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Late Night Retro Television Review: Degrassi: The Next Generation 3.10 “Never Gonna Give You Up”

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

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: The Next Generation, which aired from 2001 to 2015!  The series can be streamed on YouTube and Tubi.

This week, Terri has a boyfriend!

Episode 3.10 “Never Gonna Give You Up”

(Dir by John Bell, originally aired on November 19th, 2003)

Hey, it’s Rick Murray!

When last we saw Rick (played by Ephraim Ellis), he was the shy, nerdy-but-cute guy leaving flowers at Terri’s locker. When this episode starts, Terri and Rick have been dating for a while. From the outside, Rick seems sweet, romantic, and utterly devoted to Terri. Jimmy and Spinner both think he’s a little weird, but Hazel and Paige insist he’s perfect for her.

The truth is that Rick is controlling, arrogant, and easily offended. In private, he loses his temper fast. In Ms. Kwan’s scene-study class, he’s in a group with Jimmy, Hazel, and Terri, assigned to bring to life a one-act written by budding playwright and actor Marco. Rick wants to direct. When Jimmy takes that job, Rick agrees to be stage manager. That’s right, folks! Rick is one of those people who likes to work crew. Anyone who ever did theater in high school knows how annoying those people were. (Seriously, you’d come offstage glowing because you’d just given the best performance of your life and some lighting-crew dork would go, “You nearly missed your mark.” Like, seriously, just shut up and stay out of my way, you weirdo.)

Marco takes the lead male role. Jimmy gives the nurse to Hazel and then announces that Terri will be the female lead. Terri is stunned and excited. Rick is immediately defensive, telling her it’s obvious Jimmy “has a thing for you. Why else would he give you the female lead?” (I think it may have had something to do with Terri being the last person left.)

This episode follows a pattern that will be painfully familiar to anyone who has ever been in an abusive relationship. Rick gives Terri a pile of overly technical acting notes that make her look stupid onstage. When she gets upset, he grabs her wrist and leaves a bruise. Then he buys her flowers and apologizes. When Terri says she’s having a girls’ night with Paige and Hazel and Rick can’t come because “it’s just for girls,” he backhands her and leaves her with a swollen lip. (Hazel sees the lip and immediately knows Terri is lying about a cold sore.) When Terri says she needs time to herself and that Rick is suffocating her, he shoves her against a wall. Terri announces that she’s done with him.

Unfortunately, every Degrassi watcher knows that isn’t true. This episode may end with Terri throwing away the flower Rick left at her locker, but we know he’ll be back in a few episodes. We also know Season 4 is basically the season of Rick Murray’s revenge.

It’s an episode with a commendable message and a good performance from Ephraim Ellis. That said, as I rewatched it, I found myself obsessing over just how bad Marco’s little scene was. Marco played Ray, a dying man, and spoke in an exaggerated Italian accent. Hazel was the nurse who told Terri (playing Ray’s mother) that Ray was not going to live. In the episode, Terri takes the blame for everyone laughing at the play’s big dramatic beat, but I think the real culprit was Marco’s writing. “We do not always get what we want .… or want what we get.” I’ve always assumed the play was meant as a parody of bad teenage dramatics. At least, I hope it was.

The B-plot is an amusing little prank war between Spinner and J.T. Spinner is sick of J.T. hanging around Paige, so among other things he plasters the inside of J.T.’s locker with glamour photos of Mr. Raditch and slips a romantic poem under Raditch’s office door. J.T. responds by showing up at The Dot and being such an obnoxious customer that Spinner, waiting tables, loses his temper. Spinner gets in trouble with his boss and is demoted to — get this– “dish pig.” Is that an actual job? I mean, I guess he’s washing dishes, but “dish pig” is a really vivid way to put it. It’s certainly better than anything Marco ever wrote. J.T. and Spinner call a truce, but not before Ms. Kwan gets a love poem from “Spinner.”

This week’s episode was classic Degrassi. I liked that the ultra-dark Rick Murray storyline was balanced with JT and Spinner acting like idiots. That’s high school for you.

