Degrassi Next Class Season 4 discussion: 7/3 in Canada/Family Channel, 7/7 in US/Netflix

[MegaJ]

They did, I guess I'm just wishing they dropped the anvil when he explained it to the crowd and had him be clear and concise. It wouldn't have been good storytelling I suppose, I just think they should've hammered it home. Oh well.

 

I forgot to add that the ending montage at the end of the season was great, I liked how it went a bit more in-depth on what the grads will be up to after Degrassis.s

Edited July 12, 2017 by MegaJ

[TheNewJanBrady]

I never really liked the Winston actor before, but I really liked him in this season (which went way too fast!). Maybe it was just the writing, which had him being so supportive of the gals in his life, like Goldi and Zoe, but he really appealed to me here.

CRAIG!!!!!!!!!! 

[starri]

It's very strange to me that, at the end of the day, my favorite two characters from this cohort were Miles and Zoe, considering how much I disliked both at first.

As much as I didn't like Tristan, at the end of the day, I did kind of like them as a couple for reasons that are beyond me.  And it did really impress me that they made Miles actually bi, instead of it just being some stunt he was pulling.  I actually believe that he loved Tristan, although why is frankly beyond me.  And the prom thing was RIDICULOUSLY sweet.  And despite my loathing of one half of the couple, it bugs me a lot that, yet again, a queer couple (also, Rasha and Zoe, unless they're keeping her as recurring since she'll be in Toronto for university) is denied a happy ending.  I'll imagine Miles with a cultured girl/boyfriend in London.

This may just be me projecting, but while I don't doubt Miles is bi, his seemingly stronger feelings for Tristan makes me think he's every so slightly more into men.

I loved Goldi, and I'm really going to miss her.   Watching that guy snatch her hijab was the hardest scenes for me to watch. I only wish they'd let her explore things with Winston a bit more, though that could never have been a long term thing.  And I'm glad he ended up in the place where he did.  They wrote him as a neckbeard for a while (milady), but he turned out to be really good guy, and a great friend to Zoe.

I bailed on the last season before the end, and I don't remember Saad's introduction, so MAN, did I keep mixing him up with Jonah.

I will not miss Maya, Zig, or Jonah in the slightest.

So, exactly who are the Grade 12s now?  Frankie, Shay, Lola, and Saad?  Am I missing anyone else?  Hunter and Frankie aren't twins, are they?  So they're not in the same grade?

Do you think they'll ever let Vijay and Baaz do anything?  Like, maybe have Baaz become a slightly less horrible person?

I'm probably not the best person to comment on this, but I thought Yael's transition (is that the right word?) was handled fairly well.  But considering how strongly they started out with Adam and how poorly that ended, I guess I'm skeptical about them being able to stick the landing.  They do (does?) look a lot like Aislinn Paul, though.

[TheNewJanBrady]

Frankie and Hunter are twins, yes.

[Kanena]

On 7/9/2017 at 7:51 PM, Scarlett45 said:

Yeah I had problems with that as well. Many women don't shave or enjoy makeup etc and still fully identify as women. I didn't realize it was going to be a gender fluidity storyline until Yael wore the binder and looked so happy. The actress is good enough that they could've done a lot with the story line and chose not to. 

Totally agree. They are basically saying that you are somehow not a female if you do not like stereotypical girl things and are uncomfortable with boys staring at your breasts. God forbid a girl actually has a healthy amount of self esteem and self respect. I loved that they had a girl who was comfortable with liking who she was and who her friends were, then they went and ruined it.

[absnow54]

I'm still not sure how I feel about Yael's story line. The first few seasons they have been one-of-the-guys/not-like-other-girls and part of a group of misogynistic internet trolls. It's hard to see them disassociate with the female gender without some sense of "I'm better than that gender" but that may be because I knew a lot of Yael archetypes in college who were also parts of toxic internet troll groups. I do think that Yael's friendship with Lola really helped flesh out their story, because their loathing for feminine stereotypes became less about the female gender and more about their own discomfort with gender. It's annoying when everything gets blamed on gender when a guy and a girl can react exactly the same in a situation and yet only one of them is labeled hysterical.

[galax-arena]

Do you think they'll ever let Vijay and Baaz do anything?  Like, maybe have Baaz become a slightly less horrible person?

Seriously. If I were Baaz's actor, I'd be so miffed at what a terrible person I play lmao. I know playing jerks can be fun, but Baaz isn't even a fun jerk, he's just a useless asshole who seems to only exist to prop up other characters by acting like a shit towards them. 

