Late Night Retro Television Review: Degrassi Junior High 3.4 “Season’s Greetings”


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 Junior High, which aired on CBC and PBS from 1987 to 1989!  The series can be streamed on YouTube!

This week, Arthur and Yick experience memories of the way they were.

Episode 3.4 “Season’s Greetings”

(Dir by Kit Hood, originally aired on December 12th, 1988)

It’s Christmas time!

In the school cafeteria, the students have gathered for lunch and gift-exchanging.  For the first time, Spike brings baby Emma to school and Shane finally sees his daughter.  Meanwhile, Snake and Joey talk to Wheels, who is facing his first Christmas without his adopted parents.  Joey invites Wheels to spend Christmas at his house.  Wheels replies that he’s going to be spending Christmas with his grandparents and a social worker.  Yikes!

Unfortunately, those interesting storylines are only given a few minutes of screentime.  Instead, the majority of this episode is about Yick thinking that Arthur has let being rich go to his head.  The two exchange presents but then refuse to open them.  Arthur’s annoying cousin Dorothy (Annabelle Waugh) encourages them get over being mad by reminding them of all of their previous adventures….

Yep, it’s a clip show.  There’s Arthur meeting Yick for the first time!  There’s Yick trying out for basketball!  There’s Arthur giving Yick one of Stephanie’s old term papers!  Most of the clips come from the first season and they’re interesting as a reminder of the fact that, when this show started, Arthur and Yick were at the center of almost every first season episode.  Of course, eventually, Arthur and Yick would both be pushed to the side by characters like Spike, Caitlin, Joey, Snake, and Wheels.  Even in this episode, it’s hard not to notice that,while Yick and Arthur are remembering the past, Spike and Wheels are the one dealing with present storylines.

After remembering the past, Arthur and Yick decide to remain friends.  Good for them!  Upon opening the presents, Arthur discovers that Yick got him an expensive calculator while Yick gets an extremely cheap band that he can use to keep his glasses from sliding off his face.  Seriously, Arthur?  You’re the richest kid in school and you only spent three dollars on your best friend’s Christmas present?  No wonder Yick was mad!

Clip shows are difficult to review.  This episode was about showing clips and that’s what it did so I guess it accomplished its goal.  But I’m still looking forward to reviewing a real episode next week.

Late Night Retro Television Review: Degrassi Junior High 3.3 “A Big Girl Now”


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 Junior High, which aired on CBC and PBS from 1987 to 1989!  The series can be streamed on YouTube!

This week, Lucy learns that she has the worst friends in the world.

Episode 3.3 “A Big Girl Now”

(Dir by Kit Hood, originally aired on December 5th, 1988)

Lucy is totally in love with Paul, her older boyfriend from the high school.  At first, all of her friends are excited for her but then Lucy stops spending time with them and they start to get jealous.  When Lucy misses L.D.’s big soccer game because she already has plans with Paul, Lucy promises to make it up to L.D. and everyone else by letting them have a party at her house.

But then Paul and his high school friends discover that Lucy’s parents are out of town and they decide that they should throw a party of their own.  And when they announce that they don’t want any “niners” other than Lucy at the party, Lucy agrees to lie to her friends.  She tells them that the party’s been cancelled because of a family crisis.

Needless to say, both L.D. and the Farrell twins discover that Lucy lied to them.  (It doesn’t help that Paul and his friends chant, “Party!  Party!” when they pull up in front of Degrassi.)  Lucy loses their friendship and, because she doesn’t want to have sex and risk getting pregnant like Spike did, Lucy also loses her boyfriend.  What she does get is a “reputation” because everyone assumes she had sex with Paul even though she didn’t.

Poor Lucy!  Listen, Lucy should not have lied about the party.  And Paul really was a jerk.  But her friends need to cut Lucy some slack.  Lucy’s parents are never home, she’s still dealing with the trauma of being groomed by that creepy substitute last season, and she’s not even allowed to shoplift anymore.  So, Lucy made some mistakes.  Everyone makes mistakes!

