Skins (U.K.): Series 2, Episode 3 – “Sid” (2008)

 

First off, mea culpa for the late update.  O the times, they get a-way from me.

 

As an episode of Skins, this is a bit of an anomaly.  Yes, Sid’s romantic drama gets some screentime, and yes, there’s a short, chaotic party scene.  However, almost all the important action happens at Sid’s house; the episode is half over before most of the main cast appears.  Furthermore, an adult, Mark, has nearly equal focus in the story.  I don’t think a parent or teacher character has ever received so much attention in a single Skins episode, before or since.

 

Sid and Mark’s relationship has been slowly improving.  They still argue, and goodness knows they still get on each other’s nerves, but they’ve come to a clumsy arrangement where they at least make an effort to get along and help one another.  And I mean clumsy – Mark’s attempts to console Sid over his girl troubles are positively ridiculous.

 

The main plot involves a visit from Mark’s father, brother, and nephews.  Mark’s dad, naturally, has never been impressed with him, and generally makes the Mark of series 1 look like the father of the year.  He’s passive aggressive, he’s a master backhanded-complimenter, and he constantly undermines Mark in front of his family.  Undoubtedly, Sid has seen this dynamic before, but I think this is the first time it really clicks with him, and he sees what exacerbated Mark’s insecurities and made him the man he is today.

 

For PC, this is definitely a performance to write home about.  Mark goes through a myriad of emotions, all of which are plainly written across his face:  humiliation, desperation, longing for approval, scowling resentment, self-loathing.  Sometimes he handles them badly (Mark learned his passive aggression from the best, and there are times when he just can’t stop himself,) and sometimes he handles them well (he gets a great victory at last, and his contentment is palpable.)  Great work all around.

 

Also, Mark has one of the most entertaining battles with a vacuum that I’ve ever seen.  Just FYI.

 

Accent Watch

 

Scottish – I’d noted before that his accent is different from Sid’s, but I hadn’t thought about how it further highlights the difficulties Mark and Sid have connecting.

 

Recommend?

 

In General – I’ll repeat; if you’re okay with explicit content and are interested in a teen show with great characterization and some really genuine material, I think you’d really like Skins.

 

PC-wise – Yeah.  Great role excellently performed – nicely shows off PC’s comedic and dramatic range.  If you’re mainly interested in PC, the “Sid” episodes in both seasons are the must-watch offerings.

 

Warnings

 

A brief scene of violence, and some dark thematic elements.