[jsm1125]

I just realized that Goldi is attending Banting. Have we had anyone from Degrassi attend since Paige?

[starri]

Didn't Liberty?

[jsm1125]

I think Liberty was originally going to do so, but she ended up attending Smithdale with Emma and Manny, for reasons that were never explained IIRC.

[shouldbedancing]

That was a nice ending for once. Does that mean the series is canceled?

 

I hope not. I want to see what happens with Saad and Lola.

[Bubbles]

On 2017-07-10 at 1:18 AM, galax-arena said:

(I guess Grace isn't all that "girly" either, but the show's never turned it into an issue.)

Except for that period when everyone kept telling Zoe that Grace was obviously a lesbian because "no one dresses like that to attract guys". 

[anthonyd46]

On 7/15/2017 at 6:10 PM, jsm1125 said:

I think Liberty was originally going to do so, but she ended up attending Smithdale with Emma and Manny, for reasons that were never explained IIRC.

Open ended or unexplained storylines annoy me in this show. Yes Liberty was definitely going to a different college than Emma and Manny originally then all of a sudden Liberty is there too. With no explanation. 

Eli/Claire was basically open ended Claire is going to find herself (no idea if she ever does or if we ever get an update), same now for Zig/Maya. 

Drew for being such a major character and major storyline in his final episode isn't even given a proper explanation of what he does with his life.

Now we have Shay with no Tiny and Rasha with No Zoe. I wonder if Zoe and Tiny even get mentioned or they fade into obscurity. 

Dave was another one who just left. 

I could see minor characters not being explained, but its weird when a major character just leaves and is never mentioned or seen again.

[absnow54]

Also, is it a thing now for parents to not know who's at their home at all times? Or to be present at home at all? How did Maya's mom not see her with Zig? Would she have cared? Am I the only one with parents who would have called Zig an Uber and told him to go sleep at his own house?

Well, I mean, Maya's mom let Zig live in her house for like a year, so no, I don't think she would have cared.

[anthonyd46]

On 7/25/2017 at 10:07 AM, absnow54 said:

Well, I mean, Maya's mom let Zig live in her house for like a year, so no, I don't think she would have cared.

Yea zig is a little different he lived there. I know plenty of times something like that happened in real life, because of money situations or parents who didn't want their kids etc. 

As far as the overnight camping thing Shay's parents surprise me the most they went from strict no dating to allowing the camping trip and it was never really explained why. Alot of 16-18 year olds now at least what I have seen are given a lot more freedom than ever though.

[possibilities]

I wish we'd seen what Tiny said to her parents. It seemed like he approached them and asked permission and made some kind of excellent impression, and that's why made them OK with it. It could have been an amusing scene. But the show almost never shows parents anymore.

[Bubbles]

I thought it was pretty crappy of Hunter's friends to immediately start in on questioning his sexuality when he showed up at prom to make up with Yael, after previously calling him out for not supporting them. He was trying, maybe give the guy some positive reinforcement rather than poking at what was obviously a sore spot. 

[Ikki]

On 7/27/2017 at 11:02 PM, Bubbles said:

I thought it was pretty crappy of Hunter's friends to immediately start in on questioning his sexuality when he showed up at prom to make up with Yael, after previously calling him out for not supporting them. He was trying, maybe give the guy some positive reinforcement rather than poking at what was obviously a sore spot. 

Fair enough, but then Hunter's friends are pretty crappy. As is Hunter.

[politichick]

On 7/10/2017 at 1:27 AM, Zima said:

I liked a lot of things about this season, but I'm just going to talk about Esme right now...

Esme reminds me of myself on my most unstable days, so I relate to her and feel for her.  My husband was watching with me, and I could tell that he felt the same way, especially when her insecurities with her relationship with Zig were showcased.  She obviously has a lot of issues and a possible mental illness, not to mention the trauma she experienced when she found Maya.  It helps that the actress is pretty great too. 

I liked the threesome relationship between Frankie, Esme, and Zig! I thought they were all really cute together, and thought that Frankie was at her most likable during that time. It's too bad Esme was just using her to hang onto Zig. 

I agree about Esme. She has major abandonment issues because of the mother's suicide. Is missing a month of classes enough to keep her back when she got into Harvard and Columbia? Can't she make up the work in the summer if she's also working on her health? That said, I wouldn't mind having her back. She is a strong actress and on a shallow note, I really liked her clothes. On another shallow note, why did Shay have that stupid hairstyle the entire season? She rocked the red prom gown, though.