Why can’t Lucy’s friends be as forgiving as Wheels?  During this episode, Snake finally approaches Wheels and apologizes for not talking to him since the funeral for Wheels’s parents.  Snake admits that he didn’t know what to say and Wheels admits that he’s struggling with depression.  Wheels explains that he no longer wants to go to school and he certainly doesn’t want to be a part of the Zit Remedy.  Still, Wheels is clearly touched by Snake’s apology.  Both Neil Hope and Stefan Brogren did a good job of portraying the combination of awkwardness and sincerity that lies at the heart of their friendship.

.Finally, the results of the student election are announced.  To the surprise of no one, Nancy Kramer defeats Kathleen for student council president.  Kathleen becomes Vice President.  Melanie begs Kathleen to nominate her for the dance committee.  Kathleen, however, tells Nancy that only niners (and Melanie is not a niner) should be allowed to serve on a committee.  Melanie overhears and proceeds to pour a carton of milk in Kathleen’s hair.  Poor Kathleen!  Seriously, ladies, be more like Snake and Wheels and support each other!

This episode felt like it was setting up a lot of future storylines.  Will Lucy get her friends back?  Will Wheels ever regain his love of life?  Will Kathleen be able to get all the milk out of her hair?  We’ll find out next week!

Late Night Retro Television Review: Degrassi Junior High 3.2 “Can’t Live With ‘Em: Part 2”


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 Junior High, which aired on CBC and PBS from 1987 to 1989!  The series can be streamed on YouTube!

The tragedy of Wheels continues.

Episode 3.2 “Can’t Live With ‘Em: Part Two”

(Dir by Kit Hood, originally aired on November 28th, 1988)

What a sad episode!

Much as with the previous episode, several storylines play out over the course of this episode.  For the most part, this episode is all about setting up the rest of the season.  Among the things that happen:

Lucy starts to hang out with Paul (Michael Blake), a student at Borden High and she stops hanging out with her best friend, L.D.

Arthur, who has taken to wearing a white scarf to school, finally admits to Yick that his family is rich and that he has been buying and selling stock in a company called Repco.  Yick responds by demanding that Arthur pay for their food when they go to the local diner.

Shane hears Spike talking to Liz about how much she misses having free time.  As soon as Spike gets home from school, she has to look after baby Emma while Spike’s mother goes to work.  Shane approaches Spike and says that he knows that she doesn’t want to talk to him but he’s still going to give her half of his allowance and get a part-time job to help her pay for a babysitter for Emma.

Nancy and Kathleen are still running for school president and getting aggressive in their campaigning.  Kathleen confesses to Melanie that she’s scared she’s going to lose.  Melanie points out that, even if she does come in second, Kathleen will still be Vice President.  Kathleen replies that she doesn’t want to be the second-in-command.  She wants it all.

(Kathleen is rarely portrayed sympathetically on this show but I totally related to how she felt.)

Scooter and Bartholomew Bond debate whether Superman is better than Spider-Man.

Even with all that going on, this episode is dominated by Wheels.  Last week, Wheels was informed that his parents had been killed by a drunk driver.  This week found him struggling with anger, depression, and survivor’s guilt.  He was supposed to be with his parents when they were going to the movies and if had gone with them instead of sneaking out to Joey’s house, Wheels probably would have died with his parents.  Wheels is haunted by a nightmare in which he wakes up to find his parents coming home from the movies.

“I thought you were dead!” Wheels says.

“We are,” his mother replies.

Wheels doesn’t know what’s going to happen.  Wheels is only 14 so living on his own is not an option.  His grandmother and grandfather live miles away so if Wheels goes to live with them, it’ll mean abandoning his entire life in Toronto but that might be better than having to enter the foster system.

When Wheels returns to school, no one knows how to talk to him.  Not even Snake is willing to approach him.  Only Joey tries to talk to Wheels.  The first time, Joey hands Wheels the demo tape that they made for the Zit Remedy.  Wheels breaks the tape.  The next time that Joey approaches Wheels, Wheels beats him up in the school hallway.  Joey — and this is why everyone loves him — doesn’t get angry at Wheels.  When Wheels finally approaches him and apologizes, Joey tells Wheels that he can beat him up whenever he needs to.

“I’m scared,” Wheels says.

Joey hugs him as the end credits role.

Awwwwwww!

