"Skins" (UK) is a British TV show about teen lives. It has 3 generations and each generation had its lessons. There are many profound quotes throughout the show and a lot of relatable moments. It will always be one of my ultimate favorite shows because it taught me a lot of things.
The people who seem the happiest have the most demons
Cassie Ainsworth is a character in the first generation of Skins (UK) and she has a very eccentric personality that seems always so happy. She is cheesy and smiley and says "oh wow" all the time. She is a character to instantly fall in love with but also she has a lot of demons. One of them being an eating disorder and feeling as if she will never be good enough. It's sad that people are so beautiful and yet they don't see it. Individuality is beautiful and everyone is beautiful and her character teaches that very well.
Emotional pain hurts more than physical pain
Skins can be a funny show because the teenagers get themselves into funny situations but they also go through a lot of heartbreak and very real troubles. That is one thing that I liked about Skins was the reality to it. It teaches that heartbreak is the worse pain a person can feel and how to get past it.
The most mysterious people remain mysterious to hide
Effy Stonem has always been my ultimate favorite character. She is the mysterious girl who seems like she doesn't have a care in the world but she is mysterious on purpose because she's afraid of people knowing the real her. She has a mental illness and a lot of things going on in her heart and mind. It taught me that most people are hiding parts of themselves because they are afraid to let people fully in.
The toughest people can be the most broken
Cook is the tough guy and the one who seems like he doesn't care. Most of the time he always has that persona but the more you get to know him the more you realize why he acts the way he does. He is actually hurting and although he can have his moments he still ends up being a great friend when needed most.
The mean girl most likely has a lot of insecurities
Mini McGuinness is the mean girl and seems like the bully of the school. She also has a lot of insecurities that make her the way she is. She brings people does because she does the same thing to herself every day. We can hate our bullies but it makes you think that maybe they have problems too and needs somebody to reach out to them.
No one knows you better than your family
Effy Stonem acts like she doesn't love anything or anybody even though she has the biggest heart. This scene is when she says "why do you bother caring about people" and Tony Stonem (her brother) replies "You don't fool me, Effy Stonem" because he knows she does care about people even when she pretends she doesn't.
Sometimes your parent know you more than you know yourself
This is a quote from Anthea Stonem, Effy's mom when she says "that Effy smile that says you don't know me at all and you never will...but I do know her" and she continues on with the quote above. It was a powerful line that explained Effy very well and proved that her mother saw exactly what the audience saw in her. Just when Effy felt like she hid it so well, she couldn't hide it from her mother.
Mental illnesses can affect anyone
Mental illnesses are more common than you think and could be affecting anyone you know without you knowing it. Effy's character just seemed like the girl who acted like she didn't have a heart so no one could break it. When actually her character was a lot more complicated than that and suffered from psychotic depression. She was afraid to let her guard down and not be strong enough to fight her own mind.
Eating disorders are very real
Cassie Ainsworth struggles with anorexia throughout the show and refuses to eat. She has gone in and out of mental hospitals and struggles for a long time during her high school years. She taught me that everyone has insecurities and that eating disorders can happen to anyone. It is very sad that someone so happy and beautiful can feel so ugly. It teaches young people that it is important to love yourself and that it isn't always easy.
It is important to take care of yourself
In the last series of Skins, you get to see where some of these characters ended up. Luckily for me and probably a lot of other people they picked some of my favorites. It was Effy, Cassie, and Cook. Effy and Cassie seemed much better and started taking care of themselves but that didn't mean all of their problems were gone. Cook had a rough life during his episodes but still remained the strong Cook we knew. It perfectly summed up Skins and taught the biggest lesson is that it is important to take care of yourself.
It is important for shows to be entertaining but one important aspect for me is the message and relatable moments that can touch the watcher's hearts. "Skins" definitely made some iconic characters and will forever be in our hearts.
