Skins: 1x07 Michelle.
I’m wondering if Skins US needed some of the weaker episodes this season to get to this point and to get the deviating storylines going, as some sort of basis for all the new things, but the truth is, the difference between how much I enjoy the stories and characters that still stick to the original and the shiny new things is getting ridiculously large, and it’s like watching a show that has two completely different dimension which don’t really fit that well, with some characters still in shoes that don’t fit them anxiously waiting to be released into their own stories. A couple of episodes ago I would have excused this because we haven’t seen all the characters carry an episode yet, so this feeling could be attributed to not yet knowing them, but the truth is, at this point, Daisy isn’t even the weakest character (I actually do quite enjoy her) – instead if feels like Abbud and especially Chris are moving backwards development-wise, like the entire show is slightly out of sequence. I’ll probably be able to say more about this strange feeling after the final episode of this season (which hopefully isn’t the last of the show, since I would really like to see these characters in a season that is entirely their own, without the awkward sharing with their British counterpart ghosts).
Here’s a confession before I start the actual review: as should be obvious from my reviews of the first generation, Michelle isn’t a character that I find very relatable or accessible, especially for the most part of the first season. I admire the writers of the show and the acting of April Pearson because they made Michelle’s progression a wonderful and subtle thing throughout the series, from “I look shaggable” to being admitted to a good University, from being with someone who didn’t cherish her to finally, in the end, becoming her own person and shaping that relationship in a way that allowed her to grow.
Rachel Thevenard’s Michelle is a different story, and even though her progression in this episode is anything but subtle (the principal spells it out in the first half), she feels like a much more developed and complex character than her UK counterpart did at this point in the story, and part of this impression probably comes from the fact that the episode allows her to be a stronger person at the end.
I’m wondering if Skins US needed some of the weaker episodes this season to get to this point and to get the deviating storylines going, as some sort of basis for all the new things, but the truth is, the difference between how much I enjoy the stories and characters that still stick to the original and the shiny new things is getting ridiculously large, and it’s like watching a show that has two completely different dimension which don’t really fit that well, with some characters still in shoes that don’t fit them anxiously waiting to be released into their own stories. A couple of episodes ago I would have excused this because we haven’t seen all the characters carry an episode yet, so this feeling could be attributed to not yet knowing them, but the truth is, at this point, Daisy isn’t even the weakest character (I actually do quite enjoy her) – instead if feels like Abbud and especially Chris are moving backwards development-wise, like the entire show is slightly out of sequence. I’ll probably be able to say more about this strange feeling after the final episode of this season (which hopefully isn’t the last of the show, since I would really like to see these characters in a season that is entirely their own, without the awkward sharing with their British counterpart ghosts).
Here’s a confession before I start the actual review: as should be obvious from my reviews of the first generation, Michelle isn’t a character that I find very relatable or accessible, especially for the most part of the first season. I admire the writers of the show and the acting of April Pearson because they made Michelle’s progression a wonderful and subtle thing throughout the series, from “I look shaggable” to being admitted to a good University, from being with someone who didn’t cherish her to finally, in the end, becoming her own person and shaping that relationship in a way that allowed her to grow.
Rachel Thevenard’s Michelle is a different story, and even though her progression in this episode is anything but subtle (the principal spells it out in the first half), she feels like a much more developed and complex character than her UK counterpart did at this point in the story, and part of this impression probably comes from the fact that the episode allows her to be a stronger person at the end.
“He’s not all that.”
In the beginning, however, Michelle is in a very bad place. Tony, after they’ve had sex in an alley behind a bar (what, is he Cook now?), pretends like he can’t hear her “I love you” just so he doesn’t have to say it back; and he actually never says it once, throughout the episode, which is interesting considering that Tony doesn’t seem like the kind of person that would ascribe too much importance to lying about being in love (but really, who knows what Tea has done to his head, it’s an inaccessible black box). Michelle knows that something is wrong (enough to ask her mum for advice – “How do you know when a relationship’s gone wrong”, even though she is clearly not the right person to ask about this and has absolutely nothing to offer), but it doesn’t quite add up. Additionally, a conversation with the school’s principal forces Michelle to think about how she regards herself and how she sees herself in relation to others.
Michelle: I don’t understand, it’s not like I failed anything.
