Skins Series 6 ep. 9

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Skins: Series 6 Episode 9: 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 9: Mini and Franky



Plot: Mini and Franky are hiding out, trying to cover up the pregnancy of Mini. But when she starts to feel pains while going to a check up she realizes something is wrong and this is when Alo finds out about his child. Mini being dejected by her friends and family sticks closer with Franky. Not wanting to give up her baby and Franky desperate to help the child because of her own hatred of all adoptions she went through. Franky and Mini run away.


Thoughts: I remember before series six came out and people saw that there was an episode called Mini and Franky and I truly think people thought they would be a couple. So when that didn't happen the hate began to boil and fester. So people started to hate on the show because things weren't going their way. Well guess what, this is Skins and things most likely won't go the way you want it to. But the reason I stay tuned is for the acting, plots, character development and the music. I'm not going to say this episode is my favorite but it is up there.

The episode starts with them in bed, Mini is trying to avoid the world around her and keep the baby a secret. Franky has been her support the whole time. She is showing and luckily her mother had been away with Eric. You can tell because the house is a disaster. Franky does a fan service dance before Eric comes in saying hollah. Shelly is quite pissed about the mess and bullies her way upstairs. Franky jumped into the bed with Mini and covers her up, Shelley notices that the bed smells but Mini says she'll clean it. Shelley tells Franky to go home as well before leaving to resume the last few hours of holiday left in her.

While Franky talks to Nick, she explains that she is with Mini and Mini sees Matty outside watching the house. Mr. Starey is back, and I missed him. No sure why. Franky gives this look, not sure what it means but she may still have some feelings for Matty. As Mini and Franky go to the appointment and Matty follows. She is being all snippy and he basically points out what is wrong with Franky. "Playing second mommy to cover your abandonment issues." That is the theme for the episode. I will return to that point.

Mini falls down, the pain in her is unbearable and they have to bring her to the hospital. Matty actually acts rationally as Franky tells him to fuck off and I assume he is the one that calls the ambulance seeing as it was his idea to do so. Most of the gang is in the hospital waiting for Mini, Matty and Franky sit in awkwrd silence with Liv and Alex. But Alo bursts in confused, not knowing what is going on and he is quite shocked that Matty is back. I feel bad for Alo because he knows nothing and same with Nick when he shows up. Alo tries to find out about Mini but is stopped by the nurse.

Oh one thing, if you have no followed the Skins Lock in, it is a web based plot filler. With Twitter and Facebook messages, texts, and voice mails to Grace's phone. These lock ins have told a lot of the story that the show has no time to fit and some of them are hilarious. In one of the voice mails Rich explains he got grace's phone. Remember this, because as the episode goes on Mini calls Grace a few times. She is worried about the baby and when her doctor comes by he is a bit of a twat.

The doctor is a bit scatter brained when he explains that she is anemic. Plus she has high blood pressure and the baby seems to be fine. He sort of fucks up when he says her body is fucking over the baby. But he lets it out that the baby is a girl. He says they will do another scan to show her the baby is fine. Nick arrives and isn't too pleased that his brother is there. They seem to taunt each other over Franky and in this small scuffle Alo sneaks in and finds Mini.

Now Alo is in a situation wherein he can't win by the fan's eyes. If he runs away because he is scared about being a dad he is a dick. If he embraces the baby then he is out of character. Much like any seventeen year old he freaks out. He vomits and wants to know why she has kept this from him. You can tell he is hurt because she didn't confide in him. Plus he is still too young mentally to be a dad. He acts like any teenage boy and says something stupid. Her mother comes in and scares Alo away. He then begins to freak out because everyone knew about Mini but him. Nick is also in the dark, so basically the guys that Mini has been with had no idea about her baby.

