Late to the Party: Skins Series 5 ep. 4

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Skins: Series 5 Episode 4: A look back at British Teen Drama/Comedy.


Now if you have read the first review you know what this show is about if now, here it is! Quick overview to catch you up; Skins is a British series set in Bristol South West England, it revolves around a group of teens that are going through sixth form, (or Key Stage 5) is the final (optional) two years of secondary schooling when students are sixteen to eighteen years of age and normally prepare for their A-level examinations. The term is used for describing the final two years spent in a secondary school contrary to a sixth form college (UK use) where students start at age sixteen after leaving secondary school.


Episode 4: Liv



We return this week for Skins Sunday and we learn more about Olivia "Liv" Malone. She has been sort of in the background, not really focused on. But now is her time to shine, step away from Mini's shadow. So far I have been apathetic towards Liv, she reminds me of Jal. Well not in the way she acts, she does kind of look a bit like her but with freckles. Liv is just there for now, but will this episode change my opinion of her?

We start the episode hearing some creaking and moaning and we see Alo's van rocking. Liv is getting it on with Nick... in Alo's van. He gets a call and it's Mini, he lies to her and then Liv leaves angry at him, she says it will never happen again and she takes the walk of shame home. Her mother is searching frantically for something and she is quite concerned about her daughter but more concerned about her purple crystal. She thinks her daughter hid it on her but it was just right out of sight.

We see Liv has a little sister and she reads a lot. Their mother leaves for a weekend trip and Maude; Liv's sister said she liked her more when she was into aliens. We hear a doorbell ring and then hear the drawl of Richard. Alo, Rich, Grace and Franky are at the door, Alo wonders what happened to Liv at the party. Then questions why else they are there. We hear Mini, with Nick and we hear Alo mention something about having his van broken into. Mini explains that the day of her fashion show was a blur and wants to make up. Mini gathers the gang and says she is sorry.

The two groups become one, Mini's gang and the alternative gang. Rich answers sarcastically and they even have a group hug. Mini pulls out quite a large bag of weed and Alo grabs it and proclaims that no one must leave until the bag is empty. Alo stealing the scene again! Stop it Will Merrick, stop stealing the scenes this is Liv's episode! We get a nice montage of them enjoying it. Liv's sister is asking about the weed and Alo is taking the piss. Liv is mixing a nice spiked punch bowl. Mini comes over to interrupt Liv and Nick.

Mini explains that she didn't know why she was hung-up about sex and that her and Nick are constantly doing it. It's as if she knows about Liv and Nick, and Liv is paranoid and brings her little sister to a cinema for a Sci-Fi movie festival. She is off to see their older sister Belle who is in prison. Belle wants to see her baby sister and Liv came to get advice but Belle is no help. Liv leaves and scremas and then it cuts to her at a bus station. Mini sends her a text asking her where she is, bragging about how much fun she is having. Liv meets Creepy Stare-y McGee, oh I mean Matty.

Liv gets up and some bumps into her, falls over and gives Matty some drugs. It's Crystal Meth and Liv wants to get high with him and burn Bristol down. She makes some rules, no names, no touching, and it's a one day deal so he better not get weepy about it. It builds up to be a crazy scene and then it cuts to them sitting at a gas station, she says they could get booze but don't have money and then decide to steal shit. Matty is terrible at being inconspicuous.

They load their pockets and walk out, Matty even points out that he is stealing and pops a bag of crisps before running away. Liv is excited about it and she gets a call, but ignores it. He says that everything he wears is stolen except his watch and then she explains that she had been shop lifiting with her sister. They are both quite high as she explains he isn't real but a Charles Dicken's character. We get a nice acoustic song as they walk around and find a costume shop.

The music kicks up as they dance in the nearly empty costume shop and they go out back and find the owner.  He has some costumes for them to try and disappears with Matty to show him the suit. As she changes we see he closes shop and we also see a camera. He then tries to fondle her and Matty attacks him with an extinguisher. They grab the CC TV tape so they have evidence and then dress up in costumes and run away. They end up destroying the tape and they start to come down.

They decide to go back but find the place surrounded by cops. They run away and she wants to know where Matty was going. She then says they should run away. They go to a club, still high I assume and dance around. They eventually end up on the roof and shag. Hope you ladies liked to see Matty's ass. She wakes up, naked covered in a blanket and he is standing a ways away and she asks to leave. We see most everyone passed out but Franky and she lits up a spliff and passes out. She hits the ground and it wakes up Alo. Alo makes fun of Rich for falling asleep.

Liv comes in with Matty and sees Mini in her bed with Nick and then we find out that Nick and Matty are brothers. Oh hey look she has collected the set. Nick says that Matty is a psycho and Matty realizes that Nick and Liv had an affair and now Mini has heard it. But she already knew this whole party was a part of her revenge to Liv to make her feel alienated. Liv breaks up the party and begins to clean. She forgot about her sister and then Franky pops up and scares Liv.

Franky wants to know what is going on with Liv and Mini and explains that the hate they have is toxic. Liv acts like a bitch for good reason and then Franky says that she watched a tape and she liked it. It's a video of Mini and Liv playing around and she watches it, trying to act like her and Mini aren't friends. We find out that the pedophile got arrested and we see Liv cry. Maude returns home after spending the night at the Sci-Fi marathon.

Maude is terrible at swearing and is rightfully mad at her sister and breaks a bowl on the floor. Liv goes off to visit Belle. She asks about her and mom and Belle wants to keep it simple. Belle avoids the issue and Liv leaves vowing to never return. Liv runs off to the bus station to find the locker empty, Matty had put his bag in it before they crystal meth trip. Matty is rightfully angry when she finds him, she needs him because things have changed and she starts to chug a bottle of vodka. He carries her away as she vomits and he takes care of her because she says she trusts him. So she leaves her sister alone for yet another day. What a shitty sister, I'm sorry but she is willing to leave her sister who can't fend for herself, alone for basically two days.

Matty kisses Liv, even though she had been vomiting all night. Matty broke into his house to help her and almost get a bat top the head from Nick. Matty begs to come back, saying he is sorry and asking to talk with their dad. It cuts to Liv and Mini, talking about how they had met. She is crying as she tells the story and Mini just sits there. Nick told Mini about the vodka and Mini pulls out a bottle of vodka to see how sorry Liv is. Mini is quite sadistic, making her friend drink a bottle of vodka after having a terrible night and Mini leaves with "I hope you die puking up your kidneys, bitch." That has to be more fucked up than what Tony did to Josh.

Liv returns home and realizes she never cleaned up the cereal. She notices a crystal and starts to yell out for her mom. Her mother is pissed off at her and reveals her hobby is ridiculous. She has them to try to cope with her husband leaving and whatever he oldest daughter had done. Liv explains that she threw the dish. It cuts to Liv sitting next to Maude at the Sci-Fi marathon, they both sit back, sigh and the episode ends.

This is quite a cool episode, the music is strong and it's very different an episode. This episdoe made me like and dislike Liv, I don't like how she didn't care for her sister but she is more interesting now than she was. Usually in Skins; I've noticed the second series of the two is darker but what Mini does is quite dark. We see friendships form and one major one break. We learn more about Matty but he is still just there, like a chaotic element. I believe that is what they want with him. The few lines Alo has are great, I'm excited for his episode in two weeks but next week we learn more about the Levan family. It's Nick's episode!