S14:E20: Teen Age Riot

[MegaJ]

Maya (Olivia Scriven) wants to visit Zig (Ricardo Hoyos) at his new place, but Zig is hesitant. With the sort of things his housemates are involved in, anything could happen. Clare (Aislinn Paul) is nominated for valedictorian, something she’s been picturing since she first entered high school. Too bad something else has caught her attention. Seeing her nomination speech as an opportunity, Clare decides to shine a light on the questionable practices in the school, even if it means risking her own future. A visit to Japan proves illuminating for Connor (A.J. Saudin) and Jenna (Jessica Tyler) as they continue to investigate the animal attacks. Frankie (Sara Waisglass) loves being in the musical, but she’s having some issues with her leading man. She’s finding it impossible to be professional, and the turbulence is ruining something that was supposed to be a good time.

 

Wow, this was a pretty "adult" episode with the A-Plot. Getting high and having sex and then what happens in the end? Man, Degrassi can still go there.

 

Semma 2.0 are cute together. And it was interesting focusing on Zig's POV about losing his virginity in "the right way" as opposed to Maya and feeling like he "defiled" her. I'm glad they both came around and realized their feelings for one another. I'm sure the fandom will have their usual freakout about Maya and start calling her a **** and whatever, but unlike Emma and Clare, she's never been a 100% ingenue, further solidified with Cam's suicide darkening her character. I also liked Vince here; he's a villain but these little moments of him taking care of Zig and his issues keeps him from being the cartoon villain he was back in season 11. No one is 100% bad all the time.

 

I loved Clare's plot and how it was a throwback to her standing up to Shep back in season 8. I get her side and Pill shouldn't have forced her to bring up the miscarriage thing. But still...girl. Clare. It's a school...it's a public place. There's no expectation of privacy unless you're in the bathroom or lockers. But again, IDK. I'm not sure just how much privacy teenagers can demand, especially after Degrassi Nudes. Her righteousness this time isn't the product of standing up for Connor and the "freaks" of the school, but her wildly spinning out of control with the miscarriage, Eli back in her life and an unclear future. Can't wait to see what happens.

 

Frankston plot was meh. I would've liked the parallel with her mother to have been more subtle.

[luckyroll3]

Since when do students vote for valedictorian? They didn't even do that on previous years.

Overall, this was a great episode. Loved Connor's "glad I don't have to follow that!" when Clare walked out.

[Daisy]

Since when do students vote for valedictorian? They didn't even do that on previous years.

Overall, this was a great episode. Loved Connor's "glad I don't have to follow that!" when Clare walked out.

 

while it hasn't happened in Degrassi-verse, when I went to high school we voted for ours. so that was a nice little throw back for me

 

Clare: Pill was wrong for taking that information, but I do believe that her heart was in the right place. Clare going ape over it, then destroying the cameras (why would she have a baseball bat?) just screams selfish. I am sorry you lost your baby - but you were a pregnant teenager. things were weird. you lost the baby - hiding it and obviously not talking about it, is just making things weirder, Clare. and news flash: in school. the only privacy you have is that in a Guidance Counsellor's office, the Principal's Office (and that is just up until anything that can hurt you and/or others) and the bathroom. you are not entitled to anything more than that. 

 

Grace making a profit on cell phone banning. obviously. would like a story for her please

 

the Zig/Maya sex decision was really sad. I don't like Maya or anything like that, but I don't think anyone's first time should be under a drug-induced haze. But I love that they had the little tiff, but came back saying they wanted to sleep together, just not how it happened. It's very rare that people use their words on this show 

and Poor Zig :( he looked freaked out when he heard the gunshots... he + Tiny are so over his head (like it's so obvious Tiny doesn't want to be super involved). I love when Degrassi goes dark like this. 

[Nijntje]

I think I watch too many crime shows. The entire time Zig was on the phone with Maya, I was expecting to see him get shot.

[Daisy]

I think I watch too many crime shows. The entire time Zig was on the phone with Maya, I was expecting to see him get shot.

 

lol me too. 

I also just realised ( nice one show) you know who wins the valediction vote if you pay attention to the opening credits. 

[paulvdb]

I was expecting Zig to still be on the phone when Vince and Tiny returned and that would cause him to not be able to drive away fast enough causing the three of them to be caught. If you bring someone along to drive you getaway car you really should tell him that so that he knows that you might have to leave in a hurry. We as viewers might have figured that out on our own but Zig didn't seem to realize why he was there.

[luckyroll3]

Grace making a profit on cell phone banning. obviously. would like a story for her please

I was also wondering about this.  First off, what exactly was her business.  Secondly, where'd she get the truck?  We need more Grace-centric story lines cause she's obviously the most interesting person on the show that we know absolutely nothing about.

