Character Analysis: Skins

Matty Levan: "You trust me right?"

Matty is an interesting guy to say the least. He is someone when you first meet you are not sure if you should truly trust him or not. I feel like this them of trust and whether or not you should give him the benefit of the doubt is something that last the entire two series. This feeling that he might be unhinged or he might be holding all the secrets to help certain characters like Nick and Franky.

The one thing I noticed about Matty is his intensity. He is an extremely intense character. Everything from his stares, drug use, and of course to his obsession with Franky. Even for his brother there is an intensity. Nick shares this intensity as well but it's hidden and not as apparent. Despite his intensity he is also passive. To me this is a contradiction in his personality that is quite fascinating. He is intense yet he watches. He is part of the gang but not quite fully part of the gang. Yet it doesn't bother him as much as it does with his younger brother Nick. He holds this magnetic intensity yet seems like a detached observer.

This is what we know of Matty in Series 5. He is a musician and a bad boy. He has had major behavioral issues and is deemed by Blood as a "trouble maker who is violent." His controlling father has grown fearful of his eldest son due to his lack of respect and inability to listen to his bullshit. He is quite sarcastic and comes across as someone who does not care nor tries hard despite this though he is extremely intelligent and often can accomplish quite a bit if he tried. Including landing the lead in Grace's play for example and Nick's statements to him on the field. One of the Levan brothers is all heart (Nick) and the other one is all head (Matty.)

Nick works for the approval of his father and Matty refuses to buy his bullshit. Which leads to altercations between the two. Putting Nick in the middle of it. The boy without the voice trying to please everyone. However Matty loves Nick and is willing to get in trouble for him after Nick had his explosive break down. However when Matty wants something he is not afraid to go after it. In an intense manner. Getting Nick to bring him home from Morocco for example or his behavior with Franky. He doesn't give up. He does not allow for space.

There also seems to be quite a bit that Matty is running from. Like Franky...Matty does not have his life or himself together. When things get tough he tends to run and doesn't want to face things. Especially in terms of Series 6 with Grace. He wanted to run from all the consequences and at the same time he wanted support. Another contradiction. He wanted his brother to help him and he wanted his girlfriend for emotional support. He needed their forgiveness and understanding quick. This is what I find interesting about Matty. He can be a bit selfish. Doesn't mean he is a horrible person; however, he can be. Especially when he feels desperate.

So what is Matty's motivation? This was the hardest for me to analyze if I'm honest. Personality is quite easy to pick up because of patterns in action. Intensity can be seen. Cowardice can be seen. This sense of selfishness can be seen. A knack for certain things to be easier for him can also be seen. Same with his snark and his rebellion. However motivation is found by looking at the patterns and find smaller themed patterns. Due to Matty's elusive personality and his lack of screen time it is harder to determine motivation. Due to not having enough patterns of behavior to find a pattern in theme.

However this is what I kept coming back to. His mom. Siobhan left his father. Nick reacted in a way that was more internal and explosive. Wanting to make things better and wanting to keep the affection of the father due to feeling the loss of his mother. Matty became resentful of his father due to him being the older one and the one who uses his head more than his heart. He saw his father for what he was and understood why his mother left. To escape. He becomes externally rebellious and wants to get back at his father. We learned he once was good at sports and I think its safe to assume he also once was seen as the smartest so he must have gotten good grades. Then all of a sudden he quits with rugby and starts "messing up." Running. I wish we could have met his mother, because if we did I feel like Matty would be a lot like her.

His actions with Franky can also be explained by having an abandonment complex but also wanting to fix himself by being with someone who is just as destructive as he is. Franky and Matty are both adventurous and notorious runners. They are both complicated. They both sabotage. They both have a hard time facing what they need to face to move on from their inner demons. However Franky was right. What Matty needed was his brother and what he needed was to stop fucking up his life. He might smart and he may be able to see people in a way than many do not. However at the end of the day he is an imperfect kid who is lost and for a while there he had someone to be lost with.