Next week, it’s Christmas in Canada!

Late Night Retro Television Review: Degrassi: The Next Generation 3.9 “Against All Odds”

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

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: The Next Generation, which aired from 2001 to 2015!  The series can be streamed on YouTube and Tubi.

This week, Emma and Manny go to a rave and have another big fight.

Episode 3.9 “Against All Odds”

(Dir by Stefan Scaini, originally aired on November 5th, 2003)

When Ms. Kwan asks Sean for his thoughts on Julius Caesar, he dismisses Shakespeare as someone who has no relevance to his life. Another student, Chris Sharpe (Daniel Morrison), speaks up and says he loved the play because it was all about betrayal. Ms. Kwan says she’s glad Chris got something out of it. Chris replies, “Unlike my friend Slim Shady over there, I actually read the play.”

That’s all it takes for Emma to decide that she’s in love.

Manny is super excited about the idea of attending a rave. (Woo hoo!) According to the flyer, the DJ is going to be DJ Jacob Sharpe, Chris’s cousin, who always lets Chris spin at least one set at every rave. Manny convinces Emma to come with her. She also convinces Emma to actually dress up. Emma puts on a blue top and a knee-length pink skirt and then worries that her modest outfit is going to make everyone look at her. Manny, who has fully embraced her new wardrobe of crop tops and visible thongs, tells her that the idea is to get people to look at her. Emma and Manny sneak out of Emma’s basement bedroom to go to the rave. As Emma explains it, she doesn’t want her mom to see her new outfit. Personally, I think it’s more probable that it was Amanda Stepto’s week off and the show’s producers needed an excuse for why Spike, for once, is not clinging to her daughter and demanding to be her best friend.

The rave is kind of lame, and Chris doesn’t really seem to be that great of a DJ, but he sure is excited to see Emma. He even forgives her after she trips over a wire and unplugs his sound system. The only problem is that Chris has a girlfriend, and Emma doesn’t believe in cheating. Manny, however, does believe in cheating, which is why she invites Craig to the rave and then abandons Emma, heads back to the Nelson/Simpson household, and ends up fooling around with Craig in the basement. When Emma finally arrives home (she had to take a cab), she stumbles in on Manny and Craig and, needless to say, she is not happy. Normally this is where I would make a joke about Emma never being happy, but for once Emma is kind of justified in being upset.

Meanwhile, Marco and Spinner go over to Jimmy’s apartment so they can study for an important test. Spinner is worried that Marco is going to hit on him, and then he’s offended when Marco informs him that he isn’t Marco’s type.

The next day, Spinner is ready for his test. Yay! However, Emma is not ready to forgive Manny. When Manny lets it slip that she and Craig have been cheating for a while, Emma accuses Manny of not caring that Craig is dating Ashley. Manny says she doesn’t want to be Emma’s friend anymore. She calls Emma a judgmental prude, and Manny isn’t wrong. Emma then replies that she’s not interested in being friends with the “school slut.”

OUCH!

Oh, this episode. There was a lot about it that left me cringing because it brought back a lot of memories of my own time in high school. (Let’s just say that I was very much aware of how to climb out of my second-story window and make it to the ground without breaking my ankle, and leave it at that.) On the one hand, Emma has every right to be upset over Manny ditching her at the rave and then using her basement as a place to hook up with Craig. On the other hand, from the very first episode of Degrassi, Emma has basically been ordering Manny around and freaking out anytime Manny showed the slightest hint of independence. (Remember when Emma threw a fit just because Manny wanted to join the Spirit Squad?) Emma has spent two and a half seasons giving people the Emma Nelson Death Stare, and Manny has every right to be tired of it. Emma continually demands to be allowed to live her own life and make her own decisions, but when Manny does the same thing, Emma calls her a slut. In the end, Emma’s the hypocrite here.

