PLOT A SUMMARY: Eli’s been holding things together thanks to his anti-anxiety medication. However, things slowly unravel when Clare reveals she has to interview him about the play, and Fiona wants him to rewrite it because his current version is too dark. Eli begins to stress out and his dad suggests he quit the play, but Fiona talks him into continuing. However, Eli’s still suffering from writer’s block and thoughts about Clare, so he smashes a computer in the MI lab. Imogen appears out of nowhere and covers for him, by making it seem like she tripped over the cord.

They talk and Imogen randomly mentions how Eli’s meds could be what’s keeping him from focusing. The next day Eli decides he’s going to stop taking his meds to see if he can function without him, and Imogen holds onto them. He begins to lose it, so Imogen and him skip school to brainstorm ideas for the play. Imogen dresses up like Clare and pretends to be her, while saying mean things to Eli. Eli lashes out saying he hates “Clare,” and begins to feel free. Eli pitches a new play idea to Fiona, then tells Clare about it….it’s going to be a story about their breakup.

Cristine and Munro deliver excellent performances in a plot that delivers a lot of hard, yet conflicting emotions. It’s yet another plot this season that kept me engaged and entertained from beginning to end.  I love the irony of how both Eli and Clare are trying to use extracurricular activities to get over each other. Imogen is a unique character who treads a thin line with bizarre dialogue and her stalker-ish knowledge about Eli and Clare.

Now the question is, was Imogen manipulating Eli? Yes. In the scene where she pretended to be Clare Edwards she was trying to get Eli to replace the rose-colored thoughts he had of Clare with ones that portray her negatively, so that he wouldn’t want to think about her. Imogen was manipulating Eli’s thoughts so that he would stop pining over Clare. It was an exceptionally powerful scene as Eli confronted “Clare,” and despite Imogen’s other motivations (this is Degrassi, there’s no way she’s doing this as some sort of selfless act), it was brilliant idea, but at the same time this is ELI we‘re talking about…we know this is essentially going to make things worse for him (good for us though because of the potential drama he’ll bring).

Coming into Season 11 I thought Eli’s stability (or lack of) is what made him the character with the most potential. We’re currently seeing a character who’s having trouble functioning with his meds, but is a loose cannon without them (despite his ability to come up with a killer play idea). I don’t see Imogen and Eli as a couple, but I see Imogen as a kind of a moving part in the Eclare ship, one that’s capable of helping and hurting at the same time.

****************

PLOT B SUMMARY: Riley and his mom still haven’t talked since he tried to come out to her, but there’s progress when he agrees to meet with a girl to talk about scholarships, despite having to blow off Zane to do so. Of course Athena reveals the entire thing was a setup to get them together, but Riley reveals he’s gay. He then decides he can pretend to be straight so his parents won’t hate him. However, he leaves his cell phone behind to use the bathroom and Zane checks it when he sees Riley received a text. The obscure text leaves Zane thinking Riley is cheating on him.

Riley tells Zane the truth about Athena and his mom, and asks Zane to come to his birthday party even though they won’t be able to say they’re together. Midway through the party Zane leaves, because he’s tired of pretending. Later, Riley tells Zane that he isn’t ready to come out to his family yet, and because he doesn’t want to keep hurting Zane he breaks up with him.

This plot is basically your average Ziley plot, until the end. I was actually very impressed with how things ended. The problem with Ziley is that they’ve been stagnant ever since they got together. They never zigged or zagged, they just stood there as we waited for Riley to do something…ANYTHING.

Well in this episode he did something. I assumed Zane would be the one who’d jump ship. Excellent job by the writers making Riley flat out admit that he didn’t want to rock the boat with his family and him breaking up with Zane. Yes, he chose his family over Zane. From a storytelling aspect I loved this because they went with the less-obvious route. But if we’re looking at it from a character standpoint, I’m still annoyed with Riley for jerking Zane around and keeping him in limbo for so long. Lying to Zane was pretty crappy. Then again, it was obvious to me way before this episode that he didn’t wanna deal with being rejected by his family so he should’ve ended it with Zane sooner.

Such a shame though…as little screen time as Riley and Zane have had, one can assume we might see them maybe one more time before they graduate.

********************

PLOT C SUMMARY: KC is continuing using his job at Little Miss Steaks as a reason to not be at home with Jenna and Tyson. One night after work Marisol convinces KC to stay after closing to enjoy the post-work parties they have at the restaurant. KC decides he’s going to quit, but Marisol helps him get promoted. Jenna becomes suspicious of Marisol’s motives. KC begins to develop feelings for Marisol, and he even buys her an mp3 player to replace her broken one, and she kisses him on the cheek.

It’s weird when you can find such a bad situation so entertaining. In this instance I like how they’re slowly progressing KC and Marisol’s relationship, instead of rushing and making it an instance where they hook up. I love how, for a brief instant, KC seemed to show some guilt about the job but I’m glad he didn’t quit his job and do the whole “KC’s good, then he’s bad, then he’s good” thing again. That scene where he and Jenna talk about the baby monitor shows that he wants to be there for Jenna, but at the same time he doesn’t want to give up being a normal teenager, and he lacks the self control to do so.

Jenna’s maturation has been natural. During the pregnancy she took things seriously so there’s no reason to think she’s going to be the next Mia. So I feel bad for her throughout the entire ordeal. I can’t wait to see how far KC and Marisol will go, and what effect it’ll have on Kenna’s relationship now that there’s a baby in the picture.

Posted by Kary

187 Comments

  1. Eli off his meds is not a smart move. You have to be weaned off these type of pills. It can cause serious side effects. Trust me I have been through this with a friend it was pretty damn scary.

    Riley needs a backbone. I can’t believe has a hard time standing up to his parents. I know they are very old fashion. He reaaly needs to man up.

    I understand Jenna and KC, they need to talk. KC can take care of the baby and let Jenna go see her friends once in a while. I can actually see Jenna get postpartum depression she needs help. She is so lonley and tired. Babies are hard work. KC needs to put the baby and Jenna needs before his. I know they are only 15.

    Like

    Reply

    1. “KC can take care of the baby and let Jenna go see her friends once in a while. [I can actually see Jenna get postpartum depression she needs help. She is so lonley and tired.] Babies are hard work. KC needs to put the baby and Jenna needs before his. I know they are only 15.”

      This is a possibility. Jenna increasingly has looked forward to spending time with KC since she is at home . She was supportive of her man finding employment -as any woman would be-; however, it has to be taking its toll on her.

      Like

      Reply

      1. Like someone else on this board said before, “KC didn’t want to have anything to do with this kid. It was all stupid Jenna! She had this baby all by herself – it must’ve been immaculate conception because KC is a freaking god!!!”

        Jenna can support the hell out of KC, but she better learn that KC isn’t going to be the parent that she wants him/he needs to be.

        **Jenna. It’s going to be tough, but you need to move out of KC’s mom’s apartment. KC’s just going to let you down, just like KC’s mother let him down. What a vicious cycle! I’ll take care of Tyson while you go to Above the Dot with Alli & Clare (& Jake? shipped?) You need a break since you been taking care of Tyson THE ENTIRE TIME…and you’re missing the rest of your school year, but you might still graduate before Chantay. Make sure you leave me with plenty of Visine for Tyson’s unblinking eyes.**

        KC acid Gourmet Scum Reunion Tour = WIN!

        Like

  2. Eli and Imogen is going to be one of the best things on degrassi this season, I can tell. They are so not good for each other that they almost are good together. They’re both freaking psycho and that’s why they work.

    Riley and Zane need to be done. They are boring me more than Fiona and Charlie are. And that’s intense.

    KC needs to stop being an idiot and needs to let Jenna out of the house. Maybe his mom will tell him that he’s an awful dad and needs to stay home. That would be good.

    Like

    Reply

    1. I agree completely about Imogen & Eli!!! :)

      Like

      Reply

  3. Imogen might be my new favorite character. I wasn’t sure I’d like her weirdness, but she’s cute and funny in a psycho/creepy way. When she body slammed the ground, I couldn’t stop laughing. The tampons were hilarious too (cue Amanda Bynes: “Absorbs it right up!”)

    Like

    Reply

  4. adam is so awesome. i wish he was my bff lol. i really miss clares, adam, and eli’s friendship. so much.

    and the little looks eli gives clare are heartbreaking. i wasn’t exactly a huge fangirl over eclare and seeing them apart is refreshing, but they undoubtedly have chemistry. i really hope they work it out.

    Like

    Reply

    1. I like the fact that you brought up Adam, Eli, & Clare’s friendship. I’d like to see them show Adam’s reaction to the breakup and maybe being put in the middle, (even though Adam & Eli were acquiantances first – Sav remembers. But I remember that Clare was there for Adam in MBIAC). Did Adam already make his decision when he took his muffin & ran?

      Like

      Reply

  5. Did anyone else notice the cast of The Latest Buzz is taking over Degrassi? And with how frequently Canada recycles actors, they’ll all be on the show one day.

    Like

    Reply

  6. “But the whole her trying convince him he needs to get off his meds?”
    ^^^
    THIS IS UNTRUE! Where is everyone getting this info from?
    From the first few minutes in the preview for tonight’s episode you can clearly see Eli saying he wants off the meds so he can be more creative. So stop blaming Imogen when Eli wants to be off the meds on his own free will.

    Like

    Reply

    1. the Teennick Sneak peek not preview***

      Like

      Reply

    2. Yeah, but even in an interview Cristine Prosperi said that Imogen was going to take his pills away from him to see if he could leave without them.

      Like

      Reply

  7. Okay, so… Bleeding Love and Underneath It All during the summer after graduation, but will oddly not feature ANY Seniors. They have 16 episodes to air over 8 months. The fact that Bleeding Love will air as an hour-long special doesn’t help matters. Only 12 episodes this season will focus on the new school year. Filming for Degrassi will not resume until October, which means the show probably won’t return until very early 2012. A Halloween special will air during the hiatus. Stephen Stohn says they are trying to figure out a way to make alumni appearances more frequent. Finally, due to popular demand, they are aging Angela Jeremiah by a year so that she can return as a Freshman in the second half of the season.

    Like

    Reply

  8. Also… Not sure what you’ll all make of this, but check it out: … It wasn’t a speaking part, which suits McGean just fine as it was his first stab at being a thespian. “It was a prom episode for the mid-season finale,” he said of the CBC high school drama. McGean plays a student who, in the midst of a main character getting hurt, pushes other students back to give the character room… I HAVE NO IDEA WHERE THIS CAME FROM, BUT IT’S ON THE OFFICIAL FanForum.com Season 11 thread…

    Like

    Reply

  9. So I just watched the sneak peek for tonight’s episode.

    Imogen is such a creepy stalker. She’s always a blurry figure in the background of Eli’s scenes. What the hell.

    And Eli says that he hasn’t taken a pill since last night and he’s already unraveling. Oh lawd.

    And and and… I love Adam. :)

    Like

    Reply

  10. degrassiferdayz July 28, 2011 at 9:29 pm

    Really Marisol, a Justin Beiber poster….

    Like

    Reply

    1. Well, deadbeat dad does resemble Bieber.

      Poor Marisol probably just got confused

      Like

      Reply

      1. ^^THIS

        Like

  11. I am so upset how quickly they rushed through the Riley/Zane plot and it seems like this was their big 2 part episode all season. It was such a copout by the writers to not only have Ziley so isolated from the rest of the cast, but to not even give them an A plot. They deserve far better than a 2 episode wrap-up, especially since we still have 5 more weeks to go. Riley breaks up with Zane and that’s it? No followup in the final segment??? I was very happy to see more Riley/Anya interaction, so I still hope we see both Riley and Zane in supporting roles again.

    I love Imogen. Let me repeat that, I LOVE Imogen. She is such s fun, quirky, crazy bitch and I love how much she revitalizes Eli. I really enjoy Eli off his meds. The sullen and downtrodden Eli was played out. Now it’s time to give him his mojo back!