I binged the last two seasons this past weekend after maybe a year's absence from the show but couldn't get over how much Maya has grown up. She looks so much older. And boy was she bloody depressing. I get why, but still. She made me nervous.

Didn't like how Goldi's brother and his idiot friend interrupted Saad when he tried to explain his point. Also didn't think it was fair that Zig (?) got away with breaking his camera. That sucked. Agree that his sister will be prominently featured in the next season. Also hoping no more Tristan.

I couldn't really fault Miles for his reaction to Yael's transition. He's a boy and that would be hard for him to process and he also wants his girl to look like a girl as most boys do. 

Felt sorry for Zoe but she handled it really well and the friends were so sweet when each took a holiday to share with her.

[aradia22]

401: Ugh. No. Why are they wasting Grace on Jonah? Stop trying to make Jonah happen. Also, she's friends with Tristan?

Ricardo has gotten way too attractive. I know how old he is in real life but on the show he's in high school so it's still weird to me.

Oh, great. Now everything's going to be all about Maya again. Thank God this is on Netflix now. I had to rewatch the end of the last episode of season 3 to remember what happened.

Something greatly amuses me about Lola (blue hair) talking to Yael (red hair). Not sure I love this plotline though. It would have made more sense if Lola worked at a Victoria's Secret or had some real expertise. And it just felt very... juvenile. They're in high school already. 

I know Esme's possessiveness is weird. But I also think there's an extent to which it's true for girls at that age. Especially with all the grand gestures around asking someone to prom and the importance of social media these days.

They seriously have no idea what to do with Winston. I hate that character but I feel kind of bad for the actor.

Lol, Esme wanting to be painted as Venus. One of those classic Degrassi "no one acts like this" moments. 

1. No way Maya painted that. 2. No way weird camera guy painted Esme that well either. 3. Esme has a point but I'm not sure this is the way we should have a #freethenipple debate.

The scene in detention was relatively well acted even if Esme is going all Lifetime movie.

Speaking of realistic teenagers, I did think Jonah's grand gesture that would have felt unrealistic on old Degrassi is something that teenagers would do today.

I don't believe Saad could fell Zig with one punch.

[aradia22]

402: Lol. Amazing. I love that the teachers are following their social media and keeping track of all the relationship drama. Frankie's reaction was great too. They should really give that actress more comedic plotlines. She could definitely grow up to be a good rom-com actress.

LOL. Oh, Shay. I could almost smell that drug/steroid plotline. But instead it was stealing from a tip jar. 

WOW. The makeup person needs to calm down. Grace's hickey. Zig's black eye. The makeup is way too intense for the injuries.

I mean, all things considered... Zig and Tiny weren't really bullies even though they were bigger than Saad. They're defending themselves and their friends when Saad has really been the aggressor.

LOL, at Frankie busting Jonah's guitar out of nowhere. It was random but I've never liked him so I enjoyed it. Also, throwing cash at him at the dot. I'm liking this whole "Esme is a bad influence" friendship that's brewing. 

[aradia22]

403: Goldi and Winston? Oh boy. OK... I guess?

One not-great play and now Miles is a writer. OK... I guess?

LOL. A dick pic? From Winston? Oh, this beautiful, dumb show. The resolution that it was a joke between him and Miles wasn't better but sure, whatever.

One of the few times we see a teacher and Miles just brushes him off. I miss adults with some authority on this show.

"Zig likes it when their teeth are a little too big"? What? Now I'm going to be staring at Esme's and Maya's teeth.

Oh, lord. For a moment, I thought they had decided to make Yael trans what with the chest binder and the armpit hair. 

Oh, good God. Now it's a Miles lovefest where everyone tells him how much they liked his dumb play. Also, did they really spend the ENTIRE class period on that exercise?

Wait, where did Tristan disappear after their kiss? That was fast. Has physical therapy really worked that quickly?

Edited August 18, 2017 by aradia22

[aradia22]

404: It's weird that Jonah never mentions religion anymore.

So Maya just straight up walked away from Tristan. That conversation was not over.

Would a local molecular gastronomy restaurant really care about catering a high school prom?

Is "All Inclusive" even paying Maya for this theme song?

LOL. Oh, Maya. Tristan is recovering from major injuries and you're getting triggered. 

I like glamorous Grace. A little makeup looks nice with her hair. 

They should have spent more time on Goldi being harassed by strangers or not done it at all. It didn't have the right weight to it. But the actress was very good in the scene when she came home. It makes me wish she'd had more dramatic plots during her time on the show instead of the "activism" and being a side character in someone else's story.

