CAM/MAYA PLOT SUMMARY: It’s Spirit Week, which means students have been split up into teams that will compete against each other in various competitions. Cam is on the red team, and isn’t pleased when he finds out both Maya and Zig are on the green team. He asks Dallas if he could switch teams, but Dallas says no.
The first Spirit Week event is floor hockey. Cam spots Zig being flirty with Maya, and becomes so enraged that when the match starts Cam viciously elbows Zig in the face. He then pushes Zig down and yells at Zig to fight him, attacking him again. In Simpson’s office Cam tries to say it was an accident, hoping Maya will take his side, but she doesn’t. Simpson suspends Cam for the rest of the week, and Maya’s upset with Cam for his outburst. Dallas calls Cam selfish for what he did, believing that his actions put the hockey team’s future at risk. Cam tells Dallas that he doesn’t want to play hockey, and Dallas continues to tell Cam to pull himself together.
Cam freaks out in a classroom he thinks is empty, only to discover Alli is there. He vents his frustrations about Maya and Dallas, and how he wishes he could go to sleep and never wake up. Alli tells him he should make things right with Maya by getting her flowers. Later, Cam stops by Maya’s house to give her flowers and apologize. At first she’s not interested, but eventually she warms up to Cam and forgives him. They even convince Katie to let Cam spend the night, and he and Maya cuddle on the couch. The next morning Maya wakes up and Cam is gone, but he’s left a video message on her phone telling her to meet him on the front steps of Degrassi. While Cam is waiting for Maya, Zig walks up and tells him that Maya will eventually see that he’s a psycho, and that he should get out of her life now. Later, Maya arrives to find Cam is nowhere to be found, but receives a text from him saying their relationship is over.
The next day Eli is apologizing to Clare when he discovers a body in the greenhouse. As police and firefighters arrive at the school, Maya and Katie are sent to the principal’s office, where they learn Cam has committed suicide. Shocked by the news, Maya is in denial, and instead of choosing to go home she opts to practice for an audition. Later, she’s asked to speak at Cam’s candlelight vigil. She doesn’t want to, but Katie eventually convinces her to. While Maya struggles to type her speech she looks at the last video message Cam sent her. Tori appears and tries to comfort her, however, Maya gets angry and thinks Tori is being nice to her just because Cam is dead. Before the candlelight vigil Maya talks to Zig, who feels guilty for what he said to Cam. She laughs, and Zig doesn’t know why Maya is so indifferent about Cam’s death. At the vigil Maya is angry, saying it’s Cam’s fault he died because he should’ve tried to get help and she refuses to cry. The next day Maya apologizes to Tori and the two become friends as Maya finally breaks down.
When thinking about Degrassi tackling suicide, I often think about the comment a fan once made a long time ago, saying that if Degrassi were to ever tackle suicide again, they’d probably bring in a character specifically for that storyline. The primary argument against this will always be the fact that Cam wasn’t “developed enough” for us to care about his death, or for it to make an impact on those at Degrassi, even though Claude Tanner received virtually no development before killing himself in the forever-acclaimed Degrassi High episode, “Showtime.” We’ve seen subtle and not-so-subtle hints of Cam’s emotional struggle throughout season 12, ranging from his anxiety over schoolwork to making himself sick just to get out of hockey practice. Two things were made blatantly clear: 1) Cam was always homesick, and 2) he hated hockey, despite being so incredibly talented that he was guaranteed to make it into the NHL. He felt isolated. Maya is the only thing that mattered to Cam. Him intentionally throwing himself off the balcony in Rusty Cage set off red flags, making it more than obvious that he’s capable of hurting himself in a more severe way.
Just like with Claude, Cam doesn’t receive extensive introspection, but in Cam’s case we get just enough to show viewers that he’s indeed troubled. At times it’s a frustrating aspect that’s brilliantly realistic in its application to real life. As human beings we feel we need answers, insight and as many details as possible as to why things happen, and if we don’t receive them, we’re left uneasy. But in the case of suicide, there aren’t always going to be answers.
With what little he had to do, Dylan Everett sells Cam’s anger and depression during this episode. In Degrassi’s second ever suicide plot, a Part 2 episode once again carries the burden of its aftermath. A lack of explanation as to why Cam committed suicide, or lack of further digging into his mental state lends itself to an overall theme that has hovered over Cam’s existence on this show: no one really knew what was going on with him. Though clear as day to viewers at times, his actions came off as subtle or nonexistent to characters on the show. Everyone was consumed with their own thoughts and desires, and for all they know he was suffering in silence. With that in mind the realization is that the message here is more about the need for people to be more cognizant of those around them.
Maya’s reaction to Cam’s death makes sense in every aspect. The fact that it almost seems like she’s pushed into speaking at Cam’s candlelight vigil once again hammers the idea that people aren’t paying attention to other people’s behavior, that if you don’t come across as sad or aren’t crying your eyes out, you’re grieving the wrong way. I’m not sure how to process the vigil. On one hand I’m glad Maya vocalized what she was thinking at the time. However, it’s hard for me to envision that scene actually playing out in front of a crowd at a memorial in reality.
I read a comment where someone said the people in Degrassi High as a whole seemed more affected by Claude’s suicide than the characters did by Cam’s suicide in this episode. That may be true, but the reactions in this episode are also far more realistic than everyone at school walking around devastated, as if Cam were the center of their universe and there‘s no way life can move forward without him. Degrassi covered every range of reactions in this episode, from denial to sadness, guilt, anger and indifference. Bitter Sweet Symphony’s most underrated moment is the classroom scene with Mo, Marisol, Connor, Jenna, Becky, Fiona and Dallas. Mo is awkward because he doesn’t know how to react. Brilliantly, Connor doesn’t grasp the situation, questioning why Spirit Week was canceled and not understanding why Cam killed himself. Becky pipes in to say what Cam did was selfish.
Despite not knowing Cam, Marisol walked around in a somber mood, organizing the candlelight vigil as if that’s what one is supposed to do during a tragedy, because that is what happens in reality. Some become sad by proximity in the moment, even though Cam’s death won‘t really affect her emotionally, if at all. I’ve experienced that with the death of someone I went to school with who I only knew by name, or the death of a friend‘s family member who I didn‘t know at all.
In that classroom scene the group wonders why Cam killed himself. They speculated that he was depressed and under pressure because of hockey and school. “Why didn’t he reach out for help?” “Was he getting bullied?” In one of the episode’s most important lines Fiona responds, “I guess we’ll never know.” We’ll never know why Cam didn’t try to tell anyone or get help, or what his life could’ve been had he done so. In the end Cam’s suicide is less about Cam, and more about the effects it will have on people now and in the future, something the show failed to adequately cover after the death of J.T. Yorke.
Degrassi had a specific plan going into season 12, one they carefully crafted leading into the climax that is Bitter Sweet Symphony. The story isn’t over yet. This is one of the few episodes where everyone’s acting was on point. Everyone delivered something memorable, no matter how small the role. It might not have the weight of being the first of its kind (Showtime) or killing off a character that’s been around forever (Rock This Town), but Bitter Sweet Symphony still stands on its own two feet.
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DALLAS PLOT SUMMARY: Dallas is interested in Alli, but he’s afraid to ask her out. He eventually does, but she doesn’t think that they’re meant to be. Dallas is able to get Alli to agree to a bet: she will go out with him if Dallas’ red team wins Spirit Week. However, after hearing about the way he treated Cam, Alli tells him she refuses to date guys who are bullies.
