Cassie (Skins series 1)
"Cassie" is the second episode of series one of British teen drama Skins. It was written by Bryan Elsley and directed by Paul Gay.[1] It aired on E4 on 1 February 2007.[2] It is told from the point of view of main character Cassie Ainsworth.
| "Cassie" | |
|---|---|
| Skins episode | |
| Episode no. | Series 1 Episode 2 |
| Directed by | Paul Gay |
| Written by | Bryan Elsley |
| Original air date | 1 February 2007 |
| Guest appearance(s) | |
| |
Plot synopsis
Cassie wakes up at Michelle's after a wild house party where a food fight occurred. She realises from the calendar on the fridge that Michelle's mum is due to return home that day. When Cassie tries to warn a sleeping Michelle, Michelle subconsciously tells Cassie that she is "crazy" and that she "never eats anything". Cassie leaves and meets Michelle's mum and her new husband, Malcolm, outside. While Michelle's mum, Anna, tells Cassie she is looking better, Malcolm asks if she is on hunger strike. Anna then enters the house and is horrified by the mess, prompting a hasty evacuation from most of the remaining party-goers. Cassie gets onto a bus and finds the word "eat!" on a post-it note stuck to her back. At home, she lies to her sexually-stimulated parents about having had breakfast, and informs them that it is her last clinic day. She is then picked up by the clinic taxi driver, Allan, with whom she seems to have a close relationship. He promises not to tell that she has put weights in her underwear so she can fool the clinic into thinking she is eating. At the clinic, Cassie is discharged by Abigail's psychiatrist mother, Dr. Stock, and sent to her final group therapy. At group therapy, fellow patient Madison Twatter tells the group about a student named Sid Jenkins who got drugs on credit terms from him and never paid him back (the events of the previous episode). He is furious, and tells the group that he has Sid's student card.
In college, Cassie runs into Sid at the canteen, and they talk. She reveals to him how she is able to get away with hiding the fact that she is not eating, but he is not impressed with it, and protests. When she states that "no-one cares," he responds "I care." Tony turns up and immediately starts berating Sid for his laziness and dirtiness. Cassie, wanting to defend Sid, deliberately nudges a tray in order to spill Sid's Coca-Cola on Tony's trousers, making it look as though he's wet himself, which angers him enough to attack fellow student Posh Kenneth. Before he leaves, Cassie warns Sid about Mad and mentions he has his student card. Tony goes to the staff changing room to dry his trousers, and inadvertently runs into a completely naked Angie, who has just been showering. Angie chastises Tony about being in the female staff room, but makes no effort to cover her breasts until Sid turns up to mention that Mad Twatter knows where he is. Sid is quickly followed into the changing room by Chris, laughing at Tony's fight with Kenneth, only to panic and drag them out when he sees Angie is there. Later, Sid tells his friends and Angie about Mad having his student ID card, but no one seems able to help him. As Sid continues to worry about Mad, who gets a teaching position at the college, Cassie continues to get text messages saying "eat!". When these texts seem to coincide with Sid using his phone, she assumes he is sending the texts. When she confronts him over it, he denies it, and tells her that she has no messages on her phone.
Scared and confused, Cassie calls Allan. She tells him someone keeps telling her to eat, and he implies she is imagining the texts because she is mentally sending them to herself, because she wants to eat. Cassie gives in and eats a burger.
Main cast
Skins psychology
In this episode, Cassie is receiving messages from her mind in the form of hallucinations. She finds post-its and receives texts saying "eat!". This is the first time on Skins that the audience see something other than the "reality" of the show. This effect is possible as the episode is told from that character's point of view.
Arc significance and continuity
Cassie's home life
- Cassie's artist father is constantly having sex with her mother and painting her naked.
- Cassie helps to look after her baby brother while her parents have sex.
- Cassie avoids eating by cutting up food, while talking non-stop and distracting her parents or friends.
- Her parents are often too busy to pay her proper attention.
Series relevance
- It is revealed that Abigail's mum is a psychiatrist working in a private hospital and that Abigail takes pills for her mood swings.
- Viewers are introduced to Michelle's mum and her new husband, Malcolm.
- Michelle's parents are introduced, although they are not developed until her central episode. However, Malcolm's attitude is made clear, with him mocking Cassie's eating disorder and Sid stating that Tony had to ju-jitsu him when he came home.
- Cassie orders a burger at the end of this episode and takes one bite; however, it is unclear how much she eats or whether she finishes it.
- Mad Twatter obtains Sid's student ID card and is angry over the non-payment following the credit terms in the previous episode.
- Angie appears quite taken by Chris's attraction.
- This is the first episode to feature amateur grime artist and DJ Posh Kenneth, who uses a black accent to hide his Received Pronunciation (also known as "BBC") accent.
Soundtrack
- Cody by Mogwai
- Right Place, wrong Time by The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
- 3-3 by Summer Night Air
- The New Cobweb Summer by Lambchop
- Move Bitch by Ludacris
- Aht Uh Mi Hed by Shuggie Otis
- This Day by The Sleepy Jackson
- Atlantis by Donovan