MaiSoCalled December 31, 2014 Share December 31, 2014 This is one of my favorite forums on other show threads. A chance to share your unpopular opinions without shame or mockery. Sometimes it can lead to great conversations on why a character or plotline is the way it is. And with so many years of Degrassi, I imagine we're full of unpopular opinions. As for the thread title, I figured Emma being someone's favorite would be among the more unpopular opinions. So, what are your unpopular Degrassi opinions? 1 Link to comment
choclatechip45 December 31, 2014 Share December 31, 2014 Spinner is my least favorite character from the original Next Generation cast and I was totally on Jimmy's side throughout their fight. 3 Link to comment
starri December 31, 2014 Share December 31, 2014 I always regretted that they never paired Sav and Holly J for real. I suspect Alli may be mentally ill. 3 Link to comment
MaiSoCalled December 31, 2014 Author Share December 31, 2014 (edited) I always regretted that they never paired Sav and Holly J for real. I totally get this. I've often thought that Clare and Drew is some sort of combo of Holly J/Sav and Emma/Spinner. My unpopular opinion - I could have used more Craig plots. Sure at times it seemed like he was overwhelming the show, but I think Jake Epstein had charisma and talent. I loved Craig and I hated Craig, but I was always interested in Craig. Particularly when the plot involved him and his issues, rather than the girls in his life. Edited December 31, 2014 by MaiSoCalled 2 Link to comment
MegaJ January 1, 2015 Share January 1, 2015 The entire show got better once they dumped the old cast in season 8. 1 Link to comment
luckyroll3 January 1, 2015 Share January 1, 2015 I also loved Craig and every one of his plots. It didn't matter how emo, drama-filled, ridiculous, unrealistic, or far-fetched they were - loved them all. Jake Epstein is one of the better actors they've had on this show and he delivered in every single storyline. I even enjoyed the Manny vs Ellie plot line, as stupid as that was. I really did enjoy Hazel, even though she did absolutely nothing for however many seasons she was on. I guess I was always waiting for her "moment". Same with Wesley - one of my favorite characters for no other reason than that one awesome scene with him and Anya on a date. Still makes me laugh every time I think about it. I also didn't really miss JT after he was killed. 1 Link to comment
omgsowicked January 1, 2015 Share January 1, 2015 I actually like the latest title sequence (the ten second one). Short, to the point, and trimming it down adds something like 20 seconds to the show for the stories. And I like how it uses the last frame of the opening scene to transition into the title sequence. Speaking of frames, I don't miss the ending freeze frames... they were nice back in the day but the show's evolved so much since then, so I'm glad they've moved on. 2 Link to comment
AngYouDontStop January 1, 2015 Share January 1, 2015 The entire show got better once they dumped the old cast in season 8. Agreed. Also, my unpopular opinion: Post bleach-job Tristan is absolutely intolerable. Not funny when he tries to be funny, completely charmless, and an absolutely horrible friend. And my final unpopular opinion: I don't see what anyone sees in Miles. This smug little twerp is supposed to be some big sought-after prize? I just don't see it. 9 Link to comment
luckyroll3 January 1, 2015 Share January 1, 2015 Also, my unpopular opinion: Post bleach-job Tristan is absolutely intolerable. Not funny when he tries to be funny, completely charmless, and an absolutely horrible friend. And my final unpopular opinion: I don't see what anyone sees in Miles. This smug little twerp is supposed to be some big sought-after prize? I just don't see it. Not sure either of these are unpopular opinions. Or maybe they're unpopular for the teen demographic the show thinks is watching, not for old people like myself! Link to comment
AngYouDontStop January 2, 2015 Share January 2, 2015 Well, that makes sense then, as I am an Old. 3 Link to comment
MaiSoCalled January 2, 2015 Author Share January 2, 2015 I also loved Craig and every one of his plots. It didn't matter how emo, drama-filled, ridiculous, unrealistic, or far-fetched they were - loved them all. Jake Epstein is one of the better actors they've had on this show and he delivered in every single storyline. I even enjoyed the Manny vs Ellie plot line, as stupid as that was. Yes! That's exactly it with Craig. The show may have overused them, but I understand why they did. I think if he was on the current incarnation of the show, his plots would have been given slower burns (like the Hollingsworth trainwreck). I know Jake Epstein is doing Broadway these days, but I'd love to see a random Craig appearance. Maybe rockstar Craig could play at a school dance. I think I'd be more excited for that than I was with the Spinner cameo. Bonus points if someone like Zig says he reminds her of Tori. 3 Link to comment