The next day Dallas and the hockey team are left speechless upon hearing that Cam committed suicide. As Marisol, Mo, Connor, Alli, Jenna, Becky and Fiona question why Cam killed himself, Dallas sits there fuming. He kicks a chair and storms into the hallway, throwing a trashcan into the Icehounds’ glass display. Alli chases after him and he says that they failed Cam, that it’s their fault he died. He screams at Alli because she knew Cam was upset, but didn’t do anything about it. Devastated, Dallas decides to get drunk on the roof of the school. Fiona finds Dallas on the roof pacing around; he blames himself for pushing Cam too hard, even after Cam said he hated hockey. Dallas tells Fiona that he contemplated jumping, and she tells him there must be someone he should live for. He says there is and Fiona hugs him, convincing him to get help. The next day Dallas apologizes to Alli for yelling at her. He tells her he’s going to talk to the counselor thanks to Fiona, and that he’s grateful for Fiona reaching out to help him.
I’m not exactly sure what to say except that Demetrius Joyette is incredible in Part 2, delivering one of the best performances in the history of this show. It manages to outshine even Dylan’s performance, and to an extent, the suicide itself. The only times I cried during Bitter Sweet Symphony were during every one of Dallas’ scenes after Cam died. I did during multiple viewings, and still do just thinking about it. Every moment is raw and gut wrenching. Dallas is a character who breaks the idea of characters being black and white. He carefully treads that line of being a guy who can be the nicest person ever, or a total jerk. His grief is amplified by the fact that as leader of the Ice hounds (and fiercely loyal to his teammates), he knew the team’s success on the ice as well as their NHL hopes depended on Cam; he ignored Cam’s direct statement about hating hockey because of how much was on the line. There’s tragic irony in Dallas feeling as if he failed Cam, when what he was trying to do was keep Cam in line so that the team as a whole wouldn’t fail.
The rooftop scene is flawless, down to the perfect in-house music, which enhances a scene that is emotional enough on its own. Come next awards season, I don’t see how Demetrius walks away empty handed.
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ELI PLOT SUMMARY: Clare’s locker is going to be relocated to a different part of the school for electrical maintenance, so Eli suggests she share his for the time being. She overtakes his locker with all of her stuff, and Eli accidentally grabs Clare’s diary. He doesn’t have time to return it to their locker before class, so he takes it with him. Dave asks him if he’s going to read it, and Eli says no because he knows Clare doesn’t hide secrets from him. Eli ends up reading Clare’s diary in class and discovers that while she was dating Jake she was in love with him, and wanted to have sex with him. He confronts Clare about it and she storms off upset because Eli invaded her privacy.
The next day Eli tries to apologize to Clare. As they’re talking, Eli spots something shocking in the greenhouse. He shields Clare from seeing it, and tells her to go call 911. As she runs off, Eli walks up to the greenhouse and finds Cam’s body. Later, Dave is asking Eli questions about what he saw. Dave mentions that his dad, who is a cop, sees dead bodies all the time. Eli asks how his dad deals with it; Dave says he tries to forget it. Eli says he wishes he could forget, and decides to not go to Cam’s vigil. Instead, he goes to Jake’s house and gets high. Jake in a way thanks Eli for finding Cam’s body; if Eli hadn’t, Jake is sure he probably would have. To continue getting his mind of the day’s events, Eli and Jake continue to eat popcorn and play video games.
Before all hell broke loose, the Eclare relationship plot was enjoyable. Dave might have been playfully instigating, but his points to Eli about him and Clare made sense. Sharing a locker might seem trivial, but it’s like the teenage equivalent of adults moving in together. Sharing a space is a big deal, and a big commitment. And no teenage boy is going to pass up reading their girlfriend’s diary if the chance arises. Though he shouldn’t have invaded her privacy, Eli’s concern after reading Clare’s diary is understandable. Often we want to believe that our significant other’s past relationships were meaningless, hence the reason they’re over. It would sting to see that your virgin girlfriend said she was in love with and wanted to make love to her ex when they were together, especially if you assumed that their relationship didn’t mean much to her.
I like how Cam’s suicide abruptly interrupts Eclare’s plot. One of the common questions is “Where is Clare during all of this and why isn’t she comforting Eli?” In the haste of all that’s going on, it doesn’t really matter. This episode not only wonderfully foreshadows Eli dealing with lingering trauma, but the lack of Eclare in Part 2 also foreshadows the distance his trauma could create in their relationship.
I love Jake and Eli’s scene at the end. Jake on rollerblades while high has been a running gag for a while, but their conversation takes a more serious turn when Jake points out that he very well could’ve been the one to find Cam’s body if Eli hadn‘t. It’s writing like that which shows how the show’s dialogue is constantly improving, adding just that extra bit of detail and continuity into a minor scene that makes it stand out.
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Kary's Degrassi Blog 
Thank you, I think I know the 2 you are talking about.. This is why I’m bias about every character they’re unpredictable.. Anyone could snap at anytime but people need to open there ears more and listen in between the lines. Example ” I want to go to sleep and never wake up.” that is a cry for help. The second person though is very subtle. I’m surprised that no one has picked it up. I guess they will figure it out tonight.
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Wait who is this second person
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i dont expect to see a name before the episode airs. it walks the line of being a spoiler or not being a spoiler, so i wouldnt expect to see it here.
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cam kills himself and takes adam wit him
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Where I can watch degrassi online?
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You can watch the episode on teenick/muchmusic websites, but it won’t be until the episode has run its course on the channel. May not even be tonight
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Sometimes TeenNick posts a link to the episode after it’s aired on their twitter page: http://twitter.com/teennick
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You can watch at http://watchseries.lt/episode/degrassi:_the_next_generation_s12_e14.html
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Finally Degrassi I’ve been waiting for an intense episode for years
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I hear ya. I came into this episode hoping that they’d go there. now that they did I’m in shock.
Alas poor Cam, we hardly knew you.
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I’m kinda disappointed that Simpson didn’t get more to the story than he did. This is at least the 2nd time a suicide has happened around him.
A callback would have been nice at least.
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Degrassi is back! Haha
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I think once Eli goes off his rocker per se, Simpson may have a bigger role atleast talking to him about it atleast a girl can dare to dream right?
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That is possible.
Here’s hoping.
If anyone could help Eli through it, it’s simpson.
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That’s what I meant. Like Eli will do something wrong and Simpson will understand what he went through and help him that way. Sorry that I wasn’t clear.
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There was an inside source on Youtube that hinted that something like that’s going to happen in an upcoming episode. Not to mention the promos that showed Eli in Simpson’s office, which I assumed were from Bittersweet Symphony but never appeared in the episode. It’s easy to assume they’re chatting about their shared experience there. It would certainly go along with Eli’s comment about not knowing who he could talk to about it.
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Wow. They actually killed Cam off. I’ve been wanting a death to happen for awhile now but now that it has, I am sad.lol. & Dallas was great tonight. The fact that he took it the hardest was the highlight to me. Great episode. This episode kept my jaw dropped the entirevtime
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Dallas was… well to put it less colorfully than i usually would, he was just amazing in this episode (acting wise of course).
He’s always been a character I was meh about, but he did great tonight.
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I don’t get the promo for next week…What is Eli doing?
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My guess is ecstasy
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I thought that the Tori/Maya make-up was a little too sweet and rushed. I understand the ending of the episode was supposed to be hopeful, but it still seemed a little too light-hearted and goofy given the circumstances. Still, this proves what a good friend Tori really is, and I’m excited to see how their friendship progresses. Emma and Manny never had to deal with a situation like this.
