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

Posted on May 5, 2024 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 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”

Posted on April 28, 2024 by Lisa Marie Bowman

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”

Posted on April 21, 2024 by Lisa Marie Bowman

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”

Posted on April 14, 2024 by Lisa Marie Bowman

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 2.10 “Censored”

Posted on March 24, 2024 by Lisa Marie Bowman

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!”

Posted on February 11, 2024 by Lisa Marie Bowman

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”

Posted on January 21, 2024 by Lisa Marie Bowman

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 2.1 “Eggbert”

Posted on December 17, 2023 by Lisa Marie Bowman

It’s time to start the second term!

Episode 2.1 “Eggbert”

(Dir by Kit Hood, originally aired on January 4th, 1988)

It’s time to start the second term at Degrassi Junior High and a few things have changed.

For instance, both Voula and Rick are no longer enrolled at the school, though they still appear in the opening credits. Two new students have enrolled at the school. Scooter Webster (Christopher Charlesworth) is a young genius who has skipped ahead a few grades. Meanwhile, the enigmatic Simon Dexter (Michael Carry) is blonde, handsome, and apparently is already working as a male model. Stephanie and the Farrell twins are excited when Simon joins their class. Yick and Arthur, meanwhile, are excited that Scooter’s presence means that they are no longer the nerdiest kids at school.

Lucy is still on probation as a result of getting arrested for shoplifting and she has decided to tone things down until she’s finished her sentence. She still wants to throw a party at her house but she now has very firm rules about what her classmates can do — i.e., no drinking and no breaking the furniture.

Stephanie has given up her trampy look and is now determined to be the best school president that she can be. She gives all of her old school clothes to Alexa (Irene Courakos), just to then watch as Simon starts flirting with Alexa because, as he tells Snake, “I love the way she dresses.” When Stephanie later asks Alexa to return her clothes, Alexa refuses.

One thing that hasn’t changed is that Spike is pregnant and still trying to decide whether she wants to keep her baby or not. The counselor at her support group suggests that Spike carry around and take care of an egg for two weeks so that she can experience what it would be like to have to spend all of her time taking care of a baby. Spike agrees. At school, Alexa takes the egg, draws a face on it, and names it Eggbert.

Shane, who has still not even told his parents that Spike is pregnant, begs Spike to forgive him and to let him be a part of her life again. Spike tells Shane that if he really wants to be a part of her life, he needs to spend a week taking care of Eggbert. Shane is hesitant but agrees. And while all the girls thought it was cute when Spike had the egg, all of the boys are quick to make fun of Shane when they see him carrying around Eggbert.

Lucy throws the first party of the term and everyone’s miserable because she won’t allow them to have any fun. To Spike’s surprise, Shane shows up at the party and he brings Eggbert with him. Soon, Eggbert is getting tossed from person to person. Even Shane tosses Eggbert to Joey. Somehow, Eggbert survives. However, when Spike and Shane have an argument outside about Shane not being responsible, the egg falls to the ground and breaks.

YIKES!

I swear, I nearly cried when that egg hit the sidewalk. It was a powerful symbol of the fact that neither Spike nor Shane was ready to be a parent. While it was irresponsible for Shane to bring Eggbert to the party, it was also irresponsible for Spike to leave the egg with someone who she knew would not be able to properly take care of it. At the end of the episode, Shane finally tells his parents about Spike but it really does feel like a case of too little too late. Shane had his chance to step up and he failed.

What a sad episode! Still, this episode is an example of what set the Degrassi franchise apart from other teen shows. Whereas other teen shows would have resolved this storyline as quickly and as patly as possible, Degrassi Junior High portrays the subject matter with realism and sensitivity. There are no easy solutions in Toronto and it doesn’t matter how well-intentioned or optimistic everyone tries to be. Sometimes, you just end up with a broke egg on a frozen sidewalk.

Late Night Retro Television Review: Degrassi Junior High 1.12 “Parents’ Night”

Posted on December 3, 2023 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Though not as dramatic as last week’s episode, this week’s episode is just as important to the future of Degrassi.

Episode 1.12 “Parents’ Night”

(Dir by Kit Hood, originally aired on April 5th, 1987)

When it comes to this week’s episode of Degrassi Junior High, it helps to know a little bit about franchise’s history. On the surface, this is a fairly standard episode, with Wheels, Joey, and Spike all getting a storyline. But if you know what waits for these characters in the future, then you know this is one of the most important shows of the franchise’s history. Much like last week’s It’s Late, this episode sets up the storylines that will play out over the next three decades.

