This is a cooler, deeper introspection into a character, their problems, their outlook on life, but at the same time it's the most subjective episode, seen almost entirely through her eyes. The nicest things about Cassie in this episode is that she remains kind and caring, no matter how badly others treat her. We meet Michelle's mother and stepfather. Cassie wakes up in Michelle's home after a food fight, Cassie leaves alone, while the others leave together, with some fun party music playing as the gang flee, some jumping from windows as Michelle's mother arrives home. There's a beautiful scene of Cassie on a bus, surrounded by secondary school children eating crisps, chips and biscuit, she reaches down to her bag, finds a yellow post it note attached saying "eat." Pins it to the bus window, before a toddler offers her a biscuit, the music is so mellow, sad and beautiful, it's such a sweet insight into the character. Cassie parents are artists, with a camper van in the drive and nude paintings of her mother hung up around the house. Her parents are oversexed too and she lies to them about eating breakfast before moving into a colourful nursery. It's clear there's no space for her in the family it seems, her parents are oblivious, liberal, arty types. The scene though is largely played straight with lots of light and colour in the scene and no sad violin strings or anything, but really there's something so wrong about it. The only adult who seems to care for her is a kind taxi driver who takes her to and from her clinic. He's so perfect, kind, caring and patient that you start to wonder if he's also all in her head. The scene then moves to the clinic (exterior filmed at Tyntesfield house in North Somerset). Again the adults here are neurotic, insincere, unable to even remember her name properly, just ticking the boxes. The clinic is run by Abbi's mother Dr Stock we learn who's answer to her daughters ire is to tell her to take more medication. At the end when Cassie says thank you with a kiss, Dr Stock has to wipe it away with a hankie, unable to cope with any actual real display of genuine affection or care. Having spent the first 25 minutes showing how Cassie relates to the adults in her world things then swich back to the school setting. A few other plot points are advanced a little further, but it's the way in which Cassie connects with Sid for a moment which stands out. She also explains a little about how she manages to deal with her eating disorder and how she's able to do it because "it's not like anybody cares." It's another unhappy moment but done without excessive melodrama, no violin strings playing in the background. Sadly Sid has bigger worries on his mind though as the drug dealer from episode 1 starts to close in on him. It's even implied the food fight may have all been in her head. When Tony sits down with Sid he remarks on the lipstick on his forehead and tells him he stinks and needs to take a shower, (again belittling him), but there's no mention of any food stains on his clothes (perhaps Cassie is the only one who can see it?). Cassie tells Sid how much fun she had at the food fight but Sid looks a little confused. There's other nice little touches too, like how Cassie wears her watch on her ankle, I used to think this was because she was quirky and different, but it may be because her wrists are too thin for her watch. Again it's a sad thought. They never seek to glamorise Cassie being so skinny, it's just sad the way she can't enjoy food. Sid is the total opposite it seems usually ordering a full English breakfast, a plate of chips and a can of coke. There's one final sweet scene of Cassie and her taxi driver in a dinner, she tries various distractions which don't work but at the end for the first time we see her take a bite of food.
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