Miles Confronts His Dad

Mr. Hollingsworth overhears Miles telling Hunter that he’s a crappy dad.  Frankie is still missing and Miles finally confronts his dad over his behavior, stating that Mr. Hollingsworth doesn’t love or care about anyone but himself.  In a rage, Mr. H throws his cup at Miles and it shatters against the wall, hitting Hunter, and he also slaps Miles.

Miles tries to tell his mom that Mr. H is a bully, but all she does is make excuses.  Miles decides to handle his dad on his own;  he confronts Mr. H and tells him to move out of the house.  Mr. H laughs at the threat and says Miles is the one who’s the problem.  Miles resists the urge to hit his father and heads to Degrassi to find Frankie to give her a goodbye letter.  He reveals his plan to drive as far away from town as possible to Maya; he also tells her how much he hates his father and wants to get rid of him.  Miles lights a campaign poster on fire in the hallway and accidentally sets fire to the entire display.  After the fire, Miles refuses to go home with his father and Hunter tells Frankie about their dad hitting Miles.  The trio stand united against their dad and want nothing to do with him.

GRADE: A+
QUICK REVIEW:  The great thing about having three siblings to work with here is the ability to weave a bunch of different emotional states together to tell a hauntingly human story.  I loved seeing Miles finally have the courage to stand up to his dad.  He’s limited in what he can do to solve the situation, but he seemed to know he had to do something, especially after Mr. H’s outburst directly affected Hunter.  Throughout this season the rest of the family has had a “head in the sand” mentality when it comes to Mr. Hollingsworth. Even in this episode, Miles’ mom refused to acknowledge how awful Mr. H is. Because of the Degrassi Nudes stuff, Frankie finally experienced her dad’s selfishness firsthand.

Hunter initially threw Miles under the bus because, like he’s always been, Hunter was afraid.  But we saw him have the courage the speak up when the Hollingsworth siblings were all together and united against their father.  The episode’s most powerful scene is when Miles confronts his dad for the second time.  Mr. H blames his own son and tells him that he’s the problem, and a tearful Miles holds back his fist, wanting to hit his dad.  When Craig Manning dealt with parental abuse in season 2, it was from the aspect of physical abuse.  Over the course of Miles’ arch, well over a decade later, we’ve seen how emotional abuse from a parent can create emotional scars just as deep as physical ones.

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Frankie Confronts Zoë

The Power Cheer squad is mad at Zoë for framing Frankie, but Zoë tells them she did it to protect them from getting in trouble.  While waiting for their turn to perform at regionals, Zoë receives a text from “Zig” wanting to meet up.  Zoë reaches the meeting place, an empty classroom, but is greeted by a masked character: the Degrassi Nudes blackmailer.  Winston and Frankie try to get Zoë to admit to Degrassi Nudes, but she doesn’t fall for it.  As she tries to leave, she grabs for the door handle which is hot to the touch.  There’s a fire outside the door, leaving the three trapped.  Frankie blames Zoë for their current situation and for forcing the Power Cheer girls into her Degrassi nudes scheme.  Frankie calls Zoë a bully, and says that none of the girls will want to be her friend if she doesn’t accept responsibility.

The three safely escape the fire and afterward Zoë approaches a police officer to confess her involvement with Degrassi Nudes.  Frankie’s upset with her dad when doesn’t show much concern for her well-being after she nearly died.  Miles and Hunter say the he only cares about himself, and tells Frankie about their dad’s violent outburst earlier.  Frankie stands with her brothers as they watch their father walk away.

GRADE B
QUICK REVIEW: My grade of this plot hinges primarily on the conversation between Frankie and Zoë as they were trapped by the fire.  Frankie calls Zoë out as a bully and as having created a false sense of friendship with her and the Power Cheer girls.  Understand that at the heart of everything, all Zoë has wanted since coming to Degrassi is to have real friends.  At the beginning of the episode she tries to convince her friends (Power Cheer) that she blackmailed Frankie to protect them.  When she apologizes to them for the Degrassi Nudes scandal after they freak out over the text sent by “Zig,” you can tell she’s being genuine in that moment.  In this episode and in at least one other this season she’s verbally told the squad she appreciates their friendship.  Zig is in Zoë’s corner, and that’s good for her.  However, I think the most hurtful thing that could happen to Zoë, worse than any punishment because of Degrassi Nudes, would be for the people she considered friends to not really be her friends at all.

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Eli Hopes For A Second Chance

Eli finds out from Imogen that he’s the father of Clare’s baby and rushes to Degrassi to talk to her.  He offers to help her, Clare doesn’t want his help because of his history of freaking out over little things.

Eli tries to show Clare he’s changed by signing over is paycheck to her for her to use for the baby.  He vows to earn Clare’s trust again, and she agrees that Eli should be a part of the baby’s life.

GRADE: B
QUICK REVIEW:  It won’t be long before these two are back to their complicated, romantic ways, but this was a nice change of pace for an Eclare plot.  It was not only quiet (because there was no relationship stuff), but you had these two characters actually COMMUNICATING with each other.  Clare said what needed to be said, and what we’ve been thinking about Eli for quite a while.  I knew Eli’s attitude would immediately change once he found out the baby is his, because there’s no way he’d get the girl of his dreams pregnant only to become a deadbeat dad.  I think he should be involved in the baby’s life, but at the same time he’s going to have to do more than pay lip service to his declarations of change and vowing to earn Clare’s trust.