As for the Spinner/Jimmy/Marco storyline, it was cute. I like anything involving Spinner, and it always amuses me how, whenever anyone goes to Jimmy’s apartment, the show uses the exact same ominous establishing shot of a huge building set off a freeway. Jimmy’s parents are rich and they’re never around, and the inside of the apartment is always oddly dark, as if Jimmy is scared to turn on all the lights. In this episode, Jimmy spends most of his time watching an adult movie on his television. “Thank God for satellite!” he says, before adding, “You are looking at the future Mrs. Jimmy Brooks.” It’s one of those things that probably wouldn’t be memorable except for the fact that Jimmy is being played by Drake.

As for Chris, he’s a nice guy, but even in this episode it was already obvious that Emma was just using him as a substitute for Sean.

This was a good episode, but it ended on a dark note. Allow me to lighten things up by noting that the episode is named after a song by Phil Collins. The summer after I graduated from high school, my sisters and I took a trip to Europe. While we were in Switzerland, we stayed in a ski lodge. Our host told us that the chateau next door was rumored to belong to Phil Collins. That night, I went out on the balcony of my room and noticed that there was a light on in the chateau. At the top of my lungs, I started to sing, “Well, take a look at me now!” I wasn’t really sure how the whole song went, so I mostly just focused on the chorus and tossed in a few lyrics from “In the Air Tonight.” The light in the chateau went dark while I was singing. Did Phil Collins personally turn off the living room light while I was singing? I have no way of definitively saying, but .… yeah, I’m pretty sure he did.

Next week on Degrassi, Rick Murray shows his true colors and sets in motion a drama that won’t be resolved until halfway through the fourth season.

Late Night Retro Television Review: Degrassi: The Next Generation 3.8 “Whisper to a Scream”

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

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: The Next Generation, which aired from 2001 to 2015!  The series can be streamed on YouTube and Tubi.

This week is Degrassi at its best and most important.

Episode 3.8 “Whisper to a Scream”

(Dir. Philip Earnshaw; originally aired November 12th, 2003)

Ellie is dealing with more than any teenager should have to.

Her father, Colonel Nash (Daniel Lévesque), is deployed overseas, leaving her to take care of her self-centered, alcoholic mother (Kirsten Kieferle). Ellie is up for an internship with Caitlin Ryan, but to get it she’ll have to beat out none other than Paige. Despite the fact that Paige starts wearing glasses to look smarter and “accidentally” spills a drink on Ellie’s shirt, Ellie still manages to get the internship. “I guess she really did feel sorry for you,” Paige says.

The internship is Ellie’s dream job, but now she has to balance it with school and taking care of her mom. Her grades struggle. The ladies in the front office start giving her nasty looks whenever she comes in for a late slip. Whenever the stress gets to be too much, Ellie cuts herself.

This episode is difficult for me to watch. For a time, Degrassi was advertised as the show that “goes there,” and this episode has always hit close to home for me. When I was much younger and blaming myself for my parents’ divorce and the fact that my mom usually had to work more than one job to support me and my sisters, I used to manage my stress in much the same way Ellie did, though I was usually too afraid of scars to actually break the skin. Cutting is a sensitive subject, and not one that is easy for other people to understand or for people who cut to really explain. This episode approaches the subject with intelligence and sensitivity, and Stacey Farber gives a commendable performance.

To the show’s credit, Ellie does not magically get over being a cutter in just 20 minutes. Even after her former rival, Paige, sees the scars on Ellie’s arms and encourages her to talk to the school counselor, Ellie isn’t suddenly better. In a future episode, Ellie will admit, “I’ll always be a cutter,” regardless of whether she’s actually cutting or not. It’s one of those honest moments that sets Degrassi apart from most other teen shows.

I should admit that when Ellie cuts herself, she does so with a drawing compass, and it’s obvious that the point is very dull. This was apparently done on purpose to keep the episode from becoming a “how-to” video. I can understand that. Degrassi shows the dangers of cutting, but it doesn’t shy away from admitting that it also provides an outlet for Ellie’s stress.

This episode’s B-plot is important as well. Someone has been leaving flowers at Terri’s locker. Terri fears that her secret admirer is Toby, and Toby doesn’t help things by saying stuff like, “I don’t know, am I?” Fortunately, it turns out that Toby is not her secret admirer and is just acting weird because he’s trying to test whether or not she has ESP. Instead, Terri’s secret admirer is cute, shy Rick Murray (Ephraim Ellis).

