[PUBLIC] Degrassi 903: Shoot To Thrill & 905: You Be Illin'
Sorry this took so long. These two were hard to process. I promise to redeem myself with Beat It!
wow! The writers and the actors have really stepped up their game. Season 9 is shaping up to be amazing. I think it may end up being one of my favorite seasons. I feel bad for the people who stopped watching they are surely missing out.
I thought both of these episodes were strong. Much better than the usual fair of season 8.
THIS POST CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR 903 AND 905. IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW, STOP READING NOW!
This one's rather lengthy (really lengthy!). There's four different plots to cover.
Found it really hard to write about these episodes. I have no idea why.
Degrassi The Next Generation 903: Shoot To Thrill
A-Plot Summary: No one understands Johnny the way Alli does. He refused to show her affection in public, and hides his good nature behind a bully image that Alli finds stupid. But a new love of photography gives Alli an idea she is sure will help their relationship, if it doesn't ruin her reputation first.
A-Plot Review: Loved this episode! First off, it's really nice to see that Degrassi is back to covering real issues. It's one of the things that sets Degrassi apart from other "teen drama" shows and strayed from it a little recently. Also I'm really glad that they decided to cover this issue in particular. Sexting is a huge problem among teenagers and carries heavy consquences most teens are not aware of so it's nice to finally be seeing it addressed. And I think they handled the storyline really well. It was easy to see how Alli got wrapped up in everything. She didn't even start sexting until the middle of the episode, and I actually liked that aspect of it. It was nice that Ms.H's lecture didn't feel too over the top either. This episode was good for informing without taking away any of the entertainment value.
I think Johnny and Alli were both in the wrong. Alli betrayed Johnny's trust by showing the photograph. She broke her promise. But that doesn't make Johnny sending the photo to Bruce any better. Speaking of, I really liked Bruce's face when he saw the photo. Simpson's too. I feel so bad for Snake, last year flashed the whole school, and Darcy hit on him. Now he has Alli to worry about. The poor guy.
I thought Clare's sudden Johnny hate was bit on the random side. She never seemed to have a problem with him before. It just seemed a little strange to me. But in the end she had a good point. Their entire relationship was on Johnny's terms. And honestly there are times we he really doesn't treat Alli well.
The photos of Johnny were really cute! I loved all his faces. Clare put it right, he did look cuddly. Who would have thought in season 6 that we would be seeing this side of his character!
I liked the whole English class scene. We had a hint of Dave/Alli to help connect the A-plot and B-plot. Seriously I'm not minding the idea of them. I think that a Dave/Alli & KC/Clare double date would be really cute and more likely than the Johnny/Alli & KC/Clare date suggested in this episode.
I also loved all the little hints of Klare in this episode! I had suspected that Klare PDA would play a part in this episode, but it was better to see that it was actually the case. KC kissing her on the cheek was adorable. That kind of thing suits them really well. I want to see more. I liked the lunch scene a lot too. Clare and KC's reactions were pretty funny (oh Johnny~ Keeping them on their toes). But I think the photo scene was my favorite. It actually had me wishing for more Clare-Chantay interaction. It makes sense since Chantay was one of the few who was actually friends with Darcy (even way back in S4). And I thought it was cute she called Clare "Little Edwards" it sounds cuter coming from Chantay than from Holly J (if you can believe that). Plus it amuses me that Chantay thinks KC is cute. For once I agreed with Jenna: The bike grease was better. No seriously, I love that photo. I hope Clare hangs it on her wall or something.
I would like to see more of the photography club as well. With Alli or Clare or even with Chantay, I think it would be a nice thing to work into storylines.
This episode had some great music too. I have to admit these past few seasons have seen some great song choices. I hope this trend continues.
Final Thought: What do you think was in Connor's decoy lunch? *__*
B-Plot Summary: New transfer student Fiona is used to boys hitting on her wherever she goes. That doesn't mean she finds it any less annoying. But a new friendship with Riley may help her keep the boys at bay and also help Riley keep a secret of his own.