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1) Miles Hollingsworth (#4)
I assumed a Hollingsworth would be #1 after this episode, but I expected it to be Frankie, not Miles.  He finally takes a stand against his father once things get explosive, especially in front of Hunter.  Miles asking his father to leave his own house is technically dumb. But this is also an extremely desperate situation for Miles, and last time I checked most human beings don’t exactly have a strong track record of making perfectly logical statements/choices under extreme circumstances. And Mr. Hollingsworth has proven himself to be extremely selfish and only caring about one thing:  winning the election, which STILL hasn’t happened yet.  He would laugh off Miles’ request for him to move out because Mr. H doesn’t take his son seriously.  But if ALL of his kids are united against him, and pose a threat to create controversy that could publicly tarnish his campaign, then Mr. H is far more willing to comply with crazy demands…for now.

2) Frankie Hollingsworth (–)
The feud between her and Zoë fizzled out in underwhelming fashion, but two important things happened in this episode.  1) She pointed out that she and the other girls felt forced into doing Degrassi Nudes.  While I’m not sure Jack falls into that category, Degrassi made it clear in the beginning that the younger characters (Shay/Lola) showed initial reluctance, and weren’t going to bow out because of what happened when Frankie “didn’t do her part.”  2) She admitted that she had to torture Zoë.  It was an awful position for Frankie to be in, but she did it out of necessity.  Zoë repeatedly said the Frankie should take the fall because “her dad will bail her out.”  Then Mr. H decides Frankie should take full responsibility because it would be the best strategy for his campaign.  Before the season started, I remember thinking how crucial the Hollingsworth kids are to this show.  Just like you have the Tenners and Seniors now, the Hollingsworth clan is its own core group.

3) Clare Edwards (–)
See what happens when Clare and Eli actually COMMUNICATE their feelings toward one another?  We all know where things will head, but I am glad they were able to have civil interaction that establishes what their priority should be: the baby.

4) Zoë Rivas (#1)
As “nicely wrapped up” as Zoë’s ending seems, the promos indicate that things aren’t finished, and I’m very curious to see what Zoë’s punishment will be.  I get it…it feels like everything concluded a little too neatly.  Hopefully one day I can get into how the weekly blocks are no different than the S10-212 telenovelas, which is why I wasn’t surprised this happened…this block had to end with Zoë coming clean. I haven’t been able to follow the cast/etc as closely as I used to, so I’m not sure how to predict any future punishment she may receive (Ana still doing other projects while working for Epitome could play a hand in any possible absence).

5) Hunter Hollingsworth (#11)
Anything I could possibly say to analyze Hunter Hollingsworth can be found in this tumblr post: http://welldeservedobscurity.tumblr.com/post/108216876898/i-saw-him-hit-miles

6) Maya Matlin  (–)
Thanks “Meddlin’ Maya,” for not giving up on Miles Hollingsworth.

7) Zig Novak (–)

8) Winston Chu (#9)

9) Eli Goldsworthy (#14)
See “Clare Edwards.” Eclare cycles between calm and storm.  After this episode we’re currently sitting in the eye as the whirlwind conclusion looms.

10) Alli Bhandari (–)

11) Grace Cardinal (#8)

12) Drew Torres (#5)

13) Jack (#15)

14) Shay Powers (#19)
I feel like out of the new characters in season 14, Shay has shown us the most so far.  I liked her at least speaking up for Frankie here.  I’m looking forward to seeing them (hopefully) hone in on her development in the future.

15) Becky Baker (#12)

16) Mike Dallas (#13)

17) Tiny King (–)

18) Lola Pacini (#20)
While Shay was yelling at Zoë about Frankie, I randomly found myself amused by Lola, who may or may not have been trying to look like she was angry.

19) Imogen Moreno (#18)

20) Tristan Milligan (#16)

21) Jenna Middleton (–)

22) Jonah Haak (–)

23) Arlene Takahashi (–)

24) Connor DeLaurier (–)

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(Edit: Posting this on the 28th b/c I forgot to post it on the 27th)

During the hiatus feel free to send me questions about Degrassi either on here or over on tumblr and I’ll try to answer them.  They don’t even need to be about the current season of the show…it could be about TNG or even Degrassi Junior High for that matter since we never talk about anything prior to season 10 anymore.

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People always talk about how cute Semma was, but I personally always preferred Sellie. Sean and Ellie were perfect for each other and had such a cute relationship. That’s one that I’m really disappointed wasn’t endgame.

- Thottiesgetthehotties

For those who are unaware, my OTP is Sellie.  Parcy’s gotta be #2, now probably followed by Drianca at #3.  I’ve come to realize there’s a “ship type” that I gravitate toward.  All three of those involve a girl coming into the guy’s life and making him better/keeping him in line.

Some of my secondary ships (Bhandurner, Bhandallas)…apparently I just ship Alli with black guys. :-p

But seriously, those two scenarios are ones where the guy is an underdog.  That’s also why I wanted to see JT and Manny together (unfortunately, when they actually got together, JT and Manny had absolutely zero chemistry).

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Who do you ship Shay with?