Considering Rick’s ultimate legacy as a Degrassi student, it’s always a bit surprising to be reminded that, in his first appearance, he just came across as a sweet romantic. “Awwww! He left her a poem!” When you already know that Rick is destined to (1) put Terri in a coma and (2) shoot Jimmy in the back, it completely changes how you react to Rick’s courtship of Terri.

Next week, Emma’s back and she’s trying to move on from Sean. Yeah, good luck with that!

Late Night Retro Television Review: Degrassi: The Next Generation 3.1 “Father Figure: Part One”

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

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: The Next Generation, which aired from 2001 to 2015!  The series can be streamed on YouTube and Tubi.

This week, we start season 3!

Episode 3.1 “Father Figure: Part 1”

(Dir by Bruce MacDonald, originally aired on September 17th, 2003)

The third and fourth seasons of Degrassi: The Next Generation were Degrassi at its best so, over the upcoming year, we’ve got a lot to look forward to.  Unfortunately, though, we have to start things off with some Emma drama.

The season premiere finds Emma in a bad mood.  Yeah, that’s a shock, right?  Emma was always in a bad mood.  This time, she does have a somewhat legitimate grievance, even if, as usual, she seems to be totally unaware that other people have lives that don’t necessarily revolve around whatever she’s upset about at the moment.  Her mother has always refused to tell Emma much about Shane McKay.  Emma’s only memory of her father is visiting him in a clinic and Spike telling him that he couldn’t be a part of Emma’s life.  Emma thinks that Shane was a doctor.  Of course, all of us veteran Degrassi watchers know the truth.  Shane McKay was a flakey high school student who suffered brain damage when he dropped acid and fell off a bridge.

Sean, quite sensibly, says that maybe Emma should just let it go for a bit, seeing as how she actually has a nice home and mother and stepfather who love her.  (Emma often seems to forget that Sean has essentially been abandoned by his entire family.)  Sean also points out that Spike is pregnant and doesn’t need the extra pressure of Emma constantly losing her temper.  Realizing that Sean is making too much sense, Emma instead partners up with Craig and tracks down Shane.  As the episode ends, she discovers that Shane (played by Jonathan Torrens) is living in an assisted living facility,

While all of that is going on, Paige is freaking out because of the location of her locker.  Spinner makes a series of deals which leads to him eventually convincing new student Chris Sharpe (Daniel Keith Morrison) to trade lockers.  Chris’s locker is located in Degrassi’s best hallway.  Paige is happy about that.  But the locker still looks old and dingy.  Paige would rather have Jimmy’s locker.  Good luck with that, Paige.  Despite agreeing to set aside their differences at the last school dance, Jimmy is back to hating Spinner.

This episode also features the return of Caitlin Ryan, who comes back Toronto for Spike’s baby shower.  (The creepy Farrell twins show up too.  AGCK!)  Caitlin meets Joey’s new girlfriend, realtor Sydney (Elisa Moolecherry).  Before realizing who Sydney is, Caitlin rambles on about how she and Joey have such a complicated romantic history.  This was the episode in which Caitlin was suddenly changed from being a level-headed professional woman to a neurotic klutz who continually got into awkward situations.

This is a two-part episode.  We’ll conclude the story of Shane McKay next week!

Late Night Retro Television Review: Degrassi: The Next Generation 2.22 “Tears Are Not Enough: Part Two”

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

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: The Next Generation, which aired from 2001 to 2015!  The series can be streamed on YouTube and Tubi.

This week, the second season comes to an end.

Episode 2.22 “Tears Are Not Enough: Part Two”

(Dir by Philip Earnshaw, originally aired on February 23rd, 2003)

As would become a tradition on Degrassi, the season ends with a dance and a character having a breakdown.

