So3 Eo5 - Freddy

Episode Overview

Freddie's big sister Karen has ambitions as she reaches the final of a TV talent show to find a new member of girl group 'Da Sexxbombz'. Freddie despises her lust for celebrity but is emotionally blackmailed into upholding the story Karen and their Dad, Leo, are spinning - involving Freddie's dead mum for the emotional vote of the show. On top of this, living in the shadow of the increasingly reckless Cook is becoming too much to bear. When Effy turns up at his shed, Freddie doesn’t know what to do with himself; there’s a always been a connection between them. Freddie feels torn between his family, his friends, and his heart, and the isolation is overwhelming. Freddie makes a decision to escape from his lonely retreat in his shed and from his skateboard, to support his family and in doing so lose Cook as a friend. He also lets Effy know that he loves her, but Cook aims to wreck everything in Freddy's life at the end of the episode including being with Effy directly in Freddy's face.

Narrative

This episode of Skins follows one character (as all the episodes do) focusing on Freddy and his personal story. The narrative structure is similar to the rest of the series, using parts of narrative theories but often twisting them for the overall Skins "messed up" style.

Todorov's theory: The idea of equilibrium-disruption-resolution-equlibrium is present in the episode. The episode starts in some kind of equilibrium for Freddy as he skates on his skateboard in his own calm state but we learn that is not really a calm equilibrium but more an equilibrium that already has problems. This is shown by interwining the shots of Freddy walking home from the skatepark with contrasting images of his sister in the talent show competition, which Freddy does not agree with and this causes an immediate disruption at home with Freddy seemingly the black sheep of his family and feeling alone and isolated as his dad "favours" his sister and argues with Freddy. There are many disruptions on this episode to form the overall narrative structure as they roll out of control:

• Effy turns up in Freddy's shed followed by JJ and Cook, causing awkwardness between Freddy and Cook. The tension causes Effy to refuse Cook sex so Cook tells her to leave the shed, creating more tension between Cook and Freddy.
• Freddy does not agree with using his dead mum as a 'sob story' in his sisters talent show and this causes him to argue with the production manager of the show when he is supposed to be interviewed in support of his sister.
• Freddy develops a shy, reserved side that is scared of going any further with Effy, and when he tries to rectify this Effy tells him she will not fall in love with him because she does not fall in love.
• Freddy finds out that Cook slept with his sister and this turns him against both of them. He hates Cook and shouts at his sister causing her to cry and disrupting her singing practise. This causes Freddy's dad to punch him in the face - thus creating Freddy's lowest point of the episode where he feels desperately alone.

At this point the disruptions seem to end momentarily as we go back to seemingly the same equlibrium as before, except it is full of more problems. Freddy reflects whilst at the skatepark. However, the difference here is that he drops his skateboard and walks off marking a turning point in the episode and we know things will get better as he seems to have left a part of him to try and make a change. From then on the episode begins to resolve some of Freddy's problems:

• He lets go of his reserved side and runs to the lake where he knows Effy is hanging out. He swims to the middle of the lake where Effy lies and kisses her, letting her know exactly how he feels. This is his part done and it is down to Effy about whether they get together.
• Freddy dresses up and joins his dad in the audience of his sister's talent show. He claps in support and is later found consolling his sister at her final loss by hugging her and kissing her cheek. His relationship with her is mended as is his relationship with his dad who thanks him for being there for his sister.

However, Skins is not so straight forward as the theory suggests. Not everything is ever resolved in an episode. We see certain developments and improvements in Freddy's character such as leaving his angst side and being more caring. However, in doing so he has chosen his family and personal life over his best friends, JJ and Cook, and this is the part of the story that is not resolved but made worse. We never reach another equilibrium as there are a series of disruptions in the final part of the episode:

• Cook admits he got people in the pub to vote against Freddy's sister, which ultimately had a bearing on the final result.
• Freddy headbutts Cook signalling the end of their friendship and Cook leaves angrily smashing the picture of Freddy's family including his dead mum.
• JJ leaves with Cook because he is scared of him, showing how Freddy is not part of this friendship anymore.
• Freddy goes to Effy's house to ask about her decision but this is made clear when he is turned away by Effy's mum and as he is walking away, looks up to see Cook topless with Effy in her bedroom. Cook closes the curtains and Freddy walks away with more problems.

This sets up a new problem-filled equilibrium for the next episode with Freddy having the support of his family but losing out on his friends and Effy in the process. This new equilibrium will be filled with more and more problems until some resolutions are made but some stories continue disrupted for the entire series.

Levi-Strauss' Theory: The episode uses binary opposites to cause the disruptions and these are mainly character based:

• Freddy and Cook (good vs evil, sensible vs non-sensible - we have to pick a side, as does JJ).
• Freddy and his sister (male vs female, brother vs sister - again we have to pick a side).
• Family vs friends (Freddy has to pick one on the night of his sisters final).
• Love vs lust (does Freddy really love Effy is Effy can never love him back).
• Father vs son (the differences between Freddy and his Dad in hard situations).

These cause the disruptions that have to be resolved so are vital to the narrative structure of the episode.

These are the only two narrative theories Skins follows properly. Overall, Skins uses the classic Todorov structure for the basis of its episodes but fills it with lots of problems, some of which are resolved in the episode, some which will be resolved later on in the series and some which are never resolved at all. Therefore only messed up equilibriums are ever reached - a kind of calm before the storm or a time of reflection. Disruptions are caused by binary opposites using Levi-Strauss' narrative theory and resolutions help develop the character of the episodes chosen character. Each episode follows one character to develop their story and personality but their disruptions maybe resolved in later episodes of other characters because of ongoing and underlying plots throughout the series, making the narrative structure complex and complicated. This suits the overall style of Skins, which focuses on teenagers with messed up problems and who live complex and complicated lives.