Spike is still adjusting to being pregnant. As she tells the Farrell twins, she doesn’t want to have an abortion but she also know that, at the age of 14, she’s too young to be a mother. Shane, she says, has barely spoken to her since discovering that she’s pregnant. Spike is considering giving up the child for adoption. The Farrell twins suggest that Spike speak to Wheels, who is adopted himself. In a rather sweet scene that is well-played by both Amanda Stepto and Neil Hope, Wheels tells Spike that he’s never been angry over being adopted. He also says that he’s never been curious about his birth parents. Much like Spike and Shane, they were simply too young to raise a child.

Wheels has a lot going on in this episode. He’s the bass player in a band! Joey and Snake are also in the band. Joey wants to call the band Joey and the Joy Buzzers. Snake wants to call them Snake and the Charmers, which is actually pretty clever. Wheels says that he’s fine with whatever because Wheels, at this point in the show, is the most well-balanced kid in school. Sadly, this won’t last.

While leaving rehearsal for the upcoming Parents’ Night Talent Show, Wheels is approached by a man named Mike Nelson (Dave James). Mike introduces himself as Wheels’s father and he gives Wheels his number. With Joey’s encouragement, Wheels calls Mike and even meets with him at a local diner. It’s an awkward meeting but, when Wheels finds out that Mike is also in a band, he starts to feel a connection to his father.

However, Wheels also feels guilty because he hasn’t told his parents that he’s been talking to Dave. This eventually leads to him getting angry with Dave and yelling at Dave for trying to re-enter his life. Dave calls Wheels’s adoptive parents and apologizes. When Wheels’s parents tell him that it’s okay if he wants to talk to Dave, Wheels worries that they don’t really want him. Eventually, after giving it some thought, Wheels realizes that he can have a relationship with both his birth father and the people who raised him.

As for Joey’s storyline, he forges a letter from his parents, in which “they” tell Mr. Raditch that they will not be coming to Parents’ Night. Mr. Raditch sees right through him. Oh, Joey!

As I said, it’s a fairly simple episode but it works due to the wonderful and empathetic performance of Neil Hope. Unfortunately, the tragic details of Neil Hope’s life after Degrassi has often overshadowed just how good he truly was on the show. Indeed, it’s not always easy to watch him, bright and full-of-life in Degrassi Junior High, with the knowledge of what the future holds for both the actor and the character. Hope, whose own life provided the inspiration for a few of Wheels’s storylines, was such a good and natural actor that Wheels is compelling despite having the second worst nickname on the show. (Snake, of course, wins the prize for worst nickname. That said, the character was apparently nearly named Slim, which would have been even worse.)

So, why is this episode so important to the future of Degrassi? The reasons below are all technically spoilers but, if you’re a big enough Degrassi fan that you tracked down this review, I’m probably not telling you anything that you don’t already know.

First off, the band will eventually get a name and it won’t be Joey and the Joy Buzzers or Snake and the Charmers. It would be Zit Remedy and Joey’s attempts to become a star would not only be a major plotline through Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi High but it would also frequently be mentioned in Degrassi: The Next Generation as Joey vicariously lived his rock dreams through his stepson, Craig Manning. Famously, Zit Remedy only wrote and performed one song but that song has had a very long life on the show. Everybody wants something, right?

(As well, Zit Remedy was the first of MANY bands to be formed at Degrassi. Hell Hath No Fury, Downtown Sasquatch, Studz, and Whisperhug would all follow but Zit Remedy was there first.)

Though this episode ends with Wheels at peace with both his birth father and his adopted parents, that peace wouldn’t last. One reason why it’s kind of sad to see Wheels happy in this episode is because Wheels would rarely be happy for the rest of the series. Musical “talent” is not the only thing that Wheels and Dave have in common. Dave is an alcoholic and Wheels is destined to end up in prison after killing a kid while driving drunk. (Following this seemingly innocuous episode, Wheels’s life got dark!)

As for Joey, he’ll never be a rock star but eventually, he will make peace with Mr. Raditch, to the extent that Raditch will even joke with him when Joey comes up to the school after Craig is caught skipping class.

And finally, Spike is not going to give up her baby for adoption. Instead, she’s going to keep her daughter and, in the future, Emma Nelson will be at the center of the Degrassi universe. (And Snake will even be her stepfather!)

Next week, season one comes to a close!

Late Night Retro Television Reviews: Degrassi Junior High 1.11 “It’s Late”

Posted on November 26, 2023 by Lisa Marie Bowman

This week, we have the episode that would eventually turn out to be the most important in the history of the Degrassi franchise.