Now I admit that Alo says some harsh things but this is a heat of the moment thing. One he isn't ready to be a father, two the girl he had feelings for continued to push him away and lie to him. He feels like his friends have turned their back on him and he says some stupid things. Matty agrees that Alo should have been informed and Alo is angrier that he knew before him. Alo is freaking out and Liv tries to calm him down. The Levan/Fitzgerald love triangle is going on and while all this shit is happening Mini is having to deal with her irate mother.

Mini is keeping the baby, she is not going to abort the baby or put it up for adoption. Shelley is angry because she didn't tell her and because she knows what it's like to be a teen mom. The doctor asks if she has some stable support and her mother is offended. Matty and Nick are fighting as Mini is taken away. Liv continues to be the sanest person and tells them to stop acting like children. It cuts to Alo going to Mini's. They don't look at each other as she explains how she was afraid. The thing that bothers Alo the most is that he was last to know and then he does act like a bit of a dick. You can tell his is still heartbroken for how she had treated him and Shelley comes by and tells him to fuck off. Mini wants the reassurance and Alo is too afraid to say it. But Shelley steps up to do so.

Nick and Franky are at Nicks and he wants to know if she loves him. He basically gives her an ultimatum. Call the cops on Matty and love him or don't and show that she doesn't love him. She says she can't and it cuts to Mini packing up some things. Shelley comes in and basically says she knows a woman who can give her up for adoption. Shelley says she can't keep her and realistically she can't. Neither her nor Alo have a job. Unless you count the farm but I doubt he gets paid. Franky comes to Mini after her conversation with Nick and they both decide to run away.

Franky is quite adamant about having Mini give up the baby and she has some guardian angel or motherly complex. Because of the shit she dealt with as an orphan. But she has a picture of her and her mother. She wants to give the baby a life that she never had but she does it in the wrong way. Her intentions are good but her actions are erratic.  It looks like they travel far but I don't think they get that far and they go to River View. Which is a place for homeless soon to be mothers. They get one night and basically Franky is told to leave. She tries to say they are partners and the lady replies with a great line about Mini being Virgin Mary who has been getting cock on the side.

They have a cute dance scene but it's short lived when Mini gets tired and the stress on the baby doesn't help. Franky is from what I gather trying a bit too hard to keep Mini happy. They talk about Alo and she does admit that she misses him cuddling with her. To be fair they have this huge sexual tension but it's more like teasing the people who want to have Franky and Mini together. Mini wants to know where Franky stands with Nick and Matty. She explains that being with Matty makes her feel out of control and Mini says that's what love is. Franky says she doesn't understand love; which is weird because earlier she said she loved Nick.

But then Mini points out that Franky has been offered everything but nothing is good enough. She tries to act like it is her. Franky says that the baby wipes everything clean, like everything and she says she can put it all right again. And I honestly have no idea what that means. I feel like an idiot for not knowing what it means! It cuts to Alo and Rich, finally hanging out again. Glad to see the bromance is still going strong! Rich tells him to call Mini. He asks if he turned into a thirteen year old or or fucked one. Zing.

This si the first scene to tear me up, having Rich explain what he and Grace would have done. Oh god. I'm such a cry baby and hopeless romantic and this scene hit me hard. The acting in this scene is some of the best, Alex Arnold steals the scene with subtly and delivering great lines. I swear if anyone hates this scene, they should just not watch the show. Because it's brilliant and fuck man! It's bloody marvelous, like the scene with Sid and Tony in the finale! I got to move on before my computer shorts out from the tears!

It cuts to Franky and she hears the phone, listens to the message and when she deleted it. I felt such a blind rage and it made me reexamine myself. This is just a show, so after seeing it again and knowing how the episode ends; I'm not as mad. Franky is over protective and wants to be there for the baby, like I said her intentions are wonderful but her actions aren't. We all make mistakes and we see more of her protection later.