    I was hoping KC would do the right thing and focus on his GF and son, but the little horndog is buying gifts for his next conquest. When will this kid ever learn?

    Like

    Reply

    1. Ziley’s demised might’ve been rushed in this episode, but it’s not like they needed to go out with a gigantic bang. And it’s not like we couldn’t see from a mile away that they were going to break up, because they’ve been in basically the same position since the first day they met. However, I was impressed that it was Riley who initiated the breakup…I always assumed it was going to be Zane. But at the same time I can’t see this being the last time we see them though.

      Like

      Reply

      1. My problem was that they never had a chance to actually be a couple. They should have shown us a few episodes where they were dating (even on the DL from his parents) and *gasp* being intimate. They have a very small relationship timeline, so to have them breakup so quickly (in Degrassi time, it’s rather quickly) just seems like a slap in the face. If you look at the other couples who have broken up, they have all had periods of time where they dated and were happy. I don’t think Ziley were ever in a happy phase, since they never showed them together except in their featured episodes.

        That was really my only issue here, not that they broke up. I wasn’t expecting something dramatic like Riley driving his car into a wall or anything, but the writers could have at least invested a little more in building up the relationship before sending them into Breakupsville.

        Like

      2. I agree that’s something they should’ve done by now, and of course that’s one of the reasons I consider Ziley a pointless couple. They had been seeing each other for almost a year (from the end of season 9 until now). At any point the writers could’ve done SOMETHING to show some depth to the relationship, but they didn’t and I have no idea why. They went absolutely nowhere. Basically they wasted a storyline teaching us something we already knew, that Riley doesn’t want to be completely “out.”

        Like

      3. For me, the highlight of their story was when Riley bid on Zane at the auction (last summer). That was the defining moment in Ziley and they went downhill fast from there, mostly due to lack of interest on the writers part.

        Like

    2. The Degrassi writers have done Ziley (both the characters and the couple) such a disservice by refusing to go in depth with them and isolating them from the school so they were barely relevant to anyone but each other. And now their time on their show has run out. I think this is what kills me most about them, they had SO much potential.

      Like

      Reply

      1. I don’t think that Ziley had much potential. Riley has always had too many hang-ups about his sexuality & sense of self. “Piley?” “Anyaley?” Hell, at this point, Riley had a better chance of making up with Sav & having a relationship than “Ziley” ever had.

        Still, I agree that the writers could have explored it more. I really think the fans wanted it. BUT, with Riley’s hang-ups, the story had nowhere to go.

        Over the semester(s), (how many seasons were they together?), I really want to like Riley, but I can’t. However, I give him all of the credit in the world for owning up, ending the relationship, and quit giving Zane false hope. On that note, I think the writers over the years have played up Riley’s struggle WAAAY too much. I think that we have already seen the struggle of dealing with being gay with Marco’s character. Marco struggled. Riley seemed to have copped out. I guess it’s a different perspective, but it wasn’t portrayed nearly as well. (Plus, you could feel Adamo pushing through that role…sorry Argiris).

        Seeing that “Ziley” is over, the part that bothers me most is that Zane gets pushed to the background of this show. Yes, Zane pushed Riley too hard in the relationship, but I feel that Zane is a strong character that can shine a different light on being gay and in high school. That being said, I’m really upset to hear that Zane will not be in any other episodes other than “graduation.” (Will Chantay be valedictorian – a la Jane?). I always thought that Shannon had it – a very good young actor. Sad to see him go. Thanks, Shannon!

        Like

      2. I apologize. I should not have said, “dealing with being gay”. Looking back on that, it just doesn’t sound right.

        FURTHERMORE, and I might be speaking out of turn, who are the kids in LGBT? It couldn’t only be Zane & Adam – although, I guess you could still have a club with only two members. Wouldn’t it be a neat twist for Degrassi to do a show about Zane having a rebound? I think it would. It would be an interesting perspective on rebounds and jealousy and give the viewers the “drama” the the Degrassi writers want to give us. **Take that Riley! Punch somebody else, rage-aholic!!**

        Like

  12. Oh man… Personally i think that this episode was intense and sad :'(
    Eli and Imogen, shit Imogen knows how to play with Eli’s mind. I feel bad because he still truly cares about Clare still but she’s making him hate her. Even when she’s caught by him for stalking she still manages to calm him down and stay right there. I would have left the minute i found out.
    Zane and Riley, Man i did not want to see that relationship end. I love Zane and Riley together but it’s sad he couldn’t stand him ground against his parents. Poor Zane :'(
    Eli and Clare, i love those together but damn when he snapped on Clare, she looked somewhat confused. I feel for her.
    KC and Marisol, interesting couple blooming? Yet i can’t say i like them yet i don’t care for KC and Jenna.

    Like

    Reply

  13. Am i the only one happy that Zane and Riley broke up? Zane seemed so obsessed with him. I liked their plot :)

    Eli and Imogen. They did good. I’m excited to see more!

    Anya and Owen look different next week. He look almost embarrassed to be with her.
    Drew looks wild. The way he talked to Adam, he is sleeping quickly.

    Like

    Reply

  14. Imogen is amazing. I love that she is so manipulative. I like them way better than Eli and Clare together.

    I am not even sad to see Riley and Zane breaking up.

    Like

    Reply

  15. Does anybody else really like the post pregnacy Jenna? I think shes matured a lot. She even admitted she USED to be what Marisol is now.

    Like

    Reply

    1. I don’t necessarily like her more than I did before, but having a kid really has changed her for the better. She has so far been an incredible teen mother.

      Like

      Reply

      1. And KC has been an horrible teen father.

        **Thanks for reinforcing negative stereotypes, Degrassi, instead of giving us a new/different perspective!**

        Like

  16. I love Imogen i would be her friend XD

    Like

    Reply

  17. Wtf was this episode? Seriously. I cannot. The whole thing just struck me as heartbreaking. At first I thought Imogen was HELPING Eli by forcing him to get all his built-up emotions out, but no. No no no no. She is just manipulating him, crazy bitch.

    I want to punch a wall.

    Like

    Reply

    1. Completely agree with you. My impression of this episode as a whole was just that it was so sad. She is turning Eli against Clare for seemingly no reason, if only for the fact that she desperately wants to be with Eli, either as friends or more, and she wants Clare out of the picture, knowing that he still has feelings for her. The whole time I kept thinking to myself, “What a manipulative bitch”, and he doesn’t even realize it because of his unfortunate state of mind. She is definitely taking advantage of him, wonder how far she’ll take it.

      Like

      Reply

      1. I’m thinking she’ll take it as far as dressing up as Clare just so Eli will kiss her (this is just based on that two millisecond kiss that was shown). That’s my best guess anyway. She still intrigues me, though, even though she is a psycho bitch.

        Like

      2. I agree with you again. When I first saw that I was like, I don’t think he is kissing her as Imogen, I think he’s kissing her as Clare. And since that obviously didn’t happen during this Clare dress up game, it’s bound to happen again, which makes things even creepier that she will do that again. Yikes.

        Like

      3. Yeah. Since Imogen was wearing the same outfit Clare wore on Vegas Night, and since the play is based on the events that took place on Vegas Night, I’m thinking they’re rehearsing for a kissing scene, Eli playing himself perhaps and Imogen playing Clare?

        But that still doesn’t make it any less creepier. :|

        Like

  18. Somebody please give munro chambers the Canadian equivalent of an oscar. He really had me scared for him the whole episode. Thats kids a damn good actor.

    Riley/Zane: so glad their dunzo.

    Marisol and her biebs poster so lame and KC how you gonna by a chick you barely know an expensive ass mp3 when you have a kid to take care of. Such a dead beat…

    Like

    Reply

  19. Eli’s Pills:
    1) You cant have them all out in the open like that at school….and definatly and sot a school with all that security and stuff.
    2) It takes days for the pills to ware off not hours.

    Ziley: Riley is crappy and Zane deserves better anyway.

    KC: Be a good man for your son.

    Imogen: I still hate her.

    Like

    Reply

    1. 2. Not these pills. They’re anti anxiety PRNs, not SSRIs. They’re the type of pills you take as needed, and they last for a few hours at most. Which is why the whole withdrawal thing pissed me off- unless he was addicted, he wouldn’t have withdrawal symptoms close to anything he’d have if he was taking SSRIs or other mood stabilizers.

      Like

      Reply

      1. Sparklegirl11 July 29, 2011 at 9:52 am

        SexListener I totally agree with you accept about the part with the withdrawal process. Remember in part one how he told Adam he can take up to three a day? Well, from my point of view it seemed to me that he was taking more to me. Especially after taking that last one he layed down on his bed and was out of it til the next day.

        Like

  20. And lmao @ imogen in clares jean jacket. At least we know clate wont be wearing anymore

    Like

    Reply

  21. Well looks like we wont see Zane for awhile if ever again.

    I thought this was a boring episode.

    Like

    Reply

    1. Praise the lord on that.

      Hopefully Riley can follow

      Like

      Reply

  22. Nooooooo Riley and Zane =[ Zane move to NYC =P

    I could care less for Eli he bores me to tears

    This episode made me not like Riley and I really tried to like him over the past 4 seasons ugh!

    But yeah Zane :(

    Like

    Reply

  23. Honestly, I’m happy Riley and Zane broke up. Zane shouldn’t have pestered Riley to come out. It’s ultimately Riley’s choice. However, I feel like this plot was rushed greatly.

    I love love love Imogen. She’s so perfect for Eli. I never was a huge Eclare fan, I always thought they were a somewhat forced couple.

    And KC needs to man up and get it together. But I am intrigued how his storyline will play out.

    I can’t wait until next week! Finally some Anya and Drew. But where’s Alli Sav and HJ?? They’re my favess ):

    Like

    Reply

    1. I don’t necessarily believe it was rushed. Personally to me, Zane has been always pushing Riley to come out. And you have to consider that these four seasons have only spanned two school years. Sometimes it takes time for someone to get the courage to come out. Sometimes I feel that people treat the situations in this show too unrealistically, but that’s just me.

      Like

      Reply

      1. But it only benefits Riley for him to come out.
        HOW LONG CAN RILEY STAY IN THE CLOSET?!
        That’s just the whole point. Degrassi isn’t going to follow him to college so that’s just the end of it. Riley stays in the closet and…?
        When he gets out of college his family expects him to marry a girl have kids. He has to tell them then and then they will keep brushing it off because he should of acted “while the iron was still hot”. In other words he should of kept making his family listen to him since the first time he brought it up. They would have to realize this is serious and not just a phase. IF he tells them later then it’s just another “phase” to them. From there Riley is stuck in the closet and not by choice :\

        Like

      2. Riley will graduate and end up in a closet somewhere in Kenya

        Like

      3. ^^^
        Word.

        Like

      4. I agree with Kary’s comments, but at least it’s different from Marco’s story line in that he isn’t ready and well, that’s just a resolution we may not get. I liked this turn in that Riley just isn’t going to come out.

        The problem with this is that they could have addressed this in the two part where he gets a scholarship in season 10 and this could have been kaput for a year now.

        Like

      5. I agree with all you guys are saying. Plus, I like that for once on Degrassi a problem does go on unsolved. Or so it seems…

        Like

    2. If there’s one thing I don’t understand about this fandom, it’s shipping Imogeli. Somebody please explain if you are a fan.

      Like

      Reply

  24. Marisol is a home wreaker

    Like

    Reply

  25. THEY WANTED RILEY AND ZANE OFF THE SHOW IMMEDIATELY,THE PRODUCERS COULDN’T WAIT TO GET RID OF THEM. LMAO

    Like

    Reply

    1. You always crack me up. Never change. :)

      Like

      Reply

      1. LOL. DON’T WORRY,I WON’T

        Like

      2. @DTNG Good! :D

        Like

    2. They’re both boring as fuck…good riddance

      Besides, they’ll rehash the same tired storyline next year with a new character.

