Character Analysis: Skins

Character Analysis: Sid Jenkins "I'm bored and depressed."

This is a post dedicated to explaining one of Skins iconic characters: Sid Jenkins.

These are some of the words you can find if you continue: Inferiority Complex, Clueless, and Heart. All come up in this post.

Sid has always been a follower and someone who never developed a sense of who he is. He has always had a sense of who he is not. He is not Tony, he is not what his Dad wanted him to be (in the beginning), he wasn't the guy who got the girl, and he wasn't the guy who got to dictate what happens in the group. He bestfriend from childhood is Tony and in many ways Sid looked up to him and worshiped Tony.

Everything came so natural to Tony and he is such a charming guy who was able to get with the girl Sid has always had a crush on, Michelle. Their relationship is very much Tony acting and Sid reacting. However as the series goes along we learn that despite Tony being the leader...Tony needs Sid more than Sid needs Tony.

In Series 1 we see that Sid is lazy, has no ambition, shit in school, and tends to go along with what his friends want him to do. He is head over heels for his friend Michelle. He is so obsessed with his attraction that he does not see the beauty in another girl who is starting to see Sid own unique brand of beauty-Cassie. Sid is also someone who has absolutely zero emotional intelligence. He does not get emotions, he does not know how to express his emotions, and he really has no clue how to even begin with anything emotional. He doesn't see how much Cassie likes him and how him not showing up for their date would be detrimental. He doesn't get it. Despite this though he has a really good heart and he tries his best to do the right thing. Sometimes though he just gets lead astray. I feel like in Series 1 Sid's journey was about realizing the difference between an infatuation and relationship. I also think his journey was about finding his voice and finally getting to that point where he can say to Tony "enough is enough." Which he did.

In Series 2 I think that the show really explores Sid's massive inferiority complex. He does not think he is a great person, a great catch, and he begins to sabotage himself due to these feelings. The first thing he does is come to the conclusion that Cassie has to have been cheating and doesn't allow her to explain herself. This creates a misunderstanding between Cassie and Sid sending the newly formed couple onto different pages, again. His newly reformed relationship with his father, Mark, shows that both Jenkins men suffer from inferiority complexes. Mark's father belittles and insults Mark every chance he can get-Mark takes it for the most part. Until Mark gets some fight in him and tells his father to fuck off. Of course shortly after Mark passes away and Sid has to figure out how to move on from this loss. With Cassie missing and his father dead he begins to feel lonely and isolated. Tony is still recovering from his accident and is not fully available for support either. So Michelle and Sid begin an emotional sexual affair together. In other words, comfort sex. From here we see that Sid is still unable to fight, but we do see that he is beginning to grow more vocal. When Sid and Cassie eventually get back together Sid is honest about how he feels and actually ends up going after Cassie instead of sitting passively on the sidelines (well with Effy's influence). At the end of Series 2 Sid is the one who wants to do something when the gang is banned from Chris's funeral. Then of course Tony helps Sid decide to go after Cassie and find her in New York City. Again with prompting. He is still not the master of his own destiny at the end of Series 2; however, he has grown up quite a bit from when he first when to see the Mad Twatter.