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I agree. I seemed kinda rushed imo too, but I do believe that this will make them better friends than ever before.
Too bad the price for that is so steep.
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To Cam fans, from Dylan Everett, read the top post: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dylan-Everett-Official/113062578714433
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Wow, they turned Cam’s death into another Eli plot that will soon enough become a new Eclare plot. All roads lead to Eclare has a whole new meaning. Literally, ANYONE ELSE could have found that body. Why did it need to be Eli and Clare?
Also, the extreme vagueness around the events in the episode in general (not really knowing much about Campbell, his mental state outside of depression, and not knowing how his death happened) really took me out of it. I don’t even feel for him as much as I could have if I knew these things. It’s just another character who had potential, gotten rid of.
I guess it’s back to staring at Drew and Fiona for the rest of the season. Good job Degrassi. You had the hype for years for this type of plot and blew it in more ways than one. I just see people considering this episode as a Top 10 episode because Campbell was cute and he didn’t deserve to go out like that + Dallas’ performance.
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Well Eli is graduating after these 8 episodes so your cry will be over lol.
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Having Eli find Cam is VERY understandable (Clare didn’t really see it). It will make for great story line (it won’t even be an eclare plot) 1. His girlfriend died 3 years ago 2. He’s Bipolar 3. he was almost killed (Fitz) 4. He drove his car into a wall 5. He’s been introduced to drugs 6. Now he’s seen a dead body….. This is about to be good! :)
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Now that it has aired, I have to ask. Who is the 2nd person and what were we missing in plain site?
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The things that were sitting in plain site were all the clues that gave away Cam was going to die. Munro said they were going to do something that hasn’t been done since Degrassi High. MuchMusic hosting a MuchTalks special (they wouldn’t have done one for a failed suicide attempt). Neither network posted promo pics for Part 2. None of the media outlets, who normally post exclusive sneak peeks especially when it comes to Degrassi premieres, posted absolutely nothing about Bitter Sweet Symphony. The promos for Part 2 sealed the deal.
There isn’t a 2nd person who dies. The two people I was talking about are Maya and Cam, who are going to mentally break down throughout the rest of the season (Maya making out with guys, and Eli doing drugs and flirting with Talia).
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Ah. I was nearly positive that the episode was gonna go… Well like it did, but I read your post earlier and sat there for an hour thinking “What did I miss?!”
Lol
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the episode def went ther.e I was shocked that they took it like they did my only complaint is that we didn’t know him long enough. I hate comparing him to JT but we had known JT’s character for 6 years and Cam for like 10 months the episode was very good and shocking but my reaction is def different from the 2 characters deaths. but great job Degrassi :)
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Comparing jt and cam is like comparing dogs and tricycles.
Jt’s death was not planned for until season six started. They needed a way to get him off the show and they did it (albeit in a memorable way (which is fitting considering that he was a memorable character.
They casted cam fully intending for him to be dead by the end of the season.
The reasons for their deaths were different, so naturally the approach to their deaths are different.
The thing about it is though, is that yes we hardly knew him or who he was, but in cases of suicide people’s whole lives get put under the microscope. “oh he had a good life, but one insult and he kills himself.” IMO, in a case like this the only real relevant things are what led to his suicide. Hockey, homesickness, his peers, etc.
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So how did Cam kill himself? Did they leave out his method on purpose? That was an amazing episode. I was holding my breath as soon as Eli walked on with the breakfast. I didn’t know what they might show since the Imogene/dog scene.
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Yes, they left it out on purpose!
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They made it pretty obvious…with his red hoodie, and the rope it was attached to…
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im the only one who didnt see the red hoodie.
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I think showing a suicide is different than showing a dog die. Both are shocking but showing a person dead and the method in which he killed himself is just asking for trouble.
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I feel like he would have hung himself with one of the hoses in the shed
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Someone on Tumblr mentioned that Connor said something about ‘his head fitting in there’ (I didn’t catch this in the episode so please correct me if I’m wrong); so I’m going to assume he hung himself? I know the Degrassi wrote it to be ambiguous.
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Makes sense with the suicide determination happening just an hour later and it registering with Eli immediately.
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Cam was an amazing character. I was crying literally the entire episode. Dallas was amazing, and Maya dealt with Cam in a different way than I imagined. A well done episode. Cam, I’ll miss you. :'(
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this season is actually really good looking back now haha def up there just still adjusting to the new characters
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I can understand the ambivalence some might feel regarding Cam’s suicide, namely that he was only around for half a season, so it’s hard to really feel bad not knowing much about his mental state, or even how he did it. I don’t think that “building up” to the suicide would have been wise on the writers’ parts however, because if we kept seeing signs of Cam’s depression, if he kept being involved in plots which illustrated his desperation, and then he killed himself, everyone would be saying that it would be unrealistic that none of the other characters saw it coming when he was having such frequent episodes. If someone wants to kill themselves, it’s not something they build up to logically. And that was the purpose of Cam’s suicide. It just happened. The how or why isn’t really important. Kudos to the writers to commit to this.
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This. So much this.
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In addition, doing a suicide plot with a new character makes more sense than doing it with an established one precisely BECAUSE he’s new and has not had a chance to get to know people who could have intervened and helped him. He felt alone. Characters in tonight’s episode kept saying that maybe IF they’d gotten a chance to know him, they could have helped. An established character with a wide circle of friends is not a good candidate for a plot like this, because we wouldn’t buy that none of their friends noticed a change in their behavior.
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Wait, what do you mean they didn’t build up to it? Did you not see Rusty Cage?
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Yes, viewers saw Cam throw himself from the rail, but no one at Degrassi knew it was intentional. Until last week’s episode, he had been hiding his illness very well.
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from the other characters, I mean
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I was really shocked and upset to find out the suicide was successful. It brought back memories to finding out my friend had taken her own life in May 2011 and I couldn’t stop crying at first. More than that, I’m pretty disappointed that Cam is gone for good since I could actually relate to him, unlike any other character on this show. I don’t know how much longer I’ll be watching Degrassi tbh. If this really does turn into another silly Eclare plot as another commenter wrote, I’m definitely quitting. We’ll see.
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I think this is gonna be much more than an eclaire plot.
Yes, Eli is gonna have some Plot come out of this since he found the body and all. However, if they don’t do more with Zig, Maya, Dallas, and Alli, then I will stop watching the show cause at that point the writers are just wiping their bums with the potential.
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I’m not trying to be rude, but I really get sick of haring people say they’re going to stop watching if something doesn’t go the way they want. I mean, where’s the true degrassi fandom?
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All i meant personally is if they do make it strictly an eclare plot, it would make me feel that the writers just don’t care. If they don’t care why should I?
Tbh, I don’t think they’ll take that route though.
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Eli only has 8 episodes left anyway.
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On an unrelated note, anyone else find it odd that 2 out of 3 of TNG’s tragedies have been witnessed by a bipolar character?
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How so? Craig wasn’t present at J.T.’s death or Jimmy/Rick’s shooting.
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He found Jimmy after he was shot.
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He saw jimmy on the ground seconds after he was shot
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I was always surprised Craig didn’t have a stronger reaction to finding Jimmy. In the moment he seems traumatized, but I don’t remember it even being brought up again that Craig was there.
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Personally, I always took it that seeing Jimmy get shot was what aggrivated Craig’s Bipolar disorder to the point we saw in later episodes of season 4.
