"Effy" (Episode 1.08) (2024)

"Effy" is the eighth episode of Series 1.

This episode primarily focuses on Effy Stonem and her antics and how Tony's previous actions in "Michelle" end up putting Effy in jeopardy.

Plot^[1][]

Tony’s dad Jim says a prayer before he and his family start his birthday dinner. He thanks his daughter, Effy, for buying him the electric meat carver that he’s going to use to slice up the chicken, and goes into a long anecdote about his Auntie Mable and her low fitting tops. While their parents aren't looking, Effy and Tony jokingly throw potatoes at each other. Jim finally finishes his story with him asking Mable for thigh, as it was the only non-sexual body part he could think of. Tony argues that thighs can be sexy, irritating his father and evoking a sly smirk from Effy. When a rankled Jim asks what cut of the chicken everyone wants, Tony mockingly requests "a bit of thigh."

Later, the family tries to play a board game but it goes nowhere as Jim doesn’t understand the rules. Neither of the kids are particularly interested, so Tony’s mum suggests they don’t play. In her room, Effy sets fire to one of the game pieces with a lighter, melting it. She then takes the rest of the game downstairs to the living room, where her parents, watching television, bid her good night.

Instead of going back to bed, however, Effy sneaks out, dumping the dressing gown that was hiding her party clothes in a bin on the way out. Tony watches her go from the window in his room before ringing Chris to ask what everyone is doing tonight, quickly getting the impression that he’s not wanted. When Jim and Anthea come upstairs to check on Effy, he puts on one of her striped socks and hides under her comforter, fooling them into thinking she's in bed, asleep. Tony spends most of the night in his room, methodically calling and getting the cold shoulder from each of his friends.

On a bus in town, Effy burns one of the seats with a cigarette lighter and flirts with an old man on the other side of the bus while her talkative friend Julie rambles on about “lady juice” and orgies. The two girls arrive a building and are let in by a teenage security guard who seems excited to see Effy. They are led into a large warehouse area when dozens of kids are playing on the trolleys and lifting equipment. A guy named Spencer drives up on a forklift and immediately takes a liking to Effy. Spencer and Effy ride off on the forklift, leaving Julie behind.

Out in the town, Tony runs into Kenny the Big Issue seller. Kenny says he’s selling last week’s issue as people at this time of night are too drunk to notice. Unfortunately for Tony, not even Kenny wants to spend time with him. Tony leaves Kenny to it so he can get home to the wife quicker. Tony ends up sitting by the river, smoking a cigarette and unsure what to do next.

Back at the warehouse, Effy and Spencer and swinging from the ceiling on a rope and sharing a pill while they kiss. As the police arrive, everyone else runs off, leaving them hanging, literally.

Still by the river, Tony gets a call from the police station. Arriving at the station, he is greeted by the chirpy desk officer and explains that he’s here to pick up Elizabeth Stonem as she’s been arrested. The officer tells her that he’s just missed her as her brother has picked her up. Tony is her only brother, so the officer explains that she left with her boyfriend-pretending-to-be-her-brother. Tony spots Effy getting into a van as he leaves the station but before he can reach her he is attacked by someone and kicked to ground. He tries calling Effy’s phone, but she doesn’t answer.

At Chris’s place, he and Anwar are building a giant pyramid using sugar cubes, all the while being pelted with other cubes by Jal and Michelle as Sid sits watching the fish. Tony arrives, instantly making everyone uncomfortable, but Chris explains it’s for the Biology homework he mentioned. Tony tries to help with the pyramid, but ends up slipping and knocking it down. Michelle then almost starts an argument with Tony before he leaves, asking for a word with Sid as he goes. Sid goes to tell him to leave but finds him in the bathroom looking at his huge bruises from the kicking he got. He explains that Effy is missing, so Sif agrees to help him find her. As they walk down the street deciding on a plan, Sid sees Cassie down the street, but Tony sees nothing. Outside Sid’s house, Tony gets to work breaking into Sid’s dad’s car as it’s old and doesn’t have an alarm. They both get in and drive off to search for Effy.

Meanwhile, Effy is with Spencer in a field playing with fireworks. Some distance away as Michelle and Jal walk down the street chatting about Tony, Josh drives past asking if they want to come to a party with him. The conversation quickly changes to the pictures of Abigail on his phone, but he tells them that someone set him up. Michelle and Jal carry on down the street so Josh leaves without them.

Spencer, Effy and Julie arrive at the party, where Julie is immediately sick on the floor. Julie is taken to the bathroom with Spencer and Effy go off on their own again. Finding a dark room, they start kissing, but the light soon come on, revealing Josh stood with a golf club next to a snooker table, sport obviously not being one of his strong points. Josh and Spencer are friends, and have been expecting each other.

Back by the river, Tony and Sid still haven’t found Effy. Tony is sure that this isn’t a joke as Effy is cleverer that this. Sid sees Cassie again in the distance, but soon disappears. Tony has them look for Effy some more, even if they just search the same places twice. He then gets a call from Josh, who invites him to join Effy at his party. They set off to where Josh mentioned, but they find no one there.