Quof January 2, 2015 Share January 2, 2015 I know Jake Epstein is doing Broadway these days, Epstein is the low point of an otherwise fabulous show. Really, his performance in Beautiful is a snoozefest. I don't see him taking Broadway by storm. Link to comment
luckyroll3 January 2, 2015 Share January 2, 2015 Well, that makes sense then, as I am an Old. I'm right there with you, Uptown Sasquatch! Epstein is the low point of an otherwise fabulous show. Really, his performance in Beautiful is a snoozefest. I don't see him taking Broadway by storm. I saw him in Spring Awakening a couple years ago, and he was pretty good. It took me the entire first act to realize who he was; I kept saying to myself, why does he look so familiar and it finally hit me at intermission. 2 Link to comment
Petunia13 January 3, 2015 Share January 3, 2015 Lol nice title. Emma IS one of my faves. I also loved Craig and every one of his plots. It didn't matter how emo, drama-filled, ridiculous, unrealistic, or far-fetched they were - loved them all. Jake Epstein is one of the better actors they've had on this show and he delivered in every single storyline. I even enjoyed the Manny vs Ellie plot line, as stupid as that was. I totally agree!!! I think he's technically my fave ever. 2 Link to comment
choclatechip45 January 3, 2015 Share January 3, 2015 I really liked Ashley season 1-4 besides Manny I thought she was one of the most realistic teens on TV. 1 Link to comment
mjgchick January 4, 2015 Share January 4, 2015 (edited) Spinner is my least favorite character from the original Next Generation cast and I was totally on Jimmy's side throughout their fight. I thought everyone was on Jimmy's side during their fights? Jimmy was always way smarter than Spinner. I loved Jimmy's "N" word comment while Spinner was being an uber homophobic douchebag. I also loved his freezing Spinner because Spinners actions cost him half of his body. I always regretted that they never paired Sav and Holly J for real. I'm still bitter that they didn't let them end up together. I have an unpopular opinion, I loved Ashley and Jimmy even after she treated him like dirt poor in their last break up. I thought Champagne Papi and Melissa had nice chemistry. Edited January 4, 2015 by mjgchick 1 Link to comment
choclatechip45 January 4, 2015 Share January 4, 2015 I thought everyone was on Jimmy's side during their fights? Jimmy was always way smarter than Spinner. I loved Jimmy's "N" word comment while Spinner was being an uber homophobic douchebag. I also loved his freezing Spinner because Spinners actions cost him half of his body. I remember back on TWOP when season 5 airing the majority consensus of people really liked Spinner and wanted Jimmy to forgive him. Link to comment
mjgchick January 4, 2015 Share January 4, 2015 Really? Damn everyone I knew wanted everyone to freeze out Spinner. I'm not sure I could've done that at all. Link to comment
MaiSoCalled January 5, 2015 Author Share January 5, 2015 Lol nice title. Emma IS one of my faves. I really like early Emma, seasons 1-4, and I always loved when she was Cause Girl. For me Emma always worked best as someone fighting an injustice, even if it was a silly one. I didn't like when they tried to play her as an every girl. Good girl Emma performing sexual favors for a plastic bracelet was interesting. Generic girl Emma getting involved with bad boy Peter was dull. Potentially unpopular opinion, I have no problem with the idea that Spinner and Emma wound up together. It's completely random, but the actors sold it. I think the characters could balance each other out. I kind of like that instead of one of their Epic High School Relationships, the two wound up with someone who they didn't really know when they were younger. They have shared experiences and memories, but they're not held back by who they were a few years ago. I hope those crazy kids are still together. I have an unpopular opinion, I loved Ashley and Jimmy even after she treated him like dirt poor in their last break up. I thought Champagne Papi and Melissa had nice chemistry. I'm disappointed those two didn't ride off into the sunset together. I never liked the next girl Jimmy was with. 6 Link to comment