B-Plot Review: This was one of those rare times where I enjoyed the B-plot just as much as the A-plot. Running with the amazing season 9 trend of foreshadowing, this plot seems like a prequel to Beat It. But I think that the plot worked well on its own regardless of whatever follow up it will have in Beat It.
I loved our little introduction to Fiona. I think she will end up being one of my favorite new cast members. She's just the kind of character I was hoping she would be. I think it's really cool that they have a character who is so interested in fashion. I love Fiona's style (not to mention all her hats!) and I'm glad that they are exploring that side of her. I'm hoping we will see more of the fashion club, especially if Dave's there! I really liked the Dave-Fiona conversation.
I love the Fiona-Riley friendship. I think if Riley wasn't gay I would ship it! They were really cute together and I think that their friendship is balenced because there's benefits for both of them. I was happy that she realized he was gay at the end. I didn't want Fiona to get her heart broken by actually falling for him. But I'm sure it will cause some trouble since Riley doesn't know that she knows.
I also really like the Fiona-Declan relationship. There's really something else going on there... But it's refreshing to see some actual sibling interaction on the show. There final scene was nice. Declan's laugh was perfect. I'm wondering though if he'll somehow be involved in Riley's secret getting out.
My favorite scenes had to be the ones at The Breakroom. Riley's reaction to the eel was adorable, and it was cute when she taught him to use chopsticks. Also they name dropped "Let the Right One In" I was not expecting that! I'm so jealous of Riley and Fiona, I've been wanting to see that movie for months now! Seeing SoccorStud again was a surprise, but a welcome one. Wondering if this will be his last appearence of if he'll pop up again some time....
I like Argy's performance in this episode a lot. It's really interesting to see how Riley acts with different people.
Annie is great too! She's a good actress and I think she's really pretty. Perfect fit for Fiona.
Episode Download: http://www.mediafire.com/?zyeotjuqigj
Degrassi The Next Generation 905: You Be Illin'
A-Plot Summary: With a little push from her new friend Jenna, Alli finds herself willing to forgive Johnny for sending naked photos of her to Bruce. However, after a talk with him Alli finds out she may have more to worry about than nude photos.
A-Plot Review: Had a few problems with this one. When I finished watching it for the first time it left a bad taste in my mouth so to speak. Of the two episodes I think I'm one of the few people who liked STT more. That having been said, I thought this episode was still very good. It was certainly entertaining and it really picked up at the end with Alli's revenge!
Melinda's acting was top notch in this episode. I think this was her best yet. She's improved a lot since Heat of the Moment. I think she does a very good job at playing both sad and defensive, which seems to be a good thing since it looks like we'll be seeing Alli in both those modes this season. She played the quiet scenes really nicely, especially when she is searching for HPV online and when she checked herself with the mirror. It was hard not to feel for Alli, and that was mostly due to Melinda.
I really enjoyed the scene with Sav as well. I have to admit I may end up liking him this season. Ray has also come a long way acting wise since last season and his scenes with Alli tend to be where he shines. It's nice we finally got to see a little of how Sav feels about Alli being in a relationship and I liked that he was honest with her. Their scene is 903 was cute too. I want more of them!
My main issue with this episode was the STI plot. I thought it was a good twist and it was handled in a fresh new way. But it still bothered me. First off, I am tired of seeing every girl on this show having something negative happen when she has sex. I loved Heart of Glass because it was honest. It dealt with the real side of sex: the feelings of awkwardness and discomfort. The episode gave those feeling merit, and adding an STI into the mix just discredited those feelings.
The STI plot also sounded a little too much like propaganda. I don't think they could have forced the HPV vaccination any more than they did. It makes sense of course since the past few years have seen a major push for the vaccination. I just wish they had done it a little more subtly. That being said I have nothing against the HPV vaccination. If fact I have been vaccinated for it myself.
This episode took away more from Heart of Glass than just that. I thought it was strange when Alli told Jenna how special it had been with Johnny when it really didn't seem she felt that way at all before. The whole dynamic just suddenly seemed different. Johnny's confession bothered me a bit. It's true I was dubious about his virginity last season, but I didn't expect him to lie about that to Alli. I will never be able to watch the final scene of Heart of Glass and feel the same way I did before.
