Michael Gray

“It’s numbers mate. Only numbers.”
– Alex

After last week’s very depressing end we’re introduced to a brand new character; Alex Henley.

Warning: Spoilers follow.

We wake up with Alex in his nautical themed room. He gets ready and makes breakfast for his memory challenged gran. She’s not afraid of saying anything offensive either but Alex takes it in his stride. The first hint of trouble arises when Alex’s dad calls in to prepare gran for a home. Something neither of which Alex or gran are keen for.

At the bus stop Alex fiddles with a die and reads a note with corresponding actions for each number. We can’t read the whole thing but there’s choices to streak, punch, kiss, wank, and run. But before he can roll the die the bus arrives.

It’s Alex’s first day at Roundview and after meeting Doug, now headmaster, and at his dad’s meddling he’s thrust into ICT along with the rest of the skins we’ve grown so attached to.

In the cafeteria Alex is sitting alone, tapping the die against the table. We see Grace’s portrait among some flowers. Alex then looks over at Liv and sees her pouring some hard alcohol into her coffee cup. Liv spots Alex staring at her and the two share smiles. Alex pulls out his card and we see for the first time all six actions:

1. Streak in a public place

2. Punch the next person to walk in

3. Kiss the person next to you

4. Do everything backwards

5. Have a wank. NOW!

6. Run away

I used to use an eraser myself as a mock magic eight ball, each side corresponding to a yes, no, or maybe. So not quite the same as Alex’s number system. Because here he means business. He rolls a 2. We see Nick and Alo walk in the door. But Alo is lucky first. Alex walks right up to him and punches him in the face. He quickly apologises and helps him to his feet. Alo is bewildered and Alex quickly walks out with everyone’s eyes on him, including Liv who smiles in astonishment.

Liv is having a falling out with Mini. The two are taking Grace’s death quite hard. Liv walks up to Alex and asks what his problem is. He looks at his die. “If you live by this, everything’s random”

He rolls a three and gives Liv a good smooch, until she slaps him in the face. Any normal girl would walk away at this point but she’s intrigued by Alex and the two walk together to Alex’s place. He introduces her to his gran. We learn more about gran’s husband who as it turns out was a sailor. Alex reads his grandfather’s travel diary as gran lies in bed.

Alex meets the gang in a bar, all sitting quietly and keeping to themselves.

Mini sums up my thoughts exactly. “We don’t need any new friends.”

But by this point I know I’ve started to like the character. I don’t see him as a replacement for Grace. He tries to learn more about her but everyone finds it offensive for him to be talking about her.

Liv goes off with Alex to a dingy warehouse with poker tables hidden out back. Alex wins the round against his final opponent, with a full house in fact. Alex is accused of cheating and the two settle it with another of Alex’s chance devices; the coin toss. Except as we soon find out, the coin is heads on both sides of the coin. The two manage to escape with the handfuls of cash. Liv looks like she madly wants to kiss Alex, but he’s blissfully unaware. He sends her off in a taxi and kisses her on the cheek, which again confuses Liv.

Alex pulls out his smart phone and loads an app called CruisR. The screen is littered with display pictures of guys. He selects the profile of a dude only 15 metres away. Next we see Alex in the throws of passion with… another guy. Suddenly it makes sense, that’s the reason he’s been coy about Liv’s advances. And I made that prediction about Liv potentially hooking up with Rich (too soon?), so that’s still up in the air now. Alex leaves the guy (a lot older than his pic showed to be) with a few criticisms, and tears up the cash on offer.

Liv and Alex break into a home, another one of the dice dares. They find a mess of a house and they tidy the place to freak out the owner. Liv advances on Alex but before Alex has time to explain the owner walks in the door, and the duo make their escape.

The two head to Alex’s home where they find his dad packing up gran’s things. Alex and his dad argue and Alex is left to pack up the rest. He doesn’t.

Everyone is hanging at the bar. Alex is growing closer to the group as Nick makes fun of his lists. A pretentious twat comes in and starts talking up a memorial service for Grace. There couldn’t be a worse faker out there and the gang is beyond peeved.

Mini has a fight with Liv and Liv takes off. Alex chases Liv to the bathroom and finally reveals to Liv that he’s gay. Liv takes this quite harshly, even Mini takes her side, and Alex runs away in shame.