- Anon

I don’t ship shay with anyone at the moment because there’s no one on the show to ship her with.  Hunter isn’t a viable dating option for her or Lola, and if it weren’t for Winston there would currently be no dating options for any of these niner girls.  I guess we know what character role will be filled in season 15…

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I was wondering what shows do you like OTHER than Degrassi? Haha, thanks. :D

- Anon

Degrassi is probably the only show I put way too much thought into…if I tried to do it for all of the other shows I watch, my head would probably explode.  Shows I watch on a regular basis: Open Heart (shameless Epitome plug), The Walking Dead, Scandal, How To Get Away With Murder, Survivor, Nashville, The Bachelor, Big Brother and lots of Shark Tank reruns on CNBC to name a few.  I also find myself randomly watching TeenNick a lot out of habit, and while it’s nothing but reruns I do it to better understand how the network operates outside of new episodes of Degrassi.

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Are there any past episodes that you would change your grades on?

- Anon

I really, really wish I had the time to go back a start reviewing episodes from the very beginning of The Next Generation.  If I get a large enough break, I hope to churn out a quick review or two about some season 1 episodes during this hiatus.  Episode 101 (Mother & Child Reunion) is one that I’d definitely give a higher grade to; that comes to mind because I re-watched it a few months ago and I genuinely don’t understand why the hell I gave the episode an initial grade of a C- years ago when I first set up that page.  I’ve mentioned before that my grades for a majority of the episodes aren’t set in stone, most especially for the TNG ones that I haven’t reviewed.  I watched most of those older episodes when I was much younger and had a far different mindset while watching Degrassi than I do now being in my 30’s. I caught several things while re-watching 101 that I hadn’t noticed before.  Sometimes it’s beneficial to watch an episodes, think it over, put it out of your mind for a while then re-watch later (WHICH IS WHY I WOULD LOVE IT IF TEENNICK WOULD START RERUNNING OLDER EPISODES AGAIN…THANK YOU!)

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And this isn’t a question and the two things technically aren’t related, but that guy’s response at the bottom had me dying…

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MTV Canada announced that they’re debuting a 10-episode block of Degrassi webisodes starting today.  The description for the series, “Champagne Supernova,” is as follows:

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The series follows ‘Degrassi’ fan favourites, Zig and Miles, after they wake-up hungover and confused to find they’ve been handcuffed together. Neither Zig nor Miles have a clue what happened the night before and neither of them seem to have the key to unlock the cuffs.

As the hangover sets in the frenemies will begin to discover clues that lead them to a number of potential suspects. They will have to work together as a team to figure out what happened and to find the person that holds the key.
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Two of the ten webisodes will be released tonight at 9pm ET online. And one webisode a week from that point on would put the final one on March 31st (same date as the Open Heart finale, setting us up for Degrassi 14B to start on April 7th, etc.)

MTV will have its own interactive element where you’ll be able to use clues and vote on who you think did it.  So who do you think has the key? Go ahead and vote below before the first webisode airs.

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NOTE: MTV released the first two webisodes on Tuesday night, but they’re geoblocked for American fans (unless you’re smart enough to know how to work around it). I’m sure someone will post copies of the minis on tumblr or something, but Degrassi plans to post the webisodes on their youtube channel on Wednesday, February 4th.

Also, I’m assuming this will happen every week since MTV will want to drive as much Canadian traffic to its site as possible on Tuesday nights, and Degrassi posting a YT link simultaneously could detract from that.

A cute and fluffy clue in this mystery!

FOR Canadian Fans…
Part 1: Miles –> http://www.mtv.ca/degrassi/webisode.jhtml?id=524376

Part 2: Jack –> http://www.mtv.ca/degrassi/webisode.jhtml?id=524378

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INTERNATIONAL VERSION (Coming Wednesday 2/4/15)

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What did you think of Eli’s reaction to finding out he is the father in Firestarter Part 2? We know that Clare didn’t forgive him or take him back.

- Degrassi Parodies

I think Eli reacted the way that I expected for him to react once he found out the baby was his.  I knew that the moment he learned he was the father, he would quickly change his tune and immediately step in and want to support Clare and the baby.  From Clare’s POV she needed some proof from Eli that he’s capable of handling the responsibility of parenthood like an adult, and him offering him up his paycheck, etc. was a start.  Clare also realizes this isn’t something she should be trying and do on her own, especially when people around her are offering to help her. And it’s better if Eli is in the baby’s life as long as he isn’t acting like a fool.

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Kary, I love “Nashville” too. …..Why don’t you start reviewing and recapping “Open Heart?” It’s very good. Kind of a “Degrassi’ meets “Veronica Mars.”

-kurt

Over the past couple of seasons I’ve come to embrace when Degrassi goes on hiatus.  As I get older I realize sometimes it’s good to take a break from things as opposed to being hardcore about it 24/7/365.  When Degrassi is over I take that time to relax on Tuesdays, and by the time the hiatus is over I’m excited for the new block to start again.

I really, really want to review Open Heart, however, I ultimately decided against doing so.  One reason goes back to the Degrassi hiatus…forcing myself to take time off from reviewing as my daily workload in the real world increases.  But the main reason I’m not reviewing Open Heart is because I wanted to watch this series as a casual viewer.  With Degrassi, I’m so immersed in the show and thinking about it from an analytical perspective that just watching an episode doesn’t happen.  There’s reviews, promos and the like that have to be posted, and I’m thinking about Degrassi probably far deeper than I should.  I want to watch a show produced by Epitome where I can watch the episode, play with the app here and there, then go about my day…the same thing that I do for like 95% of the other TV shows I watch.  I’ve gotta say…watching Open Heart casually and just allowing yourself to get caught up in the mystery without knowing everything and trying to solve things in 2 seconds is an interesting experience.  And I’m glad to see Epitome’s digital squad is back in full form with the return of Google+ Hangouts and the supplemental Open Heart app.

