Skins Recap: Season 4, Episode 1 (Thomas) & Episode 2 (Emily)

***WARNING: This post may contain spoilers.***

That’s right: Skins is back. For you lot in the UK,anyway.

And from the first two episodes alone, you know you’re going to be taken on a whirlwind of emotional train-wrecks and drugs-fuelled partying.

I’ll give you a quick re-cap of where we left the gang at the end of the last series…

Freddie, Cook & Effy – The very last episode saw these 3 in a strange love triangle. But who will Effy choose? And when will we find out?

Naomi & Emily – Series 3 gave the show’s most popular couple a happy ending. But will it be all romance and giggles this time round?

Thomas & Pandora – Again, this couple had a relatively happy ending at the end of last season. But is it destined to be all doom and gloom for this couple?

Katie – By the end of episode 9 last season, Katie had come to grips with the fact that her sister was seeing another girl. But will she remain happy for them, or will she feel alone now she’s had her sister taken away from her?

JJ – JJ was a geek from start to finish last season. How will he fair this year? Will he have grown up? Or will he be the same nerdy magician as before?

So there we have it. But what about this season? Let’s re-cap, shall we?

***Do NOT read on if you don’t want to know what happens in season 4.***

Episode 1: Thomas.

Strange choice for the first episode, right?

Well I still fail to see why Thomas’ episode was the season opener, but maybe more will be revealed.

Right from the get go, there’s drama. The very first scene presents a girl, off her face on MDMA, committing suicide in the middle of a packed out club.

The rest of the gang are there too: Thomas DJs as the girl falls and runs to her side. Most of the other main characters look on in shock; most notably, Naomi and Emily.

However, it’s Thomas who is interrogated. After all, he was working at the time of death. He explains that he knows nothing about the girl or where she found the drugs and is released.

The next day, the police have moved to Roundview College – where the whole crew and the dead girl (Sophia) are educated. Each character is interrogated in turn. Cook, on the other hand, takes a detour to the bathroom before being questioned.

Being the rebel he is, Cook takes out packets of MDMA from his pockets and flushes them down the toilet. Was it Cook who sold the drugs to Sophia?

Thomas catches him in the act and a fight breaks out. Cook is saved though, when Freddie comes to collect him for his interview.

Thomas is convinced Cook caused the suicide, and looks to God for help. While he is there, he meets the lovely Andrea, who happens to be the Pastor’s daughter, and there is chemistry immediately. In a moment of chaos, Thomas goes against one of the 10 commandments: Thou shall not commit adultery.

That’s right, kind hearted Thomas cheats on his loving girlfriend Pandora. Who’d have thought?!

Honestly is the best policy, thinks Thomas, and he tells his girlfriend almost immediately of his unfaithfulness. Things are obviously awkward as JJ sits between them, so Thomas heads off to the pub for a few stiff drinks.

Whilst downing his 7th vodka, he sees Cook and Naomi chatting. Cook goes to speak to Thommo, only to say the wrong thing at the wrong time. Thomas lashes out on Cook as Naomi screams in horror.

In a shock twist, Naomi blurts out that it was her who sold Sophia the MDMA. She claims she got the powder from Cook, but sold it on because she needed the money. Thomas is disgusted and Naomi begs him not to tell Emily. But should she be worried that he’ll tell someone else? I guess we’ll find out…

Thomas storms out in anger and goes to tell Andrea that he has been unfaithful to the girl he loves. Andrea is upset, but she understands.

Meanwhile, Effy tells Pandora that she shouldn’t forgive Thomas; he should have to pay for what he’s done. Pandora agrees and tells Thomas he’s ruined everything.

In a state of sadness, Thomas heads home to his family.

Depressing episode? YES. But the twists were pretty great.

Episode 2: Emily.

Now we’re talking: an interesting character to focus on.

At the beginning of the episode, the greatest couple of the series seem extremely happy: Naomi gives Emily some cute goggles for her moped and they go out together.

Unfortunately, things start to break down. After they get to school, the police as to interview the couple again, as Sophia’s Mother mentions their names.

Naomi lies about how long the pair were at the party, giving Emily questions of her own. Naomi admits that she sold Sophia the substance and Emily chooses to stick by her woman. Obviously.

Emily goes to Sophia’s house under a fake name, and her Mother lets her check out Sophia’s old room. Emily finds sketches everywhere. She also stumbles upon a university prospectus and inside is a key.

Sophia’s brother Matt enters and Emily panics, putting the prospectus along with the key inside her bag. She shows the key to Naomi, and they figure out that it is the key to Sophia’s cadets locker.

The couple venture out, finding an extremely disturbing shrine to Naomi in the locker. Naomi is freaked out and begs Emily to close the locker.

Making things worse, they’re interrupted by the cadet marching band, so they hide in a cupboard.

When Emily goes home, there’s a bust up between her and her Mother. She tries to tell her that she’s gay and to stop setting her up with boys, but her Mother goes on to explain her dislike for her daughter’s girlfriend.

Angrily, Emily threatens to move out. Her twin sister Katie tries to convince her not to, but Emily does anyway. And where does she go? Naomi’s house, clearly.

Naomi invites her in with open arms, and they proceed to having the most fun EVER, dressing up as Mexicans in the kitchen and drinking themselves silly.

They then move on to a house party, where the rest of the gang are. Cook sees Effy and Freddie kissing and lashes out (again) on a random party-goer. Naomily go home, but Emily can’t sleep. She calls Sophia’s brother to meet her in the club where she died.

When she gets there, Emily shows Matt a box she found of Sophia’s. They agree to open it together. Naomi shows up unannounced, begging Emily not to open it.

All three of them run to the rooftop, and Emily opens the box. Inside it, she finds the story of Sophia’s summer, in which she met Naomi at a Uni open day and kissed her back at her house. Emily is obviously devastated and stands on the edge of the building. But will she jump?

Thankfully, she doesn’t. But she leaves Naomi on the rooftop, crying her eyes out.

The next day, Emily goes to Naomi’s house. Naomi has lovingly left Emily a note on the door reading ‘I’ll Do Anything.’ Emily glances at the upstairs window and Naomi is looking out of it with tears in her eyes.

At the end of the episode, we see Emily walking through Naomi’s front door. But will she forgive her?

Next week: It’s Jack the lad Cook’s episode. Cook goes to prison for assaulting the guy at the party. After being let out, he’s electronically tagged and is forced to stay at his Mother’s house. Previews also show him kissing Naomi. Surely she won’t cheat again?! We’ll have to wait and see…

Photos © e4.com/skins

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