Skins- favourite characters

One of my favourite television series is 'Skins' (the BBC/ original version), and I have finally completed watching the sixth series, which means that I have watched all the different generations, and now I can come to a conclusion to who my favourite characters are from each series. For those who don't know what 'Skins' is about, it is about a group of friends (and in some cases, frenemies) and their last two years of high school. There are different "generations," which means that there is a changeover of cast every two series, as each group graduates from the high school, and there are three generations in total.

These people are not the best role models in the world at all; with drugs, alcohol and sex, however, despite these things playing a major part in the world of 'Skins,' it is a masterfully written script, where each episode focusses on a different character, allowing the viewer to delve into the complexities of that individual and allowing us to understand their motivations, their personal problems and why they are like who they are. I probably don't recommend 'Skins' to people who don't want to be confronted, because it is a very confronting and raw series, but it is brilliantly acted, and you learn to love most of the characters, and if you are like me, you get really attached to them, which is why I decided to write about my personal favourites from each series.

I promise not to give too much away for anyone who hasn't seen it and are planning to, but hopefully I reveal enough to inspire some viewers or prompting past viewers into thinking who their favourite characters were. The fantastic thing about the show is that, some characters that you used to love, you may begin to hate, and the ones that you used to hate, you begin to love, as you discover more about their lives. 

Series 1 (first generation): Cassie (note: Sid was also)

Cassie is one of the most unique characters, as she doesn't care what other people think of her, which allows her to embrace all eccentricities. Her common phrase is "wow," as she finds the whole world absolutely incredibly amazing and a wonder, however, sometimes life and everything becomes too much for her, as she suffers from an eating disorder, as well as being suicidal, as there are times when she can't cope with what is happening around her, like experiencing love, heartbreak and having self-loathing. She is the sweetest character, and all fans of the show would probably agree with me, that your heart goes out to her and you wish for her to find all the happiness in the world. Cassie also says some of the most profound lines (I think the first two generations have really deep lines about their views of the world, which are really impressive). 

Cassie- "Don't say you love me unless you really mean it, because I might do something crazy like believe it"

Series 2 (first generation): Chris (Tony was also)

I didn't like Chris in series one, but as the story lines for each character was growing even more intense, I realised that there was more to Chris than the pill-taking hooligan that we thought him to be previously. As he learns to completely fall in love, a sweet and complex character emerges, that has secrets that were so hidden, that no one could have guessed what was in store for Chris in the second series. I wouldn't have said it in series one at all, but in the second series, Chris is actually quite charming in a different sort of way, and strangely enough, Cassie began to annoy me a bit in this series, however a cute friendship blossoms between these two. 

Chris- "It's kinda easy when you've got nothing because nothing can be taken away from you"

Series 3 (second generation): Emily (Effy was also- I think she was my all-time favourite character in the whole of 'Skins')

When the first generation said goodbye, I was like "how can I continue watching without them? It won't be the same!" But I have to say, that I loved the second generation so much, and sometimes I think that I like them better than the first, because the stories become darker and more complex as new problems between characters and within characters arise. Emily is the walked-over twin, but in the series, she begins to break away from her sister, Katie's, shadow and has the courage to become her own person. She's in love with Naomi, and she has to deal with family issues and their acceptance of her sexual preference, as well as Naomi's insecurities about being with Emily. 

Emily- "I think you want someone to want you. Well, I want you. So be brave and want me back."

Series 4 (second generation): Effy (Cook and Freddie were also- I just liked everyone in this series actually)

Effy was in 'Skins' since the first series, as she is Tony's younger sister. She is the girl that Cook and Freddie both love and have fought over since the first episode of series three, and she at first appears like she doesn't care about anyone else, however that couldn't be any further than the truth. She takes drugs, drinks, plays with people, but all because she feels too much and is one of the most insecure of the second generation. She is also, I find, the most complex character, as she is terrified of the world, and as a defence, tries to build up walls to protect herself, but only hurting herself even more. She is a mystery to the others, and that seems to be her charm, but underneath it all, she is lost.

Effy- "I went crazy when I was with you, I can't let that happen again."

Series 5 (third generation): Grace (Rich was also)

I think series 5 went downhill, as the relationships and story lines became a bit cliched, but I think it is still worth watching all the same, just to see a comparison, and also some of the episodes were really enjoyable. I wasn't a massive fan of this generation, because I found that I didn't actually like most of the characters- a lot of them were just horrible and you don't really get to understand why, in this series. However, Grace is such a lovely person, living in a fairytale, believing in love and happily ever afters, who was so nice to everyone. It's like she is the sunshine amongst the grey clouds that are the other characters; she was a refreshing break from all the meanness between the others, and her relationship with Rich is nice to watch.

Grace- "I am who I need to be"

Series 6 (third generation): Mini (note: Alo also)

Minnie was horrible in series 5, but you were able to see that she was just insecure about her place amongst the others. The sixth series stories began to improve from the previous series, which was a relief, because I love 'Skins' so much, and I didn't like being disappointed. The story lines returned to revealing the complexities of each character, and by beginning the series with a tragedy, the series has a continual focus on how each character learns to cope. Minnie does revert to the horrible person she was in series five occasionally, but you begin to see the "true" Minnie, the one where she just is scared about the future. 

Mini- "Just tell me it'll be okay, and will be"