Overlooked and Overexposed: Skins (Pure)

Original post: Wednesday. July 24, 2013.
Re-posted from: http://superstarrsophie.blogspot.com

I know I initially planned to blog my Overlooked and Overexposed: Skins rant series accordingly starting with Part One where I touched on Generation One where you can read here: Overlooked and Overexposed: Skins (Rant Part One) and followed by Generation 2 which I have started on but I got distracted when I was just getting started after I started re-watching my favorite fan videos from that particular generation that I've already bookmarked and also because I somehow forgot what really happened during Generation 2, oops and next, Generation 3 before going into Skins Redux which is ending in 2 weeks time, sadly.

Who's taking photos of Cassie during her most private, personal moments in the comfort of her room?

I just finished watching  Skins Pure and am trying to deal with the aftermath of the show while I'm sat at my study table in the dark, listening to The Maine's Daytrotter session and Gabrielle Aplin's Start Again which was written especially for Skins Pure(if you know me personally, you'll know just how much I adore her) listen to it here. It's a beautiful night. If you haven't already guessed what I'm about to say, I suggest you read on to find out what I'm about to say. I'm gonna go out of what I initially planned and start my rant on Skins Pure before going into who knows? Skins Fire, Skins Rise, Generation 2 or Generation 3. I don't even know anymore but what I do know now is that I've got a lot of things on mind about Skins Pure which will not wait because if I sleep this through, whatever I've to say will be gone along with my back ache and my sleepiness so here I go.

Not my gif.

Skins Pure, where should I start? Skins Redux in general then, okay. Skins Redux is the seventh and the final series of UK hit teen comedy-drama series, Skins. Skins Redux brings back three characters who the writers/producers felt didn't have a proper ending in their respective Generations One and Two. The series starts with the first two parts of Skins Fire which centres on Effy Stonem (I will talk about this later after this post, after the post after this post if you know what I mean). Skins Pure which centres on Generation One's favorite Cassie Ainsworth just premiered it's two parts and now everyone is waiting for the last two parts of Skins Rise which centres on Cook.

In the trailer that was shown before the premiere of Skins Redux, this line has been mentioned several times. "Time changes everyone" and yes, time has changed everyone in Skins. That is, the people they have decided to bring back. Skins Pure was the perfect title for Cassie's episodes. Pure was what she has become. She's purified herself, she's still trying to purify herself. There was a scene where she was offered drugs and she said she doesn't really do those anymore. See, if it was the old Cassie being offered drugs, she wouldn't hesitate before accepting the offer. I loved the old her and I'm even more in love with the new her, the adult Cassie. Cassie has always been a rather dreamy, whimsical character. Now, as an adult she's somehow lost her dreamy-like character she once had. She's matured now, adjusting to life in the city of London, alone. Her day starts and ends the same, every single time. She lives in a town house with a housemate living a floor below her. She gets up early and goes to work at a cafe and goes home after her shift ends at night. Same old, same old. She's grown up a lot, she's grown out of all her old ways.

"It's pure, Cassie. All of it. It's you...me and the world sees what we want to." -Jakob-

As I've mentioned, she has lost some of her old character and what really pissed me off, fine it still continues to piss me off about this Skins fandom is when they romanticise her past. Yes, it's true that your past and the mistakes you've made will shape you in the future so why should you bring it up? Why should you expect someone to still be the same if it's been repeatedly mentioned that Time changes everyone. I was really annoyed with the whole of my timeline on Twitter and the Skins and Skins Pure tag on Tumblr. All I keep reading about is how everyone is just waiting for the moment where she mentions Sid or utters the word "Wow, lovely" that has somewhat been her trademark when she was a teenager. She sort of implied there ever been a Sid in her life but when asked about it even further, she shrugged it off by saying "It doesn't matter now" because as much as I loved her relationship with him, it really doesn't matter now because she's here in London and he's there, somewhere and there's nothing anyone can do to change that now.

I've been reading a lot of disappointed fans' feedback after watching Skins Pure. Many have said that in comparison to Skins Fire, Pure was a bit boring and lacked storyline and the ending was abrupt. Someone has also said that after six years, Hannah Murray has forgotten how to portray Cassie. Although this same person claims she understands the "Time changes everyone"  theme the writers were making it on, she didn't like that she was a whole different person now. Hm. Another person has commented on Pure, saying it was "painfully pretentious and immensely disappointing."  Well, here's what I have to say. I have no negative feedback regarding the show. I thought it was very well-written, all the scenes were shot very beautifully. The scenery and the shooting locations chosen were very beautiful and was indeed, pure. It was simple and the turnout was beautiful. Very beautiful. I really have no other words to describe it besides beautiful. I'm just going to repeat the word 'beautiful' so many times until everyone understands that I loved it! I absolutely loved it! The ending was very well thought-of and the whole point of Skins Redux was to give fans closure because before this, fans were left with a cliffhanger which was never solved until now. Cassie had a happy ending. She was happy and I am happy just knowing that she's in the right place surrounded by the right people. She cleaned herself up very well.

A lot of things has happened to Cassie along the way which forces her to be strong for herself and for the people around her especially her dad and her little brother, Reuben who are left to fend for themselves after her mother passed away and after Cassie moved into the city of London. Her father became an alcoholic and this really effected her brother who was left alone and didn't get to go to school because his father would have a hangover the day after and forget to send him. I think these things motivated Cassie to change herself. She's really focusing on herself but also thinking of other people around before making decisions for herself.

Not my gif. The ending really got to me. The whole of Skins Pure has already gotten to me.

"Cassie’s story is one that is beloved and beautiful. There’s this bittersweet quality that overwhelms me with nostalgia. In my own life and hers. There is sweet simplicity in how her life is now and quirks of her old ways. It makes me sad and want to scream out in relation of her pain. The writing is just so real. It’s transparent but the best out of all that’s been written; what perfect closure." here

I loved this review here , here, here,  here and here. I'm sorry for just jumping into Skins Pure like this and not following what I've already planned but I had to get all this out of my brain before I go to sleep. With this, I can go to sleep now.....in peace without worrying about my ideas being forgotten if I didn't type this out now.