Skins

It's the first day of the new term at Roundview College and time to meet a brand new set of sixteen year olds. Best friends Freddie, JJ and Cook's world collides with Effy's when Cook pulls off a practical joke at the expense of Jim Stonem. Cook finds a reason to turn up at College – he's pursuing Effy. Freddie and JJ are equally smitten. Identical twin sisters Katie and Emily prepare for the start of their new 6th form life. Typically, Katie walks over Emily – stealing her outfit and using all the hot water. Katie's footballer boyfriend Danny drives them to College, giving Katie the entrance she's looking for. The Hair and Beauty Girls look on enviously. Effy and Katie clock one another immediately; they are the two most desirable girls there and they both know it. The new intake is herded into the main hall. Effy locks eyes with Freddie for a second time and smiles. Cook winds up the girl sitting next to him – Naomi, who knows the twins from school. She grasses him up, resulting in Cook being ordered to show his tattooed cock to the assembled crowd. At Cook's behest, JJ tries out a bunch of tricks on a deaf girl, Pixie. She's totally unimpressed and ends up kicking Cook in the balls. Freddie uses this opportunity to attempt chatting Effy up. She issues the three boys with a challenge – the first one to break all the rules set out by the College Director during assembly gets to 'know her'. Katie introduces herself (and Emily) to Effy and Pandora. Katie thinks they ought to sit together because they're the best looking girls. Effy tolerates her, intrigued by the dominant/submissive twins. Naomi passes – Katie tells Effy that Naomi tried to snog Emily at middle school. Naomi defends herself – Emily feels guilty. During form class, Effy stands up and tells everyone her Mum's having an affair. Cook wipes the floor with Freddie when he breaks most of the rules at once by setting Sid Jenkin's locker on fire. Effy honours the deal and shags him in the nurse's quarters.

It's Cook's 17th birthday. Half the college have been invited to his Uncle Keith's pub to witness a night Cook believes will go down in history. The girls get bored quickly and are about to leave when Freddie gets a phone call from his sister Karen. She's at her best friend Kayleigh's engagement party and wants drugs. The night takes a new turn… Cook gets the gang into the party by flirting with Kayleigh. This attracts the attention of her Dad, notorious local gangster Johnny White. The party is an incongruously timid affair. Cook leads the girls to the loos to neck Uncle Keith's birthday drugs, but Pandora goes first and swallows the lot. Cook assumes from the looks Kayleigh's been giving him that he's on a promise, so he sets off to score some more… Cook ignores Freddie's warnings about Johnny White and gets more drugs from Keith. Kayleigh tells him he's getting nothing from her until he impresses her. Cook rises to the challenge… he eclipses Johnny White's speech honouring his daughters' engagement by getting on the karaoke and performing a Barry Manilow classic just for her. White goes mental and the whole party tips over into a raucous brawl. The gang escape. Freddie's had enough and leaves, telling Cook he can't look after him any more. The girls leave too. Extremely horny and seriously pumped, Cook decides to go to a brothel and takes JJ with him. JJ's bricking it as they disappear into different rooms. To JJ's surprise, it turns out his hooker is a softie and a great kisser. But events are cut short by Cook bursting in. He's just heard John White climax through the paper thin walls. Cook confronts John White, only intending to photograph him in his S&M gear. But when White mentions Cook's Mum he goes mental and beats up White. Cook almost beats up JJ too – his rage frightens him and when John White vows to kill him, Cook is a little scared. As the sun comes up, Cook goes round to wake Freddie. He needs Freddie to stop him doing reckless things. Freddie forgives him but his patience is wearing thin. They part - friends, but only just. Cook strides off down the street, sporting John White's necklace, grinning triumphantly. A car backfires – Cook bricks it for a moment, but he feels alive…

