I think one thing that annoys me about the rick story is the teachers reaction to it all. They start talking about how they didn’t notice any “warning signs” aside from the fact he was bullied - but the entire reason he was bullied was BECAUSE of the warning signs. I just find it ridiculous that Rick assaults his girlfriend & puts her in a coma, but is allowed to return to school. The students hound the teachers about how they don’t want a dangerous abuser in their school and the staff take no notice, and then are surprised when the man who has already assaulted one classmate… shoots another? The warning signs were there from the beginning, the bullying was done because the teachers were already ignoring it
yeah that's really weird that he was let back into school. Normally when someone does something like that, even if charges weren't pressed, the perpetrator would be expelled and sent to juvie. Idk maybe Canada doesn't have juvie or something, but in the US I don't think Rick would have been let back into school.
@@withpeacelove366 This storyline is true to my experience in school in the US. It took my primary bully planting a firestarter in the school with a bomb threat for her to be sent to juvie. She was suspended several times for physically assaulting me and others but the school did not care to do anything beyond that until police had to be involved with the school directly. (schools also didnt do anything about my abusive partner at the time either)
That makes a lot of sense the students wouldn't have had to bully him if they thought the teachers and staff was doing they jobs and they figured they wasn't due to fact that they let him return to Degrassi so I guess the students thought they had to handle it they self but I blame punk ass Mr radictch over anybody he poorly handled the rick situation just like he did back in the day on Degrassi high in the Claude suicide situation 💪
As a high school teacher in Canada, I can tell you that it takes a hell of a lot for a student to get expelled. If ricks parents at all could convince that it was an accident he has a right to attend school.
I think Alex’s role in the prank was glossed over because Spinner wasn’t confessing because of the prank - his guilt was focused on what he and Jay did in that bathroom, which Alex wasn’t involved in.
My conclusion as to why Alex's role is forgotten is that she had no part in putting the blame on Jimmy and had no idea (at the moment) that Jay and Spinner had done in bathroom. I also don't *100%* believe that Spinner and to an extent Jay are at fault either and that Rick is the only one at fault. Neither Spinner nor Jay knew of the gun that Rick was hiding. But they were the final straw per say I've always found this storyline very interesting because the different ways people view it
@@kwynn1016 Also, think of this: If Spinner, Jay, and Jimmy hadn't been the ones to send Rick over the edge, somebody else would have eventually. It could have easily been Emma turning him down under a different circumstance. Rick was a ticking time bomb, and the warning signs were everywhere. The fact is, none of this would have happened if Rick hadn't been allowed to return to Degrassi.
@@RyanStorey1231 exactly he was a ticking time bomb waiting for that final tick to happen til he blew. Had Paige not said what she said it could have been her who got shot. But without even knowing it she was able to defuse the situation. Rick shouldn't have been allowed back at Degrassi at all. And when he returned after the pranking he should have been escorted home or had his parents come to get him. He clearly was not okay.
I really love Joey's line, "what is happening to my son?" First, because Joey calls Craig his "son," and not his step-son. Not that there is anything wrong with being a step-parent, but it just affirms that Joey's motivation for caring for Craig isn't just that Craig is his late wife's son and his daughter's step-brother. I also think the exact question he asks is important--"what is happening to my son," not "what is wrong with my son." The latter *could* mean exactly the same thing; "wrong with" is also a term that could be used to refer to someone being sick. But "happening to" avoids negative connotations "wrong with" could have towards Craig himself (which I suspect Craig would immediately assume were intended if he were to hear Joey say that.) Joey knows his kid well enough to know that this is not how he acts, and his response is very clearly concern rather than blame or anger at Craig.
Yes, exactly this! The "my son" always hits me in the gut. And the way he uses "happening to" also emphasizes that Joey doesn't UNDERSTAND - he feels that the problem lies with him and his lack of knowledge, not with Craig. It's such a powerful line, and Pat delivers it with such conviction.
Everyone frames Jay & Friends' "bullying" as them taking advantage of a situation to bully a nerd, but those kids are the ones more likely to have witnessed or experienced DV or child abuse, so IPV isn't just some hypothetical to them, and they know that if you let an abuser back into the same situation, they're bound to fall into old habits. Additionally, Rick demonstrates that he still objectifies women and sees them as inferior, so he really hasn't changed, and he should absolutely have been ostracized. He should not have been able to come back to Degrassi, for his sake and everyone else's.