Principal: ‘Michelle is a girl of exceptional ability. She should be directed towards academic programmes with a view of the highest level of attainment.’ That was your guidance counsellor two years ago. You wanna tell me what happened there?
Michelle: I guess I’m a disappointment.
Principal: That’s right. You are. Maybe other things are more important right now.
Michelle: Maybe.
Principal: 1992.
Michelle: Excuse me?
Principal: That was the year I stopped pretending I was stupid because I was pretty.
Michelle: I don’t know what you’re talking about.
Principal: Yes. You’re a popular redhead, why would you understand anything. And you probably have a smart, popular boyfriend who probably treats you a bit badly. Stop me when I go wrong. You don’t wanna do anything too well because that would be too much for him and the people you drink and do drugs with. You have a lot of sex but that could just sometimes be boring, and you wish people could see who you really are, which is someone who thinks and doesn’t use her breasts as a weapon. […] And those shoes are too flat for this skirt. You need some heels to keep the shape to your calves.
This is such a stark contrast to her friends’ quiet acceptance of the fact that Michelle pretends to be less for the comfort of others, and because she has carved out an image for herself that doesn’t allow her to be smart (the scene also implies that she met Tony, two years ago). The principal calls her out on that and mentions that she used to be the same way and that Michelle isn’t even that perfect in maintaining the image she created (the shoes are wrong).
The entire premise about how Michelle finds out about Tony’s infidelity is ridiculous and does, if anything, establish Tony as a completely irredeemable character (and Tea as irresponsible about sex – like she doesn’t know about STDs and protection because she’s gay? WHAT? Also, Michelle explaining Chlamydia to Betty. OKAY), but overlooking the how, her transformation once she has the certainty about what is wrong is handled beautifully. Her immediate reaction is aggression: beating Tony up in front of the entire cafeteria (“You know the funny thing about seeing someone for the first time? Wondering how you never saw it before. Who is it?”), but then she finds out that her best friend and a lot of other people knew that Tony was sleeping around, and Daisy seems genuinely surprised that she didn’t know (“We thought you didn’t mind or something.”).
Michelle turns to her mother because she doesn’t trust her friends with her feelings anymore.
The entire premise about how Michelle finds out about Tony’s infidelity is ridiculous and does, if anything, establish Tony as a completely irredeemable character (and Tea as irresponsible about sex – like she doesn’t know about STDs and protection because she’s gay? WHAT? Also, Michelle explaining Chlamydia to Betty. OKAY), but overlooking the how, her transformation once she has the certainty about what is wrong is handled beautifully. Her immediate reaction is aggression: beating Tony up in front of the entire cafeteria (“You know the funny thing about seeing someone for the first time? Wondering how you never saw it before. Who is it?”), but then she finds out that her best friend and a lot of other people knew that Tony was sleeping around, and Daisy seems genuinely surprised that she didn’t know (“We thought you didn’t mind or something.”).
Michelle turns to her mother because she doesn’t trust her friends with her feelings anymore.
Michelle: I found out Tony was cheating on me. He gave me Chlamydia.
Michelle’s Mom: Oh. Sweetie. It’s just like a cold, okay, you take some Doxycycline and it’s like it never happened.
Michelle: Mum, don’t you get it, I was in love with him. I am in love with him.
Michelle’s Mom: Well that’s a big fat mistake right there.
Michelle: What?
MM: You’re not in love with him, honey, you’re just a little over dependent.
Michelle: How do you know anything about…
MM: Don’t ever let a guy get to you like that. It’s not what they’re there for, babe. Move on.
Michelle: Because moving on has worked so well for you.
MM: Sure it has. No man tells me what I have to do.
This works well for her mum except that there is never any real connection – and Michelle tests it, too, and mirrors her mum’s behaviour when she throws out Tony in the end of the episode the same way her mother discards of her lovers when they get too clingy.
“What kind of girl does that?”
Tea was introduced as a brave and strong character, but there has always been a bit of cowardice too – not telling her parents that she is gay, avoiding serious relationships, relying on sex to try and figure out what she feels for Tony. She fails to tell Michelle that she is the one Tony cheated with – “I bet, you know, I bet whoever it was feels like really ashamed.” – and almost runs away after Michelle tells her that she loves her – but the final revelation that Tea slept with Tony almost seems like an afterthought in the episode, at least compared to the scene in which Michelle finds out about the Chlamydia.