Bean421 January 5, 2015 Share January 5, 2015 Potentially unpopular opinion, I have no problem with the idea that Spinner and Emma wound up together. It's completely random, but the actors sold it. I think the characters could balance each other out. I kind of like that instead of one of their Epic High School Relationships, the two wound up with someone who they didn't really know when they were younger. They have shared experiences and memories, but they're not held back by who they were a few years ago. I hope those crazy kids are still together. Scoot over and I'll take a seat at this table. I wish that we could check in with them from time to time to see how they're doing and I loved his little cameo. Maybe we'll see more of him or Snake could maybe make a reference to his son-in-law. 1 Link to comment
mjgchick January 5, 2015 Share January 5, 2015 I'll sit with you guys in liking Emma and Spinner. I think their chemistry worked and that's why I wasn't going nuts about Emma not ending up with Sean. Sometimes the couple's that are into each other over circumstances seems to work for me. Holly :/Sav, Claire/Drew all worked for me same with Spinner and Emma and that was because the actors had the chemistry (atleast to me) to back up their coupledom. Hell I liked oily Owen with coke head Anya especially when he was helping her get in shape. 4 Link to comment
MegaJ January 7, 2015 Share January 7, 2015 So happy Ashley has fans, I always disliked how much crap she got from the fandom in favor of Manny. Ashley, to me, was always portrayed well by the actress and I thought her journey was intriguing. It's a shame the character was used less as the seasons went on. I also still like Emma, flaws and all. I get why people dislike her, though. Another unpopular opinion: I adore Marisol. She, to me was the most believable Queen Bee, and actually felt like a real person. She was bitchy sure, but not 100% of the time and also had good traits that would make you believe that she would have friends (unlike Zoe and early Paige and early Holly J). I'm pretty sure if it wasn't for the actress's charisma, that she would've ended up like Hazel and Chantay and Keisha. I really hope the writers do right by Shay. 3 Link to comment
love21 January 7, 2015 Share January 7, 2015 (edited) Despite everything that happened in season 5 I liked Peter and Emma together, and I was a bit disappointed they were doomed the second Sean returned. Edited January 7, 2015 by love21 Link to comment
luckyroll3 January 7, 2015 Share January 7, 2015 So happy Ashley has fans, I always disliked how much crap she got from the fandom in favor of Manny. Ashley, to me, was always portrayed well by the actress and I thought her journey was intriguing. It's a shame the character was used less as the seasons went on. I also still like Emma, flaws and all. I get why people dislike her, though. Another unpopular opinion: I adore Marisol. She, to me was the most believable Queen Bee, and actually felt like a real person. She was bitchy sure, but not 100% of the time and also had good traits that would make you believe that she would have friends (unlike Zoe and early Paige and early Holly J). I'm pretty sure if it wasn't for the actress's charisma, that she would've ended up like Hazel and Chantay and Keisha. I really hope the writers do right by Shay. Who the hell is Keisha?? Lol. No, really; who's Keisha? 1 Link to comment
Dream Boy January 7, 2015 Share January 7, 2015 Another big Ashley fan here. In fact, I supported her regularly throughout her feuds with both Paige and Manny lol Link to comment
love21 January 8, 2015 Share January 8, 2015 Who the hell is Keisha?? Lol. No, really; who's Keisha? A girl who appeared in a few episodes last season as Zoe and Frankie's friend. Link to comment
Chairperson Meow January 8, 2015 Share January 8, 2015 Yay! Craig fans! I hated when Ellie became less Goth. She wasn't as interesting. I did want Ellie and Jimmy though. Chemistry. I liked Sean and Ellie a lot, but I didn't like how he leaves her, comes back and forgets her for Emma. But I did like Peter/Riley. I miss when Craig was creepyish and took pictures and walked on railroad tracks. But I also loved when Eli had that play and set a fire. I hear he's going a tad crazy now. If he sets fires, I'm on his side. Claire annoys me, and, um well I like a good Degrassi meltdown. I miss Paige:( None of these "Queen Bees" hold a candle to The Paige. 1 Link to comment