In this case, the dance is Hawaiian-themed.  And Craig is the one who has the breakdown, shortly after he and Ashley are named the King and Queen of Degrassi.  When he thinks he spots his dead father in the back of the gym, Craig tries to talk to him.  Unfortunately, the man turns out to just be a teacher and not the ghost of Craig’s abusive dad.  Soon, Craig is ripping down streamers.  Finally, Terri talks to Craig.  She lost her mother so she understands what he’s going through.  So, if nothing else, at least Terri finally got to do something this season.

Meanwhile, Spinner and Jimmy finally get over being mad at each other.  They bond over getting defeated by Craig.  Paige and Hazel are also dissappointed about not winning Queen of the Dance.  The lesson here is that the sympathy vote rules and everyone felt sorry for Craig.  Ashley was just along for the ride.

For a Degrassi season finale, this was something of a low-key affair.  I get that the season began with Craig so it also had to end with him but it’s still hard not to feel a bit underwhelmed by the whole thing.  Craig spends this episode going from one extreme to another.  First, he acts like he doesn’t care that his father is dead.  Then, he starts to laugh like a maniac at his father’s funeral.  And then he ends up begging a stranger for his approval.  Jake Epstein got a chance to show off what a good actor he is but still, it didn’t reveal much that we didn’t already know about Craig.  Fortunately, us Degrassi fans know what’s waiting for everyone during seasons 3 and 4.  We’re about to start peak Degrassi!

I’m taking next week off for the 4th of July so we will start on season 3 of Degrassi on July 12th.

Late Night Retro Television Review: Degrassi: The Next Generation 2.21 “Tears Are Not Enough: Part One”

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

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: The Next Generation, which aired from 2001 to 2015!  The series can be streamed on YouTube and Tubi.

This week, we’ve got the first part of the second season finale!

Episode 2.21 “Tears Are Not Enough, Part One”

(Dir by Philip Earnshaw, originally aired on February 16th, 2003)

Another school year is coming to an end.  It’s time for the final school dance!  But first, JT needs to pass his final exams.  Liberty agrees to tutor JT on the condition that he take her to the dance.  JT accepts and, in the end, he resists the temptation to ask Paige to the dance because “Liberty’s my date.”

Well, that’s good.  This episode allows us to see how the JT/Liberty romance started.  Of course, we all know that JT will eventually get Liberty pregnant and then get hooked on pills.  Fortunately, JT will survive the inevitable overdose.  Unfortunately, two seasons after that overdose, JT will be murdered outside of Liberty’s birthday party.

Hmmm …. maybe JT should have asked Paige to the dance.

However, all of this is just the B-plot.  The main plot of this episode features Craig’s father (Hugh Dillon) trying to reeneter his life.  Craig’s father swears that he’s learned the error of his ways.  He’s taken classes to learn how to control his temper.  He wants Craig to come and live with him and, with Joey struggling with money, Craig is tempted.  Or, at least, Craig is tempted until he shows up late for dinner with his father and his father responds by hitting Craig in the face and then speeding off in his car.

Craig returns home and tells Joey that he wants Joey to adopt him.  Then the police show up.  Craig thinks that his father called them but it turns out that they are there to let Joey know that Craig’s father died in an auto accident.  Given how abusive Craig’s father was, you might think this is good news.  However, those of us who have binged this show more than once know that this is going to lead to Craig having a breakdown in two seasons and a cocaine addiction in three.

Seriously, things got dark!

Despite the Liberty/JT subplot, I like this episode.  To be honest, I like almost all of the Craig episodes.  He was an interesting character and Jake Epstein was one of the better actors on the show.  Even though I already know what waits in the future, I’m still looking forward to watching the second part of Tears Are Not Enough.

Late Night Retro Television Review: Degrassi: The Next Generation 2.20 “How Soon Is Now?”

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

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: The Next Generation, which aired from 2001 to 2015!  The series can be streamed on YouTube and Tubi.

This week, Degrassi goes there.

Episode 2.20 “How Soon Is Now?”