Episode 1.11 “It’s Late”

(Dir by Kit Hood, originally aired on March 29th, 1987)

This is it. This is not only the episode that really established Degrassi Junior High as a show that dealt, honestly, with things that teenagers were actually dealing with but it’s also the episode that, albeit unintentionally, lay the groundwork for what would become Degrassi: The Next Generation. It was an episode that was considered to be so controversial that the BBC refused to air the episode. Indeed, It’s Late would not air in the UK until 1988, by which point the repercussions of this episode had already been felt in every episode that followed.

(How confusing must it have been to be a British Degrassi fan in the 80s?)

This episode opens with a party at Lucy’s house where, as usual, Lucy’s parents are not present. While Joey, Wheels, and the twins wait outside, Spike and her boyfriend, Shane, lock themselves in a guest room. “What are you guys doing in there?” one of the twins — I think it was Heather but who knows, to be honest — repeatedly asks.

A few weeks later, Spike comes to school in a bad mood. She’s late to Mr. Raditch’s class and Mr. Raditch mentions — in front of everyone! — that Spike’s grades have been suffering and that she’s no longer that good role model that she used to be. (Seriously, that’s kind of harsh, Raditch.) When Shane smiles at her from the back of the classroom, Spike looks away without a word.

After class, Joey and Wheels try to get Shane to tell them about what happened at the party. “Haven’t you guys ever had sex before?” Shane asks, with a smirk that is just begging to be slapped off of his face. Both Joey and Wheels lie and say that they’ve had lots of sex. But still, Joey has some questions. For instance, why won’t Spike talk to Shane. Shane says he’s not sure what Spike is upset about. “I bet she’s got her period!” Joey announces.

However, as Spike tells Heather and Erica Farrell, the opposite is the case. She’s late and she’s now frightened that she might be pregnant. Unfortunately, Spike has no one to talk to about sex. She’s scared to tell her mother (Rhonda Kristi). The twins are clueless about sex. Lucy tells Spike not to worry because she’s heard that you can’t get pregnant from your first time. When Spike tells Shane that she’s scared that she might be pregnant, Shane walks away from her without a word. Spike is totally alone and can only watch and listen as people around her either go crazy over baby pictures or complain about how much they can’t stand their kids.

Eventually, Spike does buy a pregnancy test but, when she arrives home, her mother demands to know what’s in the bag. Finally, Spike shows her the test and Spike’s mother takes her to a clinic to find out for sure. Shane, who still looks shell-shocked, also shows up at the clinic. Spike’s mother tells Spike that no matter what happens, “I’m behind you.”

And….

Actually, let’s get the B-plot out of the way really quickly. Yes, even the most important episode in the history the Degrassi franchise had a B-plot, featuring Arthur and Yick. In this case, Yick has to work up the courage to ask out Melanie. And he finally does, though only after misquoting a poem and causing Melanie to have an allergic reaction by giving her a bunch of flowers. Still, Melanie is excited to ice skating with Yick. Good for them! I just hope Yick can actually go on his date without Arthur demanding to come along. Seriously, Arthur is way too clingy.

Anyway, back to the plot we care about.

Spike is pregnant! The episode ends with Spike and Shane talking in a school stairwell, trying to figure out what they’re going to do. Neither wants to be a parent. Spike doesn’t think that she could have a baby and give it up for adoption. She says, “Maybe I could just not have it,” just for Shane to say that he’s against abortion. Of course, Shane also says, “You’re not going to want me to marry you, are you?” so maybe Shane should just keep his opinions to himself.

“It was just a little mistake,” Spike says.

“It was kind of a big mistake,” Shane replies.

The episode ends with a freeze-frame of Spike’s tear-streaked face. Suddenly, the cheerful Degrassi music starts up. Other reviewers have commented on how jarring it can sometimes be to hear the peppy Degrassi theme song after spending 30 minutes watching teenagers deal with things like eating disorders, bullying, drug abuse, mental health issues, and unplanned pregnancies and they have a point. That said, in this case, the combination of the very sad freeze frame and the jaunty music actually provides a bit of a relief for a very dramatic episode. It gives the viewer an excuse to breathe a sigh of relief and smile.

This is one of Degrassi Junior High‘s best episodes, one that is intelligently written and which also is carried by Amanda Stepto’s strong and emotionally honest performance as Spike. (Reportedly, for years after this episode aired, Stepto received letters from girls asking her for advice.) Those of us who are fans of the Degrassi franchise know that Spike is going to keep the baby, Shane is going to have a bad acid trip and end up in an assisted living facility, and their daughter is going to be the center of the first eight seasons of Degrassi: The Next Generation. We also know that Joey is eventually become much less of a jerk and Spike is going to end up marrying Snake. But that’s all waiting in the future. This episode ends with two teenagers still struggling to come to terms with the fact that, at 14, their lives have changed forever.