luckyroll3 January 8, 2015 Share January 8, 2015 A girl who appeared in a few episodes last season as Zoe and Frankie's friend. Oh yes, the one who dressed inappropriately all the time, who just disappeared. I never knew her name, but I thought the character was hilarious. Wish they hadn't gotten rid of her, but I guess they can only have one speaking black girl at a time Link to comment
MaiSoCalled January 10, 2015 Author Share January 10, 2015 I hated when Ellie became less Goth. She wasn't as interesting. I did want Ellie and Jimmy though. Chemistry. I liked that Ellie grew out of her Goth phase, but I enjoyed her character a lot less. I think she was best as a quirky supporting character than the lead she later became, But for me Ellie cannot hold a candle to quirky supporting girl Imogen. Speaking of current cast members, I really like Clare. I like that she tries to be a role model, even as her own life falls apart around her. I like that she pushes herself to be the best. I love when she takes herself too seriously, and I find that most of the time I'm on her side. I like that the show lets her be stupid and make mistakes, while still being a strong person. I like that she's still kind of a dork and isn't obsessed with her appearance. She knows who she is and what she wants to do. I almost always enjoy her plots. 2 Link to comment
PinkSprinkles January 10, 2015 Share January 10, 2015 Eli and Adam are two of the worst characters to ever be on the show. Both were/are too preachy, obnoxious, and suffer from special snowflake syndrome. Cam was underrated as a character and didn't deserve the end he got. Blue was one of the best looking guys they ever had on the show and was incredibly intriguing. It's a shame they never did anything with his character beyond mentioning his artistic capabilities. Riley and Zane are one of the worst couplings ever on the show. Zane was always incredibly condescending to Riley (and everyone around him, actually) even when Riley was making progress on his coming to terms with his sexuality. I wanted Riley to get with the hot lifeguard and tell Zane to shove off. Mr. Simpson and Ms. Hatzilakos hooking up was the most WTFudge moment ever. It literally made no sense and came out of nowhere. There were a lot of other couples they could have used if they wanted to address the topic of parental infidelity. Alex is overrated. The only reason people ever liked her in the first place is because of her pairing with Paige. This will do for now. If I think of more I'll add them later. 3 Link to comment
Bubbles January 11, 2015 Share January 11, 2015 Jimmy is a terrible boyfriend. Ashley had a valid point, that Jimmy was stepping all over her musical efforts and making it all about him. She could have handled that situation a lot better than she did, but the situation arose because Jimmy was completely ignoring her feelings and her obvious insecurity about what had happened with Craig. To top it all off, instead of just breaking up with her he starting putting the moves on Trina and waited for Ashley to break up with him, which is similar to what he did with Hazel when he fell for Ellie. Plus he totally sold out his mom by agreeing not to tell her about his dad's affair in exchange for money for stem cell surgery, so it kind of seems like he just doesn't respect women. 3 Link to comment
love21 January 12, 2015 Share January 12, 2015 Jimmy is a terrible boyfriend. Ashley had a valid point, that Jimmy was stepping all over her musical efforts and making it all about him. She could have handled that situation a lot better than she did, but the situation arose because Jimmy was completely ignoring her feelings and her obvious insecurity about what had happened with Craig. To top it all off, instead of just breaking up with her he starting putting the moves on Trina and waited for Ashley to break up with him, which is similar to what he did with Hazel when he fell for Ellie. Plus he totally sold out his mom by agreeing not to tell her about his dad's affair in exchange for money for stem cell surgery, so it kind of seems like he just doesn't respect women. Definitely agree. Jimmy became my least favorite of the original TNG kids from season 5 until he left the show. Speaking of Jimmy....I prefer the Spinner/Jay duo over Spinner/Jimmy. Not that I don't like Spinner/Jimmy but I find Spinner/Jay to be more fun. 1 Link to comment
