Cassie Ainsworth

Infobox Skins character | colour = #cccfff
name = Cassandra Ainsworth


caption = Hannah Murray as Cassie
portrayer = Hannah Murray
creator = Bryan Elsley and Jamie Brittain
gender = Female
first = "Tony"
last =
cause=
centric= "Cassie"
born = 1990
death =
episode =
age = 17
occupation = Student
title =
family = Marcus (father)
Margeritte (mother)
Reuben (brother)
spouse = Simon (ex-boyfriend)
Sid Jenkins (current boyfriend)
children =
relatives =
footnotes =

Cassandra "Cassie" Ainsworth is a fictional character in the television series "Skins". She is played by Hannah Murray.

Characterisation

Cassie is portrayed as a very complex character. She appears to suffer from anorexia nervosa, bulimia, self harm, drug addiction and low self esteem. [ [http://www.channel4.com/entertainment/tv/microsites/S/skins/gang.html Channel 4 - Skins - Us] ] Her entire self worth is dependent on her weight, in one episode saying "I didn't eat for three days... so I could be lovely."cite episode
title = Sid | episodelink = Sid (Skins episode) | series = Skins | serieslink = Skins (TV series) | station = E4] In the pilot, "Tony" she also displays obsessive-compulsive tendencies in her need to sort food, and is described as having "an interesting relationship with food". She has been in rehab several times, once after attempting suicide over Sid Jenkins' initial indifference towards her. Her parents are oblivious to her problems, which contributes to her loneliness and isolation.

For all of her neuroses, however, she is a very compassionate, loving person. In her Myspace-style "about me" section of the "Skins" website [http://www.channel4.com/entertainment/tv/microsites/S/skins/cassie.html Channel 4 - Skins - Us - Cassie] ] she goes into detail in describing how much she loves her baby brother Reuben. She will even react positively to bad news so as not to offend. While often ridiculed as ditzy, she is more intelligent than she acts. [ [http://www.channel4.com/entertainment/tv/microsites/S/skins/jal.html Channel 4 - Skins - Us - Jal] ]

Her favourite bands are The Cure and Death Cab For Cutie.

Character history

In "Tony", she comes out of rehab for her eating disorders - and, as hinted by the "Unseen Skins" episode "I Mostly Do" - drug addiction. Later on, her friend Michelle Richardson convinces her to have sex with Sid Jenkins so he can lose his virginity. In "Cassie", it becomes apparent she has developed romantic feelings for Sid and begins to show signs of psychosis when various messages appear, seemingly instructing her with the sentence "EAT!" - she receives the signs by text message, on a post-it note, and even in an arrangement of food on a plate. Furthermore, she is convinced that Sid is sending the messages, only to be crushed and humiliated when she discovers that he is preoccupied with his own problems and did not send them at all.

She displays cunning techniques to distract attention from her eating disorder, making her parents believe she has eaten by talking animatedly during meals and deceiving her rehabilitation center by carrying weights. Her kindly rehab driver, Alan, is eventually able to convince her that she needs to eat, but it is possible, given Cassie's state of mind in the episode, that the scene is in fact a psychotic episode. In "Chris", she asks Sid on a date, only for him to later cancel in "Sid" by informing her he's been grounded by his parents, only to sneak out of the house to join Michelle and Chris Miles in secret. Distraught, Cassie takes an overdose of pills combined with vodka, and ends up in hospital. Jal runs to her side and places the blame squarely with Sid.

In "Michelle", Sid and Michelle go to visit Cassie, who is back in rehab. Sid apologizes for instigating her suicide attempt and confesses he'd like another chance with her, but she reveals she is now going out with fellow patient Simon, who suffers from many of the same problems. Throughout "Effy", Sid catches glimpses of Cassie during his conversations with Tony. Sid texts her asking to meet him in a nearby café and not long after she arrives, the two kiss. Unfortunately, Sid gets a frantic phone call from Michelle about Tony; he is forced to leave Cassie once more to help save Tony and Effy from Josh Stock's scheme.

Much of the series finalé revolves around the storyline between her and Sid. Cassie reveals to her friend in rehab she is moving to Elgin in Scotland the following day, before this she decides to travel around Bristol one last day before she goes. The true reason however is to bid Sid farewell, and she writes a letter at the beginning of the episode to Sid asking him not to contact her due to the events in "Effy", and places it on a pillow in his bedroom. Cassie, later in the episode is spotted by Tony, who tells her that Sid is looking for her. Cassie tells Tony she's leaving for Scotland the next day and asks him to tell Sid goodbye for her. Tony refuses, but having been in Sid's room earlier, manages to give Sid's letter to Cassie and Cassie's letter to Sid. In the closing scenes of the first series, Sid finds her on a bench overlooking Bristol, where the two sit and hold hands.

In the "Lost Weeks", we discover that Cassie has moved to Elgin, Scotland, but is in a long-distance relationship with Sid. Sid also confirms that the two have had sex in a message he records for a comatose Tony and by keeping a large picture of a naked Cassie above his bed.