"That is the most basic thing I've ever heard you say." Oh, I'm going to miss Zoe.

That was the brilliant theme song Maya came up with? It felt like all she did was break out a rhyming dictionary. Oh, well. They're probably not paying her.

[aradia22]

405: OK... Well, I'm glad this isn't a plot about Saad getting radicalized. I was worried with the online message boards... and Degrassi having a bad track record tackling big subjects. He's a prickly guy who doesn't feel like explaining himself most of the time so I get why he's been getting into these scuffles with so many people. A lot of them need some sensitivity training but he's also feeling hurt and defensive.

Frankie. No one is that bad at making cupcakes.

"OK, just because you and Grace are dating, doesn't mean you can just join in here." I love Zoe. 

I mean, I get that Shay has always been a little judgmental but I'm kind of over the extremity of Esme is a bad, irredeemable person and how dare you make cupcakes with her. Sometimes this show struggles with its messages.

Zoe and Rasha fumbling about feels like the kind of dumb plot other characters would get. Has Zoe been demoted? 

I know Frankie has always been a little insecure but I don't remember her being this easy to manipulate before Esme? Wasn't she the one who stood up when they were posting nudes or whatever?

Baaz and Vijay... continuing to be awful to people who aren't women. 

[aradia22]

406: Do Baaz and Vijay get to walk around being dicks forever with no comeuppance?

I'm glad someone else was suspecting the show was going to make Yael trans.

Zig not getting into the college he chose was an interesting thing to explore. Though wouldn't they have all chosen a bunch of different schools? Esme got into both Harvard and Columbia (I think). 

Are they going to hold Zig back? I love him but he already looks way too old for high school.

LOL, Zig does adorably confused so well. Esme's too smart for him.

Tiny's a good friend. Also, lol at that hug.

Lol, Lola just letting Yael kiss her. Lola is totally the new Imogen.

They had auditions and yet they still let those idiots do the fart thing?

Craig!

LOL, dying over Esme. That whole thing in the pool felt like it was from another show or movie entirely. Utterly unrealistic but super hilarious. Also, lol at the shirtless Zig when he already never wears sleeves and all the ways they've found to put female characters in bikinis or bras so far this season. Who is this show supposed to be for?

What? Maya might open for Craig's band?

I think they did a good job with Yael revealing her makeover to Hunter. They didn't go over the top with him rejecting her or write something too easy about him immediately accepting her choice. It was very honest. She sprang something on him and he was also confused and needed time to sort it out.

Oh, that final scene with Zig and Tiny. Ricardo's faces. And Tiny's long-suffering sigh.

[aradia22]

407: Esme is totally in her own Lifetime movie that none of the characters seem to be aware of. So many priceless expressions in that first scene.

Wait? So now Esme, Frankie, and Zig are openly poly? I thought that was more salacious sexy teens (like a Gossip Girl or Cruel Intentions kind of thing) than Degrassi actually trying to model a healthy poly relationship.

Will Lola's friends ever realize she slept with Miles? And how did they not see through his dumb play?

God, how many of those brownies did Maya down? Also, when did she become such a bad actress? She's never been great but it's been a real struggle this season.

Shay and Tiny are SO adorable. At least one couple has a healthy, supportive relationship.

Ricardo was pretty good in that breakup scene. He's a good actor when he wants to be. And while Esme was projecting about Maya being manipulative, to some extent that is a pattern of behavior for her character throughout the series. She does something and suddenly we all have to pay attention to Maya. And I swear, if they're about to will they/won't they with Zig and Maya again...

[aradia22]

408: Are we supposed to assume that ink black is Tristan's natural hair color (if anything, based on his brother, it's probably brown) or that through everything someone's been dying his hair that color?

See, grand gestures. Promposals. Teenagers are weird. But at least post-it notes are cheap.

I feel like... I should care more about Tristan. It's hard because he's never been a huge focus and he's been mostly absent for a while.

LOL. He knew she was searching his browsing history because she ended up on a page with some mens' jeans? She could have just said she accidentally clicked on an ad.

Oh, boy. Now we deal with who Saad has been talking to online? How can Degrassi develop Shay and Tiny and rush every other storyline?

I should have expected a fakeout but when it took so long I actually bought that Tiny wasn't going to take her to prom. Glad he proved me wrong. Also, God, the actor who plays Tiny has been shortchanged. If it had been Maya, they would have wrote a whole story line about him being on a dance team. 

They're doing a real shift on the Saad character but it's no worse than the reversal they had to do on Hunter or many other characters. I do think Lola is a bit too naive and trusting but they are cute together.

