There’s no messing about in London when we begin, as we pick up with Jacob and Cassie in Wales where they’ve gone to visit her dad and brother. The last time we saw the Ainsworth family they were so blissfully happy that they forgot to notice their daughter was imploding in front of their eyes, but here it’s Cassie who has to compensate for her father’s fractured state. Poor little Ruben has been coping with an emotionally absent father since his mother passed away, and all Cassie can do is get frustrated with her dad for checking out. It’s another case of adults on the show being useless, but here it feels more legitimate. As suggested by the promos, Cassie is approached by a modelling agency for some fashion work, and it’s the first time we’ve seen her truly happy. Contrasting with the impromptu night out with her flatmates in which she won’t even crack a smile, we start to see the old, carefree Cassie when she’s partying with her model friends. It’s a believable path for the character to take, and makes a lot of sense within the episode. We’ll never know whether she makes a huge success of herself, but I’m inclined to believe that her co-worker was right and that something great is just over the horizon. Out of all the characters over three generations of Skins, Cassie holds a special place in most fans’ hearts. That makes the fact that Skins Pure, as a complete 2-hour adventure, leaves you feeling so good amazing in a number of ways. It’s faithful to the character without being afraid to adapt her to an adult world, for one, and the happy ending here feels earned, rather than tacked on for the fans. Always reliant on others for a sense of belonging, now Cassie has stepped in and created her own family, taking in her little brother while her dad gets away for a while. It’s not the way I expected things to go, but that last “everything’s good” is wonderful. Read Caroline’s review of the previous episode, Skins Pure Part One, here. Please, if you can, buy our charity horror stories ebook, Den Of Eek!, raising money for Geeks Vs Cancer. Details here.
