Flow of Madness

I remember waiting for this episode to download to my computer. I was feeling so nervous yet excited. Like it was a first date and it was filled with the potential for greatness or having to call your mate in the bathroom to figure out an escape. Then I started my journey into the world of Generation 3 and I immediately knew that this generation was going to be something special. Not only in Skins history, but personally.

Franky’s episode was a very character driven story that examined many important themes including: identity, new beginnings, trust, social politics, and acceptance.  

This episode I began to fall in love with Franky a character we had never seen before. I also instantly fell in love with the Last of the Brohicans metal head Rich and that strange dressing Alo guy. Not to mention sweet Grace. Those four characters I immediately established an emotional bond with. 

Here are some of my favorite scenes of this episode.

Rich/Grace Corner: I know this is about Franky. However being the dogmatic Rich and Grace shipper that I am I wanted to point out a little moment in this episode. It is so subtle yet I think it says how similar Rich and Grace. In that they are both old fashioned role players. When Franky is in the cafeteria Rich and Alo join her. Rich begins talking about medieval times and then when the girls come Grace talks about being a slave on a plantation. I love it. Okay I am done with my shameless Rich/Grace moment. 

Scenes That Spoke to me and Highlighted Important Things: 

#1 - Matty and Franky Meet

This moment is Franky at her breaking point in the episode. She was adopted late in life, she has been dealing with being picked on all her life, and she has been brought to a new city to start over again. Franky is finding this new beginning is a bit of a joke since there are humiliating pictures of her up throughout the school. She is in a field shooting her modified gun to let the anger and hurt out. The thing about being bullied and abandoned is that if it happens enough times you start to believe certain things about yourself. You start to think that there is something about you that everyone else sees that you don’t. Something evil, dangerous, or backwards. You start to internalize those feelings and if you do that you will either explode with violence towards others or violence towards yourself. In this moment a mysterious stranger with crazy eyes stumbles upon her breakdown. He listens to her and tells her that he sees something beautiful in her. Then leaves mysteriously as he came. 

“I’m a no good shit magnet. I’m nothing.” - Franky 

“So why do I see a …glorious fucking head fucked thing?” - Matty

#2) Franky Confronts Mini 

This is Franky strangely at her strongest. The best thing for anyone who is being bullied is to just throw everything they could possibly give you back at them. Franky has heard it all and she knows what she wants. She wants friends and more importantly she wants to be friends with them. This closed off girl that was at the beginning of the episode is being completely honest about how she feels and what she hopes for the future. She wants to build friendships and have a support system. Sadly Mini is not ready for it and neither is Liv who is still very much trying to please Mini. Grace though she is all for it. This was a powerful scene. 

“Cuntless, dike-like, nobody, stutter fucker, spako, lamo, shit-headed, wanker-magnet, Oliver Twisted, thimble titted, loser, loner, fugly bastard?  I think you’re great. A billion times better than this, this bollocks place. And I really feel that, that we could be mates…fucking awesome mates.” - Franky

#3) The Pool Party/Kidnapping of Franky 

The kidnapping of Franky was hilarious. Rich picking up Franky with the clown mask on and throwing her in the van made me smile. The setting of these four characters sharing a beautiful moment together was stunning. It was so much fun watching these four. I also knew that when Franky jumped into that pool at the end of the episode and laughed. Something beautiful was happening. The girl who was always alone was beginning to find herself a family and beginning to find reasons to laugh. 

Other Quotes from the Episode: 
“New start, yeah. New start.” - Franky

“You got to start trusting. No man is an island. You’ve got to make an effor this time.” - Jeff

“No , fuck is good. Fuck is poetic expression for the unsayable soul” - Lit Teacher

“I tried today and now I feel, kind of, less like me. And I mean I’m not exactly over the moon about being me in the first place, but now…now I think I kind of like it less when I’m trying not to be me. Umm cause I just want to, like, just be.”- Franky

“She’s really sorry. I know she is. Deep down. She just doesn’t know it yet.” - Grace 

***Gifs were made by the wonderful frankybluerichards***