Michelle’s “Now I get it, it was you” is quiet and disappointed rather than loud, and she doesn’t rage. She doesn’t even leave. She takes her disappointment with the people she thought were her friends to Sid, who actually has been her friend forever until Tony and all these other feelings came between them, and at some point during the terrible awkward and failed attempt to have sex, they seem to realize that they should remain friends – and Stanley realizes that he has an important place in her life even if they aren’t together (“I guess I just thought I never really counted. But that’s not right, is it. I count.”).
The final confrontation with Tea also finally spells out what Tea’s struggle was, all this time, something that Tea probably hasn’t articulated before to herself.
“What kind of girl does that?”
Tea was introduced as a brave and strong character, but there has always been a bit of cowardice too – not telling her parents that she is gay, avoiding serious relationships, relying on sex to try and figure out what she feels for Tony. She fails to tell Michelle that she is the one Tony cheated with – “I bet, you know, I bet whoever it was feels like really ashamed.” – and almost runs away after Michelle tells her that she loves her – but the final revelation that Tea slept with Tony almost seems like an afterthought in the episode, at least compared to the scene in which Michelle finds out about the Chlamydia.
Michelle’s “Now I get it, it was you” is quiet and disappointed rather than loud, and she doesn’t rage. She doesn’t even leave. She takes her disappointment with the people she thought were her friends to Sid, who actually has been her friend forever until Tony and all these other feelings came between them, and at some point during the terrible awkward and failed attempt to have sex, they seem to realize that they should remain friends – and Stanley realizes that he has an important place in her life even if they aren’t together (“I guess I just thought I never really counted. But that’s not right, is it. I count.”).
The final confrontation with Tea also finally spells out what Tea’s struggle was, all this time, something that Tea probably hasn’t articulated before to herself.
Tea: Can you just listen to me for one second?
Michelle: Why would I listen to a confused lesbian slut?
Tea: You don’t understand..
Michelle: Why does everybody think I don’t understand anything: do I look that stupid?
[…]
Michelle: Well, this was fun.
Tea: I’m trying to tell you something.
Michelle: You don’t need to tell me anything, Tea, you don’t even like boys.
Tea: But that’s the point…
Michelle: Don’t you get it, that’s what makes it so bad. Because you must have wanted something in his head really bad, and you just thought I was too stupid to notice, well I noticed. And I don’t have to stand for it, Te’, I don’t have to stand for any of this. […] That’s the first time I’ve ever seen you cry.
“I can always tell when you’re lying because you bite the inside of your lip.”
The scene between Michelle and Tony actually provides the perfect closure for their relationship, and I sincerely hope that we won’t revisit this relationship in its original form this season. Michelle calls Tony, who thinks she has finally given in like she always does (“You and I are good together, you know that? […] You love me.”), but Michelle throws him out after they’ve slept together.
The scene between Michelle and Tony actually provides the perfect closure for their relationship, and I sincerely hope that we won’t revisit this relationship in its original form this season. Michelle calls Tony, who thinks she has finally given in like she always does (“You and I are good together, you know that? […] You love me.”), but Michelle throws him out after they’ve slept together.
Michelle: Tony, do you think I’m smart?
Tony: I think you might be the smartest woman I’ll ever meet.
Michelle: So you then you’ll understand why I want you to leave now and never come near me again.
Tony: You love me. You love me, and I’ll change.
Michelle: I’ve already changed. You need to leave.
Tony: So what was this?
Michelle: We’re STD-compatible.
Tony: So this is it?
Michelle: This is it.
Tony: Don’t do this?
Michelle: You love me. I’m just too bright for you. And so is she. Good luck with all your shit. Leave your keys on the way out.
Finally, she has ended the toxic relationship, but she also has to question all her friendships, and while Stanley didn’t know about most of the girls, his feelings are still complicating their relationship – so Michelle ends up with the outsider, the new girl who hasn’t betrayed her. Betty explains that she takes a bus to Boston when things get too crazy, and invites her to take a ride – and on the bus, in a completely new environment, without having to pretend anymore, bonding with someone who has been hurt by the same people, Michelle finally cries.