A very on the nose song choice but it was nice to see Tristan make a mature decision without being pushed.

[aradia22]

409: So... we're back to Zig and Maya. This is worse than Eli and Clare.

Hunter has a real point. Even if Yael is the same person, it doesn't mean Hunter is attracted to this gender presentation and it doesn't make him a bad person if he isn't.

Shay looked great in her red dress.

LOL at Zig's "I think that went well" and Jonah's and Grace's reaction.

Where did Maya find a ball gown like that when she seemed to ask Zig to prom on a whim? They're supposed to be an OTP, aren't they? 

I feel like Zoe could have found a better dress but it was cute and princess-y.

I wish I cared more about Tristan and Zig.

OK, Hunter telling her she wasn't normal wasn't cool. But then it was kind of nice to see the old Hunter lash out. 

Oh, Lord. They made Esme go full Lifetime movie villain.

[aradia22]

410: The more screentime Maya gets, the more I start to turn on her.

How did Esme get into Frankie's house at night?

Aw, Zoe. Prom queen AND valedictorian. You can tell the writers like her now.

I will be really surprised if the actress playing Esme doesn't get a Lifetime movie after this.

Do high schools usually announce where people are going to college? Also, I noticed Goldi and Winston are both going to Banting.

Did Esme really not graduate? Are they going to keep her around? That seems weird if she already got accepted to two colleges.

I wish that last montage had been less about all the couples. 

It wasn't a bad season. I just feel like they've had a tough time figuring out what some characters should be doing. And striking a balance between real world issues ("it goes there") and angsty teen soap drama. 

[aradia22]

Quote

Oh, and I wouldn't be opposed to them washing Hunter's hair before filming next season.

I think I said this last season but I think they started doing it because the actor looked too handsome and (at least for right now... wait until they find the right character to ship him with) they want him to come across as more of a tech nerd so they had to grease him up. In that sense, I think it's been a smart choice. 

Quote

Also... damn, that Degrassi guidance counselor is one nosy busybody. 

At least there's an adult getting involved. ;)

Quote

 As far as Shiloh goes, I've  always just been content to go by how Angelina (and Brad) refers to her. The John stuff was simply because Shiloh was into Peter Pan at the time, as Angelina said.

I'm mostly amused by the idea of celebrity children rejecting their names. Shiloh isn't too bad considering. But what about Apple and Pilot Inspektor and Kal-El and (let's be honest) Blue Ivy? I'd ask to be called something else too. 

Quote

Also on the camping trip it seemed like Esme really was trying to relate to Zig's friends, she just didn't know how. 

I feel like pointing out that we've got a lot of characters running around who don't give the best advice or who have a bias or aren't totally accepting. Baaz and Vijay. Frankie and Shay give good advice but are fairly conservative and judgmental and Frankie is naive and overly positive. Lola is supportive but often gives terrible advice. Tiny and Zig also give bad advice and with Grace, Jonah, etc. they're a pretty closed off friend group. 

Quote

Yael's non-binary storyline was good, but like some had mentioned, I was surprised that they were being confused for a boy because to me, they didn't look all that different, just took off the wig and is wearing a tie. Like, if I saw them and Hunter walking down the street, I would just think he's dating a girl that doesn't like wearing girly stuff. I'm glad they broke up, if Hunter isn't comfortable with it then they should be together, I wish he was nicer about it.

I would assume from her hair and the way she dresses that she was a lesbian (using pronouns for the actress, not the character). But yeah, she doesn't actually look masculine enough for the photographer to assume she was a boy. I do think it goes farther than a girl who doesn't wear traditionally feminine attire. It's more than a girl wearing pants or more unisex clothing. Yael's current presentation intentionally projects something more than a straight girl who doesn't like frills or dresses or pink. 

[jsm1125]

Am I the only one wondering if Esme didn't actually get admitted to Harvard and Columbia? Not that the character wouldn't have the determination and the smarts to do so, but I think her lying about it would ring true for her, and could be an interesting plotline if she returns next season.

[Ikki]

I wondered about that as well. It could also be interesting if she had gotten in but then had her acceptance rescinded (which, if she did get in, I'd definitely think it'd be rescinded) and wasn't able to get in again.

[Bubbles]

It seemed like she didn't graduate, in which case her acceptances (if they were real) would almost certainly have been rescinded. I guess they could hand-wave that she made up the credits in summer school, but I'm assuming the plan is to bring her back for next season. Just about every graduation at Degrassi has resulted in at least one character being held back to help fill out the cast the next year.