Jane F

I don't want to write an entire entry on skins, again, but I have to say a few things about this week's episode .... spoilers begin here:

1. As soon as I saw that hallway shot, I knew Sid's dad was dead. It felt a little borrowed from Buffy, but worked.

2. The breakdown during the Crystal Castles' concert was such a beautiful scene, and I was glad we got the Tony/Sid dynamic back for a few moments

3. Sid has grown up so much since last season. Not only does he look older, but I like how he speaks his mind more....but, when will our bespectacled stocking cap wearing friend catch a break? Was he missing Cassie on the train ride, is she going back to Bristol while he goes to Elgin or is he going somewhere else?

4. I hope Sketch is the second death of the season, she is a waste.....I really don't like the Sketch/Anwar storyline, especially if this is the 'surprise' relationship, meaning Jal and Chris aren't.

5. This episode definitely didn't do anything to quell the public opinion that the show is losing it's levity. This one was heavy

6. Next week episode is Michelle's, but it looks like a lot goes down. I'm not looking forward to seeing her step-sister character, but excited for Cassie to come back.


ok, spoilers end here.

Rob and I finally got around to watching Smiley Face. It was pretty stupid, but had some clever moments and a few surprise performances, especially John Krasinski's. I haven't seen too much of Ana Faris, but remember really liking her in Brokeback Mountain. She is really funny, just picturing her face while running in Smiley Face can get me laughing. Like most stoner comedies, it didn't have much of a point or a resolution, but surely could have been much worse.

March is in two days and it still feels like early January. I am so ready for sunshine and warm weather, but the forecast keeps showing mid-teens. I am technically on spring break starting monday, but it doesn't take the same shape in grad school.

A non skins update

Yes, last night's episode was blog worthy, but I am going to try and focus on something else for this entry.

I am babysitting and dog-sitting tonight. I had to pick the girl up from basketball practice and couldn't help but laugh when I pulled into the parking lot in my crappy white avalon with a splintered passenger side mirror. I found myself in the que of parents waiting for practice to end, the only one not driving a luxury SUV. A black mercedes SUV passed me by after the corresponding daughter got inside. The driver waved, realized who I was (or wasn't) and did the wave-recoil, pretend to brush your hair as to avoid waiving at a non-parent in a crappy car. They were definitely a clique to watch. It is a small Catholic school and they obviously all know one another. I learned quickly that I was also expected to drop off several team members and on the way got to hear all the 8th grade dance gossip and how unbelievably awesome the Jonas Brothers are....who knew?

Now I am attempting to finish the myriad of course work I didn't get to this weekend....why you ask? Well, for one thing, I decided to stop talking about it and finally get a new bed. It is unbelievable. I always get annoyed when mattress commercials promise a better night's sleep with an expensive mattress, but seriously, the last four nights in my new bed have been legendary. So in getting a new bed, I also had to get rid of my old bed, which meant a trip to Burbank to deliver the bed (for $20 plus $1 per mile) to a nice young lady from Craigslist. But no trip to Burbank is complete without taking the roads back and stopping to look at antique stoves (or trying to) and then getting breakfast at El Nuevo Leon in what may or may not be Pilsen. Then, because it was Oscar Sunday, the rest of the day was dedicated to finishing my peanut butter crunch brownies (henceforth known as 'Emily Surprise') and watching the preshow. Monday was it's own exam in two ways, which leads me to today. After my field placement and faux soccer mommery I've just now gotten around to finishing what is due tomorrow. 

Don't worry friends, a skins recap is on its way, how could I not write about last night's ep?

It's awfully easy to be hard-boiled about things during the daytime

but at night, it's quite another story

If Rome won't come to Mohammed, he'll clap until it does

Maxxie's stalker was unveiled and boy, is there some psychotic soup in that house. Sketch (or Lucy as her mom calls her), lives in the same council estate as Maxxie. She has a disabled mom and seems to be her primary caretaker. She has invented a grandiose identity and relayed it to her bedridden mother. Obviously the charade is shattered but not before the new villain causes some damage to the gang, the school play and her self, it seems.

Now, I've read a lot saying the show has lost it's spontenaity. I'll admit the episodes are a bit darker so far, and seem to be trying to have a wider appeal and seem more 'realistic.' The saving grace of this episode for me was the school play, "Osama the Musical." Loved the dance routines, the orchestra with skyscraper hats, the boogie-woogie bagel (do Brits see Bagels the way we see Krumpets?) and of course, the penultimate number.

I liked the Maxxie/Anwar scenes with the Seven/Five plan and Anwar's Hugh Grant trick, but this is just feuling my fear that he is soley a one note comic relief vehicle. I was also surprised that Maxxie didn't have more compassion for Sketch after the off-camera confrontation with her mom. He seemed to be the heart of the group in some ways and I was hoping he'd pull through on the moral high train. That whisper after the kiss with Sketch was brutal, but probably deserved. I truthfully didn't find her that interesting and am not thrilled with the prospect of her becoming a regular.

