Last night, I watched the classic Degrassi 2008 Halloween special, The Curse of Degrassi.

Why Was I Watching It?

Last night, I was suffering from conflicting emotions.  I was depressed and angry over the fact that I’m probably going to have to go spend a few thousand dollars on a new laptop.  However, I was also all happy and hyper because, after spending a week far away in Houston, Jeff’s back!  So, I was like “Yay!” and “Boo hoo hoo” all at the same time and Jeff finally suggested that maybe it would help me get my mind off the boo hoo part if I watched something silly and stupid.  And, as usual, he was right!  Though, in its defense, Degrassi may often times be kinda silly but it’s rarely stupid.  Except when it is.  Anyway, The Curse of Degrassi is available for free viewing off of Uverse OnDemand, which is how I watched it last night.

What’s It About?

Okay, so like many years ago, there was this very special, two-part episode of Degrassi: The Next Generation in which bullied, picked-on Rick Murray (played by an excellent actor named Ephraim Ellis, and by the way, that’s Jeff’s last name too but they’re not related and believe me, I asked) was competing in some sort of high school quiz-like game show and he ended up getting a bunch of yellow paint and chicken feathers poured on him by school bully Spinner (Shane Kippel).  So, naturally, Rick went home, got a gun, and came back up to school and started shooting people until he himself eventually ended up getting shot and killed.  

Now, four years to the day after Rick’s death, a group of Degrassi students are all up at the school at night, getting things ready for the upcoming Harvest dance.  Group ringleader Holly J. Sinclair ends up getting possessed by Rick’s vengeful spirit and proceeds to kill off the entire cast.  And no, this is not a dream or one of those non-canon fantasy episodes.  Which is cool because, quite frankly, Holly J. annoys me…

What Worked?

To be honest, the entire 22 minute episode worked.  For a Canadian teen show, this was actually pretty scary and had some fairly effective (in their own fun way) special effects.  Plus, as much as I complain about the character she plays., actress Charlotte Arnold does a pretty good job playing psychotic, possessed Holly J.  Plus, even among all the mayhem and death, the episode gets across a well-meant and sincere anti-bullying message and if you don’t get a little bit emotional when Rick says, “I’m dead, aren’t I?,” then you have no soul.  That’s right — you’re a freaking zombie.

(Though, at the same time, Rick Murray was kind of a disturbed guy who, let’s not forget, first appeared on the show as an obsessive, abusive stalker who put Terri in a coma when he pushed her down and she hit her head on a rock.  It was his abusive behavior that led to Rick becoming a pariah though Spinner, ultimately, took things too far. By the way, I always loved how Degrassi students all had names like Spinner.)

Plus, you get to see all the Degrassi kids die.

What Didn’t Work?

Seriously, it all worked.  In fact, I’m just going to say that this is the greatest thing ever to come out of Canada.  Okay, maybe not.  But still, I enjoyed it.

“OMG! Just like me!” moments

I always have a lot of “Oh my God!  Just like me!” moments whenever I watch any TV show or movie that features silly people falling victim to some unseen supernatural force.  Usually, they’re along the lines of, “WHAT!?  There’s a killer stalking the school and you’re going to stop to make out with your boyfriend in some dark, isolated room that only has one exit!?  OH MY GOD!  JUST LIKE ME!”  Anyway, I had quite a few of those while watching The Curse of Degrassi.  Though my biggest “Oh my God!  Just like me!” moment came when Holly J. screamed, “I’M HOLLY J. FREAKIN SINCLAIR!” as that’s the way I usually chose to introduce myself as well.

Lessons Learned:

The world can do without the Harvest Dance.  That, and be nice because otherwise, you might get possessed by Rick Murray.

Until next time, this is Lisa Marie Freakin Bowman saying, “Stay supple!”