Character Analysis: Skins - James Cook "It's not about the destination. It's about the journey" - Wattpad

Character Analysis: Skins

by sophiacintron

Table of contents

• Effy Stonem "Sometimes I think I was born backwards..."
• Freddie Mclair "Maybe I'll Break Yours."
• James Cook "It's not about the destination. It's about the journey"
• JJ Jones "Just care ok?"
• Emily Fitch "Be Brave and Want Me Back"
• Katie Fitch "I'm Katie fucking Fitch who the fuck are you."
• Naomi Campbell "Although in many ways it's sort of a violation"
• Pandora Moon "I'm useless"
• Character Analysis: Thomas Tomone
• Character Analysis: Tony Stonem - Animus
• Character Analysis: Michelle Richardson "Like you mean it you little shit."
• Character Analysis: Sid Jenkins "I'm bored and depressed."
• Character Analysis: Cassie Ainsworth "I like boats, they go places."
• Character Analysis: Chris Miles 'The Fuck It Monkey Man'
• Character Analysis: Jal Fazer "No ones gonna touch you with a cock that tiny."
• Character Analysis: Maxxie Oliver "Big Gay Night Out"
• Anwar Kharral "Look so disappointed that I'm not a terrorist."
• Character Analysis: Mini McGuinness "I haven't told myself, yet."
• Matty Levan: "You trust me right?"
• Alo Creevey: "I Smell Merriment Afoot"

Character Analysis: James Cook

This post breaks down the personality and motivations of one of the most extreme and most explosive characters Skins has ever seen.

There is honestly not a character like Cook. It was solidified when Jack O'Connell was chosen to play Cook that this character would be a writer's wet dream. Why? Because both Cook and O'Connell are willing to do anything. Absolutely anything. Cook was in many ways the plot pusher with his honesty and his zest for life.

Cook's family stayed a mystery for quite some time until the last episode of Series 3 and then into Series 4. We learned that Cook has a father who is a deadbeat. He's a selfish crook who uses the people around him in order to accomplish what he wants. There are many comparisons between Cook and his father especially in Series 3's Finale. However, the one thing that Cook has that his father does not is the ability to love and care about people. Despite Cook's fuckery he does love people and will do anything to protect those he loves.

Cook's mother is named Ruth. She is a loaded artist who is communicative about her sexual life in front of Cook. They have a tense relationship that involves quite a bit of fighting and severe differences in opinion. She also has a younger son (Cook's half-brother) named Paddy. Cook absolutely adores him. Cook sees his mother doing the same things with Paddy as she did with him, leading him to kidnap Paddy for a day of mayhem and laughs. Cook's Dad represents what he could turn into, while Paddy represents what he once was filled with potential.

His family life has instilled a sense of independence in Cook. He relies on himself and has built his own family with his friends. Freddie becomes his new family, being the person who gets him out of trouble, and JJ is the amusing kid who says hilarious things. Together, they form a new kind of family.

Cook personality-wise is best described by the element of fire. He is passionate, impulsive, can change on a whim, violent, temperamental, and lives life to the fullest. When not contained, he can burn wild, leaving scars and destruction behind him.

When you live life like fire, sometimes you hurt people you never meant to. The chase for Effy ended up hurting Freddie, and Cook's impulsive nature also left JJ behind for a bit. Cook's biggest struggle is the impact of his behavior on those around him. His relationship with Freddie becomes strained when Effy comes between them, leaving Cook to stop his own fire instincts alone.

Despite the destruction and impulsive nature of Cook, he is also a brave and honest character. Many plot points of Generation 2 are driven by Cook's honesty, as he reveals secrets and faces challenges head-on when others avoid them.

Cook's frustrations are rooted in feeling unloved and abandoned. He has a zest for life that counteracts the negative labels he grapples with, believing in no regrets. He may be a criminal but has the heart of a lion, doing anything for his friends. Cook's actions reflect his capacity to love fiercely as he confronts challenges and stand up for those he cares about.