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What do you think the plots of the 2 hour Season 14 finale special will be?

-anon

Honestly I have no clue…maybe something involving this?

I hope they keep info on those final four episodes on lockdown for as long as possible.  Degrassi fans are so funny…we complain about the show being predictable, then we’ll turn around and demand to see every promo/episode title/plot right now so that we can spend every second analyzing them into the ground.  It’s okay to not know everything months in advance!

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REMINDER: the webisodes are being posted on MTV Canada’s website on Tuesday nights, and then the international version is posted on Degrassi’s youtube channel on Wednesdays.

MTV.ca —-> http://www.mtv.ca/degrassi/webisode.jhtml?id=524379

International Version

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Degrassi has released 13 songs from Degrassi 14A on iTunes, including the duet Becky and Jonah sang in “Hush” called Bring Back The Light.  You can purchase individual songs for 99 cents, or the entire album for $9.99.

https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/degrassi-music-from-season/id960098018

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Some Degrassi Throwback stuff for you:

*Abby Ho interviewed Degrassi’s then Music Supervisor back in 2013.  The show’s current music supervisor is Dondrea Erauw.

*Lots and of TNG music stuff.  Opening things and band music.  I remember back in the day I would’ve KILLED to have an official album with all these songs, especially the Downtown Sasquatch and Hell Hath No Fury stuff.

*Yes, I’ve created Degrassi music of my own.  I’ve probably produced more Degrassi parody songs than anyone else in existence.  I don’t claim to have singing or rap skills, but it’s fun to poke fun at the show in musical form.

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In Part 4 of Champagne Supernova, Zig and Miles finally watch the drunken video they made and receive a clue as to who posted it.  The video itself is humorous, and because I think about everything through Degrassi lenses, it of course reminds me of a classic moment from season 3.

CANADIAN LINK: http://www.mtv.ca/degrassi/webisode.jhtml?id=524380

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International Version

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The Hollingsworth Rabbit Hole

How far do you think they’re going to take the Hollingsworth kids’ storyline? Also do you think Yates is going to come back at all? – Cyanoticfallacy

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The Hollingsworth stuff is kind of difficult to answer because at this point I don’t really know where they plan to go with it.  Structurally, there needed to be some kind of “conclusion” to the rivalry between Miles and his dad at the end of 14A, but that doesn’t mean the arch itself is over.  There’s essentially two ways things will go: either the Hollingsworth kids eventually resolve things with their dad, or they won’t.

WHAT I DON’T WANT TO HAPPEN: For the plot to completely disappear after 14A…in other words Mr. H moves out, the kids are satisfied and that’s that.  I also don’t necessarily want a quick resolution where Mr. H has a “lightbulb” moment, realizes he’s hurt his kids and they become one big, happy family.

WHAT I DO WANT TO HAPPEN:  I want us to see the gradual process of reconciliation or destruction.  The problem with that is the potential for storyline fatigue, because my vision for it expands over multiple seasons (it would require more quick hits/secondary coverage, because it can’t always be one of the major storylines of any given block).  Also, Degrassi fans are quite inconsistent: we’ll whine about the show wrapping up plots in 2 episodes, but if an arch like this were still happening in say season 15 or even season 16, we’ll turn right around and complain that the show is dragging things out.  The thing is though, family issues that have lingered as long as the Hollingsworths’ don’t just go away, and sometimes it takes months or years of work to re-establish a foundation…if they’re willing to start over at all.  Personally, I’d love to see a combination of resolution/non-resolution here:  by the time all is said and done and the Hollingsworth kids are ready to graduate, maybe Frankie and Hunter have been able to forgive their father, but Miles is just too hurt and resentful to accept his father’s love as he ventures into adulthood.

As far as Yates is concerned, I’m on the side of people desperately hoping that he returns.  They left his departure in season 13 wide open, so it could go either way.  The school year is nearly over, but what if he were to return the following school year (aka a season 15 return)?  Plus the show has set it up so that Tristan is basically on his own now.  He may still be friends with Zoë, but the show seems intent on pairing her up with Zig at the moment.  I would be quite disappointed if the show didn’t bring Yates back.

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Let’s take a quick trip to the DBT (image via Darcysscissors)

There’s many kids like Dave, Adam, K.C., Wesley who should be graduating in this season but aren’t. Do you wish any of them stuck around until the end? – Anon

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For those who don’t know, DBT stands for “Degrassi Bermuda Triangle.”  It’s also sometimes referred to as the “Degrassi Black Hole.”  It’s where Degrassi characters go when they randomly leave the show before their graduation, especially if they disappear without a sendoff or any kind of explanation as to where they went (the latest victim would be Keisha).  For years we’ve also joked about the DBT being somewhere in Africa, because that’s where they sent Darcy Edwards when they had to write off her character in season 8…we jokingly assume she’s still there because the show has mentioned her several times since, but never her whereabouts.

Wesley was quietly the king of subplots during his tenure on Degrassi.

As for the question, honestly I wish ALL of them had stayed! But this show doesn’t work where every character is seen as equal or is destined to remain on the show until they graduate for a variety of reasons, and that’s the way it goes.  Out of those four though, Wesley is the one I wish would’ve stayed the most; I really enjoyed some of the things they did with his character.  His awkward nerdiness was relatable as was his lighthearted plots, which is also an important thing to have to counterbalance all of the serious stuff.  I remember thinking one of the small, yet coolest things Degrassi’s ever did happened in Still Fighting It, when Wesley randomly appeared with broken wrists. Spencer Van Wyck had broken both wrists in real life, and I actually loved that the show just had him film anyway, writing a plot around his injury without creating a backstory behind it.