Thomas arrives in the UK from Congo alone. His family are due to join him in a few days – he must find somewhere for them to live so he moves into an abandoned flat on an estate. He encounters hostile locals, but proves his worth when he takes down some kids who attack an Asian shopkeeper. He then meets Effy and Pandora, who he has to carry back to Effy's when she blacks out due to over-eating. Effy, Pandora and Thomas walk in on Anthea shagging Jim's boss, Steve. Johnny White turns out to be Thomas' new landlord. He terrorises Thomas, demanding a deposit from him in two days' time. Thomas has no money, and can't find work. He almost gets beaten up when he tries to join a queue of Eastern European labourers – one of them takes pity on him and sends him to a dodgy recruitment agency. During his interview at the agency we learn that he grew up in a small village. He is well educated and has excellent English. This makes no difference to the agency so he ends up working as a janitor at the Roundview College, where he meets JJ and finds Pandora playing the part of a gazelle in an improvisational dance class. Pandora and Thomas hit it off – she takes him to see her Aunt Elizabeth, who just happens to have a greenhouse full of weed. Thomas sees his opportunity to make the money he needs. He bags the weed with the help of Pandora. They begin to fall in love. Effy and Pandora enlist the help of our gang to help Thomas sell the weed at a big rave in a cave under Bristol. What they don't know is that it's Johnny White's party – when he sees Thomas and friends dealing weed at his party he goes after them. Thomas hides on stage, blending in with the mc's. The mic is passed to him and Thomas amazes everyone by mc'ing in French – the party goes mental and Johnny White is trampled in the crowd. White catches up with the gang outside. This is his chance for revenge on Cook and Thomas. He challenges Thomas to a chilli eating competition. Unfortunately for Johnny, Thomas grew up eating the strongest chillies in Africa. White shits his pants and loses his dignity – Thomas is the hero. Thomas kits out his flat and has a party to celebrate. Pandora lures him to the bedroom; they're about to consummate the relationship when the doorbell goes. It's Thomas' Mum, brother and sister. When Kasoke sees the carnage in the flat she sends Thomas back to Africa… Pandora is consoled by Aunt Elizabeth – she's lost the love of her life.

The first and only boy Pandora's ever fancied has been deported before she's got beyond first base. But her lovesickness has to take a backseat when the Jim/Anthea/Steve love triangle is blown open. Pandora persuades Effy to come to her pyjama party sleepover, even though all Effy wants to do is get fucked up. Pandora confesses she needs the girls' advice on sex matters – she needs to know how to do it before Thomas returns. Pandora's double act with her Mum makes Effy's mood even worse. Relief comes in the unexpected form of Katie, who teams up with Effy to cause mischief (Emily and Naomi also come). They run rings round Pandora's mum and soon Evian is vodka and cakes are MDMA filled. The party escalates; Pandora's mum gets wasted and blacks out. The girls' deception upsets Pandora, who lashes out at Effy's selfishness and locks herself in the bathroom. Meanwhile, fuelled by the idea of girls getting naked and intimate, Cook and JJ try to get inside the house (or at least get a look). When Cook goes solo, JJ phones Freddie for back up. Cook gets into the house, but ends up locked in Angela's wardrobe. The party begins to get out of control when Danny Guilermo and the Bristol Rovers team turn up uninvited. The house is trashed. Upstairs, Effy finds Cook in the wardrobe and gets inside with him for some mindless sex. The back of the wardrobe collapses and they both end up in the house next door's bedroom, complete with satin sheets, handcuffs and a home made sex tape featuring Angela and her neighbour. Freddie turns up and rescues JJ from the carnage. Once the party is over, Pandora emerges from the bathroom and finds Cook downstairs – he's the last man standing. They play twister; Pandora feels happy again. When Cook offers to teach her how to do sex, Pandora agrees and loses her virginity to Cook. Guilty Effy goes back to Pandora's the next morning to apologise and catches Cook leaving. She confronts Pandora, who tells Effy there's a lot she doesn't know about her. Effy does the decent thing and keep Pandora's Mum's secret to herself. Nevertheless, the dynamic of the girls' friendship has shifted for good. Thomas then reappears. The two lovebirds are reconciled. But Pandora's got a guilty secret.