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On that note, JT pretty much bled to death in Liberty’s arms (and on her birthday too), yet this wasn’t acknowledged. I wonder why the writers never brought this up, there was great storyline potential in that.
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I’d been dreading this episode ever since I heard about a tragedy that was soon coming…i really liked Cam’s character ever since he was introduced, even thought of him as my son on television lol, but so many signs showed that they were going to take his character to some dark places.
Like some above mentioned, I wish there would’ve been more exposure to him outside of Maya and hockey – like seeing his parents and siblings on screen at Degrassi just once for a game/surprise visit, hearing from their POV about his state of mind when they spoke, but alas.
The actors did a really great job, of course. I felt the ending was swept up a bit too tidy, I was ready for some extended angst and misery, not hugs and smiles, but I have high hopes for the reason of this playing out well.
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I really thought he was going to leave a note.
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Btw, guys. I was watching muchtalks, and i noticed, that red thing? Hanging in the greenhouse? It’s a bucket.
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Where can I watch this episode? I was out and I couldn’t catch it.
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you can watch on much’s website. someone posted that it doesn’t matter if you’re in the US or not. i tried it and it works.
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I still need to watch this episode again because I feel like there are definitely some things I missed the first time around, but now that the episode has aired, I want to talk about my initial reactions.
First things first, the characters’ immediate reactions to the news seemed spot on. Aside from the main characters (Maya being in denial, Dallas lashing out), I loved the reactions of everyone in the Spirit Week meeting, especially Becky and Connor. Becky was the first person in the episode to take the “suicide is selfish” stance, which is an incredibly Christian viewpoint. Connor (with AJ Saudin in perfect form) can’t understand why the rest of the school has to stop having fun because one student died. The only person I would have liked to see a more satisfying initial reaction is Simpson, but assuming the Degrassi writers didn’t completely forget about character development before writing the rest of 12C, we’ll get there later on.
Every actor tonight was phenomenal. Even though we didn’t see Campbell’s body, we knew what was going on through Munro’s eyes and facial expression. I was a little worried to see how the niners were portrayed because they, along with Dallas, are really the only ones who knew Cam well, but I was hesitant for no reason. Demitrius Joyette was amazing. I am a HUGE Mike Dallas fan; he’s probably my favorite character on the show right now. Seeing his immediate anger and guilt so realistically portrayed was one of the best parts of the episode for me.
As for the plot line itself, I’m satisfied thus far. I’ve seen a lot of people saying that we should have had more time to get to know Cam before killing him off, but that’s almost never how suicide works. If we had time to get to know Cam better, that means the characters would have too and someone, somewhere would eventually see the warning signs. Whenever someone takes their own life, they leave everyone wondering what happened, how things could have gotten so bad, why they never turned to anyone for help. Leaving us confused is just another way to make the suicide seem more real. My hope is that the rest of 12C deals with the issues that every student and faculty member deals with in the wake. We already know that Eli will turn to Ecstasy in the next episode and Maya will slut it up eventually. Again, I want to see the effect it has on Snake, and I hope that he becomes somewhat of a mentor to Eli.
As far as people claiming that Eli being the one to find Cam’s body is just a way to shift focus back to Eclare, all I can say is no. Their problems needed a quick end and the suicide needed a quick beginning, so giving them a reconciliation before they find the body is an easy way to transition.
I really enjoyed this episode and can’t wait to see what the rest of this block has in store.0
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I totally agree, especially regarding Snake/Eli, I’m sure we will see some of that since Snake has been in Eli’s situation (Claude). I think that’s what the molly in the locker room with Mr Simpson is getting at.
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“If we had time to get to know Cam better, that means the characters would have too and someone, somewhere would eventually see the warning signs. Whenever someone takes their own life, they leave everyone wondering what happened, how things could have gotten so bad, why they never turned to anyone for help. Leaving us confused is just another way to make the suicide seem more real.”
You can know someone your whole life and not see their suicide coming. More development doesn’t necessarily mean everyone would find out he was suicidal or even that he was depressed. People are amazing at hiding things that they feel ashamed of. It just means he would be a deeper and more empathetic character. We still might not understand his suicide if he had years more screen time, but it would have had a greater impact on the students.
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Thank you maree for pointing out a really poorly worded phrase, and I need to make myself more clear. I didn’t mean that if there was any more screen time given to Cam they wouldn’t have been able to pull off this plot, or, more importantly, that there are always warning signs for those struggling with depression or suicidal thoughts. Trust me, I know well that that’s not the case.
I was trying more to say that the path that Cam in particular seemed to be on was one where he would slowly become more desperate and acting out until he reached a point of no return, where with what we would know as an audience it would be unforgivable that no one around him noticed his ever escalating aggression. We got a glimpse of it, through his breaking of his arm, his various angry outbursts, culminating in him punching Zig, but at this point (if you ignore all the media surrounding this episode) it’s more of a “Wow, maybe Cam is having a harder time than we thought,” and then, boom, he’s gone. I think the impact lies in the fact that most of the students don’t know him well and they are left to deal with a situation where there are no right answers, no facts, just speculation.
I apologize for the careless wording in my first post. It was more stream of consciousness than anything, just my first reactions, but I should have clarified my statements especially when dealing with such a sensitive subject,
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See, that’s the thing, if they had put more time into the character, built more of a social network for him, his suicide would make less sense. The reasoning they presented were anxiety based, and the biggest one was being homesick and isolated. The only thing (in Cam’s mind) that was good for him in Degrassi was Maya, he didn’t like Hockey, he’s not getting good grades, and his social circle is non-existent.
Giving him more of a social circle would make for the aftermath plots better, but it wouldn’t help the plot for him.
The best they could have done was use more casual interaction between him and the other two credit cast Hockey players; Luke and Owen. Which could lead to some plot for the two of them. But right now having three character’s next plotlines directly influenced (and their connected cast being pulled into it) seems like enough plot to work out off from one character death.
I know a lot of people want to bring up past character deaths but Degrassi has too many characters to repeat what happened to Claude or J.T.
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I was disapointed. The media made it way too obvious that he was going to die, Cam needed more time to develope, and the characters reactions seemed mostly like indifference or false sympathy.
There were way too many clues pointing to Cam dying. I was hoping against hope that they would throw us a curve that we weren’t expecting at all, but alas they made it as predictable as possible. Did they need the extra ‘this hasn’t happened since Degrassi High!!!’ hype? It could have at least been a shocking death if the promos and media weren’t so blatent.
If Cam had even had another semester or two to develope into a well-rounded character (not just the depressed anxiety kid who plays hockey) and interact with more of the cast his death would have been much more intense. Instead he had interactions with (correct me if I’m wrong) four characters. Maya, Dallas, Ali, and Zig. We had no time to really get to know him. Did he have issues before Degrassi? Was it only leaving home that sparked this? Did he have past traumas we are unaware of?Most completed suicides were not the first attempt. They missed out on a lot of interesting territory for a cheaper, quicker payoff.
The characters even seemed to understand that his suicide was underwhelming. Sure, Ali, and Zig appear to feel guilty, but they come off a bit selfish, not genuinely hurt. Dallas feels tremendous guilt, but he hardly knew Cam. No one on the hockey team seemed particularly upset. Eli is freaked out, but that’s because he saw a dead body, not because he connected with Cam and cared about him. We don’t really know where Maya’s head is at (she says she won’t cry, but cries on Tori’s shoulder. Is she in shock? Hurt? Confused? Angry? We don’t know yet). The rest come off as indifferent, harsh, or as if they have to seem sad out of obligation (That’s how Marisol/Fiona/Student Coucil appeared to me).
