Skins "Fire"

Six years ago the first generation of E4's successful TV-series “Skins” has won the hearts of millions of viewers. The shockingly graphic tale of a clique of English teenagers continues six series and three generations later when Skins returns with a miniseries showing the young adult lives of three popular Skins characters - Effy, Cassie and Cook.

Two weeks ago the first part of Skins “Fire” aired on E4.

Effy Stonem is 21 now and shares a city apartment in London with her now best friend Naomi. Naomi and Emily are still together, but separated by local distance as Emily is in New York for a remunerative internship. Meanwhile Naomi dabbles to become a comedian and Effy works as a receptionist for a hedge fund company but struggles with her dead-end position.

With help from her friend Domenic, Effy manages to surprise her co-workers and impress her boss Jake, with whom she starts a relationship. While passion blazes between them, Naomi reveals a heavy burden. She has been diagnosed with cancer.

The typical “Skins” style and sound have both remained the same, although each episode seems to be adjusted to the respective character. Skins "Fire" is cool and distant in atmosphere it makes one feel nostalgically reminiscent of the teenage Effy Stonem. Although the characters and their issues have notably matured, they have kept their key traits. With Skins “Fire” director Charles Martin and writer Jess Brittain have created a true gem, portraying with brutal honesty the lives of troubled characters who have grown to our hearts but also older.