The show is always going to be generic and politically correct when explaining why a character/actor is no longer on the show, because there’s no reason for them to take shots at these kids on their way out, or call them out on private matters.  There’s also times where things happening behind the scenes have an impact.  Sometimes the show wants to phase out a certain character, and that’s their choice whether we like it or not. Other times the actor wants to leave. Either way, don’t get trapped into the mindset that Degrassi is the be-all, end-all of “celebrity stardom” in Canada for these actors, especially with this current generation. They’re far more involved in other projects while also on Degrassi than the TNG kids ever were.  For example, the current group of Tenners could be around for many years to come, but I wouldn’t be surprised one bit if say Ana Golja or Lyle Lettau left long before their character’s projected graduation to do other things.

Some other characters I wish wouldn’t have left “before their time”
*Kendra Mason
*Sean Cameron: I wish he hadn’t left in season 4…you don’t know pain until one half of your OTP just ups and leaves during the middle of a season.
*Oskar: I remember it being rumored that they might’ve been planning to make him the “Marco” character before Marco was created.
*Spike and Jack: poor Simpson, we’re not sure if his family/house even exist beyond Clare’s dreams anymore.

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Hated ships?

Do you have any other favorite ships not listed? Any ships you despise? – pocksuppet

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My favorite ships of all time can be found here…I don’t really have any others listed that I love except for Jonnor. It’s easy to ship a couple like Jonnor when they’re super entertaining in the limited amount of screentime they have.  Despite popular belief, you do NOT want your ship to have a lot of screentime on Degrassi.  Ship screentime = the show ripping said ship to shreds for fun as the writers laugh at your severe overreactions on social media.  You reacting like a crazed fan = they’ve done their job.

I’m a weirdo when it comes to shipping because I’m generally indifferent toward an overwhelming majority of Degrassi ships, while the average fan tend to be very black & white in their stance of any given ship; people either love a ship or they hate them.  Take the past 4 1/2 seasons for example..it doesn’t matter how much one fan loves Eclare and another fan hates Eclare, over the years both sides have shown they are no different from each other in terms of their passion and obsession with Eclare (and the entire fandom’s obsession with talking about Eclare is essentially the reason why Eclare is still on the show in 2015…but that’s entirely different discussion of its own).

Peter and Mia (Pia) is the only ship I’ve hated, excluding that other ship that shall not be named.  I remember being irritated about Pia’s relationship forming so quickly,  but it’s also been a very long time since I’ve watched season 8.  I really need to rewatch with analytical eyes and see if I still feel the same way.

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Kary, have you ever watched the new 90210? The show Shanae Grimes left Degrassi for? It aired for 5 seasons from 2008 – 2012 and during its time on the air I refused to watch it and passed it off as just another sudsy, love triangle-induced teen drama. But recently I started watching it during Degrassi’s hiatus and I can’t tell you how impressed I am. – dhrhtv

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I watched a few episodes, but it never ended up being a show that caught my interest.  Back then I didn’t watch as much TV as I do now, and never felt inclined to search for it on demand, etc.  Most people have no issues firing up a binge session of a bunch of recorded episodes or just watching an older series out of the blue, but for some reason I’m rarely ever motivated to do that.  Like certain older people who insists on doing certain things the “old way” (like landlines over cell phones), I’m all about watching episodes live. And if I can’t watch them live I have to watch them that same night, otherwise I’ll end up not watching them at all.

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MTV.CA Link: http://www.mtv.ca/degrassi/webisode.jhtml?id=524381

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Miles and Zig find Tristan to find out why he posted the video of them acting like fools.  You can vote on which character you think has the key here: http://news.mtv.ca/blogs/degrassi/degrassi-champagne-supernova-teaser-who-will-zig-and-miles-visit-next/

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T’was a good night for Degrassi at the 2015 Canadian Screen Awards.  The series went into tonight with 4 nominations and came away with 4 wins:

Degrassi: Best Children’s or Youth Fiction Program

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Aislinn Paul: Best Performance in a Children’s or Youth Program (My Own Worst Enemy)

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Matty H: Best Writing in a Children’s or Youth Program or Series (Unbelievable)

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Phil Earnshaw: Best Direction in a Children’s or Youth Program or Series (Hypnotize)

Here’s more images from Degrassi’s big night:

MTV Canada link: http://www.mtv.ca/degrassi/webisode.jhtml?id=524383

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MTV Canada link: http://www.mtv.ca/degrassi/webisode.jhtml?id=524384

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The guys finally get a hold of Zoë, who was upset at them for something that happened the night before.  Behind Maya and Grace, Zoë was the third-most popular option as the person in possession of the key.

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An overwhelming majority of people assumed Maya had the key, but the problem is Degrassi wrote Champagne Supernova with the intent of making it a mystery, meaning Maya was TOO easy of a choice.  The comment about Zig going to check on Miles the night of the party would lead one to believe that one of them is the culprit, but honestly while saying it out loud the whole handcuffing thing sounds like a Grace move.  Out of the 5 potential people left, Frankie (not really her style) and Eli (the handcuffing would’ve probably happened at The Dot) are least likely, but you never know.  By default, Winston is in the middle.

