"Franky" (Episode 5.01)

"Franky" is the first episode of Series 5 and the 38th episode overall.

This episode primarily focuses on Franky Fitzgerald and how she adjusts to Roundview after moving from Oxford, along with the beginnings of a friendship with Grace Violet, Alo Creevey, and Rich Hardbeck, and her conflict with Queen-Bee Mini McGuinness.

Plot
Franky slowly wakes up and gets ready for college, picking up a small wooden mannequin and covering her mirror with her jacket. Her dads nervously say goodbye to her, telling her to try to blend in and advising her not to "take any crap". On the way, Franky is approached by a group of annoying schoolboys. One knocks her book out of her hands and she leans down to pick it up. As she stands up, she accidentally headbutts one of them. They begin chasing her through the streets, but Franky grabs a mobility scooter. She drives it around Bristol, cutting up Rich and Alo, who are in a van. She arrives at college, driving through crowds of people and almost into Mini and Nick, who are kissing. She eventually crashes into a bicycle rack and apologizes to everyone, before walking inside. Mini smirks after her and asks: "Has the circus come to town or what?"



Franky approaches a teacher and explains that it is her first day. She has no kit for her sport lesson so is given some dirty shorts and a "Frankie Say Relax" shirt. She walks into the changing room, where all the other girls look at her. Mini asks if she is in fancy dress or chooses to dress like that, but Franky ignores her. However, Mini laughs at her green boxer-style underwear. Outside, the girls play hockey and Mini storms past Franky to score. The next time she attacks, Franky uses her hockey stick to trip her over and Mini falls flat in the mud. Mini is furious and pulls Franky into the mud after her. Professor Blood makes them shake hands but as she walks away, Mini warns Franky to "watch her f**king back".

At lunch, Franky is joined by Rich and Alo. Franky admits that Mini is giving her a hard time and the duo warn her not to mess with her. Mini arrives with Grace and Liv and tells the boys to "f**k off", so they go. She tells Franky to avoid them and asks her why she is in Bristol. Franky reveals that she moved from Bristol but asks them to get their bullying over if they are planning it because she had enough grief "before". However, she doesn't elaborate. Mini asks her if she would like to hang out with them later, but Franky refuses, saying that she needs to go home after college. Franky goes to the toilets and looks at a social networking site full of abuse about her. She looks at her mannequin and murmurs: "New start." She heads over to her English class but the teacher reveals that it has finished and asks her to prepare a presentation on the question: "Does choice define identity?"



Franky sits on a bench, before approaching Mini, Grace and Liv. The group take some leftover MDMA before running through a shopping center laughing. Grace, Liv and Franky start dancing with a breakdancer, but Mini walks away. The others find her dropping chips onto the people below. Mini invites Franky to her party the next night and Franky accepts, but Mini explains that they have to find an outfit for her to wear. They go into a shop where Grace, Liv and Mini try on make-up, but Mini realizes Franky has never worn it. Franky explains that she had no female friends in Oxford, only a guy called Dean who ended up in a young offenders institute. Mini puts some lipstick on her as Liv applies eyeshadow. Mini picks out a sparkly dress for her to wear, but Franky admits that she feels stupid in it. However, Mini insists that she wear it to the party. Outside, Liv hands Franky some make-up that she stole for her. However, the group are forced to run when Grace triggers the shop alarm.

Franky arrives in her street and tries to go home, but her dads appear. One of them asks if the girls are troubling Franky, but Mini announces that they are her friends. Franky's dads invite them inside and offer them cakes. They are thrilled to hear that Mini has invited Franky to her party and look at what she got. When Mini shows off the sparkly dress, Franky leaves, followed by her father. Her other dad apologizes, saying that she is still "fragile". Mini immediately claims that Franky told them all about the "grief in Oxford". Franky's dad leaves to check on their meal, and Mini laughs about the men's marriage. She looks at the computer and discovers a social networking site which is bullying Franky with doctored photographs. Grace tells her that it isn't fair to look at it but they giggle. Upstairs, Franky's dad persuades her to go back downstairs, but at the same time her other father finds the girls looking at the website. He tells them that it's not fair of them but Franky overhears and storms in, begging them not to say anything to anyone at college. They agree and leave. Franky goes to sit on the stairs and looks at her make-up, necklace and dress. Grace texts her, telling her that she is "awesome".

