The show is an adaptation of a very controversial and successful British series with the same name. Set in Baltimore, 'Skins' follows a motley crew of high schoolers, who, on the surface, seem like unlikely friends. In typical form for these kinds of shows, each member of the group is so different -- the crazy dopehead girl, the cheerleading lesbian, the socially awkward geek, the reluctant Muslim -- that usually you'd be hard-pressed to believe such divergent personalities would be able to converse in the same language, let alone pal around. But somehow 'Skins' convinces us that these kids care about each other. Watch a 'Skins' character video of after the jump [warning: sexual tones and strong language]:.
'Skins' is essentially a classic sex romp -- the characters pursue a good time with reckless abandon. They want sex, parties and drugs and they'll climb out windows, make wagers involving public nudity and steal cars to get them. Despite the familiarity of the John Hughesian plot elements, there is a freshness in the re-telling that comes from the lack of explanation about why these kids do what they do.
That's not to say there isn't plenty of backstory. Mental illness, death, and broken homes are all on the slate, but instead of being treated with the usual OMFG drama, these elements are fairly sedately revealed.
They are as inevitable as the weather (which also turns up in this show. It's not always a sunny day, and it's amazing how much of an impression a few snowflakes in the first scene make. You suddenly realize how rarely shows set in the north ever suffer through winter.) If anything, we learn less about the characters from the scenes of their home life than we do from the way they go after pleasure, and this is definitely not an after-school special. It's more like 'Kids.' Imagine watching 'Kids' once a week.
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