Freddie's the black sheep of his family. His big sister Karen's reached the final of a TV talent show to find a new member of girl group Da Sexxbombz. Freddie despises her lust for celebrity but is emotionally blackmailed into upholding the story she and her Dad are spinning about their dead mother, all to look good in front of the cameras and increase her chances of success. On top of this, living in the shadow of the increasingly reckless Cook is becoming too much to bear. He's supposed to be Freddie's best friend, but he constantly undermines him and is casually fucking the girl he fancies. When Effy turns up at his shed, Freddie doesn't know what to do with himself. There's a connection between them – this is shattered when Cook and JJ arrive. Cook acts a little proprietarily with Effy, prompting her to inform him that they're never having sex again (pick up from ep 4). Cook banishes Effy from the shed and challenges Freddie to 'stir his porridge' if he thinks he's up to the challenge. Freddie chooses to sit next to Effy instead of Cook and JJ at College the next day. Cook finds this amusing. Effy slyly makes physical contact with Freddie. Naomi picks up on the chemistry between Effy and Freddie. Afterwards, Cook prevents him from following Effy. Freddie tries to switch everything off by skating, but it isn't working for him any more. Freddie then tries to sabotage Karen's Sexxbombz VT, further damaging his relationship with his family. JJ visits Freddie on a peacekeeping mission from Cook. Freddie reacts badly to this, sending him to Effy's. He walks in on Anthea chucking Jim out of the house and makes a badly-executed play for Effy. When she rejects him, Freddie feels a complete failure. Things go from bad to worse the next day when Freddie finds his beloved shed has been transformed into a rehearsal space for Karen. Freddie vents his frustration at Leo, who insists he did it for Freddie's own good. Defeated, Freddie goes to Uncle Keith's pub quiz with JJ and Cook. He half-heartedly tries to have a good time with his 'friends', but this is shattered by Effy's entrance. When JJ accidentally reveals that Cook once slept with Karen, Freddie receives another blow. He tries to drink it away but only succeeds in being sick outside the pub. Drunken Freddie returns home that night to find Karen practicing in the shed. He launches into a vicious attack on her character, using the information about Cook. Leo comes to Karen's rescue; Freddie attacks him too. Leo punches Freddie and tells him what a disappointment he is. Next day, Freddie is resolved to act. He rejects his board and his weed. Finding Effy alone on a boating lake, he swims out and kisses her. The kiss blows them both away. Freddie swims away, telling Effy she knows how he feels about her now. Freddie turns up at the talent show to support Karen. Leo appreciates this. Despite himself, Freddie feels proud of his sister. Karen's success looks like a sure thing. Karen loses the Sexxbombz final. Freddie helps support her and Leo. Cook and JJ turn up – Cook reveals that Karen lost because everyone in the pub voted against her (orchestrated by Cook). He justifies this by saying its revenge for taking their shed. Leo leaves it to Freddie to deal with the situation. Freddie, now totally sick of Cook and empowered by his kiss with Effy, head butts Cook and sends him flying. Cook kisses Freddie and tells him he loves him (as per ep2). When Freddie doesn't react, Cook understands the friendship is over. He leaves with a heartbroken JJ. Freddie doesn't feel as good as he thought he would. Freddie returns to Effy. To his shock, she's with Cook and won't see him. Freddie is devastated.

Naomi thinks she's got her world worked out. She's controlling Emily's affections by keeping her at arms length, enjoying the flattering attention of her inspiring politics teacher Keiran, and dismissing Cook as a misogynist pig. She can also see what a joke her mum is and scoffs at her pathetic, hippy ways. But Naomi's super smart exterior hides the insecurities beneath, and when the student president elections are announced, it stirs her into questioning what she really wants. She snubs Emily's words of encouragement, is furious when Cook enters the race but falls for Kieran's flattery. Emily tries once more to persuade Naomi to sign up by visiting her at home. She stands up to Naomi when she's spiky and dismissive, and succeeds in getting Naomi to let her guard down for the first time. They end up getting drunk together and Emily stays the night. Next morning, Naomi catches herself looking at Emily in a new light and is resolved to enter the election. With Emily as her aide, Naomi goes into competition with Cook, both candidates wishing to vanquish the other. Naomi's growing in strength and confidence until the moment when Cook humiliates her in front of the whole college, undermining her politics and broadcasting Emily as her girlfriend. Naomi's destroyed. She runs to Kieran for support and he makes a pass at her. She freaks out. She calls Emily to ask her to take her away from it all. Naomi takes comfort in Emily and the freedom of the countryside. She plucks up the courage to kiss Emily. It's beautiful, honest, and truthful and they make love. But scared and confused the next morning, Naomi ruins it all by abandoning Emily. At presidential hustings, Emily is crushed by Naomi's election speech – it's an expression of uncertainty that Emily takes to be indicative of her feelings towards her. Naomi witnesses the votes being fixed by the College Director who's determined to stop Cook from winning. Naomi is named president but she exposes the corruption and hands the title to the rightful winner. Together they incite a riot against the injustice and the whole college rebels. As the riot continues, Naomi seeks out Cook. Truth is, there's always been magnetism between them and now she wants to kiss him, to see if this will help her understand her feelings. They get it on, but strangely there's no spark. Naomi starts to see that her true feelings are for Emily. Cook and Naomi part with a new found respect for each other. Naomi resolves her relationship with her mum and even gives her approval to her getting together with Kieran. Naomi seeks out Emily and tells her how she really feels. How to resolve what this new love means eludes them, but they take momentary comfort in being reunited.