      Like

      Reply

      1. Exactly

        Like

  26. The silly debate of tonight was “Is Imogen manipulating Eli?” and the answer to that is…
    No! (at least not completely)

    As shown Eli wants some of these things to happen, he only objected once which was for the pills. Besides that he was on board with whatever Imogen said and not showing remorse or hesitation (which someone being manipulated would have). He wants these things to happen because the truth is Eli does want to get over Clare (which is what he said) but he still loves her and doesn’t know how to go about it (which he also said). Imogen in this situation is just a catatlyst (in other words, just speeding up the results Eli wants). Imogen is doing something good for him (despite the dangerous methods) because Clare has already thrown her ovaries at Jake it’s like she doesn’t give a f*ck anymore (despite the fact she screamed about the 3 months they were together in “Love Game”). So don’t be so quick to blame and hate Imogen for everything when Eli wants whatever she’s selling.

    /end rant

    Like

    Reply

    1. And of course this was all part of her plan. She was manipulating him, it just happens that her actions benefit him as well. I’m not saying I hate Imogen, the girl is a freakin riot. But when she knows as much information about Eli and Clare’s situation as she does, there’s no way she’s not trying to use that to her own advantage. You can’t honestly believe she’s helping Eli “just because,” with no expectation that she could benefit from him hating/getting over Clare.

      Like

      Reply

      1. However, again that’s a judgement we can only make with time. We don’t know what Imogen will do next in terms with Eli. So all we can suppose from what we’ve seen is that, she may have other intentions but she is helping Eli (and we can’t say why yet whether it be to her advantage or not).

        So just to write off everything she’s doing as selfish is just a airless hunch at this point.

        Like

    2. Imogen is completey manipulating Eli. She is a stalker. Stalkers will do anything to control the object of their infatuation. While I’Il admit that Imogen is a hilariously awesome addition to the cast that will make for excellent drama (as a “moving part” I do like her), she still gives me the weird and creepies. The key scene that convinced me that Imogen is up to no good was her wack-ass reaction to Eli in The Dot. Imogen is an actress, which means she is good at improv (as further supported by the nose dive in the ‘puter lab). Notice how she twisted the situation around, making it about Eli and NOT her?? Everyone in the coffee house was looking at Eli and, to someone who ditched their anti-anxiety meds, that’s an uncomfortable thing to deal with. Eli only freaked out because she was rattling off private information about he and Clare- the fact that she knew about the Gothic Writer’s Festival was effing nuts. Yet Imogen, in all her brilliance (I gotta hand it to her– she’s DAMN GOOD), used his ‘scrambled’ thoughts to her advantage. Don’t let the crazy get to you? Eli (and Adam) was right! She IS a psycho!!

      Anyhoo, I think Imogen is creating her own “drama” by curtailing Eli and Clare’s relationship, if anything, to make life more interesting. You think it’s a coincidence they met in Drama Class? That’s a hint, people! Imogen is directing Eli like an actor on-stage and, naturally, Eli’s actions will affect Clare in some way. She reminds me of some creepy puppeteer pulling strings. I think that, underneath it all, Imogen is probably bored and watching the ridiculousness that occurred with Eclare (it WAS an absurdly dramatic relationship), she probably figures that Eli can spice up her life. It’s actually kind of pathetic. If life is boring you have no one to blame but yourself.

      Like

      Reply

    3. @PoohBear I get what you mean about not making quick assumptions about Imogen’s motives but you can’t deny that her eager willingness to help Eli in this capacity is suspicious. Eli and Imogen have just met and they have not been friends, so why is she trying to help him so much? You can’t expect me to believe she is doing all this from the mere goodness in her heart or for the sake of the play. Let’s not forget that she know far too much about Eli and his past with Clare for someone who has not been apart of his life. That revelation is what changes everything. So I wouldn’t say calling Imogen at least somewhat selfish an airless hunch.

      Like

      Reply

      1. Alright, so I totally didn’t even think about this until I read your post, but I know that everyone keeps mentioning that maybe Imogen was somehow connected to Julia. What if Imogen wants revenge for Julia’s death? It was Eli who she was fighting with before she died D:

        That seems like a bit of a stretch there, but other than that I can think that she is just obsessed with Eli and wants to manipulate him right into her arms. Maybe drama and manipulation are the only ways she knows how to communicate?

        Like

  27. OK so I’m thinking Riley is going 2 a nice restaurant. Not expensive but nice. But of course they wnt 2 The Dot. A frickin coffee shop.lol. But Eli is an interesting character so his storyline was good. So far the A plots 4each episode hav been good. Hope it continues. Cnt w8 2c Angie come 2 Degrassi

    Like

    Reply

    1. LOL thats what I was thinking, Dinner at the Dot? haha in board daylight, could be early like around 7PM but still, atmosphere was off.

      Like

      Reply

    2. Dude, I thought the exact same thing! I actually wondered aloud why everyone seems to go to The Dot for grub. I at least expected them to hit Little Miss Steaks…

      Like

      Reply

  28. Yesterday I loved Imogen. She seemed like an amazing character. Today, I don’t. She took complete advantage of Eli and turned him against Clare.. Why, Imogen? I remember her character description said she was a normal girl looking for attention – I don’t feel like that anymore. She definitelly acted like that yesterday (like when she said “Nothing just Eli Goldsworthy punched me in the face! Don’t provoke him…”) yet today she just seemed like she has.. mental issues.. I honestly think she is like a psycho.. Based on DOYS, I went from liking her to completely disliking her. And no, I’m not a Eclare shipper, I just don’t think its right for Imogen to take advantage of Eli’s mental state..

    Ziley? I got tired of them by Purple Pills. The Way We Get By was just generally stupid and this episode.. their plot was a little better, but they break up – it’s not like it wasn’t gonna happen.

    Kenna/Marisol? Marisol isn’t looking to be so much of a homewrecker. She’s definitely flirting but she’s “friends” with Jenna and knows that KC has a son, but right now, I think this kind of relates to the Elmogen – Marisol is taking advantage of KC being “trapped in babyville with Jenna”.

    Eli/Imogen: A-
    Zane/Riley: C+
    Kenna/Marisol: B

    Like

    Reply

  29. If you google owen wearing ping earrings were goingbto find out owen is gay and he is going to try to get with zane

    Like

    Reply

  30. first of all cristine does a great job portraying imogen. second imogen is a stalker. “have you been stalking me” yessssss. shes taking advantage of elis condition and manipulating him. maaayyybbeee she thinks she helping him, but at what cost to him. she seems to want clare out of elis life like yesterday. i cant believe she said that clare didnt love eli and hated him, that he was a loser. thats not true . clare did love eli she just couldnt handle the situation, and did it not well. it hurt me when eli said “dont say that, you dont mean it” is like he really did think imogen was clare saying that to him. sadness :(. it looks like everyone is distancing themselves from eli,. or the other way around , adam is involved with his radio thing and stuff. i bet he feels alone. and theres imogen ready to attack. it seems only fiona and imogen are the only ones relating to eli right now. ziley is over, more sadness. i love zane. we are in a interesting situation and cant wait to see whats next. ps clare seems terrified of eli or for eli i couldnt tell. and “imo” we are on pet names now. interesting.

    Like

    Reply

    1. Yeah, if Eli is the “New Craig” (and I use that term loosely. He may be the rockstar of the show at the moment and he may be medicated, but he gives off a whole other vibe than Craig while keeping us just as captivated) then he really needs his “Marco,” “Spinner,” and “Jimmy.”

      He has no guy friends to do a lot of real guy stuff with and without friends, a breakup feels like losing “THE friend,” not just your date. After the Imogen plot blows over, it would be nice to see some positive character development (kind of have to pick the character up once he falls apart) with some more male friends (other than Adam who he is drifting with.)

      Like

      Reply

  31. Imogen manipulating Eli into thinking Clare never loved him, my God, I hate her but love her at the same time. Ziley, I was really hoping theyd move foward, but alas, they broke it off. (my Ziley fangirl heart T_T) and KC clearly has hots for Marisol. Everything hurts.

    Like

    Reply

  32. Such a great way to end week 2 :) As soon as I thought KC was manning up, he spends baby money to buy Marisol a new MP3 player… Not sure Adam wants to be friends with Eli after that. Clare, poor Clare… Jessica Tyler’s acting is much improved. Eli is just going down the deep end. Imogen is obviously manipulating him-her description SAYS: She puts on the airs of being an enlightened individual, but it’s really just a ploy to manipulate those around her… And she’s doing one hell of a job. Granted, her mind games would never work on me; she reminds me so much of Myra Monkhouse from Family Matters. Marisol is funny… Pretty sure I saw Sav, Holly J. AND Mr. Simpson in the background. Riley just needs to go… His storyline is so recycled :/ This isn’t their last appearance. Argiris filmed the graduation and tweeted that he thinks we’ll like the bittersweet end result of Ziley. Fiona… I love her. I doubt Season 11 Part 2 will go past the 1st month of the new school, so assuming her “semester” turns into a year like Connor’s did, we may be seeing her until the first half of Season 13.

    Like

    Reply

  33. I really liked the Imogen/Eli plot tonight. I really like Imogen. She awkwardly funny, and she is obviously very manipulative. I honesty think Eli is much better off without Clare. I really think Degrassi is being strong with their new characters this year, as I love all of the new ones. (Marisol, Katie, Imogen, Jake) the last scene with Eli, Imogen, and Clare was fantastic. I’m excited to see the consequences of Eli being off his pills.

    I wad totally expecting the breakup of Riley and Zane. However, I wad not expecting Riley to initiate the break up. I feel so bored with this plot. Riley’s sexuality has been a “hot topic” since SeAson 8.

    Like

    Reply

    1. Oops. Hit enter I bit too early. Kinda crazy doing this from my iPhone.

      Anywho, I really liked the Marisol/Jenna/KC plot tonight. I really liked the post pregnancy Jenna. And it is sad to see her excited for KC to be working when he is just flirting with Marisol the whole time. Finally the Kenna plot becomes interesting.

      Eli/Imogen/Clare ~ A-
      Riley/Zane ~ C-
      Marisol/Jenna/KC ~ B

      Like

      Reply

  34. Well, I think I’m more patient with Riley, but you are far more tolerant of Kenna than I am!!!!

    Check out my recap/review of “Dirt Off Your Shoulder”! Reader feedback and comments are ALWAYS welcome!!!

    http://thetwocentscorp.wordpress.com/2011/07/28/degrassi-%E2%80%93-recap-review-%E2%80%93-dirt-off-your-shoulder-part-one-and-two/

    Like

    Reply

  35. I’m not a big ECLARE fan but I’m liking this whole post-break up stage . . . i’m kinda creeped out with Imogen. I’m thinking she has a huge crush on Eli and was waiting for EClare to break up… sigh…. this whole creeper wants me to think eli and clare should get back together, but not already have the show emphasize the relationship. =[

    Like

    Reply

  36. i reeeeallly dont like imogen! shes so manipulative! and CREEEPY!
    (“have u been stalking me?”
    “no…”
    (me) “IMOGEN, YOU LIE!!!”)
    after drop the world, i was really hoping clare and eli would get back together, but i now see its probably not goin to happen :(. im suuuuper excited for cake tho! yay! and WOW! DUDE! wheres vanessa morgon and demetrias joyette? sireously! did the casting directors want a TLB reunion?? is it just me or is their like 9 teenage actors in Canada?
    (ps kinda off the subject, but i think thomas chambers should deffff make a guest appearance on degrassi♥ love himmm! CANT WAIT TIL NEXT WEEK! WOOT WOOT)

    Like

    Reply

  37. Stalker Imogen has exceeded expectation so far. They’ll eventually ruin her character but hopefully not yet.

    Clare and her weiner of a boy-toy can get lost for all I care. Same for Riley and his boring ass squeeze.

