Welcome to Late Night Retro Television Reviews, a feature where we review some of our favorite and least favorite shows of the past!  On Sunday, I will be reviewing the Canadian series, Degrassi High, which aired on CBC and PBS from 1989 to 1991!  The series can be streamed on YouTube and Tubi

This week, tragedy comes to Degrassi.

Episode 2.10 “Showtime, Part One”

(Dir by Kit Hood, originally aired on January 21st, 1991)

When last we saw Claude Tanner, Caitlin was dumping him because he left her behind when the police showed up at the nuclear facility that they were vandalizing.  Claude then refused to go to court to support her, saying that his parents wouldn’t understand.  That was during the first season.

Other than appearing in the opening credits, Claude was not in the first nine episodes of the second season of Degrassi High.  When he did return in tonight’s episode, he made Degrassi history.

When we first see Claude, he’s wearing what appears to be a pirate shirt and he’s looking over a piece of paper.  His beard is a bit thicker.  His earing is a lot bigger.  When he sees Caitlin, he tries to talk to her.  Caitlin tells him to get lost and then asks Maya why Claude just can’t leave her alone.

Claude is auditioning for the school talent show.  He reads a monologue that he’s written, one about an ice queen who makes the entire world dark.  Lucy and Bronco tell him that his monologue is too depressing for the show.  Claude accuses all of the students of being sheep and storms out of the auditorium.

The next day, Claude gives Caitlin a flower, goes to his locker and retrieves a gun, and then shoots himself in the washroom.  His body is later discovered by Snake.

Over the course of Degrassi’s long history, many students would die.  Tragically, Claude would not be the only one to commit suicide.  One was shot while trying to shoot up the school.  The class clown was stabbed to death by a student from a rival high school.  Another died in a car accident.  However, Claude was the first.

And I have to say that I was really impressed with how Degrassi High handled Claude’s suicide.  Snake was traumatized.  Caitlin was left feeling numb.  Some students talked about how much Claude was hurting and also about their own struggles with depression.  Lucy and Spike both said that Claude’s actions were selfish and that he killed himself at school because he wanted to hurt all of the other students.  When it comes to Claude, I have to admit that I find myself agreeing with Lucy and Spike.  When Caitlin returns home from school, she finds a bouquet of flowers and a note from Claude waiting for her.  In the note, Claude says that he loved her and the words are obviously meant to make her feel responsible for his death.  The episodes ends with Caitlin throwing the flowers away.  Claude would probably say that proves that Caitlin doesn’t care about him.  I think it proves that Claude was a jerk who killed himself specifically to get back at Caitlin.

That doesn’t make Claude’s suicide any less tragic.  Any suicide is a tragedy, especially when the person in question hasn’t even reached adulthood.  As one of Claude’s friends says in this episode, Claude was sad and he didn’t feel he had anyone he could talk to.  That is a tragedy and sadly, even though this episode aired over 30 years ago, there’s a lot of people who still feel that way.  We live in a world where more and more people view life as being not a gift but instead a burden.  It’s sad.  Myself, I’m a strong believer in life and finding things to love.  I love my boyfriend.  I love my sisters.  I love writing.  I love movies.  I love cats.  I love knowing that, even when I’m at my lowest, happiness is in the future.  Most importantly, I love myself.  Never give up.

This episode was sensitive and thought-provoking and Degrassi as its best.  Next week, the fallout from Claude’s suicide continues.