Skam Resurgence (In My Head)
If the concept of a core memory was summarized into a television series, for me it would be Julie Andem’s well-received series: Skam. Produced by NRK P3, the Norwegian teen drama had Tumblr users in a grasp from 2015 to 2017, including myself. It was that recognized outside of Norway’s borders that numerous people had to upload episodes into Google Drive where it would eventually crash due to the number of playbacks. There are even a handful of remakes from other countries due to popular demand, with some notable ones being: Skam España, Skam Belgium, and Skam Italia. Andem’s work really resonated with her teenage demographic — seeing it was made during some of our most formative years. We hear so many times, especially from external influences, that we haven’t seen “the real world” yet, but can’t the real world affect us at any time and at any age? Heartbreak, coming to terms with our sexuality, and religion are just a few of the many universal aspects we face every day and will continue to endure until our last breath. Julie Andem gets that from the start.
The first season of the show is mainly focused around Eva, and her turbulent relationship with her on-again, off-again boyfriend, Jonas. We also get a look at her friend group that you may or may not see more of in the upcoming seasons. In essence, we get to see Eva decide whether she wants to continue her relationship with Jonas and run away from a dissolved friendship or make amends and move forward while experiencing newfound sisterhood along the way. I felt like fans didn’t appreciate this season until a certain point in time, but looking back at it from an older perspective, Eva’s storyline is relatable to teenagers everywhere, even now. High school is the right time to make mistakes, because if not now then when?
Like how most long-running shows go, there’s usually trickles of what the next season might entail. Season two still is my favorite to this day, where it is centered around our protagonist, Noora. She was who I wanted to be when I was 17: bob hair cut, classic red lips, and turtleneck and mom jeans combo. Her storyline was an authentic representation of survivor’s guilt and how one processes trauma in their own ways. We only knew a surface level of Noora in the former but Andem allows us to experience everything that our protagonist was feeling. This brings me to how Skam ultimately wanted the show to be interactive, because social media platforms were created for the characters. From real time and off-screen posts on Instagram and Facebook, I was made to believe that a Noora Amalie Sætre actually existed. I remember my Tumblr and Instagram being flooded with Noora edits, specifically with her romantic interest of the season. If Tiktok edits are decent now, you should have seen the Skam craze back on Vine.
Season three, also a fan favorite, was centered on Isak. This season explored Isak’s sexuality, meeting and forming a relationship with his future partner, Even, and how they both mesh well in each other’s lives. Just when I thought season two couldn’t be topped. Mental health was a prevalent theme observed and I was really impressed by the authenticity Andem took into ensuring bipolar disorder wasn’t glorified, but rather yet, she instilled the idea that you aren’t always alone in what you have to endure on a daily basis. Just like every coming-of-age and LGBT+ film, there is always a pool scene involved, and this one created a standard, if not exceeded, what past and future showrunners and filmmakers have created and will create. I remember scene cuts of Isak and Even just staring at each other from a distance, giving viewers the slowburn and yearning aspects they’ve pined for. It’s the bare minimum, believe me, but with the “bury your gays” trope existing in entertainment (I’m looking at you, Degrassi, Orange Is the New Black, and The 100), I’d say Skam went in the right direction.
Because of high production stress, season four eventually closed off the series, but I’d say they saved the best for last. Season four is Sana’s season, and for all the best reasons. Religion is usually always made into a spectacle when represented on television but Sana’s Islamic faith is personal to the actress, Iman Meskini, herself. Sana’s defiance of microaggressions from others doesn’t diminish her outspokenness over time. This was already established from the earlier seasons where Sana was the person to usually give advice to her friends, even if it wasn’t what they wanted to hear at the moment. I remember the first episode of this season where Andem uses close-up and over-the-shoulder shots between a staredown of Sana and a random White woman. Prior to this, Sana receives a prayer call from her phone and she quickly notices the stranger shooting her eyes down at her phone and back at her, ending the scene with Sana giving the stranger a disgusted look in return. It’s the tiniest instances such as these that really resonate with Muslim viewers. Why be represented on-screen as helpless when you can see someone like you shut down prejudice? Sana’s journey of figuring out the stereotype of a “Norwegian,” while keeping up with her values, is something that I wish I also grew up watching at a young age.
Although Skam’s journey has come to an end, I still feel its impact on me (even in my career path) in the present. I can never thank Julie Andem enough for giving audiences everywhere an insight of what it’s like to be a writer for writing’s sake and to share stories for the youth, by the youth. The Skam cast was fairly around their respective characters’ ages, and nothing ever felt too forced, because they were also teenagers figuring their way around the world just as their characters were doing as well. I hope to see a Skam resurgence one day, and revel in the fact that nothing will come as close as to the magic this Norwegian show has had in the entertainment field.
Cover Photo courtesy of NRK. Edited by Santiago Moran-Izquierdo.