    The steakhouse needs to go as well. Or, just finally admit that it isn’t the place “to be”.

    Like

    Reply

    1. Clearly not the place since Reily’s family chose The Dot over the steakhouse! :-p

      Like

      Reply

    2. Yeah, why the Dot for birthday dinner? What happened to that restaurant where Spinner, Paige, and Ashley pulled a dine ‘n’ dash? Was that the same restaurant where Jimmy got approved for stem cell surgery (and almost a spit take followed by awkward silence)? Either way, that place seemed way fancy. Granted it’s no Cheesecake Factory, but I’d rather have my b-day dinner there than at the Dot.

      Like

      Reply

  38. Dumbass Degrassi really needs to look into anti-depressants.

    To begin the season, Eli looked like he was on a HUGE dose, like 500 mg. He couldn’t show emotion.

    Going cold turkey would make him nauseous. Instead, he automatically goes back to being his insecure, crazy self with no repercussions other than that he prolly isn’t over Kitty Foreman (BTC ref)

    Like

    Reply

    1. It’s a tv show…not real life

      You should’ve figured that out when every girl and guy wants to bang Sav and Clare respectively

      Like

      Reply

      1. Fair enough. To tell you the truth, your examples are a hell of a lot more unrealistic than what I brought up.

        Like

    2. He used Anti-anxiety….. BIG DIFFERENCE, i was on both of these, high doses in fact, they worked at first, making me robotic/ zombie-ish, then the effects wore off in time. And they became a burden on me with my school work,{i really stopped caring enough about my work}. And also, these time of meds deal greatly on how your brain is wired(like spinner when he was on pills to calm down). Any way enough about me… i prefer Eli like this, its better to get over your “demons” if your aware they exist rather than annoying yourself by trying to learn about who your are and what you want in life while tranquillized like a bear whom was on a rampage in the city.

      Like

      Reply

      1. Absolutely. Eli’s issues do not stem from Clare, they are his and his alone. Facing his foils will be the only way for him to dispose of the things that are weighing him down. You can’t clean a stain without seeing it– you have to find it on order to scrub it away. This is the same exact thing. Meds CAN help a person function (especially those who may not be as strong as you, bimmy) while still allowing them to deal with their issues. Either way, Imogen is NOT a therapist and her methods are ridiculous. They take accountability away from Eli and place it on Clare. Eli had just as much, if not more, of a role in the break up as Clare did. In fact, his behavior was the direct catalyst for their rift. This “bait and switch” thing Imogen has going is allowing Eli to escape from dealing with his role in the break up. She’s fucking with his perception of reality, laying all blame on a girl who only tried to help him from day one.

        Like

      2. @Red, i agree with you, even though Imogen’s procedure for “helping” Eli is obviously unorthodox, but it just brings to light what people seem to not acknowledge about Eli’s meds. They WEREN’T working, look at the change in behaviour of Eli from the beginning of the season till now, at first he was stoical in ALL of his expressions, now in DOYS pt 1 you will see that he was now agitated and worrisome about being around Clare, as opposed to not not caring, while still on his meds {its only effect now is giving him writer’s block}. The anti- anxiety drugs were a temporary fix to his mental dilemma as was stated before by, but still i must admit that is very difficult to access Eli’s mental state without knowing his exact mental illness. But i am looking forward to seeing how erratically{as we know he will} react while writing this play and/or when Imogen’s manipulative power on Eli wears off and he is truly forced to accept that his mental state is what resulted in the death of Eclare. PS. I am not as brave as you think, i still have slip ups as every one does at some point.

        Like

  39. So I guess this post is just to discuss what clearly was the least popular plot, the Ziley one.

    Most of you seem to be on Zane’s side on this issue, while, for the first time since he was introduced, I feel like he was clearly in the wrong. Zane seems privileged in that his family accepted him as gay (something I wish I had), something he may be taking for granted. He NEEDS to stop pushing Riley ALL the time. Yes, it is important for Riley to come out, but the guy needs time.

    How do I know this? Well, I’m kind of in the same boat. I came out as gay to my mom to soon and it destroyed our relationship. Riley is trying to avoid that, and from the looks of it, he WAS going to come out to his family but he did not want to be rushed about it and he should’t have been. COMING OUT IS NOT EASY NO MATTER HOW LIBERAL PEOPLE AROUND YOU ARE OR WHAT TV SAYS!!!! It takes time and self reflection. Zane should have understood that.

    Lastly, no matter who it is, if I need to choose between a guy I have know for a year or my family, I would also choose my family, You can break up with a bf/gf. Blood is blood though. I am confident that Riley will come out to his family, but it has to be in his time not on some bf’s time. Riley made the right move on breaking up because aside from everything I already mentioned about his having to be ready, it really was also not fair for an open guy like Zane to have to hide.

    End Rant I guess.

    Like

    Reply

    1. They’ve been dating for like a year. That is a LONG time to hide a relationship. And if someone doesn’t want to tell their family they’re dating me, especially a year later, to me that’s a clear-cut sign they aren’t into me, no matter what they say. Riley also lied in this episode to Zane, pretending he was making progress with his mom when he wasn’t. Like you said, it was unfair of Riley to make Zane hide, and to continously give Zane false hope that he’s going to come out to his family. I’m glad Riley finally stepped up and ended it, and it’s fine that he doesn’t want to come out to his family now. But what’s annoying is that he wasted Zane’s time waiting so long to break up, when it was so obvious from the beginning that Riley would rather keep the peace than to have a relationship with Zane out in the open.

      Like

      Reply

      1. I agree, it IS a long time to hide a relationship. I have no problem with that aspect. I DO have a problem with everyone, especially those who do not know from personal experience, and to a lesser extent Zane with trying to force him to possibly end things with his family. Being kicked out of your home or resented by your parents happens to gay kids all the time. Riley is worried about that. To reiterate, I DO BELIEVE ZANE DESERVES AN OUT GUY! I just don’t believe that he should make coming out to family seem like no big deal. A year is a long time for a relationship, but 18 years of family is longer. Coming from a gay person, I just need to emphasize that coming out to family IS tough and can have negative repercussions. Even Marco had it easy compared to what I went through and what countless others have. Thanks for the reply Kary, I always appreciate a chance to have a conversation.

        Like

      2. I think the reason everyone’s on the “Riley you need to hurry up and come out” train is because we’re used to storylines moving along at a fast pace. There’s the beginning, middle, and end, then they quickly move onto the next thing. With Riley and Zane it seemed like they were running in circles from the end of Season 9, all through Season 10 and up until now. We all wanted their relationship to go in a direction instead of just standing there, but the assumption was that the writers would just make Riley come out to his family and that would be that. I surely wasn’t expecting him to be the one that ended things, but I’m glad they did something. And you’re right about gay characters having it easy on this show…the one who had it worst wasn’t even a main character, it was Tim getting kicked out of his house in Season 5.

        Like

      3. Yea I understand the whole idea of Riley’s plot moving so slow. I actually blame it, and several other characters not being developed enough, on Declan and how he was featured in ALMOST every season 9 episode lol. They didn’t leave room for other characters. Oh well, at least things are kinda moving now.

        Like

  40. Imogen is so crazy that it was still entertaining. Ugh….Ziley -_-‘ On a good note, I’m now interested in the KC-Jenna-Marisol story! I’ve always disliked Jenna with a passion but now I kind of like her. Is it me or as her acting really improved?

    Like

    Reply

  41. Marisol better be careful of that “Jungle Fever” with Johnny Appleseed

    The boy has struck before and is capable of striking again.

    Hell, he might be a serial baby knocker-upper

    Like

    Reply

    1. LOVE YOU FOR THIS LOL

      Like

      Reply

      1. Indeed!

        Like

  42. Im sorry it just has to be said but can Degrassi PLEASE PLEASE get some other restaurants.Who in the world has their birthday dinner at the Canadian Starbucks(The dot)?!Seriously.Between that and Anya having her date with Dr. Chris at the Barn place Im sick of it.

    Like

    Reply

    1. They should go to BreadSticks, where all the Glee Members go. lmao

      Like

      Reply

    2. We have Starbucks in Canada too. :)

      Like

      Reply

    3. Barn place? Little Miss Steaks? And yeah, I lol’ed when he had a “birthday dinner” at The Dot of all places.. Well there arent many other places on Degrassi, but you get what I mean. :P

      Like

      Reply

      1. I couldnt think of the name haha. I just remembered what the place looked like.

        Like

    4. Canadian Starbucks = LAWLZ!!!

      Like

      Reply

  43. This episode has been my favorite of Now or Never so far. All of the plots had me wanting more, yes even Ziley. It’s been complained about that all Riley’s plots revolve around his sexuality. But that’s his PURPOSE on the show. Characters with less specific defined stereotypes have different storylines, but they follow a common thread (Dave wanting to be popular, Alli seeking attention). Also, now that they’ve broken up, maybe Zane could have his own plot? Fingers crossed.

    Like

    Reply

    1. Zane is not going to get his own plot because if read Shannon Kook Chun Twitter he is not going to be in anymore episode until graduation and its only going to be a very short scene.

      Like

      Reply

  44. I think I’m the only one who actually liked the Ziley ploy and found it more interesting than any of the other crap the writers had about them. Like is it just m’s or did it feel like the writers hated those two characters? I’m kind of sad they broke up, but it was about time they did something because they were just so BORING. But I really do hope we get to see more them. Now based on a rumor, Owen is gay and goes after Zane, while Riley and Sam (the lifeguard from forever ago) become a couple.

    Like

    Reply

  45. Eli plot – I liked this plot but I felt like it still isn’t complete…because it’s not. Eli’s plot is an ongoing storyling throughout Now or Never and so every time he gets a plotline in an episode it will most likely leave off with a cliffhanger or as a setup for futher development of Eli’s issues. As for this episode (part 1 and 2 together) inparticular, I have a few thoughts. So first off, mellow Eli slighty resembles Eli from early season 10 (kind of normal) before all the secrets came pouring out. His civil behavior around Clare at the begining showed us how powerful the pills are and yet his relapse by smashing the computer showed us how powerful his emotions are. See, I think that Eli is really a battle between his involuntary emotions and the emotions he wants/doesn’t want. It’s like an overdramtic internal conflict really which intrigues me because it suits his character well. Bullfrog’s speech was touching and gave us insight as to how Eli’s behavior has effected his family. The pills are really a main issue in his plot. He needs them to stay sane but feels as though he is free without them. Adam refusing to take the pills away from Eli was a good addition into the plot just to make the point clear that the people that care about him are truely worried. Once Imogen took the pills away it was clear Eli would collapse. When he begged for the pills back it was like his only hope for survival. At the Dot, I believe that Eli was manipulated by Imogen into thinking that, without the pills, any negative feelings towards her were due to the ‘crazy.’ The alley scene was perfect. Imogen was just no nonchalant about things at first that it made Eli’s outburst seem more intense. When he talked about writing being something he shared with Clare, I think that added a really interesting point and key note that the play – which he is the writer of – will be a reminder of his relationship with Clare and his burning love for her throughout the season. Imogen as Clare was actually quite different than expected. Yes, she did manipulate Eli into thinking that Clare really did just use him and throw him out, but the final scene of Eli describing the play (which played on the Imogen as Clare scene) changed the entire meaning. When she handed him his pills back and told him that he had conquered his demons and it was his choice of what to do next, it really seemed as though her intentions were purely to aid him in getting over Clare and then allowing him to decide whether it was enough or not. Eli’s final scene with Clare was also very good. Clare’s uncomfortableness towards Eli and his comments about her being his muse were well placed and used perfectly. His outcry about being free and not loving Clare anymore appeared to be an almost shallow attempt at convincing himself of it. Emptying the pills into the trash made me think that Eli was doing it more for himself as to not risk tempation of taking them again than doing at symbolism to Clare about how over her he is. Of course, this plot will undoubtedly pick up in future episodes right where it left off.