This episode was Degrassi at its best, offering a lot of heartfelt emotions but no easy solutions.  Neil Hope (who had lost his own father right before shooting this episode) gives a heart-breaking performance as Wheels and Pat Mastroianni reminds us that, underneath Joey’s bluster, he’s a good person who truly cares about his friends.  Just as with last week, this episode is even more tragic if you know what’s destined to happen to the characters later on in the series.  For now, though, I’m just going to be happy that Wheels had a friend like Joey.

Late Night Retro Television Review: Degrassi Junior High 3.1 “Can’t Live With ‘Em: Part One”


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 Junior High, which aired on CBC and PBS from 1987 to 1989!  The series can be streamed on YouTube!

This week, the third season of Degrassi Junior High beings with tragedy!

Episode 3.1 “Can’t Live With ‘Em: Part One”

(Dir by Kit Hood, originally aired on November 28th, 1988)

This is one of the most important episodes in the history of the Degrassi franchise.  Along with starting the show’s third season, this is the episode that sees the beginning on the long and tragic decline of Derek “Wheels” Wheeler.  If you’re a fan of Degrassi: The Next Generation and you’ve always wondered how Wheels eventually ended up becoming a suicidal ex-con who is treated like a pariah by his former friend Snake, this episode is where it all began.

There’s actually a lot going on in this episode, though it’s the Wheels storyline that dominates.  With the start of a new school year, everyone at Degrassi is eager to catch up after the summer break.  Among the new developments:

Stephanie is no longer a Degrassi student and is instead going to private school.  Her brother Arthur and his best friend Yick Yu both apparently hit a growth spurt over the summer.  (Yick, in particular, is suddenly surprisingly tall for his age.)  Yick notices that Arthur seems to be dressing better and that he’s also taken to reading the business section of the newspaper.  Arthur insists that he’s not secretly rich, which is not something you say unless you actually are secretly rich.

Yick and Arthur also play a prank on new 7th grader, Bartholomew Bond (Trevor Cummings), first locking him in the janitor’s closet and then, after letting him out, directing the poor kid to the wrong homeroom.  It’s the same joke that Joey played on Arthur, way back in the first episode.  The only difference is that Yick and Arthur feel bad about it afterwards.

Having been held back, Joey is repeating the 8th Grade.  “Hey,” he asks Snake, “what do you think about Caitlin?”  Snake replies that Caitlin is not Joey’s type.  Of course, fans of Degrassi: The Next Generation know that Joey and Caitlin are destined to spend the next 20 years falling in and out and back in love with each other.

Spike is back at school.  This episode features the first appearance — albeit in polaroid form — of baby Emma.  Shane tries to approach Spike, saying that he wants to meet his daughter.  Spike tells him to stay away.  (Apparently, Shane’s parents sent him to summer camp to keep him away from Spike and Emma.)

With Stephanie gone, both Kathleen Mead and Nancy Kramer (Arlene Lott) are running for president of the student council.

The 9th Graders are spending half the day at Degrassi Junior High and half at Borden High.  Lucy notices a cute high school guy and smiles at him, even though the guy’s friend dismisses her as being a “minor niner.”

Ultimately, though, this episode is dominated by Wheels and his family.  Wheels wants to hang out with Joey.  His parents tells him that they think Joey is a bad influence.  His parents don’t care that Joey, Wheels, and Snake have their own band and are working on a demo tape of their only song.

“Parents,” Snake says, “can’t live with ’em, can’t live without ’em.”

Wheels replies that he would be happy to live without them.

Well, Wheels is going to get his wish.  When his parents go to the movies, Wheels sneaks out and goes to Joey’s house.  He, Joey, and Snake record their demo tape.  Wheels then heads home and is stunned to see a police car sitting outside of his house.

They called the cops? Wheels wonders.

No, they’re dead.  The police have accompanied Wheels’s grandmother so that she can tell him that his parents were killed by a drunk driver who ran a red light.  The end credits roll over a freeze frame of a stunned Wheels being hugged by his grandmother.

OH MY GOD!  I mean, seriously, who would have guessed that Wheels’s parents would die right at the same time that Wheels was saying he was sick of dealing with them?  As tragic as all that is, it’s even worse if you know what waits for Wheels in the future.

This episode of Degrassi Junior High did everything that a season premiere should.  It reintroduced us to the characters and set up the season’s main storyline, the downfall of Wheels.  This was classic Degrassi.  Next week, things get even worse for Wheels.  Poor Wheels.