The lady at the shelter explains she has seen two types of girls in her life, runners and women who should turn back. It's like she knows that Alo called and said he would be there for her. But she is the cliche wise black lady. if your story doesn't have a wise black person then you have failed. Mini and Franky are kicked out and sit in the rain. Franky says they can go to Oxford and Mini is having her doubts about leaving. As they are at the bus station Mini expresses she doesn't want to go. As Franky pleads with Mini, Mini tells her she can't fix herself by fixing the baby. Which is true, Franky is still tormented with her past and with everything that is going on she is making irrational decisions. Eric shows up, he and Shelley have been trading shifts at the bus station and the train station. He is seriously one of my favorite adults in Skins.

Eric explains that Shelley doesn't want to take the baby away. She asks to make a promise and he says he doesn't make promises he couldn't keep but that Shelley loves Mini. Franky then freaks out, saying the baby has everything to do with her. I feel so bad for her as she has this breakdown, if only she could have had a way to get over the torment of her childhood. With this being the penultimate episode she may over come it or it may eat her alive. Eric gives her a hug and brings the girls home.

Eric tells her to take a bath so Shelley and Mini can talk and he goes off for a cigarette. I believe if you have followed my blog you would know how much I love Mini's mom. She can be a bitch but she truly loves her daughter and the scene that occurs got me all choked up. As I've said I had a single mother so this sort of hits home. Except I'm not a pregnant girl. Making this scene harder is that Franky hears this all and runs away. Not getting to have that kind of moment with her mother. I can't see why people hate Franky, she makes mistakes we all do.

Mini calls Grace back and hey remember when I said Rich had her phone. Well that comes into play because Rich picks Mini up and brings her to Alo. This is another one of my favorite scenes, it's so simple yet wonderful. He tells her to not fuck it up and he is off like a fairy godfather. She walks in to find Alo moving stuff around, he has turned his barn into a small flat for them. He explains that it is cold but they can make it work. After all the tenstion of them fighting and fucking they have a real romantic moment. All that build up explodes with a 360 degree kiss with a great song playing. A kiss that pissed off all the Minky shippers and this leads to yet another great scene.

They are dancing around to MC Hammer it cuts between them and rich at Grace's grave. We see that he is not okay like we thought. He lays at her grave and tells her she is going to be an aunt. The paradigm shift of Mini and Alo goofing off with Rich still clinging to his lost love is bitter sweet and as I watched I knew the happiness would be short lived because Mini starts to bleed and the episode ends. Only one episode is left in Skins. I'm really sad to see it go.


Final Recap:  Alex Arnold steals the show in this episode. He doesn't get much screen time but as they say brevity is the soul of wit and they have made Rich a witty fucker. (Dumb joke.) But with his small actions it just make me a bit mad that he doesn't get much screen time. I wish I had expressed that in my other reviews and I may have but damn Alex he needs more screen time. But I hope the last episode focus on him trying to get better. I want answers and I want closure. But this is Skins and there will be a cliffhanger. I know it and you know it.

The music in this episode is brilliant and the MC Hammer bit made me so happy. People say that Mini and Alo came out of nowhere but as I've stated so did Chris and Jal. This moment was a glimps at what Alo was talking about in his episode. He said they had jokes which I take to mean they had moments like this. Just being silly and having fun. Connecting. But with so many characters and so much going on it's hard to show that. Rich and Grace probably have the best plot for falling in love and with that comes a tragic ending. But the death of Grace truly shows how important she was.

Grace was the glue in the friendship of everyone. She loved Rich and Alo, Mini and Liv, Franky, Matty and Nick. Her and Alo were very similar in their childlike wonder of the world. Grace and Franky were close because they both felt lost. Mini and Liv were her best mates and I know she adored the Levan brothers. So having her taken away we saw the dynamic shift and shit hit the fan. The reason I talk about this is because if they try to do a Romeo and Juliet thing where she really isn't dead and rich kills himself and then she kills herself. I'm going to flip out, having a character be fake dead is the worst thing. It is so over used. But I will still watch the finale and I can't wait to talk about it. See you next week for the series finale of Skins.