    Riley plot – The best part about this plot was how comfortable Riley seemed in his own skin for a majority of it (other than with his family). It is really the first time we get to see Riley being who he really is for a short while before the drama of reality sets in. For as much as I hate that Ziley is over, I liked the ending. Here’s why. The writers chose a different direction than Marco. Marco forced his father to accept him by publicly announcing it and making his father understand. They could’ve done the same thing with Riley; made him force the truth upon his family and face the reality of being unaccpeted by those who love him. But they didn’t. They portrayed a decision that a lot of LGBT teens face. Sexuality/relationship agaisnt family. It is a difficult choice and I’m glad Riley did the more unexpected one. I agree that Riley, since his first appearance on the show, has done the step forward, step back thing too many times. But I see this differently. His plot in this episode was more defined and had more consequence. No matter what he chose, Riley knew he would lose something. I think this is the first time Riley is really forced to make a set in stone decision about coming out. Part one was really used more as an explaination as to why Riley has this tough decision to make and wasn’t necessarily a set up for his relationship with Zane. Zane thinking he was cheating was added for extra drama and more effect and emphasis on the choice. It was an end to Ziley and we probably won’t see anymore plots involving either of them, but it ended with a good central message about forced choices and hard decisions.

    KC plot – I am slighlty confused by this plot. Marisol’s actions towards KC do seem flirty, yes. But up until the last scene with Karisol in it, I was almost convinced that nothing would happen other than mindless flirting and general jealousy from Jenna. Here’s what I think: I think that KC is only interested in Marisol because she’s a girl who wants him even though he is in a committed relationship and is a father. She makes him feel like a regular high schooler. Their ‘connection’ when they hugged seemed random and misplaced. It needed more leading up to it. I like the idea of KC using his job as an excuse to get away from Jenna and Tyson and as a way to feel normal again. The writers are making us love KC one minute when he’s with Jenna and Tyson and all about them, and then makes us hate him the next when he buys Marisol a new MP3 player because hers broke and then slamming the baby monitor for his baby. Until Karisol develops further and Jenna becomes more involved in KC’s plots, I think this storyline is pretty much at a predictable standstill where nothing will surprise us.

    Imogen – So in part 1, the writers want us to think of her as a quirky girl who calls people by their full names and is crazy. And then they want us to see her as a manipulating stalker trying to convince Eli that Clare hates him. Then later they want us to see her give Eli the choice by giving him his pills back and make us lover again. And then finally they want us to hate her for ‘making’ Eli throw away his pills and coming in between Eli and his true emotions (which I assume will somehow work their way to the surface again later in the season). Jury is still out as to whether I like Imogen or not. I have to wait to see a little bit more of her.

    Looking forward to seeing Clare give into tempation because of her rebounding emotions after Eli and then most likely regretting it. Also to Owen trying to be a good person and tryiing to stop Anya from doing concaine and drugs and what not. And lastly, to seeing Drew go all crazy over (I think) cage fighting to see like a man and prove to himself and everybody else that he can fight. Then Drew wanting to go back to his old school because he is so crazy and paranoid and not even bothering to think about how it will affect Adam, who until In Too Deep he was very protective over. And finally a possible Charlie/Fiona ending so we can get on with Fiona’s character who is slowly weakening due to Charlie. I hope we get to see some more of Katie (perhaps some Kadam interaction) and I want to go one week without a Kenna C plot (hahaha, yeah right, like that will happen <<<sarsasm). I just want to see more involvement of other characters in their friends plots similar to Alli being involved in Clare's plots and Dave in KC's and Drew's.

    Like

    Reply

    1. Sorry, only read the Riley plot part and I have to say I agree with you. Glad others see it that way too. Look my my post above for my ideas on it :)

      Like

      Reply

    2. Word to everything you said. And I concur, can we not have Kenna in every damn episode? They’ve become tolerable and slightly more interesting to watch, but I don’t need to what’s happening with them every episode. It’ll be like S10 Alli all over again.

      Like

      Reply

  46. Degrassi_fanatic2011 July 29, 2011 at 12:30 am

    I personally thought Eli’s acting wasn’t at its best, his reactions to Imogen and his behavior while off meds seemed to be a little off or maybe even forced. But I love how Imogen was trying to get Eli off his meds so we could create a good play, but her methods for getting him to get over Claire aren’t working at all…Honestly, I love Riley and Zane both but I agree with Kary. Since season 8 every plot is the same. I’m so sick of the whole: “I’m not gay.” “I’m gay but it’s a secret.” “Never mind I’m not gay.” “Ok I’m coming out but only to those close to me.” “Now I’m openly gay.” “Ooops back in the closet for me.” “Coming out again.” “Okay I’m gay, but I’ll act straight for my parents”. Everytime I think Riley is content with his sexuality, he does something to change my mind. I wish he had another plot that didn’t have anything to do with his sexuality. And if I were Zane I would just move on and stop trying to change Riley because he’s just going to keep getting hurt. Speaking of Zane…it seemed really weird to have him just read Riley’s text message like that. Doesnt seem like something Zane would do. And I kind of expected this from KC. He cheated on Claire with Jenna and now hes going to cheat on Jenna with Marisol. Finally Jenna’s going to go through what she put Claire through. Btw I officially do not like KC, in the beginning I loved his character but now he’s just a player who keeps digging himself into a deeper hole but refuses to lie in it.

    Like

    Reply

    1. Degrassi_fanatic2011 July 29, 2011 at 12:30 am

      Sorry I realize this is probably too long but I had a lot to say lol

      Like

      Reply

  47. I’m personally glad Riley was the one to drop the bomb on Zane. It kinda upsets me when the writers try to somewhat replicate past characters. Marco took two school years to come out to his dad and Riley took two school years to stay in the closet. So what if we’re back to square one? To each character his own. All people are different. My personal take on this is that Degrassi will have a diversified body of alumni when the show finally (but hopefully doesn’t) ends.

    My Grades for Dirt Off Your Shoulder 1 & 2

    Eli/Imogen: A
    Riley/Zane: B+
    KC/Marisol: B

    Like

    Reply

  48. i don’t care what everyone else says. munro can act his ass off. i was beyond creeped out by eli in this episode and i really do feel like he’s got mental problems. and what’s interesting is that i don’t really think eli even gives a flying shit about the play. i think his mind is still completely on clare. i think the only reason he’s even writing the play is because it makes him feel closer to her. and the fact that he’s writing it completely about her? well, hell.

    as a lot of people have already said, i mainly just felt heartbroken after watching this episode. i can tell that eli doesn’t know what the hell is going on anymore. he’s still in love with clare. the emotion between those two characters is so raw and authentic.

    but man. i still can’t wrap my mind around this “eli is crazy” concept. if you would have told me at the beginning of the boiling point, when they first introduced eli as this mellow, calm, slightly macabre but nonetheless charming guy, that he’d turn out to be bat-shit crazy, i’d never believe you.

    i’m impressed with the writers for taking their time and really developing eli’s character. i’m glad they decided to only reveal eli’s mental instability in short bursts. it all started in that scene where eli was working on his hearse and he told clare that he was sorry for leading her on. i remember being creeped out by the look in his eyes after clare said something along the lines of “you’re a psychopath that likes to lead people on.” and then there was the whole julia dying thing. everyone thought that eli was some murderer because he blames himself for her death.

    then we found out he was a hoarder. and when clare gave him the green light to go ahead and fall in love with her, he latched on and wouldn’t let go for dear life. he was overprotective and overbearing and he was suffocating her all because he knew that if he lost another girl he was in love with, he’d go off the deep end.

    but then he lost her, in spite of everything. even though he crashed a car for her.

    i’m really interested in seeing where they’re going to take eli next. i don’t know what kind of crazy shit he’s going to pull to try to get clare back, but it should make for a lot of entertainment.

    sorry this is so long, rofl.

    Like

    Reply

  49. Where is the grade for the KC/Jenna plot?

    Like

    Reply

  50. @Kary What grade do you give for the KC/Marisol Plot?

    Like

    Reply

    1. oops forgot to add it..I gave it a “B”

      Like

      Reply

      1. Thanks. And I agree with your grades!

        Like

  51. degrassijunkie July 29, 2011 at 1:39 am

    I have to say that I really enjoyed the Eli plot line. As a person who works with teenages who suffer from all kinds of mental health issues I think this episode is a great way to bring about the discussion of medications and how they may have positive or negative effects on a person. For Eli he couldn’t handle his anxiety without them but they also caused him to become dull and take away his creativity. I think Adam had the most profound information in the entire episode about how it may take a few different meds before finding the one that works best with his individual chemical make up. I loved the way Eli strugged with wanting to take the meds bc they helped him control his feelings/emotions but not wanting to depend on them at the same time.

    Like

    Reply

  52. Imogen is already a fantastic character in my book. She is creepy, hilarious, and just magnetic onscreen. Also, her knowledge and opinion on Eclare reminds me of some of those Eclare fans, the INTENSE ones. Could it be a kind of shout out?

    Like

    Reply

    1. Good call– she’s a closet Eclare shipper!! Bwahahahaha!

      Like

      Reply

  53. I don’t necessarily think Marisol is the home wrecker in this situation. K.C. came on to her by going the extra mile and buying her a “thank you” gift. He should have left it at the hug, but then again he is K.C. and he is a 15 year old boy. Damn you raging Guthrie hormones!

    Like

    Reply

    1. Marisol is definitely flirting, especially in the way she wanted to keep him working at LMS, despite KC’s desire to want to play daddy (at least that’s what he said, even though it’s obvious to us he was being forced into this) BUT it’s totally on KC for leading her on with the gift. He’s just asking for trouble and that’s pretty much handing over an invitation to Marisol that little Guthrie wants to come out and play.

      And I don’t mean Tyson.

      Like

      Reply

      1. haha little Guthrie. You do make a good point with it appearing that K.C. is forced into wanting to play daddy, but i think it’s more the fact that it’s round the clock especially since Jenna & Tyson moved in.

        mommy’s baby, daddy’s maybe.

        Like

  54. Imogen’s is the lamest character on this show.
    You kids are all just fan girls/boys of anything that looks hipster as hell.

    And people saying she’s so crazy and awesome for it, yeah well, if you
    analyze any character, look how cool Clare’s character is after that. Even
    though she’s bugged by it she plays it cool and is AWARE of Eli being in need
    of help for his psychological disorder. I really feel bad that most of you in real
    life wish you could have a guy like that, your fantasies are wack.

    Like

    Reply

  55. I think the thing I love/hate about this episode is every plot was full of drama and neither of them ended on some type of good note. Saying that, this episode definitely had an impact on me because its been 8 hrs since the episode aired and everything still hurts.

    Like

    Reply

  56. I’m almost as upset about Ziley’s breakup as I was about Spemma. I just don’t understand how Riley could get rid of the only person who’s ever made him happy like that. He’s got 2-3 months left at Degrassi, and then he’s free! Why not just tough it out with the parental units for a little longer? He was seeing Zane while his mother was in denial about his sexuality, anyway.

    Also, isn’t it sad that Degrassi’s token gay character has been involved with more girls throughout his tenure on the show than guys?

    Like

    Reply

  57. Has Adam been in almost every episode this season?

    He’s a great character, but I would hate for him to become over-exposed, even if he’s just supporting in a few random scenes here and there.

    Like

    Reply

    1. But that makes it seem more real. Think about it, characters never go through things without alerting their friends or going to them for advice. So by including Adam in plots involving Drew, Eli, and Clare actually adds more depth to the plot. Especially in this plot when Adam refused to take away Eli’s meds because he was obviously worried about how badly Eli needed them.