Alex comes home to find his gran has overdosed on pills. Rather than be taken to a home, she decided to go her own way.

The service starts, and the gang heads along. While the twat and his accomplice begin a cringe worthy musical item, Liv gets so upset she trashes the keyboard and exposes herself to the crowd. The second part I don’t get myself. But it seemed to make sense to her at the time.

Alex tries to reconcile with Liv over the phone while waiting nearby.

Alex invites the group out for a cruise, where we discover he wants to send his gran out to sea for her burial. There the gang help him push the coffin into the sea. Alex says she can be their stand-in for Grace, as they weren’t allowed to attend the funeral (déjà vu anyone?). Alex recites his granddad’s diary one last time, and there are tears all around. I found myself rather swept up in the moment too. Mini and Liv are back on good terms. We hear in on a phone call from Franky to Matty. She tells him to never come back. Huh, and I thought she was nice again?

Alex rolls the die one more time: Run away. They jump into the sea. The last shot is of them diving for the die.

A little surprisingly Rich is nowhere to be seen in this episode. There is a moment where he is mentioned when Nick and Alo walk into the cafeteria. Blink and you’ll miss it. I guess it makes sense. His pain must be unbearable, and we witnessed most of it in the last episode. However I do hope we get to see him soon and how he’s coping.

I thought it would be a little strange to introduce a brand new character to a cast we’re already well acquainted with, but it turned out just fine. Great in fact. Alex is a fascinating new character, and as long as they don’t over-do the dice stuff, he should fit right in with the gang and hopefully ease their suffering as they grieve for Grace.

A month has passed since I set my goals for the year, and thanks to some nudging I’m going to share what progress I’ve made.

• Pass the Restricted Driver’s Licence Test.
  This goal carries on from last year (and loosely seven or so years). I gave up after the first try and for that I’m more ashamed than failing in the first place. Time to get behind the wheel, loosen up and just do it.

I’ve been practising throughout January. Even booked a bunch load of lessons with an AA instructor. Screw the money I’m gonna get this right! I’ve also had some drives with friends and family. I think I‘ve improved a lot, and to my surprise now I even feel comfortable in the driver’s seat. My test is next Friday, and hopefully I’ll have something positive to share that day.

• Go on a date.
  Whatever the type — Classic, Blind, Online, Speed… But I have to try, even if it is the scariest thing on this damn list.

I tried not to think about this one. And I’ll probably make excuse after excuse in order to avoid it. I’ll get there… one day.

• Remove all clutter.
  I started this last year but my progress dropped off a bit. Well, completely. To embrace living with less stuff, especially when most of it is just clutter, I want to make digital copies of things I can’t bear to part with, and force myself to chuck or donate the rest.

I haven’t really made much progress on this one. In fact I might have even more stuff than before! But I’m buying a camera to catalogue the old clutter so I can finally bin it. I’ve been better about keeping stuff in its home, and bought some nice new containers to do just that. Just don’t look in my closet or under the bed.
“A place for everything and everything in its place.”

• Buy a car.
  Once I have the licence things will get a lot easier (and more expensive) with a car. I won’t have to bike in drenched clothes and a heavy backpack just to get to the other side of town. Plus, the freedom. Oh the freedom. Between the hours of 5 and 10 of course.

I have some prospects regarding the acquisition of a vehicle. Stay tuned.

• Write a novel.
  Encouraged by Stephen King’s book On Writing, I’m actually rather excited to spend my time creating a world over many, many, many pages. My first draft will likely take me a good few months, and I will learn first hand whether or not I have what it takes to write full-length fiction.

So, I started a novel. I woke up at 5.30AM, turned on my laptop, and… not much came out. I wrote a few chapters over the next few days, but I wasn’t pleased with it. I may end up salvaging the ideas into a short story. A novel is a big project not to be taken lightly and it’ll have to be something I come back to.

• Write a film screenplay.
  Towards the end of 2011 I found myself falling into screenwriting. Like the novel, but of course not like the novel at all, it will push my skills to the very limits. And here’s to it being something other than your standard Hollywood fluff.

