Skins 4 [DVD] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]

I'm probably in the minority group who loved the second generation of kids better than the first. Season three introduced a group that did not all know each other in the beginning but became friends by circumstances that put them all together. I loved season three but in season four there definitely was a decline in the story telling towards the end. The writers seemed to have decided to go with shock value towards the end of season 4 instead of reasonably trying to loosely tie up certain story arcs. Since venting would disclose many spoilers I'll leave it at that. The actors seemed to really become one with their characters, but the crude ending left me wanting my questions answered. I think SKINS fans will enjoy seeing these characters again but will feel a bit disappointed that there wasn't another episode after the last to answere many questions & put some form of closure to events that happened at the end.

Teenage drama "Skins" is about the evolution of misguided teens -- some of them are violent, others are mentally ill, and the rest are just... lost. I started watching "Skins" in April 2010, and I became instantly hooked on the series. Not only was it brilliantly structured, well-acted, and extremely bizarre, but the morals were there. I read reviews in the past on the show saying that it was despicable, and that parents and teens should both avoid the series. Trust me, it is revealing, but that is the beauty of the British teen drama: nothing is held back (and I mean nothing!).

Generation One - Classy, wild, determined. The characters were wild, but there was a precedent with the characters. Although they did drugs, had sex, and went to ravenous parties during all hours of the night, they knew it was something they'd outgrow. Some characters did, earlier than others actually, while others didn't. The storylines were based around love, family issues, mental illness, and death. So the question becomes, how can you outdo this for future shows?

They decided to keep the cast fresh (which at first I HATED because of my love for the first generation) but then I fell in love with the second generation. It was a complete surprise, given that I waited almost a year before watching it, but I am extremely glad I did.

Like real life, "Skins" became darker, wilder, and extremely heartbreaking. The characters were even more lovable than the original (I love them all, but hey, the new is the new, right?) which kept the show interesting. The stories more WAAAAAY more intense, the relationships were deadly (yes, deadly), and it was a struggle for us as viewers to connect with them, because -- at times -- we either found ourselves hating them, or loving them. Overall the series was brilliant!

Season Four focuses on the death of a young woman who structures the final season for generation two. Not only are lives ruined, but some of the characters end up in a darker place than before -- struggling to find a way out.

If you love watching reality, through a teenager's eyes, this is the show for you!
On your mark, get set, GO WATCH SKINS (ALL OF THE SEASONS!)

***P.S.***

Due to the surprise of generation two, I might not hesitate on the third! :)

If you haven't seen the first two seasons of Skins then this might seem quite good. And you'll have to watch season 3 to even understand this season. However, to previous Skins watchers this is going to seem more than a little disappointing. If you take one thing away from this; it would be that the story is undeniably poorly written. What has made the show and always will is the acting, which is still better than most shows I've ever seen especially for teens. The show starts out with a suicide in a club where the group is hanging out. This becomes a major event and you would think this is the basis for the whole rest of the season and for the rest of the group. The implications are not as far reaching and basically they never talk about the event explicitly after episode 4. Essentially Emily, Naomi and Cook are the only ones really effected by the suicide. Thomas was working at the club when the suicide occurred and is offered money to shut up, but nothing ever comes of this.

One of the worst parts of this season is that it is only 8 episodes and not only was there so much left unexplained, but it was like they figured they couldn't come up with an ending. A show so complex and gripping as this and they couldn't write anymore? The meat of the show centers on Naomi and Emily's relationship which has become rocky because of cheating. And the rest is composed of Freddie and Effy's relationship. This was the central story in season 3, but now has the added effect that Effy is bipolar or something similar. All the other episodes are almost filler because the storyline barely plays into these two relationships. J.J's episode literally has nothing to do with anything else in the entire show before or after in terms of plot. And in fact, Pandora and Naomi aren't given their own episodes this season. That's fine. Maybe, their characters weren't worth giving a whole episode but they could have at least made the standard 10 episodes.

Finally, the season finale was a complete and utter mess. Only a few of the people are you told about their futures. Freddie is missing at the time. Thomas and Pandora both have their futures decided. But the rest are not only not mentioned, they don't even talk about what they might do. In fact, very little even ends up being resolved. And then there is the whole problem with Effy's psychiatrist who is obsessed with her. The finale didn't have to be nice and neat like season 2's finale, but this was embarrassing for a show that started out so brilliant.