Random notes:
I have a new second favourite character!
Apparently, Michelle’s last name isn’t Richardson. Stanley’s fake Skype said “Reinhardt”, I think? I’m too lazy to go back and figure out if anybody ever calls her mum Mrs Richardson, so I’ll just leave this open for now.
One of the two Fat Segal tracks used in the club sequence is Zombies in my House, which is one of my favourite of his. Preferring all the Segal-tracks over the other music used in the episodes is also turning into a recurring theme.
There was this really strange moment during the club scene, somewhere between Betty dancing with Michelle and Chris and Abbud outside in the alley, where there was an alternative dimension version of Skins in my head in which every single character was gay (NO, I DO NOT ALWAYS LIVE IN THAT UNIVERSE, even though it might seem that way. Sometimes. And especially with Skins UK now.) Daisy really, really isn’t ever going to be the straightest. Also, the progression from Betty dancing with Michelle, Tea “claiming” Betty back, and Michelle going over to Tony because she wants to have sex was odd, especially considering the final scene, but we’ll see where that goes. Without really knowing (and the final scenes of some of the episodes have been weird in that regard, especially Cadie’s, which I wouldn’t have necessarily read as a suicide attempt originally), I would have guessed that they connect on a sincere “both have been betrayed” level, and that Michelle isn’t trying to get back at Tea by somehow seducing Betty or anything like that.
Abbud: Chris, what if you secretly had a thing for someone but it was so totally…
Chris: Dude, Tea’s gay.
Abbud: I know.
Chris: You sing about her when you’re wasted.
This contributed to the strange out-of-sequence feeling because this piece of dialogue would have fitted in anywhere BEFORE Abbud’s episode.
“RIGHT, BECAUSE JACKSON IS SOMEBODY ELSE.” LOL. I really don’t like Michelle’s mum (are mothers like this common? I feel like I’ve seen this character plenty times before in teen shows), but the way Michelle reacted to her, and was just used to dealing with this because it’s never been any different, was really well-done.
The principal IS SUCH A GREAT CHARACTER. I want her to return. Fantastic acting, too.
Betty: You upset everyone, don’t you?
Yes, Betty. He does indeed.
Tony: Where were you?
Stan: I was asleep. You can fix it, right?
Tony: I can fix anything.
Stan: You sure? This is some serious shit, man. Go say sorry like you actually mean it. Can you manage that? Who is it, Tony?
Tony: Doesn’t matter who it is.
Stan: Yeah, so doesn’t matter and that’s why you can’t tell me.
Tony: Stanley, this isn’t the deal, I don’t need you for my conscience. That’s not your job. I know you want her and everything but let’s just be honest, you never had the balls and…
There is actually a strange symmetry to what is happening with Tony and Michelle, because both are losing their friends – except that Michelle thinks she can’t trust them anymore because they weren’t honest about Tony’s betrayal, so she seeks out someone new, while Tony loses them by underestimating them, constantly, and not respecting them. Stan does finally stand up to him (even if it ends with a broken nose), but Tony kind of comes around in the end – his “he’s got a lot of love” on Michelle’s doorstep is almost affectionate.
At this point, Cadie seems kind of out of the fold a bit, even though she features plenty in the Webisodes? I hope they’ll bring her back in, and soon, because Britne Oldford still steals every scene, however tiny it might be.
I spent at least 20 minutes of this episode insanely grateful that they hadn’t tried to recreate Josh Stock, cause that would have gone horribly wrong. I wonder what’s in stock for Eura though.
Things that I wish weren’t a running joke on Skins: Stan’s jizz. Daisy’s breasts. REALLY, SKINS, I AM BEING SERIOUS ABOUT THIS. This was kind of genuinely funny when Jal decided to dress up that one time but it isn’t now, and especially not when Daisy hasn’t even gotten her own story yet.
And also: I understand that Michelle and Tony aren’t using protection; Michelle thinks she is in a monogamous relationship and uses birth control, fine. BUT TONY doesn’t use condoms when sleeping around? And slept with Tea, who certainly isn’t even using birth control pills, without using ANY PROTECTION AT ALL? It’s probably not completely unrealistic, but these characters are generally presented as knowledgeable about sex and drugs regardless of whether their school teaches sex education, and Tony has been presented as a character who does always take care of himself, if not of anybody else. I don’t know.