I never did get around to finishing my Buffy fan fiction, let alone starting a new screenplay. Like the novel it’s a big endeavour, and I feel that I just don’t have enough free time sans getting up at dawn and drooling on my keyboard.

• Publish a short stories collection.
  Hopefully with some more stories too by this stage, I will try my hand, and maybe even a foot, at digital publishing.

I wrote one short story and plan to write many more before the year is out. If you spot any errors, inconsistencies, or just plain bad grammar in any of my short stories, please let me know. That way I can write up some definitive versions for the collection!

• Flat with a friend.
  Thanks to last year’s goal I’ve moved out of home and I’m now flatting. But it’s a little lonely and I could do with a good friend or two to play Rock Band & Battleship.

I’m alone during the week now so I seemed to have made, negative progress? If that is a thing. In lieu of a new flatting situation I can always host more get-togethers.

• Finish the Oxfam Trailwalk.
  I’ve wanted to do this for years, and seeing as I’m now out of school and have an athletic bunch of friends to boot; this year, it’s time.

It’s on! We’re registered, been on a few walks, and gearing up for the training weekend. I’ve started walking everywhere instead of biking. Fundraising isn’t going so well yet, but I still have hope. Sponsor us please!

• Go clubbing.
  Me? Dancing? Fuhgeddaboudit! But a certain liquid must be consumed to at least entertain the possibility.

Done and dusted. The first goal off my list. I went along to a dance fundraiser with Graeme and some workmates. I ate nibbles, wore a glow stick, and heck, even danced. It may haven taken a few vodka mother’s, but I swayed. I nodded. My limbs actually made movement.

• Meditate daily.
  I’ve toyed with self improvement, zen, minimalism and all sorts. But I just can’t find the time to sit in the quiet, to relax and be one with the world. I want to make this a part of my daily routine, just like my exercise and writing.

Ethan’s been helping me with this one. I certainly feel better when I do it. I prefer the lying down approach. It’s gonna take some time to make it a habit, but like my daily exercises I’m sure I can make it work.

• CHANCE.
  This space is reserved because sometimes you just can’t plan your accomplishments. They end up finding you. And uh, I couldn’t think of a twelfth thing…

Not much to report here but I am going to see Switchfoot next month in Auckland. It’s not personal growth or anything, but hey, music and travel!

“Zurich? Like in space?” – Alo

Now that the “everyone” episode is dealt with we can finally get knee-deep into these characters. Any sexual metaphor there is completely coincidental. Ahem. This one focuses on Rich and if he’s not in every frame, he’s at least in the very next room.

Warning: Spoilers follow.

So last time we were left with Rich, he was barred from visiting Grace in hospital after “the” accident.

We open with the band; Alo on electric guitar and vocals, Rich on bass, and some girl we’ve never seen on the drums. It had a whole Scott Pilgrim vibe going on. Rich is barely into it, he is consumed by Grace.

He sits outside the hospital during visiting time as he’s not allowed in. His phone rings. It’s Grace. Rich almost lights two cigarettes in his excitement. But Grace is a little peeved he’s not trying hard enough to see her.

Rich enters the hospital, ripping down a poster with his mug shot denying his entry to the ward. This made me giggle, and tingly on the inside knowing he was trying his hardest to see Grace.

On his hands and knees he sneaks past the desk with at least a dozen more posters, only to be caught in the act by the nurse from last week. Not to mention Professor Blood who is not at all happy to see him. He tells Rich he’s taking Grace to Switzerland for better medical care.

With his tail between his legs Rich leaves, but in the corridor he scrambles up a ladder into the air ducts. This may seem extreme, almost spy-movie-like, but you saw Blood right? He’s bloody frightening (please forgive the pun). It was really his only remaining choice. Rich crashes through the ceiling into Grace’s room and the two begin to kindle their love. That is until Rich is caught and thrown out with his pants down.

Here we are at Rich’s home. One thing Skins isn’t too good at is characterising the parents. While the teens may be dramatized at times, the parents are on a whole other level of cartoon. Rich’s mum is over-protective and over-emotional, while the dad is spineless and unwilling to get involved. There’s a whole debacle about Rich’s mum wanting the three of them to go on holiday. Rich firmly refuses, and she is next seen in the back of an airport van, waving a tearful goodbye.

