CITAZIONE
We've already talked to Dakota Blue Richards about this week's episode of Skins, but since it's the last instalment of the series we thought we'd bring you another chat! We called up Sebastian De Souza, who plays Matty, so read on to find out what he had to say about this week's closer (there may be a couple of little spoilers)...
Can you give us an overview of this week's episode?
"The last episode is my favourite, actually. It's a great one because all of the loose ends are tied up, but more than that it's an episode where you see the group of eight coming together finally. All of us go off on this road trip, and it brings everyone together - there are arguments and there are fights and there are tears and there's laughter, but by the end of the episode you get a solid group unit which is what I think the whole episode, the whole series, has been leading up to."
What can you tell us about the Liv-Matty-Franky love triangle?
"God! Can it be more complicated? I don't think it could! I can tell you it does get a little bit more complicated before it gets resolved. I think it is resolved by the end. I think in the end Franky may win Matty's heart."
Who do you think Matty wants to be with?
"I don't think he actually wants to be with anyone, necessarily. I think as Franky said in one episode, he's into people, and that's how the connection arises between Franky and Matty. Franky is for Matty what life is all about - finding something outside of normal life. I think Franky is searching for the same sort of thing and that's why she gets chastised by people throughout the series for being something, you know, weird or freaky or a lesbian or bisexual or whatever. It's not an issue for her - whereas most teenagers are thinking, 'Am I straight or am I gay? Am I cute or am I ugly?' she's thinking more about Third World debt and philosophy. I think Matty's there as well and Matty is interested in Franky. I think Franky is the only person in the group he doesn't fully understand. I think that's the crucial thing - that Matty feels slightly disconcerted by the fact that he can't understand Franky because Matty understands everybody. That's Matty's thing - he's hugely empathic, he's hugely intuitive, and he knows what people are thinking, but he doesn't have a clue what she's thinking. He does love Liv and he loves Franky but he loves them in two very, very different ways."
What's Matty and Nick's relationship like now?
"I think it's much stronger. I think they were able to say things to each other that they never said to each other and they needed to say. Things came out that weren't particularly enjoyable to hear then and there but actually are important not only for the sake of the storyline but for the sake of their relationship. I think there's still a lot of friction there. Nick's current state shows that - he's f**ked up most of the time and has taken a very different route to the one he was destined for, or at least thought he was. I think Matty respects that and is worried about it and is irritated by it. He's his older brother - he wants to look after Nick, he wants to care for him, he wants to lead him in the right way but at the end of the day I don't think Matty is someone who is that concerned with leading people. At the end of the day, it's down to Nick. I think it will be frayed for a time and I'm interested to see what happens in series six."
We didn't see much of Matty at first - was it harder for you coming in late?
"Yes, certainly. It was hard. But it was hard for the first five seconds and everyone was so wonderful and welcoming. I've always said that what you get on the screen with these relationships developing was what happened off screen. Not so much the sex and drugs and rock and roll unfortunately! If there were people you didn't like in a group of eight it would be hugely, hugely, hugely difficult but you know what? I can't remember one single argument or disagreement, because it was a very comfortable process where everyone knew why they were there, everyone wanted to get on with it and everyone was sweet and supportive. I don't know [if it was with anybody else] that I would have been able to do it and to come in so late - it was about a month late - and feel so ready, so welcome and so comfortable in my new family."
Are you disappointed that you didn't get a Matty episode?
"No, actually. I would have been slightly confused if Matty had had an episode. I think for him to work as a character, for him to be interesting, he has to maintain some mystery. For me he's almost a little bit too overt in what he's about now. He's almost a little bit too known. He's at school, he's there getting on with it, he's not railing against the system. At the beginning he was more than a mystery, he was a f**king enigma! You had no idea who he was. But I think that was important, and I think had Matty had an episode, some of that mysterious gloss would have been lost that's so crucial to that character."
Do you think Matty is established in the group now?
"I think so. I think he's very much part of the group and he's built up a relationship with Alo, certainly there's something there, and with Franky and with Liv. I think possibly next series - not saying anything for definite - there could be an interesting storyline with Mini and Matty, which could be interesting, but I'm not sure. I think there are a number of storylines to develop, there are a number of relationships which could be developed. I think he's come a long way from standing on that wasteland and chatting to Franky about her being a glorious headf**k thing to being actually some integral part of the group."