But It was nice that this episode provided a little redemption for Johnny. Even though we had even more reason to dislike him, this episode really showed he cared for Alli still. I hope this comes into play again. Even if they never get back together, I'd still like to see it addressed with his character.
Like every episode this season this one had it's fair share of foreshadowing as well. The Clare/Alli/Jenna friendship triangle was a bit of a plot within a plot. And looks like it was a sign of things to come for Clare. Even though Aislinn said they have lots of scenes together throughout the season, I think the Clare and Alli friendship maybe taking more of a hit than I realized (see special segment 2 for more). We will probably be seeing more of the effects of this in Heart Like Mine which seems to the big pool all these other plots are flowing into (the Clare/KC/Jenna triangle, KC's coach plot, etc.) Which is why I am really looking forward to that one.
That said I hated the way Alli and Jenna treated Clare in this episode. I couldn't quite figure out why Alli thought Clare wouldn't understand. Sure Clare is a little conservative, but after she proved she would be there for Alli in Heart of Glass, Alli should know better. I was downright shocked when Alli told Clare she "wouldn't understand" the plot against Johnny. Why wouldn't she? She was the one saying getting back together with Johnny was a bad idea the entire time. I almost shed a tear when Alli told Clare that Jenna understood more. You could tell just how much that one hurt. I feel like Clare is being horribly misunderstood by everyone. There's so much more to Clare than people are seeing. When Alli asked for Clare's advice at the end it made me so happy.
What I didn't like about Jenna in this episode was the way she tried to make Clare feel badly for being a prude so to speak. I'm pretty sure this will tie into the Clare/KC/Jenna triangle as well. The fact that there are things Clare is not willing to do, but Jenna is will be a factor. I think it bothered me a lot because I was basically in Clare's position in high school. It constantly puts you in an uncomfortable position. I'm getting this creepy feeling Jenna is trying to steal Clare's place. Stealing away her best friend, then her boyfriend... I'm so excited to see how this all works out.
But she was bareable in this episode! An improvement over her last appearences for sure. I actually like the Jenna/Alli friendship a lot (I just wish they didn't have to step all over Clare in the process). She was a really good support to Alli, and I liked a lot of her advice. Especially when she told Alli that having an STD didn't mean you're a slut. I know so many people who actually think that way, it's sad. I loved their plan to get Johnny back! I had been suspecting that something like this was going to happen. But it was a lot of fun to see it play out. Especially when Jenna ran out to tell Alli that Johnny still loved her. I thought Alli's face was hilarious when she heard Johnny say he still wanted her. I hope we see them pulling some kind of stunt like this again. The Clare/Alli/Jenna trio is actually pretty cool. And if I didn't know that it wasn't going to last I would be so into it. They balance each other out nicely. I hope that they'll be able to get over whatever issues they have with each other this season.
I loved the last scene at the lockers! Clare listing all of Johnny's bad qualities was both hilarious and adorable. (I like when she said "old" I agree that's a good reason >.<) I hope this means that their friendship will be a better from now on, or at least for awhile. I thought it was really strange that their lockers were right next to each other. It's obvious that's not where they were last season. This better not mean KC and Clare aren't locker buddies anymore! I will be outraged! Speaking of lockers how is it that Johnny has a decoy one?
Season 9 Special Segment #1: What the hell happened to Jalli?!
I'm sorry, but I have no idea what happened in these last two episodes. I'm actually happy they broke up. True, this episode showed he still cared for her, but I agree when Alli said their relationship was a lie. Not a complete lie, but if Johnny wasn't even being honest how could it have worked out. And Alli shouldn't just let the sexting thing go, that was beyond wrong. I'm not ruling out a Jalli reunion especially since it sound like that's what Scott and Melinda wanted in their CTV podcast.
Season 9 Special Segment #2: What the hell happened to the Clare/Alli friendship?!