Poor JJ. Everything's gone pear-shaped since Effy came between his two best friends and split apart his friendship group. He furiously attempted to map out the problem in an epic flow chart but it maddened him and he trashed his bedroom. A visit to the psychiatric clinic doesn't help – Dr Kelly just upped his medication. But it does yield a chance meeting with Emily. Fuelled by a shared desire to emotionally assert what they want from their friends, they set off to Freddie's. To their surprise and Karen's glee, JJ and Emily walk in on Freddie and Katie, and out this new relationship. But it's Katie who gets the biggest shock when JJ lets slip that Emily's come out, especially when she gave Katie her word that she wasn't gay. Furious Freddie marches JJ to the shed and gives JJ an ultimatum. He's not going to make up with Cook, so JJ'll have to choose. JJ returns home to find his mum crashed out amongst a sea of paperwork, all pertaining to a lifetime of coping with her son's mild form of autism. JJ finds his bedroom immaculately tidied up with his tea laid out on a tray for him and when his alarm goes off to remind him to take his pills, it's the last straw. He reacts to the forces controlling him by popping his assortment of pills out onto his bed. When Cook phones to remind JJ of their going out plans, JJ tries to assert himself to Cook but gets denied the chance. Cook doesn't ring off properly and JJ overhears Cook disrespecting his 'nutty' friend to the girl he's sexing. Assuming he's with Effy, JJ sets off to the Stonem house to give them both what for. But Effy's all alone and hasn't seen Cook for days. JJ sees what a nihilistic and broken state Effy's in and ends up having a heart to heart with her. He tells her he loves her. Effy tells JJ she can't walk away from Freddie and Cook, but she would like to be his friend. On his way to Cook's, JJ meets Thomas who is full of excitement about the club night he's promoting and tells JJ he plans to propose to Pandora. When JJ arrives at Cook's Hall of Residence and catches Pandora skulking away from Cook's door, he puts two and two together and works out Pandora's been two timing Thomas. Cook boasts but will not let on who his latest fuck buddy is, unaware that JJ knows. Cook refuses to make up with Freddie but when JJ freaks out, he kisses him, to show how much he loves him. Together they go off to score. JJ narrowly escapes getting into serious trouble when the drug deal is busted and sees the worst of Cook – careless, insincere and selfish. He's pissed JJ off, so to get even, JJ offers Cook a cocktail of his prescription pills and pretends he's taken his already. They head off to the club. In the queue, Effy senses Naomi's harbouring feelings for Emily, just as Naomi can read Effy's true feelings for Freddie by the way she reacts to him showing up with Katie on his arm. For the first time Katie resists sniping at Naomi, to Naomi's surprise. Inside, the gang discover Emily dancing with reckless abandon on the dancefloor. Cook goes to join her before Katie drags her away to raise hell. Drugged up and delirious, Cook reveals to Thomas, JJ and Freddie his secret sexual liaison with Pandora, and then passes out. He's saved by Freddie and tells him he knows it's Freddie who Effy really loves. JJ comes clean about giving Freddie the drugs and even though Freddie's furious with him and JJ hasn't entirely chosen sides their friendship is intact. JJ finds Emily alone at the end of the night. Katie furiously berated her for her reckless behaviour and she wants to keep out of her way so JJ invites her to stay the night with him. In his bedroom, Emily studies the flow chart and the complexity of the problem JJ is trying to solve. JJ bravely fronts up to what he wants when Emily invites JJ to take off his pyjamas and join her under the covers… Next morning at breakfast, JJ introduces his mum to his new friend Emily. Cecilia glows with happiness at the sight of her happy son.