      Like

      Reply

      1. Oh, I totally understand why they are using Adam, but just by focusing on certain characters, they overlook some of the others on the canvas too. They are doing a much better job this season balancing the character interaction, but I do think it will get a little overwhelming if Adam is featured in the majority of the episodes, while certain others only get sporadic appearances.

        Like

  58. HE WANTS TO GET OVER CLARE. so yes shes helping him.

    Like

    Reply

  59. Crookshanks1993 July 29, 2011 at 10:19 am

    Is it just me, or did anyone else find Cristine Prosperi’s acting a bit whiny/annoying? May’ve just been me, but still…

    Anyways, I really liked the episode, and am fully interested in where Eli/Imogen/Clare are headed, as well as the Kenna plotline (about time they gave Kenna a storyline with some depth and real intensity).

    Like

    Reply

    1. I think Cristine Properi’s acting coming off as “whiny” and “annoying” was kind of the point. She’s got me convinced that Imogen is insane, haha.

      Like

      Reply

  60. if K.C leaves Jenna for Marisol, then jenna is gonna get what she deserves because the same thing happened with her and clare. its called Karma! (i wonder how its gonna feel when you played the game but the game is being replayed on you)

    Like

    Reply

  61. How do say Imogen ‘s name? She introduced herself as emma jean but last night eli introduced her to clare as emma gen?

    Like

    Reply

  62. I think this episode was really good.

    This is one of the few degrassi episodes where I truely fill bad for the characters in every plot.
    This is what I got out of the plots.
    Eli…Poor Eli. As a person who has dealt with issues like that I truely understand his situation. I feel that Eli is so vulnerable and weak and is just looking for someone to hear him out. I think that Eli feels that his love ones are pushing him out[even though to a person not in that situation you see their clearly not. But Eli doesn’t think that way.] and he just wants someone to listen. So when Imogen offered to help he was so downtrodden and confused that at this moment he would listen to anyone with an open ear at that point and more likely to do what they say. He, like most in this situaion is not thinking rasionally and instead acts on his emotions and enter turmoil.

    Imogen… Its clear she wants something out of Eli. All my thoughts lead to a realionship, but I think its to soon to make any judgements. Imogen in my opinion has two reasons for helping Eli. One is the known which wants to help him get over Clare and the other is some alien reason we don’t know about yet. While I feel that she should have gone about it differently, I applaud her for helping him. I think the stalking is weird and leaves me wanting to know why she choose to stalk him in the first place. Unlike most I don’t hate her, just find her interesting and cool weird yet creepy and unsettling.

    Jenna…. I feel so bad for her. Being the daughter of a teen parent, I understand her situation. Here she is fifthteen or sixteen[I forgot which.] years old with a child to take care which is forcing her to grow up quickly. Even when you look in her eyes you can obviously tell tired and withdrawn. I think K.C. needs to grow up and realize that he can’t do everything he used to do when he wasn’t a dad. Marisol to me is a girl trying to have fun but I don’t like the fact that she still is trying to pursue a realionship with him even she knows he has a kid and girlfriend at home.

    Ziley…. I just knew this was going to end. I felt bad for both Riley and Zane. Zane put up with to much only to be shot down by Riley in the end. Riley at the same token was at a rock and a hard place. He had a choice between his bf and family. I believe that most in this situation would choose their family.

    Like

    Reply

  63. @cody “ELI WANTS TO GET OVER CLARE. so yes she’s helping him.” You my friend, are oversimplifying this WWWWWAAAAAYYYYYY too much.

    Like

    Reply

  64. Even by the end of this episode I wanted to smash a turtle, it was still my favorite one of the season so far. I agree with all your grades, Kary. And I watched that scene you mentioned where Eli and Imogen were role playing again and it truly was pretty powerful.

    I’m guessing Eli will have to have some kind of major breakdown before he can get better? I can only imagine what that will be. Suicide attempt? Or maybe he’ll go after Fitz? I mean, he has to get better, but I’ll bet that won’t be for a very long time because this is this character’s clutch, now. He’s no longer the emo boy or Clare’s boyfriend or whatever. He’s the “crazy one” now.

    I also just wanna say… I loved Clare in this episode.

    Like

    Reply

  65. it honestly wouldn’t surprise me if clare went to cece and bullfrog and told them about eli not taking his meds anymore. she did it when she saw the gun in the back of his hearse, after all. but hey, maybe she learned her lesson and just wants to stay the hell away from him and go make out with jake or something.

    but i gotta say, seeing clare move on with jake in the promo next week kind of stung me.

    Like

    Reply

  66. I dunno why, but I’m indifferent about Imogen. I’ve tried to like her, I’m not even a Eclare shipper. Idk, I just don’t really like attention seekers…she is crazy and entertaining, though. Very fun to watch.

    Like

    Reply

  67. The Civil Wars’ “Poison & wine” should seriously be eclair’s theme song.

    Like

    Reply

  68. literally the whole time that kc was holding the baby i was waiting for it to blink.it never did.his eyes just looked like two little black wholes.lol freaky.

    Like

    Reply

    1. I’m glad I’m not the only one who noticed!!!! It was weird, because Tyson wasn’t blinking and he barely moved…for a bit I didn’t think he was real lol

      Like

      Reply

    2. Seriously, the most inanimate baby in the world… and I’m supposed to believe he’s a handful? Haha.

      Like

      Reply

  69. Please tell me I’m not the only one who rolled their eyes in disgust when Eli called Imogen “Imo.” Really, a pet name? Seriously? And I almost forgot how much I hated that dirty look Imogen gave Clare after Clare tried to greet her in a friendly manner. It was a half-assed attempt, but it was an attempt nonetheless. Imogen didn’t even try to hide her disgust, talk about rude. Damn, it’s been a long time since Degrassi’s invoked this type of emotion out of me. I honestly think DOYS was far more sad and heart breaking than DTW.

    Like

    Reply

    1. I agree with everything. Eli calling Imogen that just made this episode that much more disturbing. I bet Clare is seriously WTFing after this lmao.

      Yeah. This episode I felt a lot more of that “intensity” and anguish this show is going after, a lot moreso than DTW.

      Like

      Reply

    2. i also thought, your calling her “emo” now. a pet name really. can’t believe it.

      Like

      Reply

  70. marisol was for sure flirting with KC, sure she was helping him out but yeah she was flirting. this might sound horrible but i wouldnt mind marisol getting in between them. kuz KC and jenna are getting boring. i can for sure see jenna getting Post partum depression though. shes so tired. it would suck taking care of a baby ALL DAY by YOURSELF, but i guess thats what you get for having sex at 15 :O

    imogen an eli were good on that episode. i really enjoyed the storyline. imogen is so funny lol :p

    CANT WEEK FOR NEXT WEEK!!! :D

    Like

    Reply

  71. For a while there I thought Imogen was not real. She pretty unorthodox about helping Eli but she kept pissing him off for putting down Clare. Then Eli screamed his true feelings about Clare to Imogen and I guess that actually help him get some relieve. In which he could not do with the meds he was on. I guess Imogen already knew that. If anything happens between Eli and Imogen I think it will be short lived. But I really like these two together.
    You can see the actraction between the two.

    I’m actually glad that Riley broke up with Zane. Zane needs someone who is not afraid of there sexuality.

    KC, Damn, Jenna needs a break to go see her friends. Step up and watch your baby and let Jenna have fun with her friends. Selfish prick!!

    Like

    Reply

  72. Rewatching the scene at the Dot with Imogeli. It blows my mind how Imogen turns the question about her strange, all-knowing knowledge of Eli’s life into a question of Eli’s mental stability. Almost like she’s accusing Eli of making up the situation in his head. God, that’s manipulation at its finest. I will give it to Imogen, that was an absolutely brilliant move, she could write a book about this kind of stuff. But what I’m really, REALLY curious about is how Imogen knows all of this. What happened at Vegas Night wasn’t exactly a secret, but as far as I know, the only person who knew about the Gothic Fiction Convention that wasn’t directly involved in it was Adam. How was she able to find out about such private plans? It’s concerning that Eli isn’t more disturbed by this. He probably will be the more time he spends with Imogen though. I can’t wait to see the secret behind Imogen’s stalkerish ways unfold.

    Like

    Reply

  73. Maybe one of Imogens parents is Eli’s therapist. She could have looked through his case files. OR She was stalking in the bushes listening to Clare & Eli at the abandon church. LOL

    Like

    Reply

  74. dear heavens, i fear what will happen in the next eclare/elmo episode. Eli’s going to become THAT guy of the breakup and write his own version of the play at Imogen’s encouraging: a CRUEL miscontrued role reversal where clare looks like the manipulative bitch in front of everyone, clare is embarrassed and so extremely hurt, and the following things could happen:
    1) avenges herself by writing an angry review by the paper
    2) Jake gives Eli an ass-whooping (please?)
    3) Clare/Imo catfight (pretty please?)
    4) Clare confronts Eli in a make or break conversation.
    5) Eli blames Imo for hurting Clare, like KC “blames” Jenna for screwing his life (In your eyes, Season 9)

    on the topic of Ziley (favorite genuine couple) does anyone else find it the least bit strange that the whole school would find out before his family does? I get it, mothers and fathers can be more conservative, but there will be a hell of a lot more people to judge you (cough cough haaaaaack fitz owen bianca).

    Like

    Reply

    1. Clare in a catfight? Now THAT would be epic. I can’t imagine that happening, hahah.

      Like

      Reply

    2. How great! This, I never thought about! I hope this WOULD happen! :D

      Like

      Reply

      1. Or Calre loses her virginity to Jake in hopes that it will erase all memories of Eli from her traumatized mind.

        Like

  75. I believe this episode was the last scene of Riley and Zane because if you read Shannon Kook Chun Twitter he as Zane is not going to be in anymore episodes until graduation and its going to be a brief scene. So Ziley is storyline is over and done.

    Like

    Reply

  76. Well it looks like it’s finito for EClare for a long time. There’s not a doubt in my mind they’ll eventually get back together, unless the Degrassi writing staff is a bunch of masochists who want to be killed by vicious fangirlies.

    I really liked this episode. The A plot had that same sense of eeriness and mindfuckery that the ending scene of Jesus, Etc had, the one where Eli was telling Clare about the ending of his story and he had that look in his eyes that made my skin crawl. I was seriously WTFing the whole time. In a good way.

    Of course, Cristine, Aislinn, and Munro all shined in this episode. I like watching Clare’s emotions through her facial expressions. I thought she looked absolutely precious in the hallway scene when she met Imogen for the first time. I disliked Clare in Love Game when she gave that over-dramatic “scene” at Above The Dot. It was so OOC I can’t even cope. Even though this was really Eli’s episode, I still felt bad for Clare because she’s stuck dealing with the aftermath of a failed relationship with a freaking psycho. And I can tell she still cares about him and wants to help but she can’t get emotionally invested again because she’s still too young and can’t handle that.

    Imogen is freaking weird. I’m thankful for this character; she definitely spices everything up and she’s very entertaining to watch. But God. She is a manipulative bitch. I have no idea what her intentions are. Maybe she wants to be with Eli, maybe not. I’m excited, however, to see where she’ll go from here. I read somewhere that she’ll become an accomplice to Eli in the fight to get Clare back, but I have trouble believing that. She likes him, obviously.

    Eli, oh my God, Eli. You are one crazy son of a bitch. And I have no problems believing he’s crazy, thanks to Munro’s talent. It’s really the little stuff, like the upwards look in his eyes when his head is tipped forward (having trouble describing that, sorry). And the way he can never keep still, as if the craziness is actually roiling in his blood, and at any minute he could snap if he doesn’t keep it together. I’ve never not believed Eli for one minute. And that’s probably why he is so intriguing to me.

    Like

    Reply

  77. Studying for the SAT’s and I came across the word intractable which means difficult to manipulate.

    How do I remember this?

