New American Skins marginally better

So, this last episode was episode was probably the best of the new American Skins WHICH IS NOT SAYING A LOT but still, it's nice to see that it is improving, albeit ever so slightly.  This one was another nearly shot-for-shot remake of an episode from the original Skins, which means I judged it very harshly for not being as good, but also it was objectively pretty okay because the episode it was based on was a very good episode with some neat story lines and nice writing, which try as they might, these kids were not able to fuck up entirely (what a lovely and coherent compliment, Lauren!). 

BASICS:  You will remember, of course, Chris' first episode, where his mom leaves him a huge wad of cash and he has a huge party and then finds out his mom abandoned him and then a hobo kicks him out of his house and he has to walk to school naked and the gang helps him find clothes to wear but he still doesn't have a place to live so he goes to see his estranged step-family and then drops their baby and then has a heartfelt chat with Jal about his dead brother and then the teacher he likes finds him a place to live?  Well, that's what happened here, except THE BABY WAS NOT DROPPED.

THINGS THAT WERE BAD:

• The guy who plays Tony is still a terrible TERRIBLE actor and it is very painful and awkward to watch him fail so miserably at his job.
• Chris didn't drop the baby!  And it looks like they totally intended on having it in there but then cut it out to appease those prudes at the Parents TV-watching Council (I don't remember what they're called?  The ones who complained about the immoral underage partying and sexing?  They probably would have rallied against the baby-dropping).  This is very DISAPPOINTING.
• The guy who plays Chris was fine.  Not amazing, but I don't hate him (I just miss True Chris, aka Joe Dempsie.  He was so good!  Why isn't he an astoundingly successful movie star yet?  Why wasn't he in Slumdog Millionaire???)  He was pretty good in all the sad parts, but not funny enough in the funny parts.
• Speaking of which, why do NONE of these budding young actors have any comic timing?  This is supposed to be a dramedy, not a drama.  There are supposed to be LAUGHS in between the serious.  Please, guys, MAKE ME LAUGH.  The lack of real laughs was very noticeable in this episode; the original was great because it was a weird blend of ridiculous and funny and soul-crushingly depressing things (sometimes all at once!), but this time it was just ridiculous and sad, but not as sad as it could have been because not everyone could act properly and THE BABY WAS NOT DROPPED.
• Cadie is still not as good as Cassie, and she wasn't wearing a monkey to Chris' party.
• Why were everyone's boobs hanging out, like all over the place?  Even Jal, OH I'M SORRY, Daisy, was casually showing everyone her boobs, like that's a normal thing Jal would do.  LESS BOOBS AND MORE BABY-DROPPING, PLEASE.

 APPROPRIATE.

 NOT APPROPRIATE.

THINGS THAT WERE GOOD:

• I guess I mentioned this up there, but the guy who played Chris was fine.
• The serious parts were fine.
• Nice music, still.  No Adam and the Ants this time but OH WELL.