Rich bikes off to Grace’s house hoping to talk to Mr. Blood. But they’ve already left. Rich gets angry at his phone and hurls it into the garden. He throws things a lot in this episode. He climbs in through the open window. He hears an alarm clock radio playing “Walking on Sunshine”. In his anger he smashes it through the window, which had me in hysterics.  He finds a projector and plays a grainy coloured film reel of current-age Grace performing ballet. Hey, isn’t this 2012? What are they doing still using 8mm film?? There are a few clips of toddler-Grace, maybe the Blood family just have a thing for retro.

Alo finds Rich and the two take over the house, wearing the parents clothes, eating their food, and plain old trashing the place. I would’ve thought it a bad idea to make your girlfriend’s dad hate you even more than he already did, but Rich obviously wasn’t in the same mindset. They call the hospital in Switzerland, but Rich just gets an angry Blood on the other line. Rich tells Alo to leave him be, but instead of leaving Alo or “farm boy” invites Mini over for… well, a shag. Rich catches them in the act. He didn’t exactly have to be Sherlock Homes either, due to the sheer pitch of their love-making.

Rich receives a call from Grace that doesn’t last for long. He begs her to run away, to meet him in France. But she’s gone before he can get a response. Later he finds Alo has set up the band equipment downstairs. Rich is beyond reason, and after trashing Alo’s equipment the two give each other a lovely new complexion; red.

Rich leaves for lunch with Liv who is upset at not being told about Grace. After Rich shouts for emergency biscuits, outside they share a connection I had never thought about before. Possible romance down the line hmm? Franky turns up, less bitchy than in Morocco and even shows off her French.

The group arrive back at the house to find Alo packing his gear away, but also letting on that he had invited most of Facebook to a house party; David Blood’s house. Liv suggests they charge everyone on entry so they could fly off and get Grace back. There’s also a nice juicy exchange about Mini’s reason for being at the house. While it looked pretty obvious to us what was going on, everyone else hadn’t a clue. I guess the relationship between Alo and Mini really does defy expectations.

The house party commences. The band takes centre stage in Blood’s living room, and they’re good. The crowd is loving it. Then Rich spots Grace in the crowd. He leaves mid-song and chases after her. But she’s disappeared. Alo tells him he’s seeing things. The two embrace. Rich keeps looking for Grace and eventually finds her in her bedroom under the covers. She invites him in.

The next morning Rich wakes up in an empty bed. Everyone is gone, and the place is wrecked beyond imagination. He gets a call from Grace on his busted phone. She says that she has to leave. Rich is dumbfounded. He sees Professor Blood’s car and heads inside to see him sitting at the bottom of the staircase. He knows Rich is responsible for the state of his house but he’s not angry. He’s crying.

Now for the big twist. Blood tells Rich that Grace died yesterday in Switzerland. She had never woken up from the coma, her mind was gone, and he made the decision to pull her life support. Rich has been imagining the whole thing. Or was it something more? Grace communicating beyond the grave? We’ll never know. But it’s delightfully haunting and romantic.

I don’t know if you figured it out before the reveal, but there were a few hints that something was off. Firstly, how far away is Switzerland?! It seems taking flights in and out is as easy as hopping on through to the next town. Grace couldn’t have got back that quickly. I also noticed that when Grace was in bed her bruises were gone. Now those weren’t the sort of bruises to disappear overnight. But did I think something was off? Nope. I thought how nice it was for Grace to come back and see Rich. Just like Rich I had gone delusional, believing what I wanted to see. Blinded by my love for the character. Oh and that broken phone? It looked pretty trashed, perhaps it was only good for ghost calls?

Rich sits down next to Mr. Blood. Eventually, hesitantly, Rich puts his arm around him, and we cut to black. If there’s one thing Skins is good at it’s dealing with death.

And that my friends is Skins well and truly back. We have a new character next time so that should be fun. I will try my hardest not to think of him as Grace’s replacement, but it will be a little difficult. As much as we want to hate the writers for killing off our fictional buddies and tormenting the characters like Rich who still remain, it’s really for the best.

Rich and Grace’s relationship was really at its peak in Morocco on top the villa bathing in the sun. Where could you take them from there? Really? A spanner had to be thrown into the works. And would we have reached that emotional high without our characters first experiencing the same?