Effy's lost her mojo. Mindless sex with Cook no longer satisfies her and things in the Stonem household are becoming intolerable. She resolves to confront her feelings for Freddie but finds him ensconced with Katie. Katie relishes the power she gets being Freddie's girlfriend and puts Effy in her place by inviting her to the party she's organised in the woods only so they can make the most of her car and telling her that Cook is not welcome. Effy sees what a mess she's in and is sickened. She jilts Cook in favour of the group. In the car, lots of tensions bubble under the surface. Lost, they pull into a petrol station to get directions, where they meet armed poachers whose peculiar behaviour freaks the group out, especially Katie who panics when one starts perving over her. They bolt, but the poachers give chase, creating terror amongst the gang. They manage to get away. Freddie's pisstake of the poachers' spooky warning to 'beware the moon' works to lighten the mood. Freddie and Effy share a smile. Led by Queen Bee Katie, they head into the woods, all making lots of efforts to get on, despite the underlying tensions. Pandora apologises to Effy for being a crap friend and an intimacy is rekindled but her brightness is really a front for the guilty secret she is keeping. Katie is over the moon to get Effy's respect for the impressive party she's created but still relishes the chance to belittle her. The tides turn when Effy discovers magic mushrooms growing in the woods and the group except Katie are all keen to take some. As the gang start tripping, Katie gets more and more wound up by Freddie and Effy's flirting and corners Effy, warning her to keep her hands off. They hear gun shots and are convinced it's the poachers out to get them. They discover their bags have been moved. Pumped and terrified they manically destroy all Katie's party decorations to make themselves inconspicuous but the aggressor comes hurtling towards them. Effy runs towards the figure and smacks him over the head with a tree branch. Then she faints. The aggressor turns out to Cook, playing a joke on them for leaving him out. He lets all the secrets out of the bag – that Effy dumped him because she wants Freddie, that he's been secretly shagging Pandora. JJ tells Cook he should go because no one likes him. Thomas refuses to rise to Cook's bait but shows his disappointment to Pandora and she is destroyed. She gives Cook a bloody nose. Confused and high, Effy stumbles into the woods. Effy is ambushed by Katie. In her trippy state, Effy instinctively defends herself when Katie attacks her and unintentionally ends up knocking Katie out. She is distracted by Freddie calling her name, and goes to him. The lovers are finally united in a haze of drugs and love, and consummate the relationship on the forest floor. Next morning, Effy emerges from the woods with Freddie and the gang realise Katie is missing. A search party goes into the woods – no joy. Feeling frightened and confused, Effy drives the group home. She suddenly gets out to make a phone call, anonymously reporting Katie's accident to the police. Back home, Anthea tends to her daughter but Effy is in turmoil and goes to the hospital to find out what's happened to Katie. Freddie and Pandora refuse to listen to her side of the story. Effy panics when she sees the police swarming around Katie. Cook appears and offers her the chance to leave town with him. Effy must weigh up whether to do the right thing and apologise for her part in the crime, or run away. She leaves with Cook - two bad apples reunited in rejection.

Katie is too humiliated from the incident in the woods to leave the house. Lucky she's got Emily to bail her out. Emily pulls off her Katie disguise to all but Naomi when she does her sister's exam in place of her. Fuelled by the sexual tension between them, they bunk off for a bunk up and in the rosy afterglow, Emily asks Naomi to be her Princess Charming and take her to college ball. Naomi bursts Emily's fairytale bubble by telling Emily she's not ready to come out in public. Emily is crushed. She turns up late for dinner and Katie smirks when her mum, dad and brother assume she's been up to no good with a new boyfriend. Emily finally bites the bullet and announces she's gay. She is infuriated when her parents don't take her seriously and Katie fails to support her and Emily storms off. But later, Emily is moved by Katie's tears (she wakes in the night to the sound of Katie sobbing) and supports Katie's plan for them to escort each other to the ball. Out shopping for ball dresses, they meet JJ and Freddie. Katie tells a sheepish Freddie that by taking her to the ball and helping her save face at college, he can make it up to her. Assuming Katie knows, Freddie says how happy JJ will be to be coupled with Emily, after their recent sexual liason, and Katie pretends to know all about it to get the full story out of Freddie. Katie uses Emily's phone to scheme a meeting with Naomi at which she reveals Emily's secret. As they get ready for the ball in matching dresses chosen by Katie (another attempt to suppress Emily's individuality) Emily is oblivious to Katie's evil scheming. Things come to a head at the ball when Katie's thunder is stolen by Naomi's grand entrance. Katie tries to get rid of Naomi but Naomi tells Katie it was her own spite that made her squealed on her sister and Katie says she wanted to hurt Emily for the trouble she's caused, which Emily overhears. All hell breaks loose. Emily and Katie fight like dogs until there's no fur left to fly and Katie's finally ready to hear what Emily's got to say. Katie finds her voice under the mirror ball and fearlessly asks for what she wants. And a be-dazzled Naomi willingly lets Emily lead her away from the carnage. Katie sees the mettle Emily's made of, and is finally able to let her sister go.

