This isn't a great episode of Skins by a long shot, but it's certainly intriguing. It revolves around Sketch, a plain girl from an impoverished background who acts as the sole carer to her disabled mother. She's also obsessed with Maxxie, one of the most loved members of the cast, which automatically turns the viewer against her.
Sketch is an interesting character. She's creepy and a lot of her actions are pretty deplorable (especially when against the characters we've come to know and love). Yet should we sympathise with her because of the tough life she has led and continues to lead? This explains her actions; whether it excuses them depends on personal morality. I certainly get the impression that this is a character who could do with help; help caring for her mother, friends who support her, a more positive self image. But I don't like her, even though I feel desperately sorry for her. Which is kind of the point. Average looking, plainly dressed girls with awkward manners like her aren't easily lovable, and that leads to her lashing out against beautiful, popular people who have the life she would love.
I'm not personally convinced that the character should have been written into the show. It doesn't really serve a purpose in the longer arc, and is only a short term distraction, possibly to make a point the writers wanted to make. The time this episode took up could have been used for some scenes depicting fun and togetherness in the group, something the second series lacked a little. They do throw a bit of comedy in along the way, with Chris providing laughs and of course the last scene with Anwar. The best scenes are those between Tony and Michelle, as they struggle to find themselves again. The bathroom scene in particular is excellent.
Still, this isn't one of my favourite episodes of Skins, and it certainly pales in comparison to the next instalment in this particular series. Falls into the category of unique yet skippable.