I also LOVED the driving Miss Daisy costume, Chris had several small, but spot-on scenes in this ep.

It looks like next episode is Sid's, but mostly revolving around his parents and relationship with Cassie. Which reminds me, when is she coming back? I heard a spoiler that will bring back the love square from last season. I'm also ready for the return of Angie, even though I hope the Chris/Jal rumors are true.

Everything you could ever want from an evening. Songs, choirgirls, colourful costumes, fellatio... rabbits

I don't know why I like this show so much. It bears no resemblence to my high school experience. During my summer bout with insomnia, I watch the entire first series of Skins and have been hooked and further immersed in my obsession with british mass culture. Imagine my orgasm when Bill Bailey, regular team captain on Never Mind the Buzzcocks was slated to guest star as Maxxie's dad in series 2. My internet obsessive worlds collided for a magical evening. If Busted would have guest starred I might have gone into convulsions.

Last season's cliffhangers left us with the necessary questions on which to ruminate all summer. What happened to Tony? Will Cassie move to Scotland? Are Chris and Angie doomed? The 'wild world' sing along wrapped up the season with just about every character coupled off. We had some resolution with Anwar's birthday. Most importantly, before the singalong, Tony had seemingly committed to end his sociopathic tendencies and was on his way to setting things straight with Michelle.

Because of the teasers this summer we know Tony survives. The first episode of this season reveals that Tony did wake from his summer long coma but is still suffering the effects of his brain injury after being mowed down by a bus. It is pretty obvious that the writing staff didn't spend hours with scientific research on traumatic brain injury as shown through the depiction of Tony. Nonetheless, we know he is fundamentally altered. He can't remember certain people, has problems with hand eye coordination and fine motor skills, and may or may not be able to write his name, a necessary skill to continue on in school.

Tony, being the villain for the better half of season one is now the helpless victim. This leaves an opening for the next villain and looks as though it will likely come from outside the circle of main characters. But are we supposed to completely forgive Tony for all his transgressions last season? Does saving your sister from hipster drug addicts and getting hit by a bus give you carte blanche? This remains to be decided as we are introduced to the current state of the Stonem affairs and how they are dealing with a new Tony.

This episode was also mostly Maxxie centered. I have always considered Maxxie to be a strength of the show in that he is a gay character completely outside the sitcom stereotype. He has straight friends, both male and female and isn't relegated to one-liners regarding fashion or Mark Ronson. I thought the Maxxie/Anwar episode, while at times ridiculously comedic, was the most poignant in the honesty of male friendships. Bill Bailey was spot on as Maxxie's dad. Also a relationship not straight out of high school teen issues tv where the oafish dad can't relate to his effeminate, fashionista gay son, but rather had honest conflict regarding generational differences and responsibilites. Who knew Bailey could do drama so well too?

The remaining story lines were only touched on gently. We know Sid spent most of the summer at the hospital with Tony, but is now avoiding him and the rest of the family. Cassie did in fact go to Scotland and communicates via video messaging, giving Sid ample room for jealousy. Michelle is spiraling into drinking and promiscuity. A confrontation at the rave alludes to the fact that she did not put her time in at the hospital along with the others.

Chris, Jal and Anwar were mostly background characters. I hope Anwar doesn't become the Kenneth of this season and fill an entirely comedic role. He is hilarious, but I thought the storyline involving his faith and family was really good stuff. I thought Jal was underused last season but am really excited at the possibility that she and Chris make a go of things.

Also Effy, the enigmatic delinquent of last season is speaking this season which kind of made her less interesting to me. I am not sure what kind of role she plays in this season.

We also got no scenes in school (I don't know if it has started yet).

In keeping the scandalous tone, the episode ends at a rave with the LSD and booze fueled confrontation between Michelle, Sid and Tony, likely setting the stage for further conflict as Sid feels overwhelmed in his new thankless role as primary caretaker, Michelle feels left out and Tony is exceedingly frustrated at his new limitations.

This episode obviously set the stage for a change in the group dynamic. Michelle is 'going through something,' Sid is ever distant, Cassie is in another country, Jal is asserting her hotness (haha, did she ditch Kenneth this summer?), Maxxie is dealing with the 'ASBO army' and his desire to pursue dance against his father's demands of education and sensible career paths.

I was really glad to see these characters again and hope the addition of new characters (I heard rumors of a new step-sister for Michelle, and it looks like Maxxie has a stalker) doesn't make Anwar, Chris, Jal, or Cassie into background one dimmensional characters. Also, the tone was notably more serious. I know that the Tony storyline is much darker, but contrasting to the first episode of last season with the 'mad twatter' drug dealer and driving a car into the river, this episode seemed a bit bland by Skins standards.

