Skins 2.0

Last night, the MTV version of Skins premiered and I was really excited about it. That is, until I saw the girl who was supposed to be Effy 2.0
I know when you're out all night partying, you're going to look rough the next day - it's a given - but this chick, Eura, looks like a coked out 45 year old hooker. No lie.


At least Effy was gorgeous after a night out of partying. I mean, look at her!

Flawless! Even with her hair and makeup all crazy, she still has her teenage vibe.
Eura, on the other hand, does not. And let's not forget that if the show progresses like the British show, Eura will eventually become the object of affection for three friends.
There's probably more than that but I've only made through season 3 on the UK version. Sorry!

Aaaaaanyways...
Although I didn't really think UK Tony was all that hot, he is 1000 million times hotter than US Tony. Yeah, I said it. I mean, check him out
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I know it's not supposed to be a direct copy of the UK version but still! I fell in love with those UK cats and these MTV reboots are nothing but Gossip Girl wannabe hipster punks. Example - the Penn Badgley / Tony guy. WTF?!

At least the US Michelle is prettier than UK Michelle. Sorry! BUT I do appreciate UK Michelle being more relateable than US Michelle.
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This one surprised me: Tea. Who the FUCK is Tea? Oh, that's right, she's the lesbian equivalent to Maxxie. WTF?! Why not a gay guy? Tony goes down on him in Russia! Is that what you were trying to avoid? Maxxie also has rough, outdoor sex with one of his bullies. Are you afraid that will cheapen what Kurt is dealing with on Glee? What's the deal? Is it the sex appeal of lesbians? Is it because lesbians are easier to watch than gay men? I LOVED Maxxie and thought he was great but all his awesome storylines will be lost: his attraction to Anwar, his stalker Sketch, his dad getting mad at him for wanting to be a dancer, Tony blowing him, Maxxie helping Tony after Tony's accident...NOT COOL.
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And what is up with Cadie? I'm not sure how I feel about her just yet. Cassie was loveable from the start. Cadie is just sad. Let's hope Cadie has the same wide-eyed childlike wonderment Cassie always had.
VS

What can I say about Sid 2.0 - Stanley. He's got luscious locks, a cute baby Sam Rockwell-ish face and he's not at all awkward in the way Sid was...
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UK Sid was loveable and the kind of awkward that made you cringe a little because it was almost painful but no matter how shitty Tony was to him, he was always loyal - and you could see that - even when they were fighting. Stanley...not so much...

I'm not too sure how I feel about Abbud since he wasn't really present in the first episode but we'll see how he progresses...
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And what's up with Daisy? I know she's supposed to be Jal 2.0 but she dresses better and doesn't seem to have a stick up her ass...YET. Don't get me wrong - I still love Jal (since she was the Liberty of Skins UK) but we'll see how Daisy progresses...(especially with Chris)
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And last, but not least, we have Chris. *FACEPALM* UK Chris is loveable, good looking, awkward and just doesn't give a fuck. US Chris is alright but UK Chris is, and always will be, my most favourite character ever. (Next to Cook - but that's another post...)
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So there you have it. My rundown of the kids of Skins 2.0. I was trying to watch it objectively. I know it's not supposed to be just like the UK version but you can't help but compare the two since it's still, technically, a remake. I hope the stories and the characters develop a little better but I'm not holding my breath...

Love and kisses,
Katzi
S.L.Y.A.S.D.I.

Skins: Vol. 2 - Ummmm...it WENT there.

I wrapped up Vol. 2 of Skins over the holiday break. Wow. Just wow. Here's a quick rundown...

Ep. 1: Tony and Maxxie:
Tony is recovering (see Vol. 1) and Maxxie wants to be a dancer. Maxxie also feels like he's being watched. By who? We don't know yet. That's pretty much all I can say without giving too much away - if you haven't seen Vol. 1.

Ep. 2: Sketch:

Maxxie's suspicions were right - he WAS being watched by this cute but very strange girl named Sketch. She desperately tries to get his attention but he won't even notice her. She stays in her apartment taking after her disabled Mom so she's kind of lacking in social skills. Poor girl. I started liking her but she's kind of WAY out there...
Meanwhile, "Osama: The Musical" is getting underway - yes, it's about 9/11 - and let's just say that Maxxie, Michelle and Sketch have a "run-in" of sorts....