MaiSoCalled January 14, 2015 Author Share January 14, 2015 Alex is overrated. The only reason people ever liked her in the first place is because of her pairing with Paige. The only time I really cared for Alex was during her stripping plotline. It was an interesting story and one I think the current kids could do even better. I don't know if that's an unpopular opinion or not, thinking the current cast and writers could handle some of the stories better than the original next general. Some of the originals (Paige, Manny) will always be favorite characters, but I think as a series, I prefer the post Spinner years. I think the show found new creative energy once they said goodbye to the originals. 1 Link to comment
starri January 17, 2015 Share January 17, 2015 I hate, hate, hate Eli. The only thing I've ever found slightly redemptive about him was his friendship with Adam, and even that went by the boards later. Oddly, Clare's friendship with Adam was the thing that made me warm up to her, and I still like her, despite the fact that she's been written like an idiot since the cancer. I have hated the Clare/Eli relationship since always, and it grates my teeth that they're probably going to get a happy ending when so many other characters haven't. 1 Link to comment
Chairperson Meow January 18, 2015 Share January 18, 2015 I like Crazy Eli off his meds. He doesn't seem the type to regularly take his meds. I can see him believing it messes with his creativity or his fairytale with Claire or (and this should be explored ) makes him feel inferior to seemingly perfect Drew. 1 Link to comment
Petunia13 January 18, 2015 Share January 18, 2015 (edited) A lot of people with mental illness have aversions to taking their medication or go through periods where they believe it affects creativity and quit. That usually ends up being a disaster. I liked Spinner and for a long time I thought he was a tool. I wonder if as I aged I appreciated his humor and quirks more. I think Eli is an asshole. Cam was interesting. Edited January 18, 2015 by Petunia13 Link to comment
Zima January 23, 2015 Share January 23, 2015 (edited) I hated when Ellie became less Goth. She wasn't as interesting. Agree 100%. I don't like the way the show portrayed that. I realize that a lot of people go through phases and eventually grow out of things, but they already showed that with Ashley. They could have had at least one "goth" character remain true to herself, because there ARE adult "goths" who were never just going through a phase. (Ahem!) Blue was one of the best looking guys they ever had on the show and was incredibly intriguing. It's a shame they never did anything with his character beyond mentioning his artistic capabilities. Totally agree! He was dreamy, and they barely used him. If I recall correctly, he wasn't a bad actor either. What gives? Edited January 23, 2015 by Zima 1 Link to comment
non sequitur February 7, 2015 Share February 7, 2015 I really liked Johnny and Alli as a couple. I hated the STI subplot as a device to break them up. Link to comment
Bubbles February 10, 2015 Share February 10, 2015 Zane was more likeable than Riley, and I wish they'd given him more to do than just push Riley along on his journey to self-acceptance. 1 Link to comment
starri February 13, 2015 Share February 13, 2015 I just wish they'd let them reunite before the end. I get that Degrassi takes a different tack from Glee by realizing that your high school boyfriend/girlfriend is probably not the person you're going to spend the rest of your life with, but I honestly thought that Shannon Kook-Chun and Argiris Karras had some of the best chemistry of any couple, gay or straight, of any pairing the show produced. 'Course, I loved Liberty and JT, so what do I know? 1 Link to comment
LadyNebula April 2, 2015 Share April 2, 2015 (edited) I loved Jay. I even grew to like him with Manny because it gave him a story. He's probably the only Emma-era character I miss... besides, he was the recipient of my favorite line of Degrassi dialogue ever: "You gave me a social disease!" Gold. Edited April 2, 2015 by LadyNebula 6 Link to comment