At the real party, Spencer and Josh give Effy an injection of drugs. As it goes in, she says more in a few seconds than she has all night and then passes out.

Not knowing where to go next, Sid and Tony end up sitting on the car talking. Tony says Sid is useless, especially when comes to Michelle, who ended with Josh. He lets slip that he “sorted” Josh with the pictures of Abigail. Sid says it’s sick and is disgusted by him. Tony says that if he wants to hit him again, he should. Sid takes the opportunity, but ends up slapping him. He swings again but misses and gets one from Tony in return. Sid almost starts crying at the thought of having wanted to be like Tony, but now he knows that nothing can be worse than being Tony. Sid delivers a few home truths about Tony having no friends, no girlfriend and only his parents left as he drives everyone away. Not even Effy is talking to him now. Sid then gets back in the car to leave, as Tony turns around and sees Effy’s face on the nearby pillars, but they soon disappear. Sid drives off in his dad’s car, leaving Tony to find his own way home, but no sooner has he left, then a moped turns up. Assuming the driver is one of Josh’s friends, Tony gets on and they drive off.

At the diner, Sid tries to call Cassie, but just gets her answer phone. He leaves a message saying he wants to talk.

The moped rider delivers Tony to the party, where he rings Michelle, saying that Effy’s missing and he’s been taken to some party from a moped rider. Without asking for any help, Tony hangs up and goes inside.

Back at the diner, Sid is still waiting for Cassie to show up, and has made a smiley face out of the salt while he waits. He is suddenly surprised to find Cassie sat next to him. Cassie adds a tomato ketchup moustache to Sid’s salt face. She points out that he has a black eye from getting punched by Tony. Cassie asks if he wants to kiss her. He doesn’t say anything, but they kiss slowly. Unhappy with his performance, Sid asks if they can do it again, which they do, and properly this time just as Sid gets a call from Michelle. He answers, and is told that Michelle is worried about Tony, and asks him to check on him. Sid reluctantly agrees to go, much to Cassie’s disappointment. They part on bad terms again as Cassie destroys the salt face.

At the party, Tony is still looking for Effy as Sid drives to where the party is being held. After some searching, he finds Josh, Spencer and a few other lads by the snooker table. Josh points out an unconscious Effy in the corner, but Tony’s calls for someone to call an ambulance go unanswered. Spencer even smashes Tony’s phone he tries to ring for one himself. Josh says that they’ll phone for an ambulance as soon as Tony has sex with his unconscious sister. Josh reveals that this is his revenge for the pictures Tony put on his phone. Tony ends up getting beaten by Josh and thrown to the floor for the second time that night. Crying, Tony begs for forgiveness, which surprisingly, Josh grants. Some time later as Sid arrives, Tony walks half naked across the field with Effy in his arms.

Sid takes them both to hospital, where Effy remains unconscious with her parents by her side and Tony and Sid nearby. The doctor tells them that everything looks fine and she should make a full recovery. Tony’s parents blame him for this, even going so far as to assume he gave Effy the drugs. Tony tries to explain, but they don’t listen. Sid tries to calm things down, and manages to shut Jim up by saying he knows what he is. Sid takes Tony away to get a drink, which he burns himself on. They sit in the corridor with their drinks as Tony thanks Sid for his help and apologizes for everything he’s done. He says he only does what he does so everyone can have fun and he doesn’t mean to annoy them. Tony admits that that he was sacred tonight and really wanted Sid there by his side. Sid then takes Tony for breakfast. It’s 4am, but he has a craving for curry.

Music Featured in "Effy"^[2][]

Note: The music tracks listed below only refer to the music featured in the episode's initial airing. Many of the music tracks featured in this episode have been substituted for alternative tracks either for the BBC America airing or for both the US and UK home media release of Series 1.

Colleen – Your Heart Is So Loud
The Draytones - Keep Loving Me
Grizzly Bear - Knife
Wolf Eyes - Lake of Roaches
Mand Daso - Sheepdog
Wolf Eyes - Ancient Delay
Gescom - Fully
Barrington Levy - Under Me Sensi
Broadcast - Hammer Without A Master
Wolf Eyes - Lake Of Roaches
Skream - Angry
Skream - Colorful
Fat Segal - Subbass
Skream - Exclusive Mix
Gescom - Interchangeable World
Wolf Eyes - Burned Mind
David Edwards - Cafe Track
Pete Doherty And Wolfman - This Is For Lovers
Skream - Exclusive Mix
Wolf Eyes - Black Vomit
Mc Craft - Dragonfly
Micah P Hinson - Close Your Eyes

Unseen Skins: "Pop"[]

Main article: Unseen Skins#Series 1

Effy directly addresses the camera, talking of a girl, who for her whole life drank lemonade and became dependent upon it. Her parents appeased her, to the extent that they ignored her brother who was "a bit stupid". In order for her to rescue him from starvation, the girl drinks all the lemonade in her bowl, and breaks wind that it propels her to escape.

References[]