Betty… I still want to know more about her. The point is that she is new and doesn’t bring any baggage and stuff, but she would be more relatable if we knew more about her and her motivations. Why does she run away?
As far as I can tell, and I hope I’m not wrong about this, the relationships WILL turn out differently in this season of Skins. I can’t see Stanley and Cadie getting together anytime soon, or Tony and Michelle reuniting, and there is no indication of any Daisy/Chris in the future. GOOD NEWS, ALL AROUND.
And I’m putting this at the end because I want to pretend like it never happened… (good character progression on Stanley though for actually choosing Cadie’s response to his phone ringing even though it might have been Michelle, but still)
Cadie: They let me out of the clinic, isn’t that cool?
Stanley: It’s good, Cadie. I wanted to say again, I’m sorry I made you kill yourself.
Cadie: It’s okay. I discovered that I’m grateful, Stanley, I really am. Otherwise how would I have met Warren? Say hi to Stanley, Warren. Stanley put me in the clinic.
[…]
Stanley: Just checking in because I never met anyone like you in my whole entire life bye.
This was the only redeeming part of Stanley’s episode, the fact that Cadie told him to his face that she didn’t try to commit suicide because of him. Her episode established brilliantly that a lot of things in Cadie’s life have gone wrong. Stanley is not the reason for Cadie’s suicide attempt, and I am going to put this in my little box of things that Topher is going to erase from my brain with his magic chair.
Webisode (THE BEST)
Diary
Random notes:
I have a new second favourite character!
Apparently, Michelle’s last name isn’t Richardson. Stanley’s fake Skype said “Reinhardt”, I think? I’m too lazy to go back and figure out if anybody ever calls her mum Mrs Richardson, so I’ll just leave this open for now.
One of the two Fat Segal tracks used in the club sequence is Zombies in my House, which is one of my favourite of his. Preferring all the Segal-tracks over the other music used in the episodes is also turning into a recurring theme.
There was this really strange moment during the club scene, somewhere between Betty dancing with Michelle and Chris and Abbud outside in the alley, where there was an alternative dimension version of Skins in my head in which every single character was gay (NO, I DO NOT ALWAYS LIVE IN THAT UNIVERSE, even though it might seem that way. Sometimes. And especially with Skins UK now.) Daisy really, really isn’t ever going to be the straightest. Also, the progression from Betty dancing with Michelle, Tea “claiming” Betty back, and Michelle going over to Tony because she wants to have sex was odd, especially considering the final scene, but we’ll see where that goes. Without really knowing (and the final scenes of some of the episodes have been weird in that regard, especially Cadie’s, which I wouldn’t have necessarily read as a suicide attempt originally), I would have guessed that they connect on a sincere “both have been betrayed” level, and that Michelle isn’t trying to get back at Tea by somehow seducing Betty or anything like that.
Abbud: Chris, what if you secretly had a thing for someone but it was so totally…
Chris: Dude, Tea’s gay.
Abbud: I know.
Chris: You sing about her when you’re wasted.
This contributed to the strange out-of-sequence feeling because this piece of dialogue would have fitted in anywhere BEFORE Abbud’s episode.
“RIGHT, BECAUSE JACKSON IS SOMEBODY ELSE.” LOL. I really don’t like Michelle’s mum (are mothers like this common? I feel like I’ve seen this character plenty times before in teen shows), but the way Michelle reacted to her, and was just used to dealing with this because it’s never been any different, was really well-done.
The principal IS SUCH A GREAT CHARACTER. I want her to return. Fantastic acting, too.
Betty: You upset everyone, don’t you?
Yes, Betty. He does indeed.
Tony: Where were you?
Stan: I was asleep. You can fix it, right?
Tony: I can fix anything.
Stan: You sure? This is some serious shit, man. Go say sorry like you actually mean it. Can you manage that? Who is it, Tony?
Tony: Doesn’t matter who it is.
Stan: Yeah, so doesn’t matter and that’s why you can’t tell me.