Ep. 3: Sid:
We learn more about Sid's home life. His mother left him and his father - which was quite traumatic - and his father has these ridiculously high expectations for him and we never really understand why until his grandfather comes to visit, bringing Sid's uncle and two cousins. The cousins are a terror but no one really sees that except Sid and his father but there's one problem: Sid's dad is so scared of letting his own father down that he won't stand up for himself. This includes not telling him that he and his wife split up - which results in an outburst, and accident and Sid's dad finally standing up for himself. While you feel really happy that Sid's dad has finally stood up for himself and seems to ease up on Sid, the worst thing ever happens - of course...

Ep. 4: Michelle:
Michelle's having a birthday. And her new step-sister has invited herself. Yes, her mother has remarried AGAIN. It's starting to drive me crazy! Anyways, Michelle is having a hard time coping with Tony and Sid is having a hard time coping with his dilemma...will they seek comfort in each other's arms? I don't know, maybe. The whole gang (plus the step-sis) go to a beach on a camping trip for Michell's birthday and the whole time, I was wondering about Chris and Jal. What is going on with them? They're like the Liberty and JT of Skins. Would my Degrassi dreams come true on Skins???

Ep. 5: Chris:
Chris is expelled! What?! Why? Could it be his partying? His drugs? His adventurous outlook on life? Yes, yes and yes. What does that mean for Chris? Oh, you know, being kicked out on the street and looking for work. Luckily, he finds work and a place to stay with Cassie (who is back! and out on the streets) but not without some trouble.
But while all this is happening, Jal has struck up a sort of contest with Chris - his outlook on life can no longer be "Fuck it" but in return, Jal has to say "Yes" to a lot more things.

The result? The JT and Liberty of Skins! Finally! I just love these 2 together!!

Ep. 6: Tony:
He's lost. He's confused. He's not himself. And everyone is having a hard time with it. Tony embarks on a trip to check out another school - which tuns into a super awesome adventure of rediscovery (with the aid of a mysterious girl, of course)...

Ep. 7: Effy:
Poor Effy. She's so young and yet, here she is - taking care of her severely depressed mother. We get it, Stonem family, Tony had a horrible trauma and he's not the same but that doesn't mean Effy has to take care of everyone. She's having a hard time as it is going to raves and selling drugs and whatnot. Cut her a break. I sound like I'm being a jerk about Effy but I really do love her character. She might not say much but she can sure get the point across.

Ep. 8: Jal:
Jal and Chris? Jal and college? Jal and Chris and baby? ZOMG - JUST LIKE JT AND LIBERTY!!! Aaaaaanyways - Jal is trying to figure out how to tell Chris about the bun in the oven but just when you think she might - we all realize it may be too late. Cassie was going on and on about secrets and how people shouldn't have them but I wasn't quite sure where she was taking it - until Chris had to go to the hospital! WHAT?!!!! I've said too much...

The end of the season deals with what's up with Chris. I can't say too much except IT GOES THERE. Oh, and I shed some tears. Yes. Call me a sap but whatever. After this season, you really fall in love with these kids (especially since they may or may not remind you of certain Canadian kids...). I started watching Vol. 3 but I'm having a bit of a time with it. I've only gotten through the assembly where the kid reveals his tattoo to everyone but that's where I've stopped. Maybe I'll get back into it during my New Year's break.

Also - does wanting to see the MTV version make me a bad person? I'm kind of jazzed about it...


Skins (US) airs on MTV on Monday, January 17 at 10pm. I know I'll be tuned in...
Love and kisses,
Katzi
S.L.Y.A.S.D.I.

Skins: British Degrassi with dubstep and more "It goes there" moments

I'd been seeing Skins screen shots floating on my Tumblr dash for, like, ever and I never knew what it was until a few months ago when I realized I could watch it via Netflix Instant.
Skins is very much like Degrassi: TNG - the tortured youth of today and all the problems they face. What kind of problems? Oh you know, the usual: eating disorders, homosexuality, homophobia, teen pregnancy, parental abandonment, parental loss, getting hit by trucks, RAVES, drugs, alcohol, obession...well, you get the point.
At first, it was a little rough getting into Vol. 1 since each episode introduced you to a specific character but towards the end, after you've been properly introduced and the story can move on, I was hooked.

The first episode introduces you to Tony.