Late Night Retro Television Review: Degrassi Junior High 2.13 “Pass Tense”


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 Junior High, which aired on CBC and PBS from 1987 to 1989!  The series can be streamed on YouTube!

The second season of Degrassi Junior High comes to a close with a historic episode!

Episode 2.13 “Pass Tense”

(Dir by Kit Hood, originally aired on March 28th, 1988)

The school year is nearly over and it’s time for the 8th Grade to graduate.  Next year, they will all be going to high school except …. well, they won’t.  Even while Stephanie and the Farrell Twins are making fun of the 7th Graders for having to do all the work to prepare for the big graduation dance, word comes down from the district that, starting next year, Degrassi Junior High will have a Grade 9.  Even though most of the show’s characters are set to graduate and go to High School, they’ll still be attending classes at Degrassi Junior High next season school year.

(The official story is that the high school was overcrowded so adding a Grade 9 to Degrassi was the only option.  The truth, of course, is that the show got popular and was renewed for a third season and the show’s producers didn’t want to lose 75% of their cast.)

However, one eighth grader will not be “graduating.”  Joey Jeremiah has flunked! Oddly, Joey passed his final exams but, as Raditch puts it, he only scraped by and Raditch feels that Joey is too smart to only be scraping by.  Mr. Raditch called Joey’s parents and told them that Joey could either go into the 9th Grade and be put in a low-academic program or he could repeat the 8th Grade and hopefully mature a little.  Joey’s parents agreed that Joey should be held back.  “Flunk our son!” they apparently said.

(To be honest, this seems like kind of an unfair move on the part of Mr. Raditch and I’m not really sure how Joey can be held back after passing all of his exams.  It seems rather arbitrary.)

At first, Joey declares that he’s not going to go to the graduation dance, even though the Zit Remedy is scheduled to make their public debut.  Wheels confronts Joey and tells him that he’s smart and that he owes it to his friends to show up.  Wheels gets a bit judgmental, all thing considered.  Joey is being held back on the whims of Mr. Raditch so Joey really has every right to be mad.  Aren’t there any lawyers in Canada who can sue the school on Joey’s behalf?

(Add to that, I always smile a bit whenever Wheels gets judgmental of anyone.  Hey, Wheels, Joey’s not the one who is destined to go to prison for killing someone while driving drunk.)

Joey eventually does show up at the dance, apparently having been convinced that his friends won’t be laughing at him behind his back.  (From what we see, everyone is supportive.  I guess they’re just nicer in Canada.)  Greeting Snake and Wheels, Joey takes a moment to flirt, for the first time, with Caitlin, who is destined to become the love of his life.  He then says that he’s ready to perform.  This leads to a historic moment as the Zit Remedy takes the stage for the very first time.  They perform their one and only song, the deathless Everybody Wants Something.

Everybody wants something

They’ll never give up

Everybody wants something

They’ll take your money

And never give up

Finally, Spike, who is allowed to attend the dance after not being allowed to attend class, goes into a labor as the episode’s end credits roll.  This is a huge moment, both because Spike is giving birth to Emma Nelson, who will be the lead character for the first few seasons of Degrassi: The Next Generation.  A running joke on DTNG would be Emma’s hatred of Everybody Wants Something so, for me, it was kind of fun to watch this episode and discover that this was the last song Spike listened to before giving birth.

(Speaking of Degrassi: The Next Generation, I had to smile at just how much Joey freaked out about getting held back.  DTNG was infamous for using the flimsiest of excuses to keep its more popular characters from graduating on time.  Ashley, Jimmy, Spinner, and a host of others were all held back.  Spinner was actually held back twice.)

And so ends the second season of Degrassi Junior High.  The second season was great and this finale did everything that a good finale is meant to do.  It wrapped up two major storylines while also hinting at what the future held.  It also gave Pat Mastroianni, Neil Hope, and Amanda Stepto a chance to show how much all three of them had developed as actors since the show’s first season. Mastroianni especially did a good job as Joey realized that his year of goofing off and not trying had finally caught up with him.  That said, I still think he needs to sue both the school and Mr. Raditch.  He probably needs to get emancipated from his parents as well.  What type of mother or father says, “Flunk my child?”

Next week, we start season 3!