While most of my readers have not and probably won't see this show, I still have been thinking all week on how to blog this episode. Oh yeah, and I probably should have put a spoiler warning up top for Rob who is just starting series one.

a pretty nice day

Yesterday started off with a part time job interview. Despite being cut in front of by some schmoozy drug reps, it went well. The job is different than it sounded from the posting and could be flexible. Before I was kind of hoping I would be terribly under-qualified or too busy for so I wouldn't have to consider taking it. Now if I'm offered the job, I will seriously consider it.

I came home starving and decided to finally try the new hot dog place up the block from me. The name hooked me: Flub a Dub Chubs. Now before you call it extraneous, let me explain that the two basic hot dogs are the 'chubby' and the 'flubby.' They also have several variations on hot dogs (you know I love toppings) and their burgers smelled really good. I got a 'chubby' ... haha bet that never gets old, with the works and it was delicious. So fatteningly filling I could skip dinner. 

Then I went to the comic book store and picked up the last amory wars. It provided solid reading material while I waited for my 6:45 class to start. I am satisfied with how they wrapped up the series, and also excited for volume 2. Now if I could just get my hands on a copy of issue 2. 

Class was pretty good, we were moving at mach 10 to avoid postponing the midterm. I took the bus home and finally could peel off all my outer layers protecting me from the sub-arctic temps outside. I called home and found out my mom is sick again, and now my dad isn't even trying to be sympathetic. My mom said she had a fever of 102 and got off the phone. When I asked my dad if my mom was sick he said 'I guess so,"  and then blamed it on the fact that she doesn't go out anywhere....dude, she has a broken foot! It is going to be interesting seeing them this weekend. 

Then I wrapped Rob's present. I am really excited about it. I had no ideas up until about a week or two ago. The present is cool, but so is the wrap job..... it's eco friendly, pink and hillarious. 

I'm still trying to figure out how to put more than 1 pic and arrange them in the posting. I'm relatively new at this.

Indecision/ Undecided

My dad sent me this link today. It pretty much sums up my political situation. The primary is tomorrow and I'm still undecided.

I had an up and down kind of weekend, but mostly up. Highlights included fruitless dress shopping with Michele, thus making it an 'ugliest dress' contest in the fitting room, further inventing characteristics for Rob's new dad and unexpectedly enjoying the last 20 minutes of the super bowl. And OF COURSE, the puppy bowl on animal planet.

a bleak midwinter's gift

I was gifted with a bit of a snow day this morning. I have no class on Fridays and am currently in the process of unethusiastically seeking part time work. I'm less than stoked because I already have a job, a pretty involved one, but it's an internship/ field placement for school and I do not get paid for it. I had an interview scheduled this morning for a position that seemed much more involved and hardcore than I am looking for, but I was still planning to go to the interview. Last night after Veronica Mars night, I parked my car at a meter, realizing I'd have to move it, but figured it would just reinforce my alarm clock. Moving my car to close to 30 minutes as I had to remove the layer of winter not only on the windows, hood, roof, etc, but also by the tires, (some idiot was also pulled perpendicular out into the one way street and scraping, but i digress). When I came back into my apartment, my phone was beeping with that annoying missed call indicator. The woman from HR had informed me she was 'working from home due to weather.' She has been very long winded in an awkward, overly professional manner each time I have spoken to her on the phone, so it took her awhile to get to the gist. For a split second, I thought she was going to have me come to her house to interview, but no, she told me to call her monday to reschedule. 

This gave me the morning to catch up on all my pressing issues. The first being the newest episode of Never Mind the Buzzcocks. As most of you know, this show became an obsession this summer. It is only on BBC 2 so I watch it online. This week's episode was pretty solid. My favorite parts were the James Nesbitt pint bit and Simon calling Joe Goddard 'Hot Chip' every time. I always like it the best when Bill Bailey and Phil Jupitus laugh out loud and there was plenty of that this week. I still don't know if the guy they replaced at the beginning was really from a band called 'flip chart hiatus'? or was that a joke? I am used to not knowing a lot of the up and coming band members they have on the show, but I've never heard of this guy or band and I don't know why he'd go along with that. His video looked faked, and his outfit is way too much of a get up. I think he was a PA on the set or something. Also, I kind of miss Simon taking political digs. The first couple episodes have some real low blows at Bush. 

My mother called and wanted to make sure I was up to date on all my celebrity gossip, specifically the Sarah Silverman/Matt Damon clip, which I hadn't seen but later watched. Now I am just procrastinating starting my research proposal and doing cleaning.