Skins (series 4)

Skins Series 4
Country of origin United Kingdom
No. of episodes 8
Broadcast
Original channel E4
Original run 28 January 2010 – 18 March 2010
Home video release

DVD release

Region 1 11 January 2011
Region 2 22 March 2010[1]

Skins is a British teen drama created by father-and-son television writers Bryan Elsley and Jamie Brittain for Company Pictures. The fourth series began airing on E4 on 28 January 2010 and ended on 18 March 2010. Like the previous series, this series follows the lives of the second generation, which consists of Effy Stonem, Pandora Moon, Thomas Tomone, James Cook, Freddie McClair, JJ Jones, Naomi Campbell, and twin sisters Emily and Katie Fitch.

Main cast

List of episodes

Series
number
Episode
number
Title Featured character(s) Directed by Written by UK viewers
(millions)
Original air date
130"Thomas"Thomas TomoneNeil BiswasJamie Brittain1.2428 January 2010
The episode starts with the gang, minus Effy, having a great time at Thomas's club night until a girl named Sophia commits suicide, by jumping from a balcony in the club whilst high on drugs, leaving Thomas feeling guilty. He suspects that Cook sold Sophia the drugs. During questioning at college, Thomas follows Cook into the toilets where they come to blows, after Cook antagonises Thomas about Pandora. Thomas proceeds to cheat on Pandora. He is also expelled from college because of his involvement with Sophia's death. Thomas gets drunk, spotting Cook and Naomi. Cook starts to wind him up again, leading Thomas to start fighting with him. Naomi confesses to selling the girl drugs. Thomas then goes round to Pandora's house in an attempt to win her back but is rejected, under advice from Effy who is inside the house.
231"Emily"Emily FitchPhilippa LangdaleEd Hime1.024 February 2010
Naomi lies about not seeing Sophia at the club night during a police questioning and Emily becomes suspicious. Naomi admits she sold Sophia the drugs. Emily visits Sophia’s family, discovers that Sophia was gay and had known Naomi somehow. Emily confronts Naomi again and she admits she met Sophia at a university open day but denies anything else. They investigate Sophia’s Army Cadet locker which is a shrine to Naomi and the pair realize that Sophia was obsessed with Naomi and had been stalking her for some time. Emily argues with her family about her sexuality and moves in with Naomi. At a house party, Cook beats up a random party-goer after seeing Freddie and Effy kissing. Emily later calls Sophia’s brother Matt who brings a box to the roof of the club. Naomi intervenes begging Emily not to open the box. She does and inside is a hand-drawn story of how Sophia met Naomi at the open day. It shows that on the train journey home from London that they had talked and laughed all the way and both understood each other and that Naomi had told her that she felt trapped in her relationship with Emily. It finally shows the pair returning to Naomi's home and passionately kissing but stops there leaving the ending open. It is revealed that Sophia and Naomi slept together just once but Sophia was deeply in love with her, and was heartbroken when Naomi continued her relationship with Emily. Emily later returns to Naomi, the episode finishes as she enters the house.
332"Cook"James CookPhilippa LangdaleBen Schiffer0.95411 February 2010

Cook is in prison, charged with GBH for beating up Shanky Jenkinson at the house party. Duncan, Cook’s legal aid, tells him to plead guilty, but Cook pleads not guilty instead. He is released with an electronic tag and sent to live with his mother Ruth, an amateur artist. At home, Cook bonds with his younger brother Paddy who adores him, but clashes with his perpetually drunken mother. When Cook swaggers in to college he is expelled on the spot for his brush with the law. He visits Naomi who tells him they must deal with their guilt over Sophia. Duncan tells Cook there is no case and that he should grow up. Cook reacts saying he is a useless lawyer trashing his office. Cook visits his mother’s art exhibit and learns that she had slept with Freddie, but Freddie tells him otherwise that she had only performed oral sex. Cook argues with his mother, leaves the house with Paddy and steals Ruth’s car, trashing it. Cook has a moment of insight when he sees his brother acting like him. He finds Naomi and they talk, bonding over how they both love someone. He tells the police he sold Sophia the MDMA, taking the flak for Naomi, Cook pleads guilty at trial and is imprisoned.

Note: Thomas and Katie are absent from this episode.
433"Katie"Katie FitchNeil BiswasGeorgia Lester0.99618 February 2010

Katie has a job as a wedding planner. Their client is Brandy, a stereotypical WAG. Katie visits the doctor, thinking she is pregnant, only to discover she is experiencing a premature menopause and is infertile. Her family is bankrupt after her father Rob’s ill-spending. Katie goes to Brandy’s hen party, but gets into a fight, is barred, and gets her and her mother sacked. The Fitch’s house is repossessed and they are forced to move in with Naomi and Emily, whose relationship is strained, even though Emily, remembering Jenna's rudeness to her, would like nothing to do with them. At a BBQ party, Emily gets drunk and high and makes out with another girl, leading Naomi to admit to the group she slept with Sophia and sold her drugs. Katie has a bath and Thomas accidentally locks them inside. They start to kiss, about to have sex, but Katie breaks down, telling Thomas about her condition. They agree to be friends. Katie consoles Emily and the Fitches move back into their now empty house, the family beginning to re-unite.