Tony: Stanley, this isn’t the deal, I don’t need you for my conscience. That’s not your job. I know you want her and everything but let’s just be honest, you never had the balls and…
There is actually a strange symmetry to what is happening with Tony and Michelle, because both are losing their friends – except that Michelle thinks she can’t trust them anymore because they weren’t honest about Tony’s betrayal, so she seeks out someone new, while Tony loses them by underestimating them, constantly, and not respecting them. Stan does finally stand up to him (even if it ends with a broken nose), but Tony kind of comes around in the end – his “he’s got a lot of love” on Michelle’s doorstep is almost affectionate.
At this point, Cadie seems kind of out of the fold a bit, even though she features plenty in the Webisodes? I hope they’ll bring her back in, and soon, because Britne Oldford still steals every scene, however tiny it might be.
I spent at least 20 minutes of this episode insanely grateful that they hadn’t tried to recreate Josh Stock, cause that would have gone horribly wrong. I wonder what’s in stock for Eura though.
Things that I wish weren’t a running joke on Skins: Stan’s jizz. Daisy’s breasts. REALLY, SKINS, I AM BEING SERIOUS ABOUT THIS. This was kind of genuinely funny when Jal decided to dress up that one time but it isn’t now, and especially not when Daisy hasn’t even gotten her own story yet.
And also: I understand that Michelle and Tony aren’t using protection; Michelle thinks she is in a monogamous relationship and uses birth control, fine. BUT TONY doesn’t use condoms when sleeping around? And slept with Tea, who certainly isn’t even using birth control pills, without using ANY PROTECTION AT ALL? It’s probably not completely unrealistic, but these characters are generally presented as knowledgeable about sex and drugs regardless of whether their school teaches sex education, and Tony has been presented as a character who does always take care of himself, if not of anybody else. I don’t know.
Betty… I still want to know more about her. The point is that she is new and doesn’t bring any baggage and stuff, but she would be more relatable if we knew more about her and her motivations. Why does she run away?
As far as I can tell, and I hope I’m not wrong about this, the relationships WILL turn out differently in this season of Skins. I can’t see Stanley and Cadie getting together anytime soon, or Tony and Michelle reuniting, and there is no indication of any Daisy/Chris in the future. GOOD NEWS, ALL AROUND.
And I’m putting this at the end because I want to pretend like it never happened… (good character progression on Stanley though for actually choosing Cadie’s response to his phone ringing even though it might have been Michelle, but still)
Cadie: They let me out of the clinic, isn’t that cool?
Stanley: It’s good, Cadie. I wanted to say again, I’m sorry I made you kill yourself.
Cadie: It’s okay. I discovered that I’m grateful, Stanley, I really am. Otherwise how would I have met Warren? Say hi to Stanley, Warren. Stanley put me in the clinic.
[…]
Stanley: Just checking in because I never met anyone like you in my whole entire life bye.
This was the only redeeming part of Stanley’s episode, the fact that Cadie told him to his face that she didn’t try to commit suicide because of him. Her episode established brilliantly that a lot of things in Cadie’s life have gone wrong. Stanley is not the reason for Cadie’s suicide attempt, and I am going to put this in my little box of things that Topher is going to erase from my brain with his magic chair.
Webisode (THE BEST)
Diary
4 comments:
Yeah, I noticed that continuity error in the Stanley/Cadie scene too. Boo.
And while the scene with the principal was well-acted, the way the writers just spelled out Michelle's entire character seemed to reflect the main weakness of the entire US series - it doesn't think the viewers can handle subtle character development. It just beats you over the head with everything.
Otherwise, I thought this episode was a MASSIVE improvement over the last few weeks, mainly because the acting rose above the awkward dialogue for once.
Yeah, it wasn't subtle at all - but this is one of the rare instances where it didn't actually bother me, maybe because I've always felt like the development of Michelle in the UK version was a bit TOO subtle. The "Michelle explains to everybody why Tea slept with Tony" thing was too heavy-handed though. Michelle would have needed Effy-levels of perceptiveness to come to that conclusion and while I believe that she is smart, that was a bit too much.
I thought last week's was fairly good too, but Michelle really surprised me. I still hold it to a different standard than Skins UK but at least now I feel like the show has the potential to improve and come into its own eventually.
my favourite episode!!!
It definitely was the strongest episode so far, along with the first half of Cadie's.
Post a Comment