"Effy" (Episode 2.07)

"Effy" is the seventh episode of Series 2 and the 16th episode of the show overall.

This episode primarily focuses on Effy Stonem and how she has to deal with helping others mend their relationships while she has to deal with the struggles of her home life.

Plot
Effy is seen walking around the house smoking a cigarette before school starts, where the house is clearly in disarray. Her father is in France for business, and her mother is depressed from Tony's accident, in that she has seemingly taken to abusing pills perscribed for him and laying in bed all day. Effy on the other hand has taken on the role of a parental figure somewhat, where she is seen washing and drying her and Tony's clothes (inexpertly) and watching after her mother.

At school Effy's art teacher appoints Effy to the task of helping new girl Pandora, and explains that she must do well on her GCSE Art coursework or else she'll be expelled. Although Effy clearly objects to the former, she allows Pandora to follow her around after she performs a makeshift circus trick, and even takes her home with her. Back at home Tony has been incessantly calling and texting Michelle, who is still angry with him for denouncing her relationship with Sid. He receives a parcel from Michelle, which is actually the watch (now broken) he gave her for her birthday, prompting him to take out much of his frustrations on Sid- despite the fact that Sid and Michelle have ended their relationship. Sid vents his own frustration at always screwing things up, and explains to Effy his problems. She agrees that in exchange for doing her GCSE Art coursework, she will sort out Sid's struggling social enterprises; specifically concerning his love for the estranged Cassie. Cassie, meanwhile, is taking revenge on Sid by resorting to promiscuity, both with men and women, and responds coldly to any message he sends her.

Effy, with Pandora in tow, goes to pick up drugs at Cassie's where she inquires about her relationship with Sid, but otherwise doesn't probe the subject. She is seen taking drugs to a club, where she sells them with her accomplice Jake and is also seen by Tony selling Michelle's watch, prompting him to be angered with her. It is revealed later that Effy didn't sell it, but instead had it repaired and sent back to Michelle with the word "forever" engraved in it, softening Michelle enough to speak to Tony again. Pandara gets high extremely easily, and quickly tries to make advances on Tony; left in an awkward situation, he eventually follows his sister home with her. That evening, he calls Michelle one more time: She answers, says "I love you too" and hangs up.

As for Sid, Effy sends Jake to Cassie's knowing the chances that they would sleep together and having promised Jake sex (although he assumed it was with her). She then takes a series of photos through the window. Having gained a satisfactory display of emotion from Sid's painting, entitled 'Hopeless', Effy scatters the photos around Sid's sleeping form, prompting him to finally confront Cassie. She repeatedly throws his relationship with Michelle in his face, but Sid points out that he did so only because he needed emotional release after his fathers' death because he had assumed Cassie was gone- he had not done it out of spite, as she is now doing. As he prepares to leave, Cassie finally acknowledges her own guilt and admits she did not sleep with Jake. The two subsequently make up and begin embracing on the sofa, much to the amusement of Chris, Cassie's housemate.

At school Effy doesn't use Sid's artwork he created for her, but explains to her teacher that her GCSE Art coursework is conceptual, in which she used an array of emotions -- referring to her recent experiences helping others mend their relationships. She instead gives Pandora credit for Sid's work, knowing (and perhaps hoping) she will be expelled from the college. At the end of the episode Effy's father arrives home to a clean house, and his wife in a elegant state, all presumably done by Effy.

Music Featured in "Effy"
Note: The music tracks listed below only refer to the music featured in the episode's initial airing. Many of the music tracks featured in this episode have been substituted for alternative tracks either for the BBC America airing or for both the US and UK home media release of Series 2.

Low – Point of Disgust

Grizzly Bear – Little Brother

Chemical Brothers – Das Speigel

Fat Segal – ofin4

Dexplicit – Bullacake

Dexplicit – Ravers

Autolux – Asleep at the Trigger

Autolux – Capital Kind of Strain

TS7 – Manipulation

Pendulum – Tarantula

Jeff Mills – The Bells

Broadcast – Valerie

Queen – Escape from the Swamp

Animal Collective – Fickle Cycle

Library Music Piano

Fat Segal - Boston