I’m also liking the hints these minis are dropping, confirming Stephen Stohn’s comment that these minis were “canon-ish.”  We know for a fact Miles wants Maya, but if you ignore fandom speculation and strictly pay attention to what’s happening in the show, Maya has shown no romantic interest in Miles since breaking up with him (just like she showed no romantic interest in Zig during that faux “love triangle” in season 13).

We also learned that Miles’ dad won the election, which is bad for Miles, Frankie and Hunter.  Their lives will continue to be under a microscope, and it also means Mr. H might be too busy being mayor to work on repairing the damage within his family…but at the same time the kids will be expected to maintain the public image that their family is just sunshine and unicorns.

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SIDE NOTE:  We’ve reached that point in time where people start harassing the networks/everyone associated with Degrassi about when we’re getting a new promo.  Even though Stephen Stohn said there was going to be an 11-week hiatus which would put Degrassi returning on April 7th, things are always subject to change until a press release or promo confirm the date.

Promos tend to get released sometime within the range of about 2 1/2 weeks to 4 weeks before the premiere date.  If April 7th were the official date I’d be expecting a promo this week. However, I’m not because if it were me it would probably make more sense to announce Degrassi’s return sometime next week to coincide with the release of the final two Champagne Supernova minis on the 24th.

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I guess the moral of these webisodes is that Winston has no chill in season 14.  It looks like Frankie, Grace and Eli were all red herrings.  And the best part of this webisode series (the continuity and hint dropping) continued with us learning Miles actually got in trouble for the fire.  I mean he’d clearly claim that it was an accident (hence him only receiving 200 hours of community service), but this was a scenario where it’s been easy for us to assume that show would let him off the hook with this one.

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Kary I know this season is half over but do you think it’s a tad odd season 15 hasn’t been brought up? No brainstorming etc I’ve been following Degrassi since season 1 just curious. I know Linda mentioned season 15 in an interview in January but it wasn’t really discussed. – Rellyjsincalire

This question ties into the news about when we can expect word on 14B.  If they were going to have Degrassi’s return coincide with the ending of Champagne Supernova we should’ve received a promo last night or today.  However, last week MTV Canada announced they’re releasing a new Degrassi promo to coincide with the MTV Movie Awards on April 12th:

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My thought is that if April 12th is the first time we’re receiving a promo, then my initial guess is Degrassi returns the last Tuesday in April or early May.

Now in regards to the question above, Degrassi has become more secretive with each passing season.  There’s always leaks here and there, but for the most part they’re locking down a lot of info these days as opposed to being completely transparent like they were in the season 10/11 era. I believe it was season 13 when the Stohn stopped posting pictures from the readthroughs as they were happening, and his reasoning was that the current season (s12) was still being broadcast so they were under some type of embargo.  My belief is that we should always assume a new season will happen unless otherwise stated…I just don’t want to believe that, given the history and longevity of the Degrassi franchise, they’d cancel the show without giving Epitome enough time to create some kind of proper ending and being able to hype up Degrassi’s final season.

I’m not sure what to make of no brainstorming or open casting calls this year.  One thing to also remember is that Epitome Pictures is under new management, so that could also create a bunch of unknowns.  We don’t know what the show’s format or episode count might be, or whether or not the show will maintain its production schedule from last season (filming begins in April).  Pair that up with the fact a large chunk of the s14 cast is graduating (giving the show an opportunity to add more characters and/or essentially reboot the show in s15) and 14B will extend well into the heart of summertime, we could go quite a while without hearing or seeing anything significant about a 15th season.

Do you believe Degrassi has jumped the shark? If so name a moment or moments?  For me it was the demise of spinner and jane, and the marriage of the last standing single original dtng characters, spemma. – Mike

Let me preface this by saying that just because Degrassi has jumped the shark at times, it doesn’t mean everything beyond that moment is awful or nonsensical.  The show goes through phases where they’ll be on point, then they’ll suddenly hit a brick wall and vice versa.  Some examples of this:

*The first third of season 7 starting off the year with two strong two-parters (Standing in the Dark, Death or Glory), but then the season was hit or miss after that except for anything involving Darcy’s rape storyline.

*Season 8: a presumed rebuilding year with terrible ratings on CTV.  We saw an uptick in quality in season 9, but Degrassi regained its footing when it refreshed the franchise in season 10.

*Season 12: a pretty damn solid season from beginning to end.  But then our expectations of the show continuing its hot streak crashed and burned with the hot mess that was 13A.  I don’t know about anyone else, but I felt like they got back on track in 13C & D.  14A naturally carried over the momentum from 13D, and 14B will probably have the same carryover feel as this is the longest school year ever.  The next real test for Degrassi is season 15, when the current seniors have graduated and the show has its biggest “reset” since season 10.

Now as far as actual jump the shark moments….

SPEMMA

This one is obvious.  There’s no need to go into detail.  We know it’s ridiculous…Degrassi knows it’s ridiculous.  Stefan loves it anyway.

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Jay & Silent Bob

I like Kevin Smith.  There are parts of that season 4 storyline that were fun to watch and he and Jason Mewes delivered fine performances.  Kevin Smith is a hardcore Degrassi fan, so he’s one of us.  But at the same time it felt like the show decided to write an arc around a celebrity who loves the show and include the characters in it as opposed to writing for the characters and then incorporate the celebrity.