[Lone Wolf]

lol me too. 

I also just realised ( nice one show) you know who wins the valediction vote if you pay attention to the opening credits. 

Good catch.  It seems like I remember a similar spoiler from last season's opening credits as well, but the details have escaped me. Maybe something about the fire..

 

And yeah, I was having JT flashbacks when Zig  was waiting in the car.

 

And speaking of Old School (or at least, Earlier School) characters, Claire's violation of privacy outrage was reminding me of Cause Girl Emma. Although instead of going all Justin Morneau (okay, I admit it, I Googled famous Canadian baseball players), Emma would have probably taken off her clothes during her valedictorian speech and justified it by saying that if no one has any privacy anyway we may as well all walk around naked and exposed.

[Daisy]

Good catch.  It seems like I remember a similar spoiler from last season's opening credits as well, but the details have escaped me. Maybe something about the fire..

 

And yeah, I was having JT flashbacks when Zig  was waiting in the car.

 

And speaking of Old School (or at least, Earlier School) characters, Claire's violation of privacy outrage was reminding me of Cause Girl Emma. Although instead of going all Justin Morneau (okay, I admit it, I Googled famous Canadian baseball players), Emma would have probably taken off her clothes during her valedictorian speech and justified it by saying that if no one has any privacy anyway we may as well all walk around naked and exposed.

 

 

(laugh) I swear, that would have been an amazing graduation. Clare au Natural 

[possibilities]

In my school, "valedictorian" just meant the person with the highest grade point average. What does it mean in a school where people are voting?

 

 

I think Grace is storing the cell phones so students can access them during the day, instead of turning them over to the school administration? I do wonder where she got the truck (rented it, I'm guessing, using money from one of her many web-based businesses?) and why she's allowed to do operate in the school driveway in full view of the school's staff.

 

 

I do think Pill is not as bad as her first impression. Degrassi has had a series of pretty serious tragedies and scandals over a long period of time. For someone to go in there and start watching closely, enforcing restrictions, and generally supervising more is not really such a surprise. At the same time, I also understand why the students are upset. They are almost adult age and are suddenly being supervised more closely than they were as much younger children. Rightly or wrongly, they are chafing at the shift.

 

 

Why, though, is Maya in "the rubber room" and Zoe isn't? What do you have to do to get sent there or not sent there? I find that pretty confusing.

Edited July 31, 2015 by possibilities

[Daisy]

In my school, "valedictorian" just meant the person with the highest grade point average. What does it mean in a school where people are voting?

 

Why, though, is Maya in "the rubber room" and Zoe isn't? What do you have to do to get sent there or not sent there? I find that pretty confusing.

 

 

For us, it was just the most popular kid in school vote. 

I actually never went to my graduation so i never found out who won. 

[Nijntje]

In my high school, we voted for 2 valedictorians: 1 boy and 1 girl, and they would give a speech together. The class would submit anecdotes to them from each year of school from K to 12. The speech would be the two valedictorians alternating talking about each school year.

 

It wasn't a popularity contest like it is portrayed on tv/movies. To be nominated, you had to be a good student. The people who won would be popular in the sense that they were well-liked, but they weren't the "cool" kids.

[Bubbles]

Since when do students vote for valedictorian? They didn't even do that on previous years.

They did once. Liberty and Damian tied for highest marks, so they had a vote and Liberty won.

[aradia22]

So I think this is the worst Mrs. Pill has been by using the cameras to monitor students and even then I'm not too bothered. It's not like they were having the conversation in the bathroom or the girls' locker room. That would have been a real invasion of privacy. From what I remember they were in the lunchroom right? They were a little distanced from the rest of the prom planning committee but not even whispering or anything. I don't know. Part of me just likes having a more effective adult on Degrassi. Clare's logic was also flawed. Pill can't do anything about her miscarriage but there are plenty of situations where she could intervene to someone's benefit. Again, how is she the worst when Clare tries to rally the students against her and she doesn't suspend her and instead talks to her calmly and rationally like she's a mature person capable of understanding and reason?

 

I know there was a mat there but how did Winston not even try to catch Frankie? What was happening in that scene? Also, for Degrassi, Frankie actually has a pretty good voice. And yay Hunter! Once again, Frankie proves she's one of the best characters though I really hope this doesn't mean they're planning a Frankie/Winston reconciliation.

 

What was that? Why does Maya suddenly want to take molly? What are you doing, Degrassi writers? I don't like all the blame going on Zig for the sex or the drug use. I feel like they pretty clearly wrote it as Maya making those decisions so I'm glad that came up in their fight... that she has agency. However, the whole story had no depth because it was too underdeveloped. 

 

I did like the way Vince responded to Zig's aggression. It gave him some depth. On some level he is a friend even if he's also kind of a jerk.