    If Imogen can’t TRAC(k) Eli down, then he becomes difficult to manipulate.

    Like

    Reply

  78. Time to join the tl’dr party!

    Okay, I want to address this – why is everyone so bitchy about K.C. setting up to cheat on Jenna with Marisol? He did it for her, now he’s doing it to her. Yes, there’s a baby at home, but he didn’t even know that was going to be happening until it was too late to have any say in the matter at all. K.C. was originally open and honest – he wasn’t ready to be a father at 15, and wasn’t going to have anything to do with Jenna or the baby. It wasn’t his fault that Jenna had been in denial about it til it was too late for an abortion (assuming Jenna would have been in favour of that option too), or that Jenna decided to keep the baby rather than giving it up for adoption.

    As far as teen dads go, K.C. has already stepped up to the bat more than most ever do. He loves Jenna enough that even though he was so apprehensive about fatherhood at his age, he stepped up and came back, opting to be there for her through the remainder of the pregnancy, and to help with baby Tyson. Now, he’s even had Jenna move in with him and his mom for everyone’s convenience. Even if he’s SETTING UP to cheat at work (I don’t think a hug or buying a gift for a coworker who got you a raise is full out cheating… however we all know from the promos that it’s gonna get there), he’s still… at work. He is busting ass all night after going to school (and presumably still in athletics, which aren’t exactly effortless) all day, to be able to help out at home with expenses.

    Yes, he bought Marisol an mp3 player – like I said, she got him the raise that meant he could afford the gift on top of the price of Jenna’s sought-after baby monitor. Yes, he hugged her. Oooh. Again, she got him that promotion and raise; otherwise he’d have quit – people seem to assume his only motivation for quitting was a half-assed attempt to distance himself from the forbidden fruit, but… Maybe, just maybe, K.C. was being honest when he said he was falling asleep during classes. Anyone who’s worked a closing shift in a foods job while attending school (I speak from experience) knows that it can be exhausting. He said what’s true – he could be making as much being a welfare recipient as he’d be earning from his minimum wage shifts. So yes, keeping the job after getting the promotion means he’s still around Marisol and will probably (read: definitely) cheat at some level with her, but it also means he can afford to do more for that baby and baby momma that you’re all screaming about his neglect of.

    Again, K.C. has really stepped up as far as teenage dads go – he’s been there through the last portion of the pregnancy to support Jenna emotionally, despite early hesitation about being a teenage dad. He may not be around to care for Tyson as much as Jenna is, but… Jenna’s the one staying home from school on a maternity leave. K.C. chose to stay in school, so that’s a lot of why he can’t be around as much. He’s supporting them financially and has made shared shelter an option for them while raising Tyson – with his mum being there to occasionally take him off Jenna’s hands and give her a much needed break. He is making a concerted effort to be there for Tyson and for Jenna, but he’s a 15 year old boy. I know that’s easy to forget with Sam Earle playing the role of K.C. in all his “I-don’t-even-look-like-I’m-only-17” good looks, but the character is 15 years old. He doesn’t know how to be a dad and the fact that he’s even trying to be there for Jenna shows he’s doing more than most 15 year old boys would step up for.

    Finally, K.C. is Tyson’s dad, but he is NOT Jenna’s husband. He’s her boyfriend, and the father of her son. If he chooses to go into another relationship, it’s his choice and he’s allowed to make it. Jenna ‘stole’ him from Clare, if she can’t take her own medicine then tough shit. Yes, she has a baby with him where Clare didn’t, but so long as he continues to financially and ideally emotionally support her in taking care of their son, the only damage he’s doing to her personally is emotional damage. The sort of emotional damage which she didn’t seem to hold any qualms about dishing out (“I used to be one of those girls” – yes, as far back as when you tried to take Save from Holly J, as if anyone can even remember that far back! What has it been, a couple months now??? Degrassi Antiquity!). If she does want things to work, she should work on making a relationship with herself seem desirable, not on attacking him for looking elsewhere. As an overstressed, sleep deprived mother, that won’t be easy – but so far, it seems like ALL she does is nag and bitch and moan, verbally attacking and belittling him at every opportunity about every little thing. Asking him about his feelings, letting him make a few decisions, etc, rather than plowing over every attempt he makes to speak up or express himself, could be the difference, but she is and always has been too petty, selfish, and jealous of a character to see that… And that’s what’s ultimately going to cost her the relationship if you ask me.

    tl;dr – Lay off of K.C., he’s 15 years old and doing his best; he’s not old enough to be a dad, nor is he married to Jenna. Give the kid a break. As far as the job (and as a result being around Marisol) goes:
    Potentially cheating < More $$$ to support his son and girlfriend (not wife) with.

    So please stfu and think a bit before going on about him being a selfish cheating jerkass. :)

    Like

    Reply

    1. You’re treating this like K.C. is a real person or something. It’s a T.V. show; we’re allowed to judge him. Lol.

      Like

      Reply

      1. I’m treating it that way because Degrassi is and always has been a show that aims to reflect real problems that real teens are facing. K.C. is just a character, same for Jenna, Marisol, etc… And I do know that! :)

        I guess I get carried away emotionally because I see all these people badmouthing how K.C.’s character is handling the situation he’s in, and think of the real guys out there handling similar situations the same way – or potentially worse! And I realize that there’s this entire fanbase spouting off on what an asshat K.C. is being and that it means there are legions of people out there who, I guess, figure that having your girlfriend spring “oops I’m pregnant and it’s too late to do anything and by the way I’m keeping it” is supposed to be enough to make you instantly do a personality 180. It just… I dunno. It doesn’t work that way. Two girls I knew in highschool got pregnant and both of them ended up raising the baby absolutely on their own – I just see that the writers at least have K.C. sticking around and helping somewhat, but the fans are still cranking up the hatred for him.

        I’m not saying /don’t/ judge him at all, because yeah – you shouldn’t cheat on the mother of your kid, at least not with the baby being SO small and SO needy. He should be there for her, and maybe if he was older and/or had had more warning that he was going to be a dad, he’d have figured that out. He’s cheated before, with no sensitivity to Clare’s feelings, and proved himself to be a vindictive jerk when his mom was first trying to make peace. He’s a flawed character who apparently has an even worst past than we’re aware of, with the whole “transferred schools because of violence” and “lived in a group home because dad and mom gut busted for drugs and went to jail” thing. Even if I was saying not to judge him, it’s up to other people to decide whether or not to – I can get as mad as I want, it doesn’t make a difference – and I know that. :P I just couldn’t go without standing up for him – I think he’s a hugely misunderstood character who’s real flaws are overlooked in favour of his most superficial ones.

        …Plus I hate girls like Jenna. Nobody deserves to be where she is now, but I can’t help having a bit of a vindictive little “not enjoying the taste of your own medicine, darling?” sense towards the whole thing.

        Like

      2. @Emily Just because K.C. is less of an asshole than most other teen dads doesn’t mean that he isn’t still an asshole. I’m not a fan of Jenna either, but just because I think Jenna is in the wrong, doesn’t mean I think K.C. isn’t. :/

        Like

      3. And I guess what I’m trying to say is that it seems like everyone’s commenting with the opposite in mind “Aw, poor Jenna’s just doing her best; K.C. is being such an incorrigible asshole!” It’d be nice to see a few more people trying to see both sides of this rather than focusing all the hate on K.C. I guess.

        Maybe I’m just bitter because between Eclare and Cake, and Kenna and Karisol, it’s pretty set in stone that Klare is dead for good. I really liked Klare. :(

        Like

      4. I liked them, too. :/ I’m still pissed at Jenna about that.

        Like

      5. Yeah same here. I was starting to forgive her as a character after she’d lost in her competition, had the pregnancy news, seemed to be coping, etc… Sort of felt like she’d
        learned her lesson” so to say. But then that shit with Sav and Holly J, going on about how it was her thing to get rid of “temporary girlfriends” wrecked it. I know she was probably just speaking out of insecurity, what with the whole “pregnant, alone, and suddenly unpopular” thing going against her she felt like she needed to prove that she still had it in her. But when “it” is boyfriend stealing, after her last “success” left her pregnant and ditched…??? Jenna, plz.

        And for Klare, it just feels like they had such an “in” this season to come back! D: With Clare on the newsletter and Katie wanting to challenge her, it wouldn’t be too far fetched to put artsy, smartsy Clare on for writing part of the Athletics section… giving her plenty of time around K.C. again, free from Jenna’s constant hounding for the first time since the split up of Klare since she was at home with Tyson. With Clare hurting from the Eclare breakup, and K.C. feeling overwhelmed by teen fatherhood, who knows what could have happened there?

        But no, we introduce two new characters instead. :T

        Like

    2. OK, Mrs. Earle. Why are you sticking up for KC soooo hardcore? Yeah, he’s NOT Jenna’s husband, and he is Tyson’s father. But other than diapers and a video baby monitor, he is a CRAP dad!!!

      I used to think that Jenna was totally annoying all of the time and that KC & Jenna deserved because they were vapid, selfish people. Like everyone else has said, Jenna grew the hell up after Tyson came along. KC continues to be king of the selfish douchebags. Furthermore, I think it’s disservice to dads who actually take care of business. “Oh, KC is the father of Jenna’s baby. Let’s have yet another deadbeat dad storyline for television!” Yes, he buys diapers, but a baby needs more than just diapers. Tyson needs a father. I don’t think KC will ever be one. He’s never been that responsible in the past, and a leopard can’t change its spots…

      I kinda hope KC takes some acid at the Gourmet Scum reunion show.

      Like

      Reply

      1. Haha, Mrs. Earle.. A girl can dream. :)

        I already said in my response above to Caroline a lot of why I’m sticking up for K.C. so much (at least he’s around, people are overlooking his deeper character flaws in favour of superficial ones, Jenna hardly gave him fair warning that this was going to happen, it wasn’t his choice to keep Tyson rather than going with adoption to more capable parents, etc), so I won’t go on at length, but I will respond to your points.

        Everyone has said so much about how much Jenna has grown up around this – I tend to think that’s more of a “he’s bad so she can’t just be normal,s he must be GOOD” mentality. We’re still talking about a girl who took two buses with her NEWBORN baby in the spring chill… to say hi to her boyfriend. We’re still talking about someone who hauled her NEWBORN baby to a concert that was BLASTING music, to prove a point. If she was so desperate to get out, scream at K.C. at home. Even that won’t be as damaging to the baby as going to a crowded concert hall blasting music would be. Both times, the bus and the concert, she was exposing her tiny, newborn baby to environmental hazards, such as cold, germs, rowdy teens, etc. You don’t expose a newborn to that if you’re such a responsible, grown up mother as everyone’s sticking a halo on Jenna for being all of a sudden.

        K.C. might be a dick but he’s shown before that if you raise the point with him he’ll at least try to resolve the issue. The fact that Jenna just stews in her jealous, paranoid ideas of all the fun he’s having without her is not only unfair to K.C.’s character, it’s prohibitive to reaching a solution where they can both be happy. He merely mentioned that a female coworker had helped him get the promotion and she went off the deep end, instantly assuming the worst of him. Rather than focusing on his promotion, on how he’d be bringing home more money, she instantly treats him badly and draws into herself, sort of souring the happiness of the promotion. Come on, Jenna; even if you’re right, if you want him to reconsider and/or stick around and be there for you, you don’t do it by making his every waking moment with you be one of misery and persecution.

        I agree with you – a leopard can’t change its spots. So the fact that he’s taken ANY responsibility in this, despite his early hesitation, is a pretty big thing from his character. He could have just flat out dumped Jenna; gotten the job and dated Marisol or whoever else. As long as he made his support payments to Jenna on time, she’d have had nothing on him but the emotional damage he was causing.