Late Night Retro Television Review: Degrassi Junior High 2.11 “Trust Me”


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 Junior High, which aired on CBC and PBS from 1987 to 1989!  The series can be streamed on YouTube!

This week, it’s a Zit Remedy sleepover!

Episode 2.11 “Trust Me”

(Dir by Kit Hood, originally aired on March 14th, 1988)

Snake is super-excited!  His parents are going out of town and he’s going to have the house to himself for a day and a night.  Joey is excited because that means he and Wheels can crash over at Snake’s.  Joey wants to talk about to them about his plans to take their band, the Zit Remedy, to superstardom.  Joey gets even more excited when he sees that Snake’s parents’ left their car behind.

Here’s my question.  Snake’s real name is Archie but he’s called Snake for reasons that I’ve never understood.  Wheels’s real name is Derek Wheeler and his nickname obviously has to do with his last name.  So, why is Joey Jeremiah just Joey?  Why doesn’t he get a supercool nickname?  Maybe Joey wouldn’t always feel the need to show off if he had a better nickname.

Joey, perhaps hoping to get a nickname like Drivey or Speedy, swears that he knows how to drive.  At first, Snake sensibly says that no one is going to drive his parents’ car.  But then everyone oversleeps and Wheels awakens with only 15 minutes to get to the eye doctor!  (Wheels has already missed several appointments and is running the risk of getting grounded.)  Joey offers to drive Wheels to the doctor’s office.

Amazingly enough, Joey manages to get Wheels to his appointment without crashing the car.  But then, Joey insists that he and Snake should get breakfast.  While Joey is ordering French fries at a local Toronto diner, a truck backs into the car and appears to break the taillight.  Using the $85 that the band was going to spend on an amp, Joey and Snake get the taillight fixed.  But then it turns out that the taillight had been broken for a week and, when Snake’s parents see that it has been fixed, they realize something happened while they were gone.

Phone calls are made.  Snake and Wheels are grounded and ordered not to hang out with each other outside of school.  And Joey’s parents decide to take away Joey’s keyboard.  IS THIS THE END OF THE ZIT REMEDY!?

(Of course, anyone who has watched any of the various versions of Degrassi knows that the Zit Remedy is going to be around for a very long time, despite the fact that they only wrote and performed one song.  Still, I appreciated the show’s attempt to build some suspense as to whether or not the band will ever actually get a chance to perform in public.)

Meanwhile, Spike is kicked out of school!  Booo!  The Farrell Twins, who have apparently decided they need more friends than just Stephanie, agree to bring her homework to her house so that Spike won’t get held back a year.  Good for them.

This was a good episode, largely because it explored the dynamics of the Joey/Snake/Wheels friendship.  Joey is the one who enthusiastically pursues every idea and who has limitless faith in himself and his friends.  Snake is the pragmatist.  Wheels is somewhere in between.  Joey needs Snake to keep him grounded but Snake needs Joey to remind him that it’s okay to dream and have fun.  Watching the three of them hanging out in this episode, it’s hard not to think about what the future holds for them.  They’re not going to be rock stars but Joey is going to find success as a father and a car salesman.  Snake is going to eventually be principal of Degrassi.  And Wheels …. well, let’s deal with that when we have to.  This is one of those episodes that’s more fun if you don’t know what’s going to happen to everyone in the future.  If you do know, it’s actually rather sad to see everyone so hopeful and innocent.

Next week, the sleazy substitute returns to Degrassi!

Late Night Retro Television Review: Degrassi Junior High 2.10 “Censored”


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 Junior High, which aired on CBC and PBS from 1987 to 1989!  The series can be streamed on YouTube!

This week, Degrassi tackles freedom of the press and freedom of lockers.

Episode 2.10 “Censored”

(Dir by Mike Douglas, originally aired on March 7th, 1988)

The inside of Joey’s locker is covered with pin-ups.  When L.D. and Alexa walk by and see Joey, Wheels, and Snake rating the pin-ups, L.D. is offended while Alexa is amused.  (Alexa, I have to admit, has become the character to whom I relate on this show.)  When Joey the announces that he would only rate L.D. “a four,” L.D. responds by covering the inside of her locker with pictures of half-naked men.  L.D. then goes to the principal to complain about Joey’s pin-ups.  When Joey gets in trouble, he complains about L.D.’s locker.  In the end, both Joey and L.D. end up in school suspension together.  Awwwwww!

