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Obligatory Thursday Skins Post
I really need to rename my Skins tag. WARNING: SQUEE-HARSHING AHEAD.
So, not only do we not get any gay characters this gen, we get a bunch of characters who like to throw around the word gay as an insult. Fuck that. I don't care if it's ~realistic, it sets my teeth on edge.
I officially don't give a shit about gen 3. Rich made me roll my eyes most of the time ("I don't compromise. I'M METAL"), Grace is still annoying (and Jessica isn't a very good actor, sorry), and Alo is occasionally amusing but mostly awful ("GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY"). AND NONE OF THE OTHER CHARACTERS EVEN REALLY SHOWED UP. The episodes are still so insular than it's pretty much a different show each week. I mean, I quite liked Franky last week and I'd be interested to see more of her, but I guess the best we can hope for is that she'll have a secondary focus in one other episode. Ridiculous.
As for the story, it felt like any other story just dressed up with a metal soundtrack. (Although to be fair to JB, there were some very funny lines. "That's the worst idea since genocide.") Also, IDK if this makes sense to anyone apart from me, but it felt like it was ABOUT BOYS instead of just being about a boy, especially towards the beginning. It had a very male perspective, and that doesn't really interest me.
I think the thing is, the direction and cinematography and all that stuff is really, really lovely, but I didn't feel any depth to the story. The whole part where he went deaf and that allowed him to appreciate other kinds of beauty - I couldn't place exactly what it reminded me of, but it felt very familiar, and the point felt very obvious. Similar thing when he said 'Dad' instead of 'Kevin'. Honestly, the first thing that reminded me of a trope from Harry Potter fic: the point where Harry and Draco inevitably start calling each other by their first names to signal that their relationship has ~changed. I just didn't feel like there was much subtlety to it.
But I guess the main thing is that while I do acknowledge the general increase in quality, I just can't connect with any of the characters. That's the most important thing for me; I'm willing to forgive a lot (bad acting, cheesy dialogue etc.) if I feel something for the characters anyway, but if I don't care about the characters then it doesn't matter how shiny the rest of it is.
I'll watch Mini's episode because I'm sort of interested in seeing what they'll do with her and Georgia Lester has a great track record, but if I don't start feeling something for these kids soon I think I'll give up on it.
So, not only do we not get any gay characters this gen, we get a bunch of characters who like to throw around the word gay as an insult. Fuck that. I don't care if it's ~realistic, it sets my teeth on edge.
I officially don't give a shit about gen 3. Rich made me roll my eyes most of the time ("I don't compromise. I'M METAL"), Grace is still annoying (and Jessica isn't a very good actor, sorry), and Alo is occasionally amusing but mostly awful ("GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY"). AND NONE OF THE OTHER CHARACTERS EVEN REALLY SHOWED UP. The episodes are still so insular than it's pretty much a different show each week. I mean, I quite liked Franky last week and I'd be interested to see more of her, but I guess the best we can hope for is that she'll have a secondary focus in one other episode. Ridiculous.
As for the story, it felt like any other story just dressed up with a metal soundtrack. (Although to be fair to JB, there were some very funny lines. "That's the worst idea since genocide.") Also, IDK if this makes sense to anyone apart from me, but it felt like it was ABOUT BOYS instead of just being about a boy, especially towards the beginning. It had a very male perspective, and that doesn't really interest me.
I think the thing is, the direction and cinematography and all that stuff is really, really lovely, but I didn't feel any depth to the story. The whole part where he went deaf and that allowed him to appreciate other kinds of beauty - I couldn't place exactly what it reminded me of, but it felt very familiar, and the point felt very obvious. Similar thing when he said 'Dad' instead of 'Kevin'. Honestly, the first thing that reminded me of a trope from Harry Potter fic: the point where Harry and Draco inevitably start calling each other by their first names to signal that their relationship has ~changed. I just didn't feel like there was much subtlety to it.
But I guess the main thing is that while I do acknowledge the general increase in quality, I just can't connect with any of the characters. That's the most important thing for me; I'm willing to forgive a lot (bad acting, cheesy dialogue etc.) if I feel something for the characters anyway, but if I don't care about the characters then it doesn't matter how shiny the rest of it is.
I'll watch Mini's episode because I'm sort of interested in seeing what they'll do with her and Georgia Lester has a great track record, but if I don't start feeling something for these kids soon I think I'll give up on it.
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This bothers me so much. So. Fucking. Much. Like, I can imagine Katie being all, 'Can you two go be gay somewhere else?' and it being totally acceptable and adorable because it's meant to be an insult but is just hilarious. This is just ... stop. Please stop, Skins, because it isn't funny. Can we elevate our diction just a tad? I mean, notice how the word 'retarded' has barely EVER been used in Skins. Just because it's realistic, doesn't mean it should be used constantly, if at all. I just feel like it's being SO disrespectful by calling everything 'gay,' considering how much the gay community has helped Skins gain recognition and popularity.
You sum up all my feelings exactly. I wish we'd never got this generation. The characters are unlovable, the writing leaves a lot to be desired ... if it was only one or two problems, I could forgive them, but it's just EVERYTHING about G3 that's awful. I think I'll just stick with G1+2 and US!Skins. At least with US!Skins, even if there's nothing else redeemable about it, the characters still have POTENTIAL. And god forbid, there's actual continuity going from episode to episode.
Can it be G4 now? Maybe this time we can get some likable characters, if not better writing too.
(Also, can JB stop writing forever? Especially when he creates characters that are basically him? JB is single-handedly ruining this show, tbh, and I am not surprised at all.)
I feel like I'm so in the minority for not loving G3. I don't get it, to be honest. I don't get it at ALL. This isn't Skins. These characters aren't Skins characters. They feel like characters you'd see on like, Degrassi. Let's have a ~diverse cast~ and then teach valuable ~life lessons~. Except Degrassi is corny as fuck and yet still that much better than G3.
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EXACTLY. It feels like a deliberate punch in the face in the face from Jamie Brittain, like he's saying that the show doesn't need the gay community. Either that or he's just ignorant as fuck and doesn't realise that when you use gay as an insult, you insult ALL GAY PEOPLE. Katie was pretty homophobic but it was part of her characterisation and growth, which is fine, whereas these were just random insults thrown around for the hell of it that went entirely uncriticised in the narrative.
I feel like I'm so in the minority for not loving G3.
Me too. The characters are so... whatever. I'm honestly amazed that so many people seem to like them.
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I agree with everything you said.
The GAY GAY GAY bit along with Franky being forced to do PE is reminding me so much of school not college.
I really don't think jb understands Skins. At all.
A lot of people seemed to enjoy this more than ep 1 which I found really strange - glad you're here to agree :D
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I'm glad you agree! And you're right about it feeling more like school at some points. Who does PE at college?!
At this point I've resigned myself to the fact that I'm going to be completely at odds with most of fandom about gen 3. I really don't understand what other people see in it at all.