Flow of Madness

This is a character Analysis of Tony Stonem. 

Chris Miles goes down in my books as a character that is impossible not to love. He is a hilarious character that has so much heart and some of the greatest lines ever written in Skins history. This post is dedicated to the lovely Chris Miles one of my favorite characters. I hope that I do him justice.

Great Bromance. Loving by letting go. 

(Source: toouko)

Jal, Skins (via suchafuckingcliche)

This was beautiful 

(via jesussula)

For Grace “Everything’s beautiful” and for Chris “Everything’s cool” 

(via frankybluerichards)

In the last few weeks I have been getting messages from people saying that they enjoy my positive tone. That the fandom has turned mean. That people are disrespectful toward one another. That those who like certain characters hate the fans of certain other characters. That shipping wars have turned from a discussion to an out right war. That people who track tags to learn and discuss their favorite TV Show are now getting depressed. 

The truth is Skins has always been a fragmented fandom. It is sort of inevitable being that essentially they become new shows every two years. It is normal to have favorites and preferences. However why do some spend time hating a show they so adamantly declare they love? Why does one group of a fans have to insult and disrespect fans of another generation? The truth is we don’t. 

If you have ever been moved by a generation, character, moment, or episode of Skins regardless of the generation. I hope that you will reblog this. Let’s bring love back into the fandom again. Let’s bring discussion. Let’s begin to love our favorite show together. 

SID JENKINS

Sid is definitely the character that I relate to the most in Generation 1. Although I think I have grown quite a bit since that time that I really felt an insane connection to him. 

He is that lazy and loyal friend who tends to go along with his friends. Doesn’t really say “no” and finds himself in situations where he constantly feels dumb for never saying no. That was definitely me in High School and early College. I had a hard time saying “no.” 

Also like Sid I have lost three people who mean the absolute world to me. It may not have been my father, but it was enough to really shake the foundation I depend on to stand. I reacted the same way that Sid did when I found out one of them passed away. Which was I didn’t cry…I didn’t talk…I just drove to school and sat in my class not hearing anything just sitting there. Then a few hours later after being in an absolute daze and not acting I broke down hard. I always felt that doing that made me seem heartless, but I realize everyone has a different reaction and grieves in different ways over the loss of a love one. And seeing how Sid reacted made me feel better.

I also was really lazy when I was younger as well. Just absolutely lazy. And we both utilized hats/beanies in our fashion. 

The main thing that Sid represents is my early self of not having a fully formed self confidence that made me fight for what I want or made me voice the thoughts in my head due to not feeling like what I said was worth anything. He represents the insecurities I once let control my life. So that is why Sid will always have a special place in my heart and that is why he is the character I most relate to even if I have grown quite a bit from him. 

I have two characters I would like to write about. Both of these characters are fathers. 

1) Walter Oliver

He is an eccentric Dad who loves his son for exactly who he is. Yet he still has faults. He doesn’t want to lose his Son which creates tension between them. But its more out of fear than control. I love that he dances with his dog and that he is also a force to be reckon with when people make trouble with his boy. I absolutely adore his character. Faults and all. 

2) Mark Jenkins

I absolutely adore this character. He is hilarious. Even when he was being a wank toward Sid about how lazy he is. I never could get mad at him like I would other parents. Because of HOW ridiculous and hilarious everything he did and said was. I also loved how his relationship with Sid progressed over the two series. And cried like a baby when he passed away. I will always have a fondness for this Jenkins man. And he is one of the best Skins parents. 

I am working on a Philosophy of Skins post. Just for my own amusement really and hope that maybe some of you might find it fascinating as well. So I am re-watching with an eagle’s eye every episode and taking notes. 

I have just finished picking my favorite scenes for every episode of Generation 1 and felt like I should say a few things about this unique and amazing generation. 

I declared this to be the generation of the lost looking for direction. The reason I declared this generation as that title is because all of the characters are trying to find themselves to face the future. 

Sid is faced with grades, losing his Dad, and faced with the challenges that his lack of motivation and passivity causes. 

Tony is faced with overcoming at first a distorted self image based on this idea that he has to constantly out do himself on the “fucked upness” scale and then has to overcome being hit by a bus. And trying to find his place in this world with that new challenge. 

Chris is a guy who is fun loving and tries his best not to deal with that bad stuff. He starts to pick up the pieces and tries to make an effort after finding someone who makes him realize it is worth that effort. 

Maxxie tries to get independence from his family. 

Anwar is a character who is quite impulsive and unaware most of the time. He found himself in the finale the most lost. Because he didn’t even begin to think about those big questions that everyone else has been dealing with for two series. 

Michelle’s journey is one that began as Tony’s girlfriend and took her to be an independent person going off to a completely different University. 

They all began the generation as a group of really lost kids who have known one another for ages. Who are quite etched in their roles of one person being the realistic negative one, one being the positive one, one being the impulsive one, one being the crazy one, one being the lazy one, and one being the manipulative leader to a group that grappled with those questions of direction. Of finding themselves and looking out into the horizons to become the people they need to be to survive. 

Now did the Skins creators think this as they created them…I am not sure. But they definitely if not deliberately then accidentally created a generation that mostly grappled with questions of growing up, finding directions, changing friendships, and ambitions for the future. Which is awesome. 

I always say if you compare each generation to your favorite it handicaps how much you can see in the others. Each generation is different. And it should be. 

I will touch more on all these characters and this generation when I finally get to writing that Philosophy of Skins. I purposely left out Cassie and Jal from the discussion not because they weren’t mentioning, but because I have special thoughts on them that I wish to save for later!  

Cheers to Gen 1

Alright I told you my first two favorite scenes and now these are my last two favorite scenes of Generation 1’s finale. 

3) Chris’s Funeral 

This scene was so heartbreakingly perfect for Chris. Everyone is together grieving. Chris’s Dad is forced to actually listen. They got to grieve in their own way. I also love Jal’s speech absolutely perfect. 

“I’ve been thinking about what Chris would have wanted me to say today. The advice he’d give me. Which would be something, like, ‘you know what, babe, fuck it. These guys know all about me. Tell them about someone different.’ So I thought I’d say something about a hero of Chris’s. A man named Captain Joe Kittinger. In 1960, climbing into a foil balloon, Captain Joe ascended 32 kilometers into the stratosphere. And then, armed only with a parachute, he jumped out. He fell for four minutes and 36 seconds, reaching 714 mph before opening his parachute five kilometers above the earth. It had never been done before and has never been done since. He did it just because he could and that’s why Chris loved him. Because the thing about Chris was he said yes. He said yes to everything. He loved everyone. He was the bravest boy…man I knew. And that was…he slung himself out of a foil balloon every day. Because he could. Because he was. And that’s why…and that’s why…we loved him.” - Jal.

4.) Sid and Tony saying goodbye. 

This scene makes me cry the hardest. Tony and Sid saying goodbye to one another. I think what strikes me about this scene is how much Tony is really shaken by Sid leaving. And how he fully admits his feelings in that he is scared of everything changing and having to say goodbye. It is a real breakthrough moment for Tony. It really shows how much Tony has gone through and how much he has changed from that cocky and distorted we met Series 1 Episode 1. I have to say I like this Tony. 

Tony: What if I’m not ready for this. 
Michelle: For what? 
Tony: For all of this. 
Michelle: But you sort of have to be.