"JJ" | |
---|---|
Skins episode | |
JJ tricks Cook into taking his prescription drugs.
|
|
Episode no. | Season 3 Episode 7 |
Directed by | Charles Martin |
Written by | Bryan Elsley |
Original air date | 5 March 2009 |
Guest appearance(s) | |
|
|
"JJ" is the seventh episode of the third series of the British teen drama Skins, which first aired on 5 March 2009 on E4 in both Ireland and the United Kingdom. The episode was written by the series' co-creator, Bryan Elsley, and was directed by Charles Martin. The episode focuses on the character of JJ Jones (Ollie Barbieri), who has Asperger syndrome, and his confusion about his life and his desire to be normal. He strikes up a friendship with Emily Fitch (Kathryn Prescott) and attempts to solve the dispute between his friends James Cook (Jack O'Connell) and Freddie Mclair (Luke Pasqualino) over their shared love interest, Effy Stonem (Kaya Scodelario).
"JJ" was filmed in November 2008. Barbieri undertook various measures to get into his character's mindset, including research, creating part of the set himself, and later destroying it. The episode featured numerous cameo appearances by the series' crew members. "JJ" drew just under one million viewers on its first broadcast and was E4's highest-rated programme of the week. It was received generally well by critics, though the writers' decision for Emily to have sex with JJ drew criticism from the lesbian community.
JJ visits his psychiatrist, Dr Felly (Paul Ridley), seeking help for his recent bouts of rage and his confusion about his life and friends. Dr Felly has poor advice for JJ and prescribes him more drugs to calm him down. As he is leaving, he meets Emily, who came to the clinic to receive counselling in being more honest, but was simply prescribed the same drugs as JJ. She comes out to him and he shares with her his longing to be "normal" for a day so that he could lose his virginity and reunite Freddie and Cook. She advises him to just ask for the things he wants, so they visit Freddie to tell him to make up with Cook. At Freddie's house, though, they walk in on Freddie having sex with Emily's twin sister, Katie (Megan Prescott), and JJ accidentally outs Emily as a lesbian, leaving Katie looking visibly shaken. JJ asks Freddie to make up with Cook, but Freddie refuses and tells JJ to choose between him and Cook.