Also, (spoilers for Season 5) I don’t like how Jimmy just forgave Spinner in the finale like that. The only reason he forgave him is because Jimmy would be all alone next year because the senior class is going to college. But also, the man’s got you shot also (spoilers for later seasons) the shooting does not get brought up past Season 7 just because your friends are moving on to better things doesn’t mean you can forgive someone for making you paralyzed. When Spinner is talking to Holly J about what’s the worse thing he’s ever done he says “one time I didn’t invite Jimmy to my birthday party he didn’t speak to me for a whole year” I mean you also got him shot. It could be a character development thing or something I don’t know.
@@DeadChannel-g3f To be fair I think it's good they didn't blame Spinner. Spinner bullied a kid, THAT was awful, but he did not cause a school shooting, the only person who did that was Rick (and people who allowed Rick to have access to guns)
@@kells4315 Rick would have never had a reason to specifically shoot Jimmy if not for Spinner going along with Jay. True, he didn’t know Rick had a gun, but he did give Rick a reason to target Jimmy so he deserves partial responsibility.
No you guys you can't blame others for your actions. Idc what spinner did he didn't make Rick do anything. Just the same I underage Jimmy being upset he got shot and paralyzed but it's not his fault that's absurd.. 🧡🦇
I actually wrote about Jimmy for a Disabilities Studies class and during my annual rewatch, I found his story with disability in 4, 6, and 7 to be excellent! (He was barely in 5 lol) I have a physical disability and to see a young guy acquire a disability and use a mobility aid was so good to see. I think he contributed to me deciding to finally get a cane
The Rick and Toby friendship is really interesting to me; in high school I was the kind of friendly but socially clueless outcast kid that was like, one step up the social ladder from the resentful Rick types and they sought my friendship a lot. They were frequently pretty misogynistic, and expected me to be as well. I pushed back when I could, but usually just drifted away. One of them, that I was relatively close with, ended up falling down the alt right hole. Probably a lot of them did. I feel like Rick would have.
You typically blow me away with your analysis but your point about Snake being critical of Raditch but failing to do anything himself in the Rick situation is both mind blowing and vindicating to me. As I’ve gotten older I’ve realized that Snake (as much as I love him) has been consistently hypocritical throughout his run on the show. He scolds Emma for a fight she has with Manny in one of the early seasons, telling her “She’s your best friend, I think it’s time you remember that,” and the last time I watched that scene I screamed at my TV. It’s especially egregious because I really don’t think Wheels’ story would’ve gone the way it did if someone had stuck through his bad behavior and intervened. While I don’t blame Snake or anyone else for not standing by him, it’s painful to watch Snake’s hypocrisy as the show goes on.
I don’t think what he said to emma is hypocrisy, i think it’s him learning from his own experiences. Now he knows you shouldn’t just abandon your friends when they’re not acting like themselves, but he only knows that because of what happened to wheels. He knows how far the totem can swing, and doesn’t want to see it happen again with Emma and Manny. I think people tend to get hypocritical confused with genuinely learning and growing from your past experiences.
Alex never dealing with consequences for the whole Rick thing has always bothered me. Like drives me insane. I have rewatched the show so many time and googled the hell out of it. No answer given.
this season is so fascinating, because I think it includes some of the best episodes of the series, but it's also definitely the turning point of when Degrassi: TNG started to go a little wonky. I think the continuity was a really nice addition - especially since Degrassi purported to deal with real teen issues, it was nice to see some of those storylines have actual, long-term impact on these characters. but it definitely makes the "lore" a lot messier and requires the writers to start balancing character arcs with the issues they wanted to represent. I remember one of the big jokes in fandom at the time was that Degrassi was the worst school on earth because of all the horrible things that happened to the characters, and how much trauma they all have by the end. even with such a big, ensemble cast, there were only so many characters to give issue episodes to.