Good-looking (I guess - he's not my type) and he's dating the popular girl (I guess Michelle is our equivalent to the popular girl). He parties and he's very open with his sexuality - which I think is great. The downside: he's kind of a douche (obvs). He calls his gal "Nips" and keeps telling her that one tit is bigger than the other, making her feel like crap. He also takes advantage of ALL of his friends - which is not cool. Arrogant prick.

Then there's Cassie.

She's flawed. She has an eating disorder, she attempts suicide (later on in the season) and she's one of my favourite characters. She's like a nymph. Everything is "cool" and dreamy to her. She always has a very breathy voice and she seems at ease but you can tell she's hurting all the time. You instantly want to hold her and make sure her world never crashes down on her.

Next up is Jal.

She's the Liberty of the group. She's in band, she's pretty straight laced and I would say she's the responsible one of the whole group. I like her but I like her more in Vol. 2...(can't give too much away)

Next is Chris.

He is, without a doubt, my favourite guy (next to Maxxie). He's so happy-go-lucky it's infectious. But - we meet him after he wakes up to find out that his mother has abandoned him. What does he do? He takes the money she's left him and goes on a bender, resulting in a gigantic party at his house. You gotta love him but he needs help...And you can't help but love him even more when he starts sleeping with his teacher (who reminds me of Katy Perry)!

Here we come to Sid.

Tony's best friend. And he's in love with Tony's gal, Michelle. But there's one small problem - Tony has been trying to hook Sid with with Cassie (who is in love with him) but he won't really give in so easily, right away. But Sid has other problems: Tony takes advantage of him a little too much (obvs) and he's failing in school. Not to mention his mother is leaving his father and his father has crazy high expectations of him. Sid is likeable with all his flaws and I like him even more in Vol. 2.

Up next the power duo of Maxxie and Anwar


Maxxie is one of my favourite guys on the show. He's cool, he dresses well and he's gay - which I guess would make him the Marco of the group. His best friend is Anwar (played by Slumdog Millionaire's Dev Patel). They're pretty inseperable - that is, until Anwar discovers Maxxie has a bit of a crush on him and he gets all weirded out because he's afraid Maxxie will "gay him". Through it all, they go through some pretty intense shit and they make it out in the end. Their situation gets kind of funnier in Vol. 2 when Maxxie's stalker starts sleeping with Anwar and...you just have to watch.

And now, we're at Michelle.

She's kind of average looking - which is a good thing because that makes her more relatable. What can I say about her? She's a party girl, she's Tony's gal, Sid's in love with her and she's BFFs with Jal and Cassie. Her mother marries too quickly and that makes her home life a little too unstable. Tony treats her like crap, too. Tony and Maxxie get all touchy feely on a school trip to Russia with Michelle pretending to be asleep in the same room. She sees this as the last straw and breaks up with Tony. BUT like most girls in love, she's still not over him and in the finale, something happens between her and Tony that is totally tragic and beautiful at the same time - but it makes it hard on their relationship in Vol. 2 and Sid might have his dream come true with Michelle.

We can't forget about Effy, though!

Effy is Tony's younger sister. She barely says anything and yet, she's one of the best characters on the show. She parties HARD and in her episode, she parties so hard, she gets quite fucked up and if the guys had the chance, they probably would have left her for dead. Thank goodness Tony showed up when he did... Effy has it rough in Vol. 2 but she still maintains her secret party life - which I love because she dresses so well!

Vol. 1 ends in a big way - which I don't really want to reveal here if you haven't seen it but it will definitely leave you breathless for Vol. 2. One thing that I appreciate about Skins is that it's so raw. They cuss, they fight, they get naked, they have sex, they drink, they do drugs and it just feels a little more real than Degrassi ever did. There might not be a cocaine nosebleed in the style of Craig but there definitely are some blackouts - which kind of scared me. And one thing I really do appreciate is the music. The kids rave. They party with glowsticks, pills and tabs. Every time they go to a party, I wish I was there too! Parties made me so happy when I was their age (whoa - I'm old) and I want that to come back in a major way. It feels like it's on the cusp of fully returning to the good old rave days of the '90's but it's not quite there yet... I thought it would be close with the MTV version of Skins but I'm not really interested in seeing that so I'm not sure if that would generate any intrest in rave culture. It's all "scene" or "cyber" now. In any case, I'm having a lot of fun watching it and Vol. 2 has really stepped it up since Vol. 1. I'm officially hooked and I can't get enough!

Love and kisses,
Katzi
S.L.Y.A.S.D.I.