However, that’s not the only case of censorship in this episode!  When Caitlin overhears the principal talking to two parents who want Spike to be forbidden to attend school until she gives birth, Caitlin decides to use the power of the press.  She writes an editorial called “Keep Spike At Degrassi,” in which she announces that everyone knows that Spike is pregnant and that Spike should be allowed to continue to go to class.  Everyone who reads it says that it’s the best thing that Caitlin has even written but Mr. Radish, the faculty advisor to the school newspaper, announces that it is a violation of school policy and that it can’t be published.  So, Caitlin decides to print up several copies of the editorial and then just hand them out to students in the hallway.

Now, you may have noticed that Caitlin did not talk to Spike before writing or printing up her editorial.  And, to Caitlin’s shock, Spike is not at all happy about the editorial, explaining that she’s under enough stress without everyone at the school reading about her life.  Spike feels that Caitlin used her and Spike is totally correct.  Everyone tells Caitlin that she’s a great writer and she’s a hero for standing up to the school administration but Spike is still pretty much alone and isolated at school.  The episode ends with a classic depressing Degrassi freeze frame, this time of Spike walking up the school’s front steps and looking totally alone.

With this episode, Caitlin becomes the first of many crusading journalists to pass through the halls of Degrassi.  What sets this story apart from future episodes about the school newspaper is its willingness to admit that not all issues are as a simple as they originally appear.  I appreciated the fact that Spike was given a chance to call out Caitlin for essentially using Spike’s problems to promote herself and I liked the fact that the show didn’t pretend like there was some sort of easy or perfect solution for any of the issues that both Spike and Caitlin were dealing with.

Degrassi Junior High has often been called the most realistic and honest teen show ever made and episodes like this one show why.

Late Night Retro Television Review: Degrassi Junior High 2.6 “Fight!”


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 Junior High, which aired on CBC and PBS from 1987 to 1989!  The series can be streamed on YouTube!

This week, we meet Dwayne Myers!

Episode 2.6 “Fight!”

(Dir by Mike Douglas, originally aired on February 8th, 1988)

After appearing in the background over the past few episodes, Dwayne Myers (Darrin Brown) takes center stage in this episode.

At first glance, Dwayne is the school bully.  He’s bigger than everyone else.  He appears to be in a permanently bad mood.  He deliberately knocks Joey off of his skateboard and then laughs about it.  When he later overhears Joey calling him a “dozer,” (which is seriously one of the most Canadian words that I’ve ever heard in my life), Dwayne tells Joey that he’s going to beat him up after school.

And yet, Dwayne is not all bad.  When Scooter (Christopher Charlesworth), a student who is younger and smaller than everyone else, needs help opening his locker, Dwayne is the one who yanks off the lock.  Later, when Scooter can’t reach his bag of chips (because some other bully put it on top of a high shelf), Dwayne lifts Scooter up so that Scooter can get them.  Dwayne seems to sincerely like Scooter, perhaps  because Scooter is the only person at the school to not show any fear of him.

Scooter, however, is shocked to hear that Dwayne is going to beat up Joey because Joey, like Scooter, is considerably smaller than Dwayne.  When Scooter asks Dwayne why he’s going to beat up Joey, Dwayne shrugs and says, “It’ll feel good.”

And Dwayne proceeds to do just what he said he would do.  Joey doesn’t attempt to run away from the fight and that wins him a measure of respect from the other students.  But, in the end, he still gets thoroughly beaten up.  On the plus side, it wins him some sympathy from Liz and it also wins him a new friend when Scooter decides that he would rather hang out with Joey than Dwayne.

Speaking of hanging out with each other, Stephanie is still obsessed with getting Simon to notice her and Simon is still only interested in Alexa.  Even when Stephanie pretends to sprain her ankle, Simon barely notices.  (Ankle sprains are no joke, Stephanie!  Believe klutzy little me, I know.)  Stephanie finally asks Simon to go to the fight with her and Simon says sure.  Stephanie is overjoyed until Simon brings Alexa with him as well.  Amazingly, Simon and Alexa are both totally clueless as to what Stephanie is doing.  Then again, I think we’ve all known at least one couple like Simon and Alexa, who are so perfect for each other and so thoroughly vapid in their personalities that you just know they’re never going to have any disagreements at all and that the real world is never going to invade their fantasy.