Storytelling wise it's obviously due to the writers wanting to tackle as much social issues as possible. Realism wise I would speculate that it's due to it being in Toronto, the biggest city in Canada as well as one of the biggest cities in North America period and due to it being a school in such a massive city and Degrassi having a large student body more people equals more problems. It's like how massive cities tend to have issues with crime because more people equals more things in general happening at a given location. If Degrassi was set in a small rural town it would definitely come off to people as less believable but since Degrassi is set in a massive city it definitely has a more believability to it
I didn't like it when they blatantly stole from movies, though. That episode was basically "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" and they had another one that was "The Breakfast Club".
i appreciate the way you talked about bipolar disorder. like i’m tearing up because idk it was supportive and validating and i appreciate you taking the time to emphasize important things not just relating to BD but all the topics mentioned. but especially that people with BD all aren’t violent. even in my worst moments i’ve never physically hurt someone
I want them to as well but obviously life can be busy and with how the world can be I don't doubt that she can get burnout. Plus making these videos definitely isn't a walk in the park, as much as I want Kat to finish these videos ASAP I am patient enough to wait eventually for more time come out and when the next one comes out I am clicking on it IMMEDIATELY
I find Raditch dismissal was an "out with the old" type of vibe because since he had been there for so long he had ideas and tactics that just wouldn't work for the newer generations. Teachers were a lot more no nonsense, I'm 39 and I can only imagine how some of my teachers would handle these issues.
I always drop what I'm doing to watch your new Degrassi deep dives, and I'm never disappointed. It's clear how much passion and work you put into these, and I love that you don't shy away from criticizing what doesn't work (either at the time of airing, or now in hindsight.) I can't wait for the next deep dive when it's ready. I have mixed feelings about the seasons we're going into and I'm so interested to hear your takes! Thanks so much for all the great work you do on these videos! 💕
Omg I just binged all your Degrassi deep dives thus far. I need part 4!!!! Keep going! Love these. Its like the most calm thing to watch right after work which is like Degrassi but we’re all adults and no one learns lessons.
Love Jake Epstein's story about that they had the hotel room and had one take to destroy it, so dude ended up electrocuting himself slightly when he destroyed the light but he had to keep going..even when the director was like :O
I really love Spinner and his redemption arc, but Jimmy’s moment when he calls him selfish for telling him the truth is my favorite of this season. I feel that Degrassi calls back to this in season 13, when Imogen ultimately doesn’t tell Becky about her and Adam. Honestly, not everything has to be said. I love these videos btw ❤ I just finished a Degrassi rewatch and was kind of disappointed. It wasn’t as good as I remembered and I think I felt that way because of the Kevin Smith episodes.
Take care of yourself Kat! A shooting at prom (Adam vs Vince) is coming up so please don’t feel like you have to rush these, we appreciate them but your mental health matters more. ❤
I will never be able to put in words how much the show impacted me, at least not anywhere near as well as the thesis level GENIUS of your series. As a teen who did in fact try to pirate most of the series using Limewire and had "Everything's Dust" pirated and on many burned CDs, this hits all the right notes for me right down to early Windows motif. This season especially touched on very personal issues to myself and even though Degrassi does tend to drastically over dramatize things, we do that as teens anyway and I think it captures that all consuming self discovery and confusion. I will say though, that some story lines that are appreciated but not as well executed, like Craig's for example, sometimes come down to how well or not...well the actors understand and/or portray the part. I too wore black and red jelly bands with my Hot Topic princess get up and heard whisperings of "sex bands", hell I even remember the soda can tab thing "sex tabs" discussed in 6th grade, so I did miss the fashion and music corner this episode but absolutely appreciate the time spent on the overarching season recap. Maybe it's more thrilling for those of us that lived it? Idk. I could go on and on but I just thank you so very much for this series and, again, struggle to find the words for how happy and nostalgic they make me feel.
When you played the “Rick shoots Jimmy” clip and the “oOooooOooOO whatcha say” started playing I LOST IT LMAOOOO. every year in highschool for a French project we had to pick a tv show to do, and EVERY YEAR I picked Degrassi, and EVERY YEAR I PLAYED THAT CLIP HAHAHAHAHAHAH my class fr knew what to expect everytime, and it was always a hit 😭
Never clicked on something so fast in my life. Thank you! Cannot wait to watch this! This is my childhood. The original TNG cast were basically my classmates. I grew up with them.
This came right as I was thinking of restarting the series from the beginning! Season 4 really was the season that changed a lot of the show for me (in a good way). Everyone stepped up their game, but specifically, the Rick/shooting storyline, Craig's storyline, Emma's storyline, Sean talking to his parents about the shooting🥺, MARCO DUMPING DYLAN: all moments that made an impact. Also, this video unlocked how deeply in love 15-year-old me was with Jake Epstein lmao.
