Review: Skins - Katie

The other half of the twins, Katie gets her bite at a solo episode. The show opens with her dressing older than she is, with a pearl necklace to round of her ageing outfit; she's helping her mother with her wedding planning business.

Katie receives some shocking news and without revealing what it is, she promptly dumps her boyfriend straight after. Looking for someone to talk to, she calls Emily, but it goes to voicemail. She then tries to speak to her mother, but she's too busy finding out that her husband has been hiding the true extent of their debt problems.

At the hen night, for the wedding her mother is planning, Katie meets the new girlfriend of the footballer she dated in the previous series. With literally a push, Katie ends up tripping and punching her, leading to the business being sacked by their only client.

Katie and Effy share a scene (Effy and Freddie were in the club where the hen night took place) talking about how differently things are for Katie now. I found it strange at how calm Katie was towards Effy. She was so angry at the girl in the club but barely bats an eyelid at Effy, who beat her with a rock last year. Katie doesn't even make reference to it and instead asks "why are you being nice to me?"

Katie spends the whole time trying to keep her family together, while trying to find someone to talk to about what she's dealing with. She's the one that goes to Naomi and asks for her family to stay over, after their home is repossessed. Despite slapping her sister, she comforts her after the truth comes out about Naomi.

I had issues with a couple of things; one being the Effy scene as I mentioned before and the other being Katie's scene with Thomas, when they get locked in a bathroom together. She does talk to him about what's been on her mind, but I don't feel that what lead up to it was necessary.

Katie finally tells her mother her news but also lets her feelings out about her mother and how she's been treating the rest of the family. In the last scene, her fragmented family come together in their empty house.

There is a real growth shown in the character. This episode shows us that there's more to Katie than just being a bitch. She's trying her best to keep everything together but I don't think we get to see and feel how upset she really is. I feel like the show just skimmed the surface and could have gone a little deeper. Like I mentioned in my review of Emily's episode, it was good to see them centred separately.

Next up: Freddie

(Photo from E4)