Episode 8 finally see's the focus turn squarely on Effy, now a bit of mess. The person she really wants has found someone else, Katie has replaced her as the dominant girl of the group. It's now Katie who looks the best, makes plans for the group and likes to be the one calling the shots. By this point the season has clearly turned from summer to autumn and a camping trip to the woods gets really out of control. If you compare this with the road trip from season 2 the colour palette is much cooler and desaturated. There's a touch of a horror feel to it at points too, a scary early encounter with another group unsettles our young gang. The amount of simmering tension between members in the group is also about to reach boiling point. Few characters now feel friendly towards Cook, Effy and Katie fight for Freddie's attention, Pandora is keeping a secret from Thomas and Emily and Naomi's relationship is still a secret. As day turns to night things get even worse. Only JJ and Katie stay off the magic mushrooms. Freddie and Effy finally get together, but this is also Effy at her most vulnerable, distraught at the thought she could have killed someone, distraught she's going to be despised by everyone when the truth comes out. In the end it's only Cook who's willing to stand by her. It's interesting we see her at her most empty and vulnerable at the start, then she puts on her makeup like it's armour, acts all tough and unemotional but at the very end breaks down again. Very well written.
