to a number of ridiculous scenes. The police arrive en force to arrest Cook, but he escapes through the window. He decides to hide in Freddie's shed, where for no particular reason pretty much all of the Skins cast show up. Instead of worrying what might have happened to Freddie, they decide to have a party instead.

Not just any party, no they actually do choreographed dance moves. WTF?!

Meanwhile Naomi is home alone and on the phone to her mother. I think this screenshot literally sums up the Skins stories: What a mess.

Back at the party in Freddie's shed the most unbelievable, yet very welcome, plotline unfolds. Naomi shows up to give the speech of the season to Emily:

I loved you from the first moment I saw you. I think I was 12. It took me 3 years to pluck up the courage to speak to you. I was so scared of the way I felt, you know, loving a girl. So I learned how to be a sarcastic bitch to make me feel normal.

I screwed guys to make it go away, but it didn't work. When we got together it scared the shit out of me, because you were the one person that could ruin my life.

I pushed you away, made you think things were your fault, but really, I was just terrified of pain. I screwed that girl, Sophia, to kind of spite you for having that hold on me. And I'm a total F-ing coward, because I got these…these tickets to Goa for us 3 months ago. I didn't want to be a slave to the way I feel about you.

Can you understand? You were trying to punish me back, and it's horrible. It's so horrible, because really, I'd die for you. I love you. I love you so much, it's killing me.

Wow. I'm impressed, so is Emily. They cry and kiss and live happily ever after. Well, I think that's pretty much the idea. A bit out of the blue and an easy fix to their storyline, but a happy end is a happy end. Right?!

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That's it for Skins and Naomily. So what do you think? Are you as critical of the storylines as me or are you just happy Naomily got their happy ending?.

This post was first published on eurout.

Comments

Holly said…
Yeah, I was hoping for a little more character between them. Though, I'm in the states..so I don't get a chance to see fresh episodes..unless I do the iTune route..which well, I can't..still, I think I might like my own stories better about these two. At the moment, I have them split up and well Emily gets involved with Effy..while N has gone to the states for an internship to hook up with Cassie..I hope.

I would rather see character accidentally fall into things..instead of well..be a seeking heat missle.

I have to say I've accidently entertained myself most with coupling Rae & Teressa from Hollyoaks. But that's on my other freinds blog that I write with. ivyoaks.

Thanks so much for the post.
Unknown said…
I was absolutely deviated with series 4!! I absolutely loved series 3. I feel that with series 4 it was completely rushed. Nothing made much sense, and there was far to many story lines happening at once to be able to keep up. Then when Freddy ended up having a baseball bat to the head I was on the edge of my seat! It seemed like things were picking up and I was really into it.. then Karen was telling cook to find him. Then out the blue there all having a party noones looking for Freddie.. as an audience we don't know weather he's dead or alive, then cook finds his blooded clothes wrapped in bags.. I thought right this is it it's all going to come out now! And then it was the end. No explanation of what ever really happened to Freddie. None of the cast finding out. Nothing. I was absolutely devistated. Really really disappointed.
Unknown said…
I still think that the reason cook is so upset by killing John foster is because Freddie survived and was found injured and cook avenged him for no reason sending him into a depression and Freddie told him to run Knowing he was going to be a wanted murderer if he stayed and he could never have his friends around after that even if they know he meant well and So he left and hid and Freddie broke up with effy because he was tramitized depressed and angry about cook having to have to kill for him over her after all of this and so she really was dumped naomi and emily moved in with her because they knew her pain. Freddie is scarred for life JJ is his only close friend now.