(Dir by Eleanore Lindo, originally aired on February 9th, 2003)

After intensive therapy with the school’s counselor, Ms. Sauve (Jennifer Podemski), Paige convinces herself that she’s emotionally recovered from being raped by Dean.  Paige says she doesn’t need any more therapy and she just wants to get on her with her life.  However, when she discovers that Dean’s school will be coming to Degrassi for a basketball game, she starts to spiral.

Paige’s rape was one of Degrassi’s first “mature” storylines, in that it dealt with a controversial issue and it did so in  a realistic way.  Instead of simply wrapping things up after an episode or two, Degrassi stretched this storyline over several seasons and let it play out with an honesty that is rarely seen on television..  Instead of having Paige magically go back to being who she was before she was raped, Degrassi portrayed how Paige changed as a result of both the rape and her struggle to get justice.  That the show did so realistically is a credit to both Degrassi and Lauren Collins’s portrayal of Paige.

One of the things that makes this episode difficult to watch is that Paige largely suffers alone.  Only a few people know about the rape.  A bitter Spinner still thinks that the encounter between Paige and Dean was consensual.  When Dean does show up at Degrassi, it’s obvious that he feels no guilt about what happened and, soon, he’s even hitting on Manny.  When Paige tries to warn Manny, Manny replies that Dean told her all about how crazy Paige is.  It’s only when Paige tells JT about what happened that someone finally stands up for her.  JT may just be the mascot but he doesn’t hold back when he attacks Dean on the court.  Of course, JT is still JT so it’s not like he really does that much physical damage to Dean but it’s still gratifying to see.  In fact, this is the first episode in which JT actually reveals himself to be something other than just the annoying class clown.

At the end of the episode, Paige tells Ms. Suave that she wants to press charges against Dean.  Ms. Suave warns her that, with the amount of time that has passed, it’s going to be Paige’s word against his.  Paige says she understands.  I always want to applaud at the end of this episode, even though I know how things are going to develop.

As for the B-plot, Marco’s being a jerk.  He and Ellie are working on a class project.  They have to create an ad campaign for a fake cologne.  Marco wants to do a “Bollywood thing.”  Ellie wants to turn Marco into a sex symbol.  Marco gets annoyed because Ellie hasn’t fully accepted that he’s gay and not romantically attracted to her.  Hey, Marco — you’re the one who asked her to pretend to be your girlfriend so that you could stay in the closet so instead of getting mad at her, maybe think about what you’re putting her through!

Seriously, I get that Marco was a ground-breaking character at the time and I respect that, just as with Paige’s storyline, the show attempted to be realistic in its portrayal of Marco slowly finding the confidence to be his true self.  That said, Marco could be really self-righteous.

But no matter.  Even with Marco acting like Marco, this was an important episode.  Degrassi went there.

Late Night Retro Television Review: Degrassi: The Next Generation 2.19 “Fight For Your Right”

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

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: The Next Generation, which aired from 2001 to 2015!  The series can be streamed on YouTube and Tubi.

Oh no, Emma’s got a cause!

Episode 2.19 “Fight For Your Right”

(Dir by Chris Deacon, originally aired on February 2nd, 2003)

This episode is a good example of Emma being the worst.

Emma and Ashley approach Principal Raditch and tell him that they don’t want genetically modified foods in the cafeteria.  Raditch tells them to buzz off, which is the right response when you consider that Raditch is probably just following the orders of the school board.  Emma responds by standing outside the school and handing out flyers that announce that Sheila the lunch lady is “poisoning” the students with the food she’s serving.

Now, to me, this is the moment that Emma goes from being a young idealist to being arrogant brat.  Sheila works for the school.  She’s a lunch lady.  I doubt she lives in a nice big house like Emma.  Sheila probably needs the job.  Emma is accusing Sheila of poisoning people.  When Ellie sensibly points out that saving money with GM food — as opposed to the expensive organic crap that Emma wants the school to serve — allows Degrassi to give free meals to poor students, Emma accuses Ellie of not caring about the fact that the students might get cancer in 20 years.  Principal Raditch finally comes out and tells Emma that she’s not allowed distribute “propaganda” on school property.

