awake

These GIFs I cut from the series have been receiving a lot of attention from the queer community on Tumblr since around 2016–2017. Crazy.

I stopped using Tumblr for quite a while, but when I came back, I found that posts like these (mostly Isak + Even) were still getting so much love. I can’t help but feel so, so happy about it.

Isak + Even was one of the very first couples I shipped so hard back then.

I remember seeing a cut scene in Skam S3E2, where Isak and Even were in the kitchen, the way Isak looked at Even… I fell for them immediately. I wanted to know everything about the story before and after that scene.

That night, I gave myself an assignment: find out everything that would happen with these two boys.

If you watched Skam, you probably know how the show was aired. Each episode was released in real-time clips throughout the week, for example, if a scene happened on Friday at 15:30, it was uploaded at that exact time on NRK. Then the full episode would be published on Friday. On top of that, the characters’ social media posts were also published in real time.

That night, I followed every Skam character on Instagram. Whenever they posted something new, I knew something was happening and I’d rush to NRK to watch. I watched every clip in Norwegian, even though I didn’t understand a thing — but I didn’t care. I was so invested in Isak and Even’s love story.

(While waiting for new episodes, I also watched S1 and S2, lovely Noora and Eva!)

I would watch, screenshot, and make GIFs of any scene I found beautiful (which was all of them), and post them here on Tumblr. I was so happy that so many of you showed love and reblogged them. I knew I wasn’t the only one going crazy for this couple.

S3E8 was what heartbreak truly felt like. They were so cute and happy at the beginning, but by the end… if you watched, you know what I mean. I literally lost my appetite that weekend.

And E9… oh my god. Watching it in real time was devastating. When Isak went through the post-breakup period, I saw myself in him. And when his dad called, and Isak said sth like no, it’s over, and cried  I just wanted to wipe his tears off my computer screen.

The ending of E9 was bittersweet: the church scene, the beautiful O Helga Natt, Tarjei’s outstanding acting with those sad eyes… and then Even’s long message (which I had to run through Google Translate because I didn’t understand a word), and finally, they met and Isak said, “You are not alone.” 😭

I. CAN’T.

Many years have passed, and honestly, I’ve grown out of this series, but writing this now really made me re-live those moments when I laughed, cried, and smiled with Skam. S3 was an important milestone for me — truly a period of character growth.

Skam (Norwegian) ended with S4. I was happy to see some Isak + Even scenes there (even though they felt a bit like fan service). Sana’s story was also super interestingm she’s my favorite character after Isak.