Their friendship was wonderful in season 8. It was developed slowly enough that it was believable and the level of trust they had in each other by the season finale really made me love them. But this season has just been one thing after another. Alli is pulling some kind of hot and cold act, and I think both of them have been slightly OOC around each other. Maybe this is set up for Clare's storyline, but couldn't they at least have it all make a little more sense.
Final Thought: I want Alli's purple sweatshirt. It's really cute!
B-Plot Summary: Peter is having trouble adjusting to life without the band.
B-Plot Review: Wait... this episode had a B-plot?
This was very boring. I couldn't bring myself to care about it at all. Especially since the A-plot was so interesting, this felt completely overshadowed. I can see why the writers may have wanted to include this as a way to bring closure to the Peter and the band storyline, but I wish they had found a way to include it in a more interesting plot instead. For instance, maybe Peter struggles with a relapse because he feels alone without the band. That would have been entertaining.
I was happy because I think this means we will be seeing less Peter/Sav&Danny friendship. I've never really liked this friendship because it always felt very fake and forced. The Peter/Riley friendship is both more natural and more interesting. If fact, for me it makes more sense for Jane to be in the band because she's with Spinner and she's good friends with Danny. I hope her new singing gig means we will see more Jane/Danny interaction.
Plus both Sav and Jane sing better than Peter, so their songs this season will probably be better. I already like "Good Times". At the same time I felt a little bad for Peter. He started the band and then all of a sudden he's been voted out and they're moving on. I can understand why it happened, but I can relate to Peter too. Like I thought it was rude when Danny and Sav were whispering right in front of him. That just seemed mean.
I liked the scene where Spinner gave Peter advice. If there's one guy who knows about winning back his friends, it's Spinner. I just wish he wasn't wearing that baseball hat. It didn't look good on him. There should be a rule about Spinner and baseball hats. Also it was navy so it clashed with his black shirt.
This plot really showed how far Peter has fallen. He's driving a van now for God's sakes!!!! Way to end a character's run on a low note. I hope we see more Piley scenes this season. It's the hope Peter seems to have.
Final Thought: I loved Jane's face when Peter handed her the tambourine! Jane is certainly no Mia~
Episode Download: http://www.zshare.net/video/6716764438a977f9/
On the Next Degrassi...
907 & 908: Beat It parts 1 and 2
Promo: ???
Summary: Riley is desperate to prove he isn't gay. He searches for a de-programmer and decides to sleep with Fiona to prove he is straight.
Speculation: Super excited for this two-parter! I love Riley and I'm glad we'll be seeing more of resolve to his sexuality plotline. I hated that it was just dropped last season. I think the approach they are taking is really great. I've been really happy with how Riley is handling being gay because we never see teens who don't want to be gay on TV. He really speaks to this large group of people and also it makes his character so endearing.
I was worried about the Fiona element of the episode when the summary first came out, but after watching 903 I think I'll really like her part in this episode. Looks like we won't be seeing her heart broken which is good. I hope that her friendship with Riley continues after this episode.
I'm glad we'll be seeing de-programming addressed. It's one of those issues that is constantly swept under the rug so that a lot of people don't even know it's going on. But it is a huge issue and one that really need more light shed on it.
The B-plots for these two haven't been announced, but it looks like we may be seeing a Anya and Sav LARPing plot and a Clare/KC/Jenna love triangle plot. I'm curious about the LARPing plot because it seems unusual, but it's about Sav and Anya so I'm not expecting a lot.
I also have mixed feelings about the Clare/KC/Jenna plot. I really want to see how it plays out, but I don't want to see KC cheating. I'm hoping that it doesn't go past kissing and KC feels guilty about it. I think Dave is involved with this plot as well. There were two promos that seem to suggest that (where he was standing with KC in the CTV bumper, and when he opens the door in the Degrassi's back promo). I like that element because it means we'll be seeing KC/Dave friendship which for me is really exciting. And also because we may get Dave/Jenna interaction! Even if Clare and KC do break up, I'm sure we'll be seeing them back together soon. Something tells me KC is going to wake up and realize how much he needs her....