People in Degrassi High seemed so much more affected by Claude’s suicide. There was more passion about whether it was right to continue with the play. No one is very passionate about continuing or stopping spirit week, no one is even passionate about the candle light vigil. Marisol’s suggestion screams ‘This is what other people do when this happens right?’
I’m not saying the reaction to Cam’s suicide are wrong. You can feel however you want when something so terrible happens and most of them didn’t know him at all. Maya was his only friend and they didn’t even date for very long. Dallas was the second closest, but that’s not saying much. Ali was merely his tutor and Zig was his rival. I’m saying that if he had a bit more time to grow into the Degrassi community his death would have made a much stronger impact on every character and would have made for a much more interesting ripple effect amoungst the students.
Cam was setting up to be one of the most unique and interesting characters on the current gen of Degrassi and they wasted his potential. I still love the show, but this plot was underwhelming. Cam was the easiest and most obvious to kill off. Unfortunately Degrassi didn’t ‘go there’ this time.
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^ this. Yes. This this this. Stefan Brogen said that 3/4ths of the way in, they seriously considered not killing off his character and they should have followed that consideration. Why didn’t they kill a character like Blue, or Wesley? Someone without as much attachment? A lot of people are upset about this. And I know, boo us, wah wah, Dylan Everett played this character so well. Cam was relatable, even if he was “already in the NHL”.
I am done with degrassi now. The show took too long to put a suicide plot in, and when they did, they took the one character that mattered most to me. I have watched every single episode of all the franchises since DJH but this was the final straw.
I wish degrassi writers, producers, whatever looked at this, so I could tell them that when they decided to kill off Cam, they decided to kill off some of their loyal fans. Nice work, jack asses.
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I can’t speak for everyone, but I would have been extremely saddened if Wesley was killed off. He’s quite possibly the most likeable character in Degrassi history.
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The thing is, by using a well-beloved character like Cam instead of Wesley or Blue makes a larger impact. (And I agree that I would be very sad if Wesley was killed off too! I adored him.) If they killed off, say Blue, everyone will be like, “Oh, that sucks.” and not really care about the repercussions of the suicide of a student, whereas with Cam, people will seriously care and think about what suicide does.
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@Bronwyn, you kinda nailed it. I am just sick of Degrassi writers sending characters to the “Degrassi black hole” without proper send offs. Had a character like Wesley, or Blue, or someone else gotten a send off like this, it would have had an impact, but like you said, probably not as big of an impact.
@pocksuppet, I’m going to respectfully disagree with you. Cam was a very likeable character, I would argue more so than Wesley. And I’m not just saying that because they killed him off (I’d say it anyway) or because I’m some Dylan Everett fangirl (I’m not, not in the slightest.) Cam was likeable because he was so tortured – here is this kid who seems to have the PERFECT life on the surface – talented in hockey, gonna go into the NHL, and live this dream that only a select few get to even dream of as a reality. But he was carrying the weight of his family – it doesn’t appear there was a dad in the pic, and his family really counted on him to succeed. Hockey is a huge investment financially, and I am guessing he didn’t feel comfortable talking to his mom about quitting – how could he? When he has EVERYTHING going for him on the ice, how dare he quit, right? But it was obvious that he hated being on the Icehounds. He didn’t want to think about going into the NHL because he was plagued by anxiety and depression (as many as 85% of people diagnosed with clinical depression have a comorbid, or co-concurring anxiety disorder that may or may NOT be diagnosed) and Cam just wanted to be a NORMAL KID. He told Maya, “I just want to be happy.” HOW MANY OF US (especially those of us who struggle with depression and anxiety every single day of our lives) HAVE FELT THIS WAY BEFORE!?!??!?!?!!??!
I don’t take what I say lightly here. I don’t consider myself to be a big Dylan Everett fan, (I couldn’t tell you another show he’s been in, because frankly I don’t care) but I am a Campbell Saunders fan. Campbell didn’t have some relatively rare psychological disorder like schizophrenia, he wasn’t a sociopath, etc. He had two relatively common mental illnesses – depression and anxiety, which are highly treatable – but the unique circumstances that he was in would not allow him to be ever be relieved of the pressures. (Cam needed to quit hockey, get some counseling to work through the depression and anxiety, because even if he quit hockey, it’s unlikely that the depression and anxiety would go away on their own, and possibly get on an anti-depressant or anti-anxiety medication) Suicide was his only option.
I understand why the writers did what they did, but that doesn’t mean that I am still pissed, or that I will be watching the show any more. Like I said in my original post, the franchise took waaaaayyyyyy too long to address this issue – should have used Craig for a suicide story line in season 5 when Jake Epstein decided to leave the show on a full-time basis, and when they did decide to do the suicide plot, they picked a character that so many people related to, that are going through very similar struggles with anxiety and depression, and they let him commit suicide.
I’ve been in that dark place before, and if I wasn’t in a sound state of mind at this point in my life, you know what this episode might have done to me? It might have convinced me that suicide was the ONLY way out. For people who have never experienced soul-crushing anxiety or depression – never had a panic attack that brought you to the emergency room because you were convinced that you were dying, or have been so depressed that you literally can’t get out of bed – I wouldn’t expect you to understand. But to the people who are out there who HAVE been there, I imagine that you have some understanding of what I am talking about.
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Well, I think the point was to make him so likeable and relatable so it would have a bigger effect on the audience.
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Wow, such a huge episode. First, I have to say that the cast/crew did a heck of a job doing this justice. It’s such a touchy subject, and I think like it’s been said, them not showing Cam killing himself was a smart move since the how is not important, but rather the why. If even one person changes their mind on taking their own life because of this, it was worth it.
While we all expected something involving Cam to happen, I almost had a heart attack when they shown Dallas on the roof…I was saying to the TV “He better not be going next…”
I think tonight was an episode truly worthy of the “It Goes There” tag, and I think that TeenNick/MuchMusic should leave this ep. up for as long as possible
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Fyi, for those who missed it, the video is officially up on much music’s site
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I’m rewatching the episode. I’m kinda hesitant to post this seeing as people have posted saying that they feel like it’s gonna become an eclare plot, but in the scene where eli and dave are talking, you can see that Eli keeps looking past Dave at the greenhouse.
I thought that was a nice touch.
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I noticed that the first time I watched it. A nice foreshadow, I must say.
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Has anyone uploaded the Much Talks anywhere else? the video isn’t loading for me on their site.
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The candlelight vigil scene really pissed me off. As someone who struggled with depression and seriously contemplated suicide, I wanted to punch Maya in the face. I know she was struggling with how to deal with it, but blatantly calling suicide selfish and blaming Cam really got to me. The fact that no character in the episode really said that it happened because Cam was sick and that no one really was to blame (Katie kind of said it, but she was really quiet and not forceful enough about it for my liking) I think was just irresponsible. You’ve got to show the point of view that suicide and depression are selfish since that view does exist, but ultimately you’ve got to show that that viewpoint is wrong because it is. It’s that type of thinking that causes the stigmatization of depression, preventing people from getting help and leading to suicides. Maybe they spoke about it more in the special that Much showed, but strictly talking about the episode itself, I was very disappointed and angry.