Oh my gosh am I glad to see you! I really thought you had decided to bin this series so I am pleasantly surprised. Thoughts - 1) Paige and Manny would have been an interesting romantic dynamic to explore. Because they are both so "extra" and so similar in so many ways that they either would have been the best couple on the show and the ones who ended up happily married or would have flamed out in the most fascinating and fun way , with no in between. 2) It's interesting to me how Manny seems to only truly be interested in a guy after she's seen him with someone else. Maybe it's because when Craig said she was "too young" , her brain took that as "You aren't pretty or good enough." (probably because of her strict upbringing). So now she goes after guys with girlfriends to "prove" to herself that she is. Because if she can get a guy with a girlfriend then she must be really special and clearly good enough (which is obviously not true but in 15 year old girl with trauma out the ying yang's mind it makes sense). 3) Knowing some of the plot points coming up for him I kinda wish they had just killed Snake like the message boards rumored. It would have been so heartbreaking and hard to watch but this seems to be the heartbreak season so it makes sense and I am not looking forward to certain plot points with this character. 4) I love how all of Jimmy's friends basically take advantage of his lack of mobility to have a captative audience to vent about their drama. It feels like a very high school thing to do.
this is 100% what i needed during my work day today!!! i've been binging degrassi recaps from various youtubers, so i'm in full on degrassi mode. soooo excited to see you uploaded!!
These videos are an awesome accompaniment to processing Degrassi through adult eyes after having watched it as a kid, and then re-watching it as an adult. Really interesting and fascinating work, thank you!
Also I think with the Tyler situation it was implying that Sean felt like he was also Rick. He was perhaps bullied by Tyler and he lost control and in a violent outburst changed someone’s life forever.
While I’m not bipolar, my mom was diagnosed later in her adult life and I’ve know people around my age with bipolar. I never considered the scene of Craig hitting Joey solely to his bipolar. My mom had violent episodes through my childhood but she also experienced abuse. After rewatching these episodes after my mom’s diagnosis, Craig’s violence just makes more sense to me as opposed to “mentally ill people are scary and violent.” I think the violence was a combination of his manic episode and how he was raised.
i can see why some people would disagree with Craig’s violence throughout his manic episode, but Craig is a victim of abuse. his dad would lash out using violence so it isn’t surprising to see him struggle with that same anger. growing up with a physically abusive parent can (at times) teach kids that reacting to strong emotions like that is normal. i’ve had bipolar relatives and most of them have never lashed out in a violent way but in Craig’s case, his history of abuse explains why he’d react that way. i don’t think the writers really intended to make a blanket statement about everyone with bp. to me, they were just showing how craig’s grief and trauma resulted in a more violent manic episode. i like that they included that because mania looks different for everyone. when Craig got into that huge altercation with Joey you can almost see his dad in him. he carries that same anger. i don’t think it was Craig’s bipolar that resulted in his fight with Joey, i think it was the cycle of abuse consuming Craig. there’s even a scene where he says “i always hurt you, like my dad hurt me. you know my dad used to hit me?” so i think that was the writer’s way of giving an explanation and showing the parallels in the relationship. that’s just how i saw the episode but i can see why people have criticized it.
I think they should have fleshed out the relationship between Emma and Jay more, especially with her desire to control things, her eating disorder and always trying to help the flawed victim. Emma and Jay made more sense to me than Manny and Jay...I feel like they rushed the whole subplot of Spinner and Manny and in the future it would have made more sense for those two to end up together...instead of what we got. I wish we also got to see more of Alex's perspective after the school shooting I feel like that would have established more of her character.
When I saw this video was out, I had to go back and watch the whole series you’ve done! Just now at this video. First, I want to say that I absolutely adore this retrospective. It’s what got me to watch Degrassi for the first time. Secondly, PLEASE bring back fashion corner!!!! I LOVE this segment and it’s a good way to break up some of the harder/darker topics you discuss in here. It’s also a good way of seeing how trends changed as the series evolved. Anyways, thank you for all the hard work you’ve done on this series. It’s seriously one of my favs, and your voice is so cozy and warm :)
2 hours of Degrassi content after I just spent 2 months of my life doing a complete rewatch from Degrassi Jr High through Degrassi Next Class?!!? SIGN ME UP.