In the second series episode "Maxxie and Tony", Cassie sends Sid a postcard and a video in which she introduces two of her new friends, Rory and Lachlan, who make suggestive remarks that provoke Sid's jealousy. Cassie shows Sid how she can do a Scottish jig, which Sid later does at the party while hallucinating under the influence of drugs. Cassie also sends Sid an LSD tab, showing that she may not have completely given up drugs.

In "Sid ", her relationship with Sid begins to fall apart as Sid grows increasingly frustrated with their long-distance relationship. When Sid tries to get her to use the webcam on her computer so they can talk, Cassie tells him she doesn't know how. She unknowingly turns it on anyway, and Sid watches as she sits on a bed in her underwear with Lachlan before quickly turning off his computer. The incident leads Sid to believe that Cassie is cheating on him, not realising that Lachlan and Rory are actually gay partners who were helping her pick out lingerie to surprise Sid.

Later, Cassie learns to operate her webcam and answers Sid's online call, only to be accused by Sid of cheating on him. When Cassie tries to explain the true nature of the situation, Sid cuts her off and tells her that he doesn't trust her. Deeply hurt by this, Cassie ends the conversation by logging off. Sid responds by angrily destroying his computer.

After Sid's father dies suddenly, he is seen on train, presumably headed to Scotland to visit Cassie. At the same time, Cassie is seen taking a train in the opposite direction, presumably to visit Sid in Bristol.

In "Michelle," an emotional Sid -- still believing that Cassie cheated on him -- has sex with Michelle while on a camping trip. Upon their return, Sid and Michelle go up his bedroom to have sex again, kissing and removing each other's clothing. They fail to notice that Cassie has been sitting on the bed the entire time until she speaks up, stunning Sid.

In "Chris", Cassie moves into Chris's flat because she has left her family and has no place to go. She's greeted warmly by her friends at a club, but when she sees Sid and Michelle together, she slaps Sid across the face, telling him he can't do whatever he wants even though his father is dead. From that point on, Cassie is seen engaging in self-destructive behavior and having casual sexual encounters with strangers, including one unknown girl whom Cassie kisses between snorting lines of cocaine. After overhearing a phone conversation between Chris and their career adviser -- where Chris explains that he still may have feelings for Angie -- Cassie bitterly tells Jal that Chris has seen Angie, and implies that he will cheat on her, which leads to the couple breaking up temporarily. Chris loses the flat, leaving him and Cassie homeless again. While sitting outside, Cassie apologizes to Chris for getting him fired from his job and contributing to his break-up with Jal, but tells him that a broken heart will make you "lay waste to the world, and everything in it."

In "Tony", she appears in the club, but has come alone. She talks to Tony and suggests to him that, since Sid and Michelle have hooked up, he and she should go out. They talk through their date but Tony stops it when he tells her that he cannot get an erection. Later she is seen kissing a random guy with Sid looking on enviously. In an Unseen Skins titled "Dark Dates" we learn that Cassie has now moved in with Chris in the house Angie has bought for him. In the clip she is seen pretending to be on a date, all the while lonely.

Effy visits Cassie to "pick up", in series two's "Effy" episode. Learning that Cassie has developed a habit of promiscuity in the wake of her breakup with Sid, indiscriminately bedding a number of different men and women, Effy bargains with Sid to repair his and Cassie's relationship in return for doing her art GCSE coursework. Effy photographs Cassie kissing with a 15 year old and leaves them all around Sid as he sleeps to force him out of inactivity. Prompting him to go and see Cassie where he tells her how he loves her but hates her for leaving when he needed her most. After initial hostilities towards Sid where Cassie reminds him of his sleeping with Michelle, Cassie is touched by his words and the two kiss.

In 'Cassie', Cassie's central episode, Cassie is shown reapplying a dressing to one of Chris' wounds. Later in the episode, she is shown taking an exam, but appears reluctant to write, only after a heartfelt discussion about her troubles and a surreal dance to Funky Town with her teacher she does decide to complete the exam. A dinner party is held by Sid in which Cassie, Michelle, Tony, Chris and eventually Jal attend. At first Cassie refuses to sit down until Tony appears at the doorway with flowers for Michelle. There is small talk at the dinner table, until Cassie begins to talk about how nothing matters, and questions Michelle and Tony on their true feelings for each other. Jal then arrives home and it is revealed to Chris for the first time since he was conscious, that Jal is pregnant. The next scene shows Cassie and Chris sitting on his bed discussing Jal's pregnancy. Eventually Chris asks Cassie to go and buy some milk to make him a cup of tea, she does this, but upon returning, she bumps into Chris' mum, who decides she can not handle seeing Chris for the last time, knowing he is going to die. She leaves even with Cassie's protests, and Cassie enters the flat. Together Chris and Cassie share a spliff, until things go horribly wrong and Chris suffers another haemorrhage, dying in Cassie's arms. She flees to New York where she meets a man called Adam, who lets her stay with him. However after a few nights Adam leaves whilst Cassie sleeps. In the morning Cassie realises he has gone and she is alone. She cries before running through the city.

In the series 2 finale; Cassie is revealed to have the lucky coin Jal gave to Chris, although it is possible it is only a similar coin that from the casino she took Jal to in Series Two's "Jal". Sid has been sent to New York by Tony to find her and he passes the diner she works in. It is unknown whether they see each other.

References