“Whatever it takes…I know I can make it through…”
Well, I am officially all caught up on 5 seasons of Degrassi: The Next Generation and I could not be happier. What started as an evening of watching the show because I was trying to stay awake one night while babysitting, has quickly turned into an addiction that I didn’t know I would experience for a little show like this!
After having seen the season finale of Season 5, and having turned my roommate into a D:TNG addict in the process, I am so excited for the premiere of Season 6, and I want to reflect on 10 things that keep me coming back to this charming little show –
1. Spinner’s Ever Changing Hair – It’s like a guessing game as to which hair-do he’ll be rocking season to season. Who remembers the side swiped hair do, the season in which he told Jimmy it was him and Jay that caused Rick to shoot him? Or the crazy curly moppet looking hair that he had when he was fighting Craig over Manny? Or the clean shaven Friendship Club haircut he adopted when he and Darcy were going strong? It’s always exciting to see what his hair will look like, episode after episode, and it keeps me coming back!
2. Marco’s wardrobe – the boy came out of the closet, and with him came an amazing sense of fashion, and some of the greatest clothing combinations that I’ve seen put together on camera. He really makes it work on a daily basis, and it’s refreshing to see a boy so well dressed and going to high school. The boys in my high school? They wore track pants and sweatshirts ALL THE TIME!
3. Downtown Sasquatch – Life is not complete without this great band. Whether Spinner is on the drums, or Ellie is there, throwing drumsticks at Manny’s head, they’re always exciting. Sure, on occasion, Craig has been known to tell Jimmy that his “funk guitar is lame”, my personal favourite insult, but I love that this band is a part of the show and never gets pushed aside. My roommate and I want to make DS t-shirts with sayings on the back, and I kind of want a giant picture of Marco on the front of it. It’ll definitely happen, and I will rock the T-shirt hard core!
4. The inevitable “Who will Manny Santos do next?” question – Manny gets around. And she’s not afraid to show it off. Sure, she’s with Craig now, and she has been with Craig in the past, but she’s dated many boys from Degrassi, and will most likely continue to do so until the end of the show as we know it! Guessing who is next on the list is too difficult, because there will be many more!
5. Trying to determine why Paige has friends – she’s never nice to people, really. She has to get her way, and her friends are only her minions. She treats everyone like she’s the only person that should matter…it’s a wonder she has any friends. As I keep watching, I’m struck wondering when someone will finally cast her aside and shun her as badly as she’s shunned Ashley and Spinner, to name a few.
6. Tobey – Oh Tobes…He’s always there to offer some comedy. Tobey provided one of my favourite lines in the Holiday episode where Craig vows to break up with Ashley over Manny – when Craig showed up to their house to break up with Ash, Tobey answers the door and says the following “Happy Hanukah, Take off your boots.” In his monotonous delivery, I find humour and I find that any time Tobey says anything, it makes me laugh.
7. JT – he is hands down one of the geekiest kids on TV but he’s actually grown the most, I think, both emotionally, and physically, since the show started. I just love him, whether he’s fathering Liberty’s baby, or he’s stealing drugs from his pharmacy job to pay for said baby, I find myself rooting for JT!
8. The Adults – Joey cracks me up. He’s always there, just to help out, or be the father figure that Craig needs. I‘m not liking that I hear he won‘t be in Season 6. I really enjoy his storyline! Spike and Snake are still having their own traumatic events, too, like Snake’s extramarital make-out session with Peter’s mom.
9. Truth – sure, at any given high school, you will not find 11 people out of the entire population that have absolutely everything bad in the world, and good in the world, happen to only them. The head cheerleader isn’t always the one who gets date raped, dates a teacher’s assistant, experiments with drugs, and becomes a lesbian all in the span of 4 years, but these characters kind of stand as a symbol of the people and groups they represent. Those things do happen to high school aged kids. People get STDs accidentally, and little girls grow up too fast, like Manny tried to do when she decided to get hot. It may sometimes get cheesy, but it never strays from the fact that these things DO happen, and it’s refreshing that they don’t shy away from anything.
10. Where will they go next? – I’m hanging on every storyline, wondering what Ash and Sean’s returns will mean to the stories. What happens to Emma and Peter if Sean is back? Will Craig realize that Manny isn’t right for him? I’ll tune in as long as the show is on the air!
What are you favourite things about Degrassi? What keeps bringing you back?
In Other News….
Regarding Prison Break – OH NO THEY DIDN’T!! I don’t want to spoil it for anyone that hasn’t seen it yet, but how could they kill him off? It’s definitely a cop out! Nevertheless, I’ll keep watching additively and obsessively as the year goes on!!
My TiVo has finally made the move from my parents’ house to mine, and I couldn’t be happier. I love that I have all of my Office reruns in one location. It’s nice to end a day with that hilarious show before falling asleep!
Dear FOX: Before canceling Standoff, give it a second viewing and please cancel ‘Til Death or Happy Hour first. Thank you.
I’ve seen the pilot episode of The Class, and I’m not sure that I’m really into it. Jason Ritter is really good, and I love him because he’s so much like his dad was, but I’ll have to wait until episode 2 to have a real opinion.
I’ve been saying for weeks that I was going to give up my spoiler addiction, and so far, it’s not going so well. Readers as my witnesses – I’m vowing to avoid spoilers throughout the remainder of the season. I’ll give an update on my status as a Spoiler Free Viewer next week!!
That’s it for this week – check in next week as I talk about my TV schedule, and when I might have a free minute this fall!
Thanks as always – Amrie