And again, it seems to me that Radtich is within his rights.  Number one, why isn’t Emma in class?  Number two, Emma is accusing a school employee of being a potential murderer.  Number three, Emma is causing a disruption on school property.

The show disagrees with me.  The show wants me to say, “Yay, Emma!”  Even when Emma goes into the cafeteria and accidentally starts a food fight by knocking Toby and JT’s lunch on Jimmy, we are meant to be on Emma’s side.  When Emma gets offended at Raditch’s insistence that she apologize to Sheila, we’re meant to be on her side.  One thing that we don’t see is who gets stuck cleaning up the cafeteria after the food fight.  I’m going to assume that it was probably the same Sheila that Emma accused of poisoning the students.

Emma is suspended for the day so she stands across the street and holds a sign, claiming that her right to free speech has been violated.  Raditch tells Emma that if she doesn’t apologize on the next day’s video announcement, she’ll be suspended for a week.

At home, Emma asks Snake what she should do.  Snake encourages her to …. NOT APOLOGIZE!  Well, he doesn’t directly say that but he doesn’t say that she should apologize either.  Snake, in case you had forgotten, is not only Emma’s teacher but also her stepfather.  Spike is on a trip so he’s the only parent at home.  Snake, at this point, should be saying, “This is a dumb protest and you should at least apologize to Sheila.  No matter what else happens, you’re not getting your organic food in the cafeteria so there’s nothing to be accomplished with any of this.”

Instead, the next morning, Snake just sits there with a big dumbass grin on his face when Emma goes on the video announcements and refuses to apologize.  Okay, Snake, do you think it’s cool that a school employee has been accused of poisoning the students?  Oh, and Snake — are you the one who is going to call Spike to tell her that you got her daughter suspended from school for a week?  Spike, who had to fight so hard for the right to go to school when she was pregnant with Emma, will certainly appreciate hearing that!

Seriously, Emma is the worst!  But the only she’s the worst is because this show was convinced that she was the best.  One gets the feeling that Emma’s character was a case wish-fulfillment for the show’s writers.  Imagine a world where you can be obnoxious and self-righteous and everyone loves you for it!

There is a B-plot and, to be honest, it probably should have been the A-plot.  Spinner, jealous that Jimmy’s parents buy him everything, steals Jimmy’s CD player and attempts to sell it.  When Jimmy finds out, he overturns a trash can.  Spinner takes a job at the cafeteria to earn money and gives Jimmy back the CD player.

“You are my best friend!” Spinner says.

“Was,” Jimmy replies.

Oh my God!  Spinner and Jimmy, no!  Actually, Spinner and Jimmy were always ending their friendship and then eventually restoring it.  They’ll be fine.  Still, their storyline was a lot more interesting than Emma’s latest crusade.

When in doubt, always focus on Spinner.  That’s a lesson the writers should have taken to heart.

Late Night Retro Television Review: Degrassi: The Next Generation 2.14 “Careless Whisper”

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

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: The Next Generation, which aired from 2001 to 2015!  The series can be streamed on YouTube and Tubi.

This week, Ellie figures something out about Marco.

Episode 2.14 “Careless Whisper”

(Dir by Laurie Lynd, originally aired on January 13th, 2003)

This episode opens with Marco, Jimmy, and Spinner playing basketball and Marco staring at the shirtless Spinner until Spinner says, “What are you looking at, fag?”

Later, when Dr. Sally (Sue Johanson) comes to give the Health class her annual sex education talk, Jimmy and Spinner ask her how a dude could be attracted to another dude.  At this point, someone in the class could have and perhaps should have pointed out that Jimmy and Spinner seem to spend a lot of time together but instead, everyone just snickers.

Everyone except for Marco.  As class ends, Marco is quick to tell Spinner and Jimmy that he hates gay people.

Meanwhile, Ellis is wondering why Marco never seems to show her any affection.  They’re hanging out.  They’re going to the movies.  And yet, she feels like Marco is still more of a friend than a boyfriend….