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As far as what Maya said, I didn’t like it at first, but I could see where she is coming from. From her point of view, she didn’t know all the crap he was putting up with from Dallas, so her thinking he was selfish wasn’t so farfetched. I think including Becky was odd, and while I’m wanting to remain optimistic, I worry she’s gonna be the next character to lose her faith, which is unreal.
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Yeah, like I said, I understand why she would feel the way she did, but giving those thoughts such a prominent place in the episode and a huge platform at the candlelight vigil is irresponsible to both people currently struggling with depression and the people around them that don’t understand that it is a debilitating disease. Show maya reacting the way that she did, but also show the other side, the right side that knows that Cam lost his fight with a disease,
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The MuchTalk did discuss the link with mental illness and had real teens who had depression/attempted suicide, and even talked about the stigma that prevents people from getting help, but it was all reduced to 2 second sound bites and was oversimplified. They also didn’t give much advice in facilitating a safe space for people to be open and honest about what they are feeling and going through. Like no one is going to talk to someone who doesn’t know how to listen and a bad experience trying to open up will push them to keep to themselves more. It really needed more than 30 mins., which is why I wished Degrassi didn’t take the most dramatic route and had Cam survive and showed him actually getting help. That would do more towards suicide prevention than using guilt and just telling people to talk on a hotline.
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I’m happy to hear that the MuchTalk did discuss it in more depth. I just wish they had shown some of that in the episode as well. Especially because Teen Nick had no such special, so the episode was all people in the US have to go on. But hopefully they’ll deal with everything better later on in the season.
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I agree that the special did seem to be too quick. I think what should have been done was have the episode be an hour, but instead of there being more content, have there be clips from the MuchTalks special air. Then, have a full hour special just for people to call in and such.
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Honestly, I don’t think Maya calling Cam’s suicide selfish is the show putting forth it’s opinion on suicide as an act. I think that it was placed there to show the beginning of Maya’s mental breakdown as a result of losing Cam. She’s angry and hurt just like anyone would be if a loved one died in such a way. But grief comes in stages, she already went through denial and if the sequence is correct she’s currently angry.
Personally, the entire episode was handled as well as it could have been. There were moments of awkward fumbling here and there and it felt preachy at times. Degrassi always says that “it goes there” but you can kinda tell that it hasn’t “been there” in a while.
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The fact of the matter is, MANY people see suicide as a selfish thing. Nobody knew how Cam felt except for Cam. Everything was going fine between Maya and Cam and Maya is hurting. Even when it’s not by suicide, people get angry at those loved ones who die because they “left” them. That’s not how I expected Maya to react but that’s how it is. She’s not dealing with the death though. You can tell she’s holding it in, which is going to be the reason she starts acting out.
When I was in middle school, the principle of the high school (our school was PreK-12) shot and killed himself. I was sitting next to two of my friends and one of them was sobbing because she had had a friend who killed themself and the other one–and this I was shocked by–said that the principle was going to hell for killing himself.
You can never know how someone will react and just because some people react in a way you don’t think is right, that doesn’t mean its necessarily wrong either, even if we disagree with it to the utmost possibility.
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I feel like I’m talking to myself. As I said, yes, show that viewpoint because people really do believe that depressed people are just selfish, even if they are wrong. But also show the fact that suicide is a disease too, and that depressed people feel just as guilty as the people they leave behind. To do otherwise is irresponsible because it feeds into the stigmatization of depression in real life.
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You’re right, of course. I’m not saying you aren’t. Although it would be difficult doing that on a show. As far as we can tell, Cam didn’t leave a note or anything, so we won’t be able to get anything like that. If it was a novel, it’d be much easier to portray those inner thoughts, but as we are on the outside looking in, it will be difficult to do that and everyone will write things differently.
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From the objective standpoint on the issue of depression and suicide, yes. However, this is not an objective series with objective characters. Storytelling is not objective, storytelling is NEVER objective. Degrassi made it clear it is storytelling first, and education second and has been that way since early days.
If you want objective healthy and responsible opinions on something this important, you do not get it from scared and confused teenagers reeling from a loss. Maya is heading toward a path of acting out because she CANNOT DEAL with the pain. Dallas is there too, Eli will be joining them both. Teennick didn’t do a special on the effects of suicide and depression but Much made it free to watch ANYWHERE in the world. Putting no region code protection on the web broadcast of it which you can still watch right now.
It would make even less sense for Maya to be that understanding than it does for Maya to blame Cam, which is a human response. And we can get to Maya accepting the truth of it, and seeing that she was wrong, in a later episode. But right now, when the issue is fresh in her mind, he hasn’t even been dead a day, she should react the way she did.
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I kinda feel like they just used this suicide as a dramatic plot point for the show (“it goes there!”, and didn’t really do it justice. It’s sad, because suicide is such a delicate subject. Mental health issues are extremely stigmatized and not talked about nearly enough, and I think the show could have done a much better job with it. Considering suicide tears you up inside. You feel incredibly guilty for thinking about leaving your friends and family behind to deal with the loss, but you also can’t live your life just for them. You’re mad at your friends and family for making you feel guilty that you don’t want to live anymore. You’re mad at everyone for not realizing how much you’re struggling. You feel like maybe everyone would be better off without you. You’re afraid of what will happen to you afterward. I saw some of this with Cam, but not nearly enough. You can’t just have a character, especially a kid, commit suicide without really showing why.
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I think they did do a good job showing why he did it (the pressure from the hockey team, being bullied by Zig and Dallas, even Mo bullied him once); I think the other things you pointed to are what we witnessed with Dallas, and while I thought they were gonna kill him off too, I think what they did with him too was big.
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As I said, yes, I think they showed some of it, but not nearly enough. As someone who has dealt with depression, I would have just liked to see more of the internal struggle that Cam was going through, rather than just external pressures and this entire episodes of reactions of people who are not depressed. When I was depressed, one of the big problems was the confusion. There were things going on in my life that would make anyone upset, but it was the degree to which I was upset that confused me. Relatively small things would happen, and I would react in big destructive ways. It’s why suicide really isn’t anyone’s fault. Plenty of people get picked on, or feel social pressure, etc. but only depressed people react in such a huge way. But those are a lot of things to deal with in a half hour episode, so I can’t blame them for not showing all that. It’s good that they at least tried.
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And what really would be a good reason to commit suicide?
There never is a good reason, and more often than not irl, there’s usually no why to it that the person’s loved ones know.
Call it a Fridge Brilliance if you will, but like Dr. Kutner’s suicide (House) even though we, as viewers, are allowed the insight of seeing things that individual characters can’t, when suicide plots crop up, there are some anvils that need to be dropped. One of them that haunts people affected by it is the fact that you’ll never really get an answer to it. There is no why that you’ll ever see.
Sure, it might have been nice to get the whole story, but we as viewers are not omnipresent. There’s no reason that we need to have all the facts ever time especially when not having all the facts is common when dealing with the actuality of the plot.
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That’s not at all what I’m saying. There’s a difference between letting the characters know why something happened, and letting the audience know why. There is a reason why people commit suicide – they are sick. I just wanted the show to emphasize that more. People in the world really believe that people who are suicidal are selfish and that they made a choice. I don’t think this episode showed that that is not the case.
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Ah, sorry I kinda misunderstood what you were saying.
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The issue is that once a character is dead, there’s no more to build on. They did a good job building that Cam might go there through the season, but the point of the suicide wasn’t the suicide. It sucks, but from a storytelling perspective there is less they can do with Cam’s part than they can do with the aftermath.
