Comparing the SKAM remakes: ISAK (Part IV)
Matteo (DRUCK)
Some of the Differences:
OK first off, Matteo is way more depressed than any other incarnation so far. The very first scene of his season begins with him sitting by himself while everyone else seems to be having a great time at the party then sharing a very lackluster kiss with his girlfriend. He definitely gives off more an “I want to be alone” vibe than the other incarnations, even in regard to his friends.
Instead of hiding weed in someone’s house to hide it from the cops, he hides it on A PERSON (wtf) who just happens to be this incarnation of Sana, Amira.
Also, Matteo has a girlfriend?! Yep, instead of David (Even) being taken at the beginning of the season, it’s Matteo who is who has a girlfriend - Sara. It also seems like he still has some feelings for Jonas at the beginning of the season, something I also saw in SKAM Italia.
It seems like Matteo is a little more in control of the interaction between him and David than Isak was in OG. Towards the beginning of their relationship it seemed like Even was the one to initiate most things, maybe because he was older. In this one they are the same age.
It was nice that Matteo is an actual roommate with Mia, Hans, and Linn - he even has his own room throughout the whole series lol. In the original it felt like Isak was just thrown in there as a temporary replacement for Noora.
We see Jonas hooking up throughout this season was a nice switch from low key seeing Eva/Hanna and Chris/Samuel
Matteo is just outright harsh/dismissive with his GF sometimes and then does an about face (like an asshole, hello Isaak) which I think provides a different dynamic between Matteo and his GF than Isak and Emma. This relationship seems more like a hybrid of the Isak/Emma dynamic and the Even/Sonja dynamic
David pulling away from Matteo wasn't a direct result of anything Matteo did, but because of David's own fears which was a nice change. Also he flat out said "I'm not into you" instead of just ghosting him.
Amira is so much sweeter in the German version, and her relationship with Matteo feels warmer, easier, and softer because of it. She seems more like she's actively trying to help Matteo by encouraging him to be brave and take care of himself.
“The fear inside you is only strength trying to get out."
The scene where David is being stared at by everyone at school after being outted as trans was an interesting inversion to the scene where Isak is being stared at after being outted as gay. I feel like the original was more powerful than this one, probably because it is being shown from Matteo's perspective instead of David's.
Favorite Scenes:
I liked the way Matteo was the one to initiate a conversation with David, as opposed to the original where (let’s face it) Isak didn’t know what to think about being in the same room alone with Even.
It made me laugh out loud to watch David was talking nonsense to save Matteo from being busted for getting on the bus without a ticket
The way they giggled at one another before taking bites from their disgusting sandwiches was adorable
The scene in the kitchen after the party at Matteo's was super sweet. It was so cute that David stayed after to help clean up on his own in a strange apartment, I suspect to boost his chances of seeing Matteo
When Mia is super sassy and says to Matteo after he disses her boyfriend "yes he was never your type."
The conversation between Matteo and Hans where he asks for advice on David is quite different because of the different dynamic between Matteo and David. I liked Hans’ line
“Either give him time, or move on”
The scene when David comes out to Matteo is wonderful, and it means more to me because it's coming from a transman.
"Some boys are simply boys. And girls, too. But sometimes it's just different. I was born in the body of a girl. But I'm a boy, I…. I'm transgender. I'm a boy, I just have to try a little harder."
The dynamic between someone who has just started to come to terms with their sexuality beginning a relationship with a transperson is just so complex, I loved seeing it represented here. The issue of" Am I still gay/straight /whatever if my partner doesn't fit the typical role of who I should be attracted to" is addressed, and I feel like that's a really relevant topic right now given the increased visibility of alternate gender identities and transpeople currently.
Matteo's face when Hans held out a giant bottle of lube and said
"Lube is the key to happiness"
The scene when Matteo tells David that he will be right there with him when he's being discriminated against because he loves him
Also when David asked Matteo if it changed things if he didn't get bottom surgery and Matteo said "no, you're fine the way you are" was really touching
The conversation in the last ep when everyone is giving relationship advice was both funny and adorable.
The boys squad and girls squad coming together to show solidarity with David while he met with the transphobic PE teacher
When Sana never gave Matteo his weed back and Sam smoked it all
Things I Missed:
The conversation with Emma’s character about "not all gays"
The staring at each other while kissing other people