Yes, this is the episode where Ellie figures out that Marco is gay.  When Ellie asks him, “Do you like girls at all?,” Marco replies with, “I don’t know.”  As we all yell, “No, Ellie!,” Ellie agrees to continue to pretend to be Marco’s girlfriend so that Spinner and Jimmy won’t make fun of him but she says that this isn’t a permanent arrangement….

Seriously, Ellie was always getting her heart broken on this show.  First, she agreed to be Marco’s pretend girlfriend.  Then she dated Sean, even though he was obviously still in love with Emma.  Then she pursued Craig, who was incapable of loving anyone other than himself.  And finally, she fell for that narcissistic college newspaper editor.  Ellie deserved better and really, while I have sympathy for Marco’s struggle to accept his sexuality while being best friends with the two biggest homophobes in Canada, Marco was always at his most selfish when it came to Ellie.

That said, both Adamo Ruggiero and Stacey Farber give good performances in this episode, as Marco and Ellis respectively.  Today, we kind of take it for granted that every high school-based show is going to have at least a handful of gay characters.  (By the end of Degrassi’s Netflix run, almost everyone in the school was LGBTQ.)  In 2003, though, an extended storyline like this was still a big deal and it undoubtedly took some guts on the part of the showrunners.

As for the B-story, Toby is totally in love with Kendra.  Kendra thinks that Toby is getting a bit too possessive.  Toby agrees to back off a little.  Kendra, you can do better.  Sorry, Tobes.

 

 

Late Night Retro Television Review: Degrassi: The Next Generation 2.10 “Take My Breath Away”

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

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: The Next Generation, which aired from 2001 to 2015!  The series can be streamed on YouTube and Tubi.

Whatever it takes, I know I can make it through….

Episode 2.10 “Take My Breath Away”

(Dir by Stefan Scaini, originally aired on December 9th, 2002)

How you respond to this episode depends on how much you know about what’s eventually going to happen to the students at Toronto’s Degrassi Learning Center.

When watched for the first time, it seems like a sweet episode about how crushes can hurt and how they can also pay off.  Ellie has a crush on Marco and, after discovering that he likes Edward Gorey just as much as she does, Ellie starts to send him anonymous rhyming emails.  However, Hazel also likes Marco and Marco thinks that Hazel is the one sending him the emails.  Marco thinks this despite Hazel having never shown any poetic ability and also despite the fact that he just sat down at lunch and discussed Edward Gorey with Ellie!

When Marco receives an anonymous email telling him to meet his crush at the Zen Garden, Marco is shocked to discover Ellie waiting for him.  Ellie assumes Marco is disappointed and runs away.  Marco later tracks Ellie down and reveals that he wasn’t disappointed at all.  Marco and Ellie are now a couple!

Meanwhile, Craig and Manny go on their first date.  Craig wants to see a movie.  Manny gets excited when she sees a rather childish carnival.  Manny later tells Emma and Liberty that the date was wonderful and that she and Craig are totally in love.  Craig tells Spinner and Jimmy that the date was awkward and that Manny is still too immature for him.  Craig says that Manny reminds him of his five year-old half-sister, Angela.  (Angela was played by Alexa Steele, Cassie Steele’s real-life sister.)

The episode ends with Manny telling Craig that he shouldn’t talk to Ashley and asking him what they’re doing on Friday night.  Craig replies that they’re not doing anything because he doesn’t like Manny.  AGCK!

Again, it’s a good episode.  The contrast between Craig’s recollection of the date and Manny’s version is genuinely amusing.  Meanwhile, Ellie finally gets a boyfriend….

Of course, veteran Degrassi watchers know that Marco is both gay and deeply closeted and that he’s destined to hurt Ellie before becoming her best friend.  (Ellie was always way too forgiving.)  Meanwhile, Craig and Manny are going to end up together, with Craig first getting Manny pregnant and then, several seasons later, introducing her to cocaine.  Craig is also going to nearly kill Joey while having a manic episode before breaking Ashley’s heart and nearly driving Ellie to suicide in Los Angeles.  Yikes!

This is a cute episode that, for veteran Degrassi watchers, is decorated with red flags.