The next morning, Franky is working on a stop-motion animation. She tries out a more feminine outfit and puts on some eyeshadow, which her fathers try to tone down for her. At school, Franky gets a lot more attention and Grace and Liv praise her new look. However, Mini says she can't wear the outfit to her party because she looks like she has been "gang-raped by clowns". Liv and Grace appear unimpressed and Franky explains that the sparkly dress doesn't feel right. Mini asks why not and Franky shouts: "Do I look like a f**king bulimic Barbie?" She immediately apologizes but Mini insists it is fine. She walks off, but heads over to Nick and whispers something in his ear. Grace and Liv exchange glances.



The group head in for an English lesson and Franky is asked for her presentation. She has not prepared anything but says that she has tried to choose her identity today but feels less like herself. "I'm not exactly over the moon about being me in the first place but now I think I kind of like it less when I'm trying not to be me, because I just want to be," she says. Nick arrives at the lesson late, claiming that his rugby practice overran. He sits down and nods at Mini. When the lesson is over, the class leave and discover the doctored photos of Franky stuck up all over the corridor. Mini tells her: "I'm so sorry. I thought something like this might happen - that's why I tried to help." Liv and Grace apologize but Franky rips down the pictures and storms off, tearing her necklace off as she goes. She goes to a patch of wasteland and starts smoking and shooting a revolver, yelling about the girls as she does. Suddenly, she hears Matty arrive behind her. She shouts at him to go away, but he refuses and asks if it is a real gun. Franky explains that it is a redrilled replica and shouts that it shoots bullets. Matty walks up so that the gun is pointing at his chest and tells her: "Go on then." Franky yells that she doesn't have to "take this s**t anymore" and Matty agrees. He tells her she is beautiful, but Franky claims that she is "nothing". "So why do I see a glorious f*cking headf*ck thing?" Matty replies. He leaves, and Franky yells after him, asking who he is. Matty doesn't reply, but tells her he'll see her around. Franky arrives home and discovers that Grace is waiting in her bedroom. Grace apologizes and explains that Nick was responsible for the photographs. She adds that Mini is sorry too but suggests that she doesn't know it yet. Franky tells her to have a great party and Grace admits that she's sorry Franky won't be going.

When Grace has left, Franky looks at her invitation and decides to go to the party. She dresses in a suit and puts her gun in her jacket pocket. She burns the sparkly dress in her back garden. Outside the bar, Rich and Alo try to get in but the female bouncer overpowers them. Franky arrives but ignores them as she heads inside. She approaches Mini, who calls her "Cinderfella" and asks what she is doing there. Franky refuses to leave and Mini claims that she is a freak. Unimpressed by Mini's hatred for her (as she has already done her worst), Franky reels off a list of insults that have been used to describe her, before addressing Grace and Liv and saying that they are too good for Mini's stupid bar. She suggests that they could be great friends. Mini tells her that Liv and Grace are her friends and reveals that they only let Franky tag along for "jokes". Grace protests, but while Liv looks uncomfortable she doesn't disagree with Mini. Franky leaves the bar and, when she has gone, Grace slips out after her. Liv looks at Mini and tells her: "Seriously, it isn't year 11 anymore."



Outside, Franky storms past Rich and Alo, who are in Alo's van. Grace runs out holding two bottles of champagne but Franky keeps walking. She posts her gun in a letterbox, but at that moment Alo drives up beside her. Rich jumps out, puts a clown mask on her head and lifts her into the van as Franky tries to resist. They drive to the coast and break into a lido, which Grace describes as her "favorite place". "Welcome to Bristol, Franky," she says. Alo jumps into the water naked, followed by Grace in her underwear. The pair pull Rich in and start shouting at Franky to join them. Eventually, Franky takes off her shirt and trousers and dives into the water. The group splash each other as the episode ends.

Music Featured in "Franky"
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 for both the UK home media release of Series 5.

The Strange Boys - Be Brave

The Cure - Foxy Lady

Frankie Goes To Hollywood - Relax

Jay Jay Pistolet - Bags of Gold

Freelance Whales - Generator Second Floor

Chopin - Minute Waltz

K’Naan - ABC’s

Nancy Elizabeth - Feet of courage

The Vaccines - Wreckin Bar

Thieves Like Us - Never Known Love

Howard Jones - New Song

The Strange Boys - You Can Only Love When You Want

Segal - Up Your Ribs

Segal - Ted/Ned

Aeroplane - We Can’t Fly

Fergie - Glamorous

Blondie - Heart of Glass

British Sea Power - Waving Flag