Outlaws Cook and Effy are running wild, clinging to each other and blocking out the rest of the world by getting totally off their faces. They arrive in Nowheresville, where Cook's dad lives – he believes that this is the place to have Effy all to himself. Cook is nervous about seeing his Dad again and Effy glimpses his vulnerable side. But when Cook senior parades his 'prodigal son' to all at the local pub, Cook bursts with pride. Effy feels uncomfortable about the prospects of this place. Especially when Cook senior gropes her under the table. Cook gets into a fight with Donny over Effy at the club. With wounded Cook tucked up in bed, Cook senior makes his move on Effy, which freaks her out as she realises her world is closing in. She phones Freddie to come and rescue Cook, and takes shelter at Donny's. Back in Bristol, doing boring summer jobs, JJ gets fed up with Freddie for hiding his mourning of Cook and Effy under a cloud of weed smoke and inertia. He has a chance meeting with Anthea who confesses how much she is missing Effy. It gives JJ the gumption to tell Freddie he must act and at the same moment, Freddie gets a phone call from Effy. She tells him Cook needs him, and she loves him. Finally Freddie realises what he must do. Cook Senior hates Donald, the pub landlord but owes him money and with the annual event of the village solstice steeplechase on the horizon, Cook senior enlists his son to clear his debt. If his son beats Donny (the reigning champion), Donald will wipe his debt. Donald raises the stakes: if Donny wins, Donald gets Cook's snr's houseboat and he is forced to leave the village for good. Cook idolises his Dad and will do anything to protect the family honour, plus he hates Donny for moving in on Effy. Cook shakes on it before Cook snr has time to argue. This worries Cook senior. Cook is nonplussed to find Freddie and JJ in Nowheresville. Cook challenges Freddie to settle the dispute over Effy by entering the race. JJ is sick of being permanently overlooked and enters himself for good measure. Freddie is disqualified when he drops his Granny, and in a Derby finish, it's JJ who against the odds, wins the race. Cook blames JJ for him losing everything. JJ retaliates, ordering them all down to the cellar where he insists Effy chooses between Freddie and Cook. Cook is crushed when her eyes flick to Freddie and leaves but not before dealing a final blow: the right to Effy was decided by a race. Effy is furious but can't stop herself passionately kissing Freddie. They spend the night together. Cook goes back to his Dad's boat and catches him trying to escape. Cook senior refuses to take him with him and blames him for fucking everything up. Cook fights back by stealing the boat keys. Freddie arrives to find Cook snr with a flare to Cook's head so he cracks him over the head with a wrench. With Cook senior passed out, Freddie and Cook have a heart to heart but Cook refuses to give his blessing to Freddie being with Effy because he loves her too. They are equally relieved when JJ reappears with Effy and reassures them Cook Senior is not dead, just out for the count. Effy gives out final kisses to all three of them, and the equality between Freddie and Cook is palpable. Donny and his goons appear on the riverbanks clamouring for revenge but JJ manages to get the motor running just in time to escape. They all shit themselves when Cook snr resurfaces but Cook seals himself as the only Cook by pushing his selfish father overboard. JJ takes the wheel and they head for home. Freddie, Effy and Cook's eyes lock in a hopeless unsolvable love triangle, bound by their love for one another. Oh god, what are they going to do now?