I’m not opposed to celebrity appearances on Degrassi.  Last year Lena Dunhum gushed about how much she loves Degrassi, and it’d be cool to see her on the show if done right.  I just want their appearances to make sense and for it to not seem like they’re on the show just to say there’s celebrity on the show.  The Degrassi Goes Hollywood cameos made sense.  Chaz Bono made sense (and even Lauren Toyota in that episode because they were part of celeb judge panel).  Keke Palmer’s character could’ve been played by any generic actress in what turned out to be the first of a couple shitty season 11 relationships for Sav because they ran out of things for him to do.

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Fiona Going Into An Alley to Buy A Gun In Karma Police Part 2

This may or may not qualify as jumping the shark, but for me it’s one of the most memorable moments of Degrassi…in the worst way possible. Every day I read stories about people and criminals who do the dumbest things, and I sit there wondering how it’s possible that these people can be so stupid.  But even with that said, there’s no way you’re convincing me that a normal person is just walking into a random alley by themselves AT NIGHT with a bunch of sketchy-looking guys they saw on the street and approached to purchase a gun, especially a female in this day and age.  Fiona literally got out of a cab, looked around, spotted a couple of thugs standing around on the street and apparently thought, “Hey these guys look like they might have guns!” before going into an alley with them without hesitation.  Not even Drew’s dumb ass would do something like this!

As much as I love Degrassi, stupid is the only word to describe this scene.  At least with Spemma there’s an understanding that Stefan and company were like “YOLO” since Spinner and Emma were on the way out.  But this Fiona moment makes my head hurt, and it’s one of those things where something far worse could’ve (and probably should’ve) happened to her in that alley; all Fiona wound up with is a bruised face and ego.  Yes, this show is based on characters making stupid choices.  If you’re looking at her character’s big picture, this story played on Fiona’s huge fear of being alone.  But that specific scene had Fiona jumping from desperation to nonsense, and it ruined what was a fantastic storyline up until that point.

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Mia The Model In Season 8

Mia Jones was one of the most frustrating characters in the history of Degrassi.  I can get on board with the concept that Mia was an irresponsible mother who was more concerned with wanting to be “a normal teenager” than being a parent.  But then in season 8, Degrassi completely lost its mind and decided she should fuck “Tom Brady” in order to advance her budding modeling career, before eventually leaving Degrassi to become a full-time model in Paris.

At times I’m not even sure why characters on Degrassi have kids.  I understand that they want to present the various angles of teen pregnancy and being a teen parent.  But then I also think about Spike back during Degrassi Junior High; Emma was her universe and wasn’t swept aside for the sake of freeing up her character to do frivolous things.  That’s the perception of what’s happened with characters and children in the TNG universe (excluding AWH).  Pregnancy happens to certain secondary characters (Liberty, Jenna), they become important for a while, give their baby up for adoption and then quietly slide back into their supporting roles.

If Mia was destined to be a crappy mom that’s okay, just focus on showing her be a crappy parent.  Intentional or not, a Bella (Mia) and Rocky (Dallas) of the current Degrassi universe feel like they’re brought in when it’s convenient, but are quickly sent back to the Degrassi black hole so their parents can do things like become a model or chase after the girl of their dreams for multiple seasons.  At least with Dallas there’s been small moments of continuity to remind us that Dallas is a father with a rocky relationship with his kid, no pun intended.  But the existence of Bella felt like it was just as big of a burden for the show to deal with as it was for Mia, hence the sudden act of Mia’s mom offering to take care of Bella starting in Uptown Girl.

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What aspect of 14A surprised you most? – Rakath

I’ve beat up on Degrassi enough for one day, so here’s some good news.  This might not be the answer anyone was expecting, but what surprised me the most in 14A is how strong the individual 30-minute episodes were on their own.

When Degrassi rebooted in season 10, it meant they also rebooted the way they’re telling the stories.  We know all of the episodes became two-parters, and episodes were filmed in blocks of four.  The two-parter system worked well during the summer telenovelas because you’re only waiting 24 hours to watch the next episode.  However, when the fall and spring blocks came around, the week-long break in between 30-minute episodes felt massive, especially in between Part 1 and Part 2 episodes.  For me a lot of the Part 1 episodes left you hanging at the end.  There was an issue with Part 1 episodes not really providing much suspense or making me excited to see what happens a week later in Part 2.

In season 13, individual 30-minute episodes might’ve all had their own episode titles, but that 2-parter system still existed. In season 14, however, we see yet another format change:  you’ve got the major storylines established for the entire block, and then they’re broken up and weaved in and out episodes and the A/B/C plot rotations (1401 Miles is the C plot, then becomes the A plot in 1402. And while he’s around and we see his behavior affecting others in 1403-1407, he doesn’t have another plot from his POV until 1408).  We also saw some of the storylines from the perspective of multiple characters (We see Clare’s pregnancy from her POV as well as Drew’s.  Miles’ behavior opened up the door for us to see the POV of Maya, Tristan and Winston.  Degrassi Nudes was seen through both Frankie and Zoe’s POV.).

I’m not really sure how to explain it, but the best way I can is by saying the 30-minute episodes in 14A felt more even week to week, and managed to be fulfilling on their own without needing the next part of an episode for a climax or clarification.

Why is Spemma getting married? And why is the Toby lookalike creeping behind me?