1:04:40 - spinner: hey manny we're trying to prove a point with craig and ashley would you mind showing up to band practice to play the tambourine awkwardly? manny: a chance to make the two people who ruined my life last year extremely uncomfortable? i'm in.
I hope you’re doing alright. Although I just really want the next part in the Degrassi Deep Dive, I hope you’re doing immensely well and better than how you felt when you made that community post.
I can’t get enough Degrassi deep dives. This one is amazing. Well done! The Emma part about the bracelets sent me back to 2004 when I had bought some of the black ones and wore them in 10th grade. Was going through the “Avril just isn’t punk enough for me” phase. I overheard a girl behind me in my pre-calculus class talk with her friend about how I was wearing the black bracelets and saying stuff about me being “loose” … you know how teenagers can be when they’re talking about someone, but they’ll say it loud enough so the person they’re talking about is within earshot distance to hear it while pretending it’s totally not on purpose lol. My friend had to clue me in on what they were even talking about. I didn’t know what the bracelets supposedly “meant”. I felt mortified because I actually had lost my virginity to my long-time boyfriend the weekend prior and was now thinking that me wearing the black bracelets was basically broadcasting that I did the deed and am open for business. I remember taking them off and putting them in my messenger bag to never really wear them again. I just wanted to accessorize with some stuff I got on sale from Hot Topic. I eventually wore them again, but I’d be a liar if I said I didn’t question others wearing them because of that stupid rumor lol. The 2000s was such a weird time with stuff like that.
I LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR VIDEOS SO MUCH! Its like a little present every time i see one of these videos pop up on my homepage, you are one of my favorite people on youtube for sure!!
I hope you're able to keep these going eventually. I've been binging some degrassi lately, and your videos highlight a bit more than the same 10-ish plotpoints, and it's nice to see. Very well made content, with interesting views and takes. I know this might me a controversial topic, but I went through very similar things to Craig, outside of the bipolar diagnosis and some of the things surrounding that. But honestly I wish he wasn't actually diagnosed and was kept as someone who may randomly have outburst moments, but is largely chill. Maybe even had a certain "tick" that could easily set him off. Like maybe on a trip they go golfing, and he has a flashback to the door breaking down. Whether it's more of ptsd situation, or something he tries to overcome, I'd have just preferred those. Or even have him sort of "re-create" the dinner when his dad comes back, he gets mad at whichever girl (maybe Ash?) and storms out. She chases after him, and he backhands her in a fit of rage, though maybe not as severe as his dad's. Then make it about "breaking the cycle". I know it'd sort of be similar in a way to Rick, but the sort of "cause and effect" of Craig's dad was just something I lived through. When you live in that environment for so long, you just sort of develop the same sort of anger issues that are being expressed upon you, even if they may not be as severe. That funeral scene is so well-done in particular, and I did almost the exact same thing, but swap laughter with rage. He didn't need to ever go "full" rick, but I just felt that I related to Craig less and less in a way. I mean like especially later, but I'm sure you get it. Just my take.
One of my favorite unintentional consequences of RU-vid content moderation and monetization is the various code words people will use to avoid demonetization. “Podiatrist” instead of “pedophile” is so A+
Your videos are so comforting to watch. The time and research you put in is awesome, I just want to thank you for creating really great content! Also, I really enjoyed the fashion corner segments, so I vote to continue them if you want^^
Ooh, you're getting into the good stuff now. I really love these Degrassi retrospectives and I've been looking forward to this one for a few months now. You're amazing.
Was having the worst day and this upload surprised me! Landed at the best time ❤ Your vids are always so in depth and I love your perspective on the series!