amensisterfriend April 17, 2015 Share April 17, 2015 (edited) I adore this thread! 1) I have such a love/hate relationship with this show, ranging from binge watching it obsessively to finding it so exhausting and frustrating that I ignore its existence for several months at a time...and then getting sucked back in :) 2) I am way, way, WAY too old to still care about this show, but can never quite give it up! 3) I second (third?!) the UO re absolutely loving Holly J and Sav and wishing they had been an 'endgame' couple. 4) I always hated the much more popular Manny every bit as much as I hated Emma. Maybe even more. 5) I actually prefer later seasons to the much more embraced earlier ones, due in no small part to the absence of Emma and Manny. Even Clare doesn't bug me quite as much as Emma and Manny did...usually :) 6) I always liked Jenna. Lord knows why! 7) I liked the even more widely disliked Mia, if only because I adore Nina Dobrev 8) I found JT/Liberty a forced and ridiculous couple 9) Alli is actually the kind of character who generally bugs the ever living hell out of me, but for some reason I've always had a huge soft spot for her. Maybe because she's Sav's sister and, seriously, I have a totally irrational fondness for Sav. 10) I didn't hate Darcy. In fact, I'll take Darcy over Clare ANY day! 11) As After School-Special-y as the show's handling of issues can be, I so prefer the issue-oriented stuff to the endless, revolving door romances. I can barely even keep track of who supposedly has feelings for who anymore, let alone feel genuinely invested in any of them ending up together. ETA: I know loving Holly J isn't unpopular, but loving her as much as I do probably is---I think the character/actress was probably the very best ever to grace Degrassi's halls :) I actually thought she was much better than Paige. (Unpopularly, I don't think the actress playing Paige was all that terrific) Edited April 17, 2015 by amensisterfriend 3 Link to comment
Chairperson Meow May 2, 2015 Share May 2, 2015 I always kinda thought Declan was attractive till they had the creepy moment where his twin kissed him. That freaked me out a bit. Then, when the actor got other parts, they kinda did the classic villain trope with his character so Holly J could be with Sav. I never liked Jane. She just seemed rude. She was one of those characters you see and you're like nope nah never mind. And she cheated on Spinner. And he got shot. I still kinda do want Craig Manning to come back to Degrassi as the media teacher or something. Or a counselor. Because this class just does not know what real issues are, at least not till they meet him. 1 Link to comment
love21 May 13, 2015 Share May 13, 2015 I don't dislike the episode "Got My Mind Set On You". It's not one of my favorites by any means, but it was decent for what it was. Link to comment
truelovekiss May 24, 2015 Share May 24, 2015 I have a loooot of opinions about this show... *I never liked JT. He was an ass. He treated Liberty like crap. He was immature and stupid. They gave up their baby, mostly because he was an idiot. He was a total douche to Toby, who was always a good friend to him. He totally rubbed his relationship with Mia (and her daughter) in Liberty's face. *I liked Jay and Manny together. In fact, I loved it.They were one of my favorite endgame couples. They both had some really turbulent teen years, and made a lot of mistakes. But they brought out the good in each other. *I did not like Jane or Jimmy. They both had really heartbreaking stories, but Jane not only cheated on Spinner, but she cheated with Declan, who her friend Holly J liked. Bitch move. Jimmy was a jerk. He was a jerk before the incident, and after. Him covering for his Dad's affair was the last straw for me. *I hate Eli. Oh my God, do I hate Eli. His bad boy, driving a hearse thing was the stupidest jump the shark move ever. I was like, are you serious, show? Is this what constitutes as a bad boy now? It was the most pathetic attention grab. *Manny was my favorite. 3 Link to comment
Bubbles May 24, 2015 Share May 24, 2015 *I did not like Jane or Jimmy. They both had really heartbreaking stories, but Jane not only cheated on Spinner, but she cheated with Declan, who her friend Holly J liked. Bitch move. The cheating sucked, but to be fair, she started sleeping with Declan both before she and Holly J were friends and before Holly J liked Declan. And Holly J went after Spinner while he was dating Jane, so she's no angel either. Manny encouraged Jane to go after Declan and cheat on Spinner, which was also pretty crappy. Link to comment
truelovekiss May 24, 2015 Share May 24, 2015 The cheating sucked, but to be fair, she started sleeping with Declan both before she and Holly J were friends and before Holly J liked Declan. And Holly J went after Spinner while he was dating Jane, so she's no angel either. Manny encouraged Jane to go after Declan and cheat on Spinner, which was also pretty crappy. True. It's been awhile since I've watched, so I forgot a lot of those points. I think it's safe to say, they are all just really bad kids :) Link to comment
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