It’s that with that event, like with Rick’s death, it opens the plotlines for the rest of the cast. Maya, Eli, Dallas all get new paths to go down with this event. And in turn they touch on other characters: Tori, Zig, and Katie for Maya, Clare for Eli, Alli and Fiona for Dallas.
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Your previous comment about suicide being a disease is offensive. The word “disease” implies that suicide is something that selected people can be “infected” with or that it is something that you catch on the wind and that your body succumbs to like cancer. Suicide impacts so many people in so many different way for so many different reasons because it is a human condition. Not everyone does it because they are depressed or suffering from a mental illness and the ones that have to deal with the fallout most are those that are left behind (the loved ones of a suicide victim, those that consider suicide but have not done so, etc). There are far more people in the world that have been impacted by suicide in some manner than there are those that haven’t. Sadly, it is apart of being human.
To claim that it is a disease trivializes the complexities of what suicide really is and also implies that a person who commits suicide is always sick. It isn’t always that simple.
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Suicide is an action that is a result of a mental illness which causes disordered thought. Not just anybody commits suicide and those that do, did not just decide on a whim to kill themselves. I don’t know how linking suicide to a disease trivalizes it. I think making it seem like an inevitable reality that can’t be prevented trivalizes it more than saying this is something that can be prevented if we pay attention to our mental health. I really don’t get the point you are trying to make here.
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@Thad: Suicide is extremely multifaceted. It’s an act that someone can commit for many different reasons aside from mental illness (There is ritual suicide, sacrificial suicide, suicide to avoid legal punishment, suicide because someone sees life being worse than death, etc). Does everyone attempt suicide? No, but you are more likely to encounter someone who has contemplated it, actually commits it, or maybe you think about it yourself. Every country in the world has a suicide culture and some even have times when suicide is excepted and morally supported. While some people don’t commit suicide on a whim others do, some people are even forced to under certain circumstances. So, yes it is apart of the human condition but that doesn’t mean it can’t be prevented and that we shouldn’t do anything if we see warning signs in someone we know. It just means that it’s more complicated than we realize and the measures we take in confronting an navigating it are going to be equally as complicated.
A disease, on the other hand, is an affliction that generally has one cause and one cure. I think we can all agree that suicide isn’t simplistic like that and I personally think the word “disease is thrown around too flippantly these days.
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^Diseases can have multiple causes and be treated in multiple ways too and I don’t think categorizing something as a disease trivializes it, but I guess we are just going to have to agree to disagree on that one. As I read my comment,I should have said suicide is an action cause by specific thought patterns that are usually a result of mental illness,especially in the Western context, which is the only one relevant to discussing this episode. The main point is Cam had a mental illness which effected the way he thinks and processes things and led him to take his own life. And in this case viewing suicide as a disease is appropriate.
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@Thad: Viewing suicide as the result of a disease is appropriate.
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Degrassi is my guilty pleasure and I have to say tonight’s episode was exceptional and very emotional. Great job for finally “going there”. Degrassi needed to deal with the subject even a depressing one like this. It took them 12 seasons to get to it for the new generation.
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I’m watching Scream part 1 foreshadowing suicide -_-
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Behind the Scenes: Bittersweet Symphony
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The guy who posted this (Apparently the Youtube guy for Degrassi) says that Snake will talk to Eli about Claude, also they’re planning on uploading the full version of the read through.
Take that with a grain of salt, though.
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Anybody have the link to the much music special they aired after the episode?
And did anybody else find the music and commercial cues comical?
Eli finds a dead body and then TIME TO START UP THAT HIGH ENERGY THEME SONG WOO WHOO THE DEGRASSI PARTY STOPS FOR NO BODY
It reminded me of Degrassi High, they should have gone the Time Stands Still route and ditch the opening theme and not cut to high energy commercial breaks. It was jarring.
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I really liked this episode, and ideally liked how they did some things, like the fact that Eli of all people found cam, how maya reacted the whole episode (I just didn’t expect her character to act the way she did), the scene with the kids discussing it leading to mikes meltdown. The only thing I wish they did was setting up the suicide, like why cam ended up in the green room, what he was feeling, how he did it, that moment that it trigger in his head that this was what he was going to do. Not necessarily saying I wanted to see him struggle, I just wanted to see that moment. I kind of figured cam would be the one who attempted suicide, but to be honest I thought his character would go one of 2 ways, suicide or coming out as gay, leading to a possible suicide….I’m sorry but I just thought thats where they may have been going with his character
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Not sure if teennick has posted the second part yet, but y’all can watch it on much music. Even I youre in the states!
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And he’s dead. It wouldn’t have hurt to see some type of scene where it led up to him committing suicide, like with Claude. They showed Claude actually getting his gun out of his locker, walking to the bathroom and cutting it from there to a classroom where the shot could faintly be heard.
At least with Cam, they could have showed him going to greenhouse, dribbling snot and all, and him setting everything up, then that’s where they could cut to the scene where Clare and Eli first appear that morning.
I also kind of wanted to see his family’s reaction to the news or some type of follow up.
Just my 2 cents.
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Wow. Season 12 just keeps getting better and this plot proves my point. The thing that is interesting about Part Two is the fact that we got to see a wide range of reactions from the Degrassi students. You have Dallas, Zig, and even Alli feeling responsible for Cam’s suicide; Eli is practically speechless for haven found the body; Maya does not display remorse but shows she’s processing it little by little; Becky, being a Christian, believes it was morally wrong and Mo awkwardly jokes about it. Basically the episode is meant to display the characters emotions from hearing of Cam’s suicide and it succeeds at that. The scene when Eli found the body was amazing because the emotion spoke for itself and Munro dominated that scene anyway. I’m excited to see how this will affect Eli in next week’s episode given that he has bipolar disorder. Dallas for me was the character that shined the most in this episode which is not surprising. This of course is all thanks to Demetrius Joyette giving us a look at his acting caliber.
As far as the ending goes, I do not think that is wrapped up neatly because in a plot that deals with a heavy topic like suicide it certainly would not have a happy ending. We saw how Maya reacted towards Tori trying to help her and it was normal for her to be like that. Maya needs all the support she can get right now because she’s suffering little by little…ironically in the same way Cam was when he had to deal with the pressure of hockey mixed with homesickness. Plus Maya and Tori’s friendship needed some reconciliation anyway.
The episode does not surpass Claude’s suicide from Degrassi High but it is close to it. However, BSS is different from “Showtime” because Cam’s suicide will span out the entire episode block which is good. You do not want a suicide story line to be a “One and done” deal. Bravo Degrassi writers. Grade: A+
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BSS was a good episode with some great acting all around, plus I got to see the REAL couple to root for – Jake & Eli – but I was left rather unaffected by Cam’s death.
We barely got to know him, since we’ve only seen his story evolve over a small handful of episodes. They were always very well written episodes, but it’s hard to feel for a character (or those affected by his death) when he’s still a relative newbie. I know the JT comparisons are running rampant all over the place, but he was a character many of us grew up watching (even though some of us may have been in our * cough cough* mid-20’s at the time.) We saw JT evolve from just a rambunctious prankster, to someone with good moral values and maturity (with a few misguided steps here and there.) We didn’t get to see that with Cam, so the fallout of his death was rather weak, especially since the people most affected by his death – Dallas and Maya – are also relative newbies.
Again, the writing was great and the acting even better, but there was no emotional impact for me. In the grand scheme of things, Cam’s death will only be a blip on the radar in Degrassi history. I’m glad they decided to tackle this very tough subject again, but I feel they could have used someone else we watched grow over the years and/or wait until next season for Cam’s story to fully play out. He was a very complex character that I did like, but they didn’t give his story enough time to develop. Even though it was spread out over several months, when you look at the Degrassi timeline, it wasn’t that long at all.