Note: Cook and Pandora are absent from this episode.
534"Freddie"Freddie McClairEsther May CampbellSean Buckley0.94125 February 2010

Freddie and Effy live a hedonistic lifestyle in the Stonem house with Anthea gone. Freddie’s education suffers and when he tells Effy this, they argue and he leaves. Freddie returns to see Effy sticking newspaper cuttings about death onto the wall. Freddie becomes worried about Effy’s psychotic behaviour. He talks to his grandfather, Norman, and becomes determined not to make the mistakes with Effy that he perceived his father made with his deceased mother. Freddie takes Effy outside in an effort to cheer her up, but she becomes frightened. On their way home, Freddie mistakenly rides their rented rickshaw into a street festival where Effy panics. Katie finds her and they take her to Norman’s nursing home. He convinces Freddie that Effy needs clinical help. However, Katie then reveals that Effy has locked herself in the bathroom. Realising she is at risk of attempting suicide, Freddie breaks in to discover that Effy has slashed her wrists. When Freddie goes to see Effy in hospital, she tells him to go away. He burns the cuttings in the Stonem house, Cook suddenly appears,worried about Freddie. He puts aside his own feelings for Effy and convinces Freddie not to give up on her.

Note: Emily and Naomi are absent from this episode
635"JJ"Jonah Jeremiah "JJ" JonesEsther May CampbellLucy Kirkwood0.8854 March 2010

JJ is in love with Lara Lloyd, a fellow employee at a confectionery shop, but lacks the courage to ask her out. Thomas gets JJ to ask her out and she accepts. He visits Lara’s flat and discovers that she is a single mother with a young child. Lara’s ex-boyfriend, Liam, walks in and threatens JJ, telling him to leave Lara and his child alone. The date goes disastrously as a result, and Lara leaves. JJ finds her and they have sex at Lara’s. JJ returns home but his mother takes him to the clinic for more medication. JJ lets Lara meet Naomi and Emily. Upstairs, Emily tells JJ that Lara is using him to get back at her ex. JJ snaps at Emily and makes remarks on her own relationship, reducing her to tears. JJ’s family also think Lara is a slut and she leaves, offended. JJ becomes angry and beats up Liam when he sees him talking to Lara, who then calls off their relationship. JJ apologises to Liam who tells JJ he loves his child and for JJ to look after Lara. JJ serenades Lara with a ukelele version of 'True' by Spandau Ballet, and she takes him back.

Note: Effy, Katie and Pandora are absent from this episode.
736"Effy"Effy StonemDaniel O' HaraJamie Brittain0.86311 March 2010

Effy has been in a psychiatric hospital, but with the help of Anthea and her counsellor John Foster, she finds the will to get stronger and return home. Her life is now dictated by routine and self-control. Anthea has completely cleared out her room so that there’s no evidence of the old Effy remaining. She appears happy, clear and hopeful for the future. However, Anthea and Freddie become worried about her counsellor's methods when she begins to reject her identity, her friends and her bad memories. She relapses when she and Cook walk past the scene of Tony’s accident and returns to hospital. Effy is upset when Foster arrives and Freddie threatens him, telling him to stay away. Foster then invites Freddie to his home where he admits to using unusual methods in Effy's case and to having feelings for her. However, as Freddie is about to leave, he finds the door is locked. Foster then lifts a baseball bat and brutally beats Freddie to death.

Note: Final physical appearance of Freddie.
837"Everyone"EveryoneDaniel O' HaraBryan Elsley0.90218 March 2010

Karen and Cook are worried about Freddie's whereabouts. Karen gives Cook Freddie's notebook, which hints that John Foster wants to hurt Effy. The police raid Naomi's house after Cook's one night stand tells them where he is. Cook escapes and flees to Freddie's shed where he meets Effy. The rest of the gang meet there and throw a birthday party for Freddie in his absence. Naomi admits her love for Emily, who in turn takes her back. Cook heads outside briefly where he spots a figure observing Freddie's house and follows it, assuming it to be John Foster. Thomas and Pandora also make up. Cook breaks in to John's basement where he finds Freddie's blood-stained clothes. Foster soon arrives with the baseball bat and knocks him to the ground, telling him that he is “nothing." Cook rises, laughing and admits he is a criminal and has no sense. He then tells John that he knows he killed Freddie. He suddenly attacks and swings at Foster screaming "I'm Cook!" as the episode ends, leaving the outcome unknown. (The seventh and final series of Skins revealed that Cook defeated and beat Foster to death).

Note: Final appearance of Pandora, Thomas, JJ, and Katie. Freddie's voice can be heard although it's uncredited.

References

External links