Effy Stonem

Infobox Skins character | colour = #cccfff
name = Elizabeth Stonem


caption = Kaya Scodelario as Effy Stonem (left)
portrayer = Kaya Scodelario
creator = Bryan Elsley and Jamie Brittain
gender = Female
first = "Tony"
last =
cause=
centric= "Effy"
"Effy"
born = 1992
death =
episode =
age = 16
occupation = Student
title =
family = Jim Stonem (father)
Anthea Stonem (mother)
Tony Stonem (brother)
spouse =
children =
relatives = David Stonem (grandfather)
footnotes =

Elizabeth "Effy" Stonem is a fictional character in the television series "Skins". She is played by Kaya Scodelario.

Characterisation

She is Tony's tearaway sister and one of the only people about whom he truly cares. He seems to be quite proud and approves of her sneaking out and into clubs. The official website characterises her by placing the primary cast as "sugar and spice and all things nice compared to Tony's little sister and her shadowy ways." [ [http://www.channel4.com/entertainment/tv/microsites/S/skins/gang.html Channel 4 - Entertainment - Skins - Us] ] She enjoys to go out at night and party. She has a deep obsession with her lighter and candles, and stares into flames, rarely if ever saying a word. In "Effy", she describes how she feels towards the ones she loves and hates - how she hates the people she should love, which she laments.

Tony sarcastically comments that she is participating in a sponsored silence [cite episode
title = To Russia With Love
episodelink = List of Unseen Skins episodes#"To Russia With Love..."
series = Unseen Skins
serieslink = List of Unseen Skins episodes] . When asked by Michelle why she never speaks, she simply doesn't answer. There is implication, in the first episode and others, that she does speak to her parents, albeit minimally, although following Tony's accident she starts speaking again. Expressing her feelings of misanthropy to Tony, he snidely remarks to her that she "doesn't fool [him] ".

Effy is one of few characters in the series who has broken the fourth wall, having looked straight at the camera and commenting or smirking in some episodes.

Character history

In "Effy", Tony is forced to care about someone other than himself for once when the one person he cares about disappears. When Effy and Tony are having a meal with their parents, they are both grinning at each other whilst their father tells them a story they've heard many times before. Later on, we see Effy sneak out the house and Tony, seeing her go, climbs into her bed wearing her red and black striped socks and hiding under the cover, only socks exposed, so that when their parents come in, they think they see Effy fast asleep and leave her be. We see Effy, and her rather talkative friend, meet up with some boys who know Effy. One of the boys is called Spencer (played by Tom Payne), and him and Effy end up kissing and taking pills together. Effy ends up being taken to a sports hall where she takes drugs through a needle, speaking her first line in the whole series before passing out.

Josh Stock had been the one to orchestrate the event, so he could get revenge on Tony. Having Spencer break Tony's phone, Josh promises that she will only get to a hospital for her apparent OD if Tony has sex with his unconscious sister, relating to Tony's scheming last week. Eventually, Tony is in tears in just his boxers, after Josh strips him down, while Spencer tries to intervene, begging, and Josh lets him take Effy to hospital where her parents, Tony and Sid are told she has taken clean pharmaceuticals and will be fine.

In the series finale, we learn her parents have moved her to the public school which Josh and Abigail attend in the aftermath of her drug episode. More layers to her character appear as she derides Tony verbally as a wanker for his treatment of ex-girlfriend Michelle Richardson, who had come to her previously in an attempt to understand Tony. She witnesses as Tony is hit by a bus, and screams in horror, crying silently as the finale takes place.

In the first episode in series 2, we learn that Effy has now begun to talk openly, at least amongst her family and we presume among other people as well. She also appears to continue to be a party-goer despite the events of "Effy" where both she and Tony were put through a traumatic experience.

In the second season episode "Tony" it becomes clear that she is looking after Tony after his accident, coming into his room in the night if he has a nightmare and reading him the Greek myths to get him to sleep again. She also speaks to Michelle and Sid Jenkins, but is fairly unfriendly with both of them. It is highlighted how much she does love her brother.

Effy is the central protagonist of episode 7 of season 2. In exchange for doing her GCSE Art coursework, she promises to sort out Sid's struggling social enterprises; specifically concerning his love for the estranged Cassie Ainsworth.

The very last shot of the final episode of series two has Effy smirking at the camera and smiling while lying under Tony's duvet cover, suggesting she will replace her brother as the lead in the third series.

References