This was a good episode, largely due to Darrin Brown’s multi-layered performance as Dwayne.  While this is Dwayne’s only big Junior High episode, he is destined become one of show’s most ground-breaking characters once the action moves into high school.

Late Night Retro Television Reviews: Degrassi Junior High 2.4 “Dinner & A Show”


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 Junior High, which aired on CBC and PBS from 1987 to 1989!  The series can be streamed on YouTube!

In yourself, you must believe….

Episode 2.4 “Dinner & A Show”

(Dir by John Bertram, originally aired on January 25th, 1988)

It’s a night of awkward dates and dinners on this week’s episode of Degrassi Junior High!

Yick Yu finally works up the courage to ask Melanie if she would like to go to a movie with him.  While Kathleen rolls her eyes in the background, Melanie says that she’d love to see a movie with Yick.  Yick suggests that they see Revenge of the Reptile, which is really gory and features killer reptiles!  Melanie says that she’s not into any of that and suggests that they instead see Crying Into The Wind.  Yick agrees, even though it’s obvious that Crying Into The Wind is not a film that is going to appeal to a typical 13 year-old male.

After Yick leaves, Kathleen makes fun of Melanie for having a date.  Melanie replies that it’s not a date.  She and Yick are just friends and Melanie is looking for “a man.”  Right on schedule, Snake walks up and asks Melanie if she wants to see a movie.  Melanie, forgetting all about her plans with Yick, says, “Sure!”  Snake suggests Revenge of the Reptile.  Melanie, forgetting that she’s not into gory reptile films, says, “Sure!”

Poor Yick is heartbroken when Melanie tells him that something has come up and she won’t be able to go to the movies with him.  Arthur suggests that Yick cheer himself up by going to see Revenge of the Reptile….

Meanwhile, Shane’s parents want to have dinner with Spike and her mother.  Shane’s parents have decided a few things.  First off, the baby is going to be given up for adoption.  Secondly, Shane is going to private school.  While sending Shane to a private school might not be a bad idea, deciding what’s going to happen to the baby before they’ve even met Spike or her mother is definitely not cool.  Shane’s parents are the first of many bad parents that will show up over the course of Degrassi’s long history.

Spike decides to just not tell her mom about the dinner invitation.  But then Shane’s parents call personally and invite them to a fancy restaurant.  Needless to say, it’s not a pleasant dinner.  Shane’s father not only wants to send Shane to private school but he also thinks that Spike should be sent to a home for unwed mothers, like a character in a 1930s farm melodrama.  Shane’s mother, meanwhile, makes no secret of the fact that she blames Spike more than she blames her son.  Finally, Shane stands up for himself and says that he’s not going to go to private school.  Of course, Shane then ruins the moment by saying that he’s ready to be a father.  No, Shane, you’re not.  You’re barely ready to be in the 8th Grade.

At the movie theater, Snake and Melanie discover that they really don’t have much in common.  Snake may be a nice guy but he’s a terrible conversationalist.  Joey and Wheels, upset that they don’t have dates, show up and spend the whole time making snarky comments.  (Joey brings along a toy Godzilla that he uses to try to scare Melanie.)  Worst of all, Yick shows up and finds himself staring straight at Melanie.  Melanie smiles awkwardly while Yick’s heart breaks once again.

The next day, at school, Melanie tells Kathleen that her date wasn’t that great.  Meanwhile, Spike asks Shane if he even wants her to have the baby and Shane can’t answer.

I loved the way the episode contrasted the awkwardness of Melanie’s date with the awkwardness of Spike’s dinner.  Melanie’s problems are nowhere near as serious as Spike’s but both of them are a result of immature people trying to make mature decisions.  The main theme of this episode is that no one is ready to be an adult.  Melanie says that she’s ready to date “a man,” but she can’t even find it in herself to be honest with Yick.  Yick and Snake both want to start dating but they’re still incapable of understanding that Revenge of the Reptile is not exactly a romantic movie.  Shane wants to be a father but can barely stand up to his own parents.  Shane’s parents may be adults but they don’t understand that being an adult means talking to other people before deciding their lives for them.  The only person who truly understands how lost everyone is Spike and all she can do is try to make it day-by-day.