FINALLY ITS HERE!!!!!!!!! I've been waiting for the next part EDIT: Also it's ok that you took time off. I and others surely understand EDIT: I'll probably add more but I have to say. This has been my favorite Degrassi retrospective out of all of the ones I have seen. It's very detailed even going into the time around the show aired. I was born in 2000 so I was a child around this time so it's interesting to see more detail about a time I was around Last EDIT: Also I wasn't a fan of the Kevin Smith episodes this season. It made him come off a bit full of himself. Plus Caitlin in general in Next Gen comes off as a huge fool
Why does Rick have to be so attractive to me when I was a kid tho, not his actions mostly just Ephraim himself. I would totally fall into where terry was 😭
Sounds like the old Degrassi forums are a lot like the Torchwood ones were. I was combing them for fanfiction and they had discussion posts on every episode in season 1 as it aired and it was fascinating
Also I like how you mention Jumping the Shark in the same video where Sean jetskiing away from his problems dramatically which could be seen as Degrassi's own literal shark jumping moment lol. And while I won't say that was 'Jumping the Shark', I will say that stuff after Sean's departure in Season 4 (besides Emma and Craig's two parters imo) does slowly lead to a point where the show becomes more about trying to top itself and 'go there' instead of trying to be a 'good' show, if that makes sense.
Hey thank you so much for giving Heather Sinclair her own spotlight in this part. I adore offscreen characters and Heather especially, she may be on the higher end of my favorite TNG characters just because of her offscreen status almost painting her as a myth. It's just heartbreaking that she'll probably never get to appear on one of your fashion corners because of that
I feel like the retconning with Chantay’s age and how long they kept her on the show kind of really shows that for the writers she was less of an actual person in the show and more of a token black character.
I have theories about Toby. He was so upset cause he saw himself in Rick and the fact that Rick shot someone means it’s possible for him to do that and he can’t handle it.
I feel the most inaccurate portrayal of Craig’s disorder is the medication journey. As someone with bp, it took years of terrible medication side effects and combos that just didn’t work out , it’s a tiring stressful and bleak journey sometimes.
thinking about the scene with sean, tyler, and the aftermath: i feel like the creative choice was to represent chaos. new trauma can sometimes resurface old trauma. whatever the storyline is with tyler doesn’t matter to us as the viewer. the bigger picture seems to be that it REALLY affected him and now he’s majorly affected by his showdown with rick. overall, sean is messed up. and his trip home to his parents was the boiling point. nothing makes sense to him. he’s angsty and acting out. his decisions are haphazard and chaotic. this scene is done well in fleshing out sean’s character and backstory as well as painting a picture of his current mental and emotional state. sometimes there’s no words to communicate immense trauma, seeing that he couldn’t open up earlier in the episode. love this video. degrassi forever.❤
In the UK, post Columbine, is post Dunblane. It was the first school shooting that children were killed in. It was the last. We changed our gun ownership laws, spent a fortune 'buying back' guns and ammunition, even offered amnesty for illegal weapons or ones that had been used in crimes. We've had nothing since 1998.
Wow that Crash siggie, girl you took me back 😆 When Sean finally understands why he was sent away still makes me so emotional “I know, I know 🥺🥹” ugh! Kevin Smith makes me cringe so bad….total Narbo.
i am SO excited for this video! i love this series of yours so much, it’s one of my go to comfort things to watch 🥺 i can’t wait to add this video to the rewatchathon 🥰
Rick’s downfall was his arrogance, if that was challenged he lashed out. I don’t believe he tried to change he honestly didn’t have consequences for what he did to Terri so why would he change? I mean he got bullied but that just justified in his mind that he was the victim. I do think that something changed when he talked to Paige the final time but before that…he was still his usual self, nothing felt different about how he acted. Then his arrogance returned and he felt he was owed retribution from the people he felt betrayed him. That’s my reading of the situation, I don’t buy that Rick was changed even to the end.
thank you for giving Sean/Daniel Clark his due diligence. even just thinking about that scene with his parents makes my eyes swell. he’s one of my faves and although it’s been a while, i like his final send off. of course this might be because i started instantly comparing him to Shawn Hunter: they’re bad boys with cool jackets who have rough home lives and end up living with a sibling.
I completely respect your choice, but just let the record show that I loved the fashion and music corners and would love to see them make a return in future Degrassi videos!
Just finished your other two videos and now this, absolutely loved how thoughtful and honest you were about the characters, arcs and themes followed in the show and just so detailed in your analysis, also unbias in your criticism, which is refreshing. Thank you so much for sharing, I’m rewatching the series and just wrapped s5, going into s6. I’m excited to hear you thoughts on s5- Craig is one of my favorite characters and next season and his following storylines just depress me lol I’m very interested to hear what you have to say, esp with Peter being introduced.