        Finally… Nice reference. The thought of adult K.C. mumbling Rain Man style and knitting a scarf IS pretty funny, in a terrible way… :P

        Like

      2. @Emily I can’t believe I’m about to stick up for Jenna… but here it goes: Jenna is not a perfect mother, and neither is K.C., but the difference between them is the fact that Jenna is truly trying her best while K.C. is, in all honesty, half-assing his job as a dad. No one ever forced him to be a part of the situation, but he chose to be a part of it in the end, so there are certain expectations people are going to have of him. I don’t think anyone was expecting him to be the perfect father, but I see him as doing the bare minimum to be a good father. Jenna’s made some mistakes here and there, I’m not denying that. Like prioritizing being with her friends at Above The Dot over caring for her child. But if you didn’t notice, she was there for all of five seconds before she realized her mistake. She realized that she misses being a normal teenager, but her child come before everything. Jenna went through remorse that I haven’t truly seen from K.C. yet, and that makes all the difference to me. I think Jenna should be cut some slack for her paranoid behavior because Marisol has shown some interest in K.C. in the past, plus she must be mentally and emotionally exhausted from basically taking care of her kid by herself. As far as the bus situation goes, I’m pretty sure she had to go to Degrassi anyways to get her stuff since she isn’t coming back for the rest of the semester. And I’m not sure what concert you’re talking about because Jenna didn’t bring Tyson to the Keke Palmer concert (Mama Guthrie was caring for him).

        Like

    3. I thought KC was 16 now?

      Like

      Reply

      1. It doesn’t really make that much difference. :S Last I heard they were 15 (Bianca comments on it when Drew takes her on that double date with K.C. and Jenna), but even at 16 a guy wouldn’t be ready to be that “pipe and housecoat” perfect dad everyone seems to be expecting him to be.

        Like

  79. Degrassi-Biggest-Fan July 30, 2011 at 3:28 am

    Hey Kary do you think Imogen and Eli would a make a nice couple? I thought so at first but with all the episode the aired so far my feelings are mixed. Also do you like “Cake”? I think that friends with benefits or whatever thing is going to blow up in clare’s face.

    Like

    Reply

  80. ugh. i still can’t believe eli called imogen “imo” at the end. that entire last scene was just craziness. i bet clare felt like she’d been slapped in the face. i would have just taken eli by the shoulders and shaken him until all the craziness came tumbling out. just ugh. i enjoy watching a character that’s bat-shit insane but it also causes a lot of frustration lol.

    Like

    Reply

  81. Oh my freaking Gosh. I used to hate Eli during the Boiling Point; the emo stuff and his obsession with Fitz really irritated me. He would not just freaking let it go. And it seemed like he was kind of self-righteous, highly opinionated. But when they had to start wearing uniforms and he got into all that hoarding stuff, I starting liking him a little more (he looks better without eyeliner, wished they’d kept that look). He seemed so broken down and vulnerable.

    In Jesus, Etc and DTW I really started liking him. He fascinated me. Now? He’s my favorite character. I like crazy Eli a lot better than normal Eli. He’s pathetic in a very endearing way. And watching him and Imogen interact is the most disturbing things I’ve seen on Degrassi. I just want to watch their scenes in this episode over and over and over.

    Like

    Reply

  82. I know it’s not the best place for it, but I have to write it – I’m from Poland and I just want to thank you so much for this blog. Polish degrassi site sucks. And I have to watch degrassi in english, because here in Poland we can watch only the first part of season 10 with polish lector. It’s not so easy for me, because I’m 15, but this blog helps me to understand plots I just don’t get. Thanks, Kary ; )

    According to K.C. – he’s not one of my favourite character, but even if he behave unfair for Jenna, I just can’t be angry on him. Maybe because I don’t like Jenna. And Kenna.

    I guess Eli is my favourite character. Even if we know so much about him, he’s still mysterious and fascinating for me. I’m not sure if I like Imogen. IMHO this stalker-ish thing is a little creepy. I don’t know why, but I think their relationship, or whatever it will be, won’t be good for Eli’s psyche.

    I hope you’ll understand me, because I’m sure I made like 100 (probably gramma, I hate it) mistakes. Sorry ; )

    Like

    Reply

    1. Actually, you only made a few grammar mistakes, and none of them were that noticeable- there are a lot of native English speakers who make worse mistakes than you did on a daily basis. :-p At the very least, your post was understandable, which, again, says a lot considering how much on the internet is unintelligible. Keep it up. :-)

      Like

      Reply

  83. What scares me the most right now is Eli seems to fancy Imogen. I was surprised they did not kiss in that scene in the drama class. But one thing though Imogen gave back Eli his pills. So I can’t really blame Imogen for Eli changing his mind on taking them. That is all on Eli. Another problem since Eli is not on his meds things can seriously backfire for Imogen.

    Like

    Reply

  84. Is it weird how Eli just trusted Imogen? I mean, she’s making Clare sound bad, when she really didn’t know how Clare actually felt about Eli (Or maybe she’s stalking her too.. ._.) and he just believes it? Is it that he feels troubled and confused? I dun’no… But, he shouldn’t listen to a girl, whom he’s never talked to… It’s probably just me… :\

    Like

    Reply

  85. Degrassi-Biggest-Fan August 1, 2011 at 12:20 pm

    I know I’m late but when Marisol says Clare is drama i agree with her. I think that was in cry me a river.

    Like

    Reply

  86. I have to say, this episode with Eli was definitely intriguing. Only, this Imogen character is definitely driving him over the edge. I feel as though her character is a setup for the girl who has her own mental problems that require medication, but she is one of those people whom believe they are like, mortal sin and only lead to disaster for them even though its just to help. So she doesnt take them, sees Eli is in a similar situation, so she encourages him to do the same and ditch thed pills before they like, kill him or something. I mean, does anyone remember the locker scene? When she just flipped and said Eli punched her? I think that was an awkward quicky show of what mental disease she could have. Like maybe, multiple personality, or just simple bipolar disorder. I dont know, all i know is, she sparks trouble.

    The Ziley plot really didnt stick with me. I found myself losing interest quick. Im glad its finally over because they definitely dragged those two out a liiiiiittle too long. Points to Riley ending it, but gosh thats messed up. Haha. I dont know how I feel about their situation. I get why Riley would want to keep Zane a secret, and how Zane should be a little more accepting towards it. Hes gay, and his parents are okay, Riley on the other hand has more to deal with. Then again, Riley really is jerking Zane around after all hes put him through and he still satyed with him, its pretty messed up how hes like, “okay, bye!”. I dont know.

    As for kenna, eehhhhh. I love how good a mom Jenna is being, feel bad KC is being so… Well, KC. What the heck. I dont like the whole Marisol thing. I just feel as though were repeatting the same episodes with KC and Claire falling apart because of Jenna, but now its Jenna in Claire’s shoes, and Marisol is the new.. annoyance, oh, and theres a baby now. I never liked Marisol to begin with, shes so brain dead that shes irritating. Her character is so bland. Kinda like Drew, theyre both only in plots where their character is just used for the convenience of the plot. Boooring. I hope itll get more interesting.

    Like

    Reply

  87. Okay. This episode has provoked a lot of thought, and the more I think about it the more I hate Clare. In the beginning Eli made it very clear that he needed space and didn’t want to rush in to anything with her. And she respected that and it was all fine and dandy.

    But then they started dating after AFD. From the start it looked like Clare was merely using Eli to get back at her parents for fighting all the time. She embarrassed him at dinner when he was trying to make a good impression in front of her parents. Not cool.

    In Umbrella, she learns that Eli had slept with Julia and suddenly got it into her head that she needed to sleep with Eli too! What the hell, Clare??

    Granted, she was emotionally fragile having been caught up in her parents’ divorce and she wanted “to take a risk” like her mom had been afraid to do. But she got pissed off at Eli because he rejected her.

    His reasons had been valid. First of all, he knew that she wasn’t ready and that she’d regret it later if it happened. And second of all, he wasn’t ready for it either! He was still not over Julia and he was dealing with OCD and all that.

    But Clare got all kinds of pissed that Eli still wasn’t over Julia, telling him to give the watch back that she gave him and yelling at him to “LET IT GO!” as he was walking away.

    When she found out about his hoarding, she softened. She told him she’d be there for him and when he asked her not to give up on him, she freaking promised.

    Broke that, didn’t she?

    But when Eli started falling in love with her and became overprotective and smothering, she suddenly couldn’t handle it. She told him that he needed to deal with things with Julia first.

    THAT’S WHAT HE’D BEEN SAYING FROM THE BEGINNING RETARD.

    Clare was the one so eager to start a relationship with him, it seemed. I thought it was ridiculous that she was mad at him for still not being over his dead ex.

    It’s not like I’m seeing Eli through rose-colored glasses, however. I think the big war with Fitz was about 95% Eli’s fault. I understand he was bullied as a child and he felt the need to protect Clare and Adam, but did he really have to be so stubborn and hard-headed about it?

    Also, Eli WAS manipulating Clare in DTW. He basically gave Clare an ultimatum, saying that if she doesn’t stay with him, he’ll do something drastic, like crashing his hearse. No girl deserves to be put under that kind of pressure. He was being a lunatic.

    Still, everyone is always so “poor Clare” about the situation. I think the failed relationship is equally both their faults.

    Like

    Reply

  88. In regards to the Kenna plot, I agree a lot with what Sam said above. It does feel like they’re repeating the same plot they had with Clare and KC in season 9. There’s just a baby involved now.

    It’s already been shown to us that KC has no qualms about ditching a girl for a different one. I pray to God that when given the opportunity to cheat with Marisol, he’ll turn her down, because that would be the upstanding thing to do, especially when he has obligations to his son.

    Besides, I think everyone wants to see KC do something RIGHT for a change.

    Like

    Reply

    1. Yes, we’re all HOPING that KC will do the right thing, if no other reason then because there’s a baby involved. But what I don’t like is that some people are using this situation against Jenna, saying that if KC cheats with Marisol, then Jenna’s “getting what she deserves.” It’s ridiculous if that’s the only thing people can think about when it comes to this situation…Yes, let’s watch KC cheat on his girlfriend and “stick it to Jenna,” while Tyson get directly screwed over for his parents’ actions. I guess every single time someone does something bad we’re supposed to forever hold it against them, even if they’ve shown remorse and maturation since then.

      Like

      Reply

  89. I kind of want a new character in Eli’s life. Someone that really understands him or has a longer relationship with him. Perhaps if Julia had a little sister who treated Eli as a brother… Just a twist I’ve been thinking about.

    Like

    Reply

  90. I will admit when Eli screams at Imogen, “I did EVERYTHING!…” I did get some chills. I always appreciate when these kids show amazing acting ability (some not so much….cough*Hazel*cough). And Munro hasn’t just been a one-note actor and be emo the entire time. When he spoke to Clare, he reminded me somewhat of the Joker lol, just acting insane. Being off his pills, he showed a strong change in personality.

    I HATED HATED HATED Eli when he first showed up mostly because he was just an emo crybaby, but I am a huge fan now. And of course, it’s AFTER Clare and Eli break up that I want them together again lol.

    I somewhat hope they do because besides Manny and Craig (somewhat), they never seem to bring a couple back together. Once they’re done, they’re done forever and I think it’d be a little more realistic if they showed at least one couple take another stab at it. It would also help Imogen’s character down the line where there’s a threat that she’ll just remain Eli’s mirrored self for a looooong time.

    Like

    Reply

  91. RILEY is the one you’re dissapointed in? Oh come on. After everything Riley’s done to please Zane and frankly we haven’t SEEN Zane do ANYTHING to help Riley and now he pulls this? I never liked Zane to begin with but I pretended to because a lot of the other Riley fans seemed to liek him, but after this episode I completely lost all patience with him.

    Like

    Reply

  92. They really should’ve just ignored them completely if all they’re going to do is piss in the faces of the fans, the characters and the actors.

    Like

    Reply

Leave a comment