Watching an episode like this, it’s nice to know that Spike will eventually find happiness with Snake and that her daughter will grow up to be Emma.  I can only imagine how emotionally devastating all of this must have been for people watching it for the first time in 1988.  Degrassi Junior High rarely offered false hope, which is why it remains relevant today.

 

 

Late Night Retro Television Reviews: Degrassi Junior High 2.3 “Great Expectations”


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 Junior High, which aired on CBC and PBS from 1987 to 1989!  The series can be streamed on YouTube!

Finally, after being preempted two weeks in a row, Degrassi Junior High returns!

Episode 2.3 “Great Expectations”

(Dir by Kit Hood, originally aired on January 18th, 1988)

There’s a new student at Degrassi Junior High.  Her name is Liz O’Rourke (Cathy Keenan) and she’s not happy to be starting at a new school in a new country.  (Liz formerly went to school in London.)  Liz dismisses the students at Degrassi as being a bunch of “preppy” snobs and Stephanie and the Farrell twins do their best to prove her right by making a bunch of catty comments and making her feel even more like an outsider.  Only Spike and Joey attempt to befriend Liz.  Spike knows how it feels to be an outsider at Degrassi.  As for Joey, he’s desperate to lose his virginity and he’s convinced himself that Liz, because of the way she dresses (even though she doesn’t dress all that differently from anyone else at the school), wants to have sex with him.  When Joey shows up at Liz’s house to work on a school project and then, from out of nowhere, asks to have sex with her, Liz kicks him out.

Oh, this episode broke my heart.  As someone who moved around a lot when she was younger and who frequently had to get used to new schools and as someone who learned early on that teenage boys almost always had one thing on their mind, I knew exactly what Liz was going through.  In true Degrassi style, this episode opened with Liz feeling miserable about starting at a new school and ended with her feeling even more miserable about being at a new school.  One of the many things that set Degrassi apart from and elevated it over other teen shows was that Degrassi rarely ended on an altogether happy note.  The problems that the students dealt with on Degrassi could rarely be solved in just 30 minutes.  Cathy Keenan did a great job capturing Liz’s brief hope that she may have found a new friend and also the crushing heartbreak of discovering that friend was only talking to her because he thought she was “easy.”

For those of us who first discovered the character on Degrassi: The Next Generation, it can be a bit jarring to see the way Joey Jeremiah behaves on Degrassi Junior High.  There’s a big difference between the mature, adult Joey of Degrassi: The Next Generation and the immature and self-centered Joey of Degrassi Junior High.  But I suppose that’s true of most people.  Everyone does foolish things when they’re younger and everyone makes mistakes when they’re immature and unsure of themselves.  As the episode ends, Joey tells Wheels that he actually did like Liz and that he made a huge mistake.  Joey realizes what he did was wrong but that’s not going to make things any easier for Liz, who starts another day of school while feeling more alone than ever.

Things work out a bit better for Arthur and Yick Yu.  Arthur is freaking out because he’s been having wet dreams so Yick encourages Arthur to call Dr. Sally (Sue Johanson), a sex educator who has her own radio show.  Arthur calls and Dr. Sally tells him that his dreams do not make him a pervert.  It’s a pretty simple storyline but an important one as it introduces the character of Dr. Sally, who will be mentioned many times throughout both Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi: The Next Generation.  It’s also an important storyline because of the contrast between how Arthur and Joey handle their questions about sex.  Arthur asks an adult and is lucky enough to get a straight-forward and nonjudgmental answer.  Joey convinces himself that he’s ready for sex when he’s obviously not, freaks out just trying to buy condoms, and then ruins his friendship with Liz.

Finally, Stephanie is once again secretly changing into her trampy clothes at school in an attempt to get Simon to notice her.  However, whenever Stephanie tries to talk to Simon, she gets interrupted by the Alex, the dorky student council treasurer.  Even if Alex didn’t keep showing up, I doubt it would have made a difference.  Simon’s just not that into her.

This was a sad episode but I’m glad I finally reviewed it!  Between taking time off for the holidays and getting ill, I was worried I’d never review Degrassi again!  But, as the theme song says: “In yourself, you must believe.”