Kary, I thought you said way back in your Degrassi Takes Manhattan review that you thought the setup of Spemma was pretty good? – WhenDovesCry

This is in reference to what I said in my recent post, where I listed Spemma as a “jump the shark” moment on the show.  Let’s take a look back at what I said about Spemma in my review of Degrassi Takes Manhattan almost 5 years ago:

Yes, Spinner and Emma get married.  I’m speechless.  The setup is actually pretty good:  Jay, Manny, Emma and Spinner go to Niagara Falls for a night of cheering Spinner up, aka drinking and gambling.  Spinner and Emma wake up from their drunken stupor to realize they had gotten married at some point during the night.  Now they decide to remain a couple which is fine by me…there have been way more random couples in Degrassi’s history.  They even share a moment (my favorite part of the whole movie) where they talked about Emma’s science project and Spinner’s boner from WAYYYY back in Season 2 (Weird Science, one of my favorite episodes and their most notable interaction up until this point in the series).

However, the fact that they decide to REMAIN married (and suddenly start talking about how they love each other) is a level of randomness that I simply can’t wrap my head around.  I guess the only option for the last two original characters of the show who are still around (and aren’t going anywhere) is to get married, eh?

If you follow me on twitter, then you know I rewatched this episode several days ago.  It’s insane how much I actually enjoyed some of the Spemma stuff as they hooked up and tried to figure things out.  The “Spinner Shrine” is one of the most beautiful moments of continuity ever.  However, just like when I originally reviewed this episode, Spemma being romantically involved isn’t the issue, it’s their decision to REMAIN married and the sudden declarations of “love and forever” that are nonsense.  These two went from 0 to “I love you and want to be with you forever” in about 2.50383 seconds while sitting there with the divorce attorney (played by Munro Chambers’ uncle, Colin Mochrie).

“I’m just here to tell you my nephew is coming to Degrassi in season 10.”

I would’ve been perfectly fine with them deciding to simply pursue a relationship to see where things go from there, but given that this was going to be their final appearance on the show that simply wasn’t going to happen.

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why do we have to live Canada to audition for Degrassi ? – isabel

Questions about Degrassi auditions are, without a shadow of the doubt, the most-common questions I’ve received since starting this blog.  I’ve even had people send me their headshots, personal information, etc., asking me to help them land an audition.  Since it’s been a while, I’ll just remind everyone that I don’t work for Degrassi.  I can’t be employed by Epitome Pictures because I’m not a Canadian citizen.

For as long as I can remember, the show has received a lot of funding from the Canadian government.  One of the stipulations of accepting said money is that they must hire Canadian citizens for their cast and crew.  Some of them are dual citizens (Canadian/American)…heck, the Stohn is! But you’ve gotta have the legal ability to work in Canada in order to have a shot at auditioning.

This is one tiny avenue you might be able to take if you’re an American; Canadian work visa.  The Stohn said forever ago that those who have a Canadian work visa are eligible to audition.  No, it’s not an easy process, and honestly it’s a lot of freakin’ hoops to jump through just to audition for a show.  Oh, and you also need an agent.  Probably a Canadian one, since they usually go through agencies to search for actors.

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when is degrassi coming back anyway? this show was my favorite! i miss it so much im ready to watch it again. – shabaeeee88

Today is Thursday, April 9th.  Barring some major meltdown by an intern at TeenNick or MTV Canada where they accidentally leak information (it’s possible, lol), we will know Degrassi’s return date on Sunday, April 12th.  MTV Canada plans to run a 14B promo during the MTV Movie Awards on Sunday night.  Until then, here’s a sneak peek pic that Degrassi posted:

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As we all know Danny/Derek went from best bros to barely even friends towards the end. Do you think the dissolving of their friendship was a good storyline choice for them or would you have rather seem them stay best friends? – anonymous

I’m not sure if it was intentional or not, but I thought it was pretty interesting of the show to essentially break up what was a super tight duo.  Romantic ships are the primary focus of the show and its fans, but nothing can beat a good ole’ Degrassi friendship.  Degrassi’s track record for ships doesn’t lie: if you’re in a romantic relationship with someone while on Degrassi, there is a 99.999999999999999999999% chance your relationship will fail.  This is even dating back to Degrassi Junior High in the 80’s!  Friendships, however, have far more longevity.  Even if the characters wind up drifting apart to do their own thing for a while, they tend to gravitate back toward one another.

As nice as “BFF’s 4ever” sounds, the harsh reality is not even the best of friendships are guaranteed to last forever, and I think that’s a very important lesson for people to understand.  We definitely saw a shift in these characters after Got My Mind Set On You, as Danny went on to join Studz and become Degrassi’s popular QB1 while Derek started hanging out more with Bruce.  Just off the top of my head, I’d like to think the decline of Danny and Derek’s friendship shows what happens when two people simply grow apart.  We assume there’s some definitive moment that perfectly explains why something happens, so it’s scary when you wake up one day and realize something has simply faded away.

Oops! But not really…not when Stefan’s involved.

Stefan posted an image of some Degrassi and Open Heart cases on his Instagram with the caption, “I think I’ll watch these. #openheart #degrassi #mythumbsaretoolong“

Now I’ve got some questions about this (Are these test/final products or just fancy screener cases for in-house/network use only? Where in the hell is the s13 DVD, unless they decided to flip a switch and erase that season from their memory? Also, is Epitome now producing its own DVDs?).

But it’s pretty freakin’ clear that [SPOILER]Mr. Connor DeLaurier is Degrassi’s valedictorian.[/SPOILER]

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