Eli’s story looks awesome next week. I hope Clare is nowhere to be seen :)
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He was on for 17 episodes overwall.
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I wonder if they are going to change the intro again like they did when Sam Earle left the show. Also I’m surprised no one remembers Ellie trying to commit suicide in Degrassi Goes to Hollywood.
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Why werent the rest of the known hockey players shown. And everyone, Eli only has 8 episodes left so dont sweat the Eclare plot.
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This episode was great. End of sentence. Degrassi finally approached a storyline extremely relevant and daring. Suicide is a touchy subject that a lot of teenage shows stay away from in fear of advocating it.
Maya: I liked the way Maya reacted. It’s a normal reaction. Anger, rage, etc. In her mind Cam left without trying hard enough to find a reason to stay, even though she thought she’d be a good enough reason. Her speech was really well done by the writers trying to de-glorify suicide unlike Eli’s play where it is dramatic and romantic. Maya in part one wasn’t bad but wasn’t as good as part two. In the first part she seemed almost completely unsympathetic to Cam at all. Which, by her standards is just telling the truth, but by his was disloyalty. I do think, however, that the way she acted in part one was necessary because it helped push Cam to the breaking point. The night before his suicide was well played I thought because it speaks to the rashness and suddenness of the decision so many kids make to take their own lives. Overall, I think Maya alone helped Degrassi reach such a sensitive topic in a way that doesn’t make it look like a good choice or a brave choice or a necessary choice. That’s what made this episode subject matter even possible.
Cam: Yes, he was only in part one but he was the central storyline. Personally, I’m really glad the writers chose to kill him off because I think it affects the fans and audience more to see a brand new character who just started having a hard time suddenly kill himself. The fact that he did it so quickly, once again, speaks to how quickly kids make the decision even if it could be prevented. In the first part of the episode. I really enjoyed seeing Cam return to his problems from break and being thrown right back into the thick of it all. I think that shows that for a lot of kids, their really seems to be no way out. And although Degrassi is in no way advocating suicide, it was important to show Cam struggling consistently.
Zig: I have one hope for Zig: see him suffer from guilt. Zig played a major role in Cam’s suicide and he knows it. While there were other factors, the episode clearly shows Zig as Cam’s major problem. The best way to really develop such a static character like Zig is to show him going through the guilt and grieving. Yes, Maya is right that it wasn’t his fault, but Zig was still the last one to speak to Cam. He was the person that told Cam to go away. That conversation between the two of them served the purpose to show what types of small things can make kids kill themselves. While Cam was obviously gloating about his night with Maya and that was wrong of him, Zig clearly had no intention of letting go easy of the situation. The best continuation would be a Zig storyline next, but I fear that Degrassi wrapped that up with Maya saying it wasn’t his fault.
Dallas: This was the best acting on Degrassi since Eli’s meltdown episodes. Honestly, Dallas really seemed to take Cam’s suicide the hardest which was really great to see. First off, Dallas’s unsympathetic stance towards Cam’s unhappiness was great. Seeing Dallas in traditional captain mode really started the plot well. And his selfishness in treating Cam the way he did to get a date with Alli made is character all the more jerk-y. But the second part is where Dallas shined the brightest. To begin, there was the student council scene. Having to hear kids who didn’t really know Cam talk about what he did and why he did it really hurt Dallas. Seeing him trying to bottle his anger and stay the captain kind of helped his breakdown seem more real. Then there was his breakdown in the hall. Like Maya, he was angry. Unlike her, he was angry at himself. Hearing Dallas say he ‘failed’ Cam flipped his character around. He wasn’t the jerk hockey star anymore but the affected friend of a suicide victim. Yelling at Alli, throwing the trash can, storming away. It all made Dallas seem real, like he finally couldn’t handle it. The rooftop scene was great. To hear a character talk about how upset he really is and get to that point is so real to how people affected by suicide are. This was also clearly a hint as to a later plot involving a possible kid for Dallas. I think that fact that he did break down was so dramatic that we finally see that person that was hinted at in previous episodes witih Katie and Fiona and Alli. This was awesome character development.
Eli: The first part of this episode with Eclare was simply to solidify Eclare as the power couple on Degrassi. They are together in it for the long run and trust each other entirely; there are no secrets. The diary was a plot device to move Eclare to the next step in their relationship and to, once again, show that nothing can break Eclare any longer. Of course, we know something is coming from all the promos for Eclare. That could be because Eli found Cam. I must say that the way Eli first reacted was so calm and protective of Clare that trauma is almost certain for him. Finding a dead boy isn’t an everyday thing that all kids just go through. This clearly opens the door for later Eli and, by extension, Eclare problems down the road as Eli deals with what he saw and how to move past it. I’m really looking forward to seeing Eli go through trauma and how that affects him especially considering all he’s gone through already.
Other reactions: I liked getting a glimpse of everybody’s reactions. Especially when their reactions get compared to Maya’s and Dallas’s. First of all, Katie. Her reaction was well played, being the protective and caring sister who is worried and just wants Maya to open up and be okay. Her sadness for Maya was nice to see. Then there was Tori and Tristan who we haven’t seen much of recently. I liked the fact that even though they weren’t necessarily Cam’s best friends they were affected too. Suicide affects everyone, your friends, your kind of friends, your school, everyone. Alli’s reaction to Cam’s suicide was okay. She was sad which is understandable but I wish she had seemed more remorseful over the fact that she had just seen him and obviously didn’t really help him the way he needed. But then again, she may still be in shock. My favorite other reactions were from Mo and Becky. First of all, Mo is one of those guys who tries to always lighten the mood. The fact that he didn’t know Cam makes all the sadness and guilt around him awkward so he tries to make it less uncomfortable to no avail. For people surrounded by the sadness for someone they don’t know, Mo seemed very relateable. Becky is my other favorite reaction because she takes a similar view to Maya even though she doesn’t know Cam. I liked her reaction because it is that blatant view that suicide is selfish and unreasonable. Her being the voice of so many about how its not a thoughtful act shows two things: one is that people judge suicide victims even when they don’t know them or why they did it or what they were going through and its generally not a positive view, and two is that suicide is selfish and should never be anyone’s choice, first or last (Degrassi’s message here).
Overall, this is probably one of the best third part season openers Degrassi has had in a very long time and I can’t wait to see the rest of the season play off everyone’s guilt and fears and ways of dealing and breakdowns. Cam’s suicide opens so many doors for so many characters. It was a sad episode about a sad reality, but a great way to start the block of this season.
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Has anyone ever told you you should be a critic? Seriously you’re on the same level as Kary. I do agree that this has been one of the best episodes Degrassi has done in a long time. What did you think of the ending with Maya and Tori?
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Honestly, I think I can accept the ending with Tori and Maya because, although rushed, such a tragic event realistically brings people together unexpectedly. While I hope Degrassi doesn’t just ignore the fact that Zig did cheat on Tori with Maya, I think giving Maya someone to lean on is a good thing. Had her and Tori not reunited, we wouldn’t get to see Maya interact with anyone other than maybe Katie and possibly Zig. Also, the scene of Tori and Tristan also proves that Tori still cared about Maya. We never really saw a relationship establish between Tori and Cam other than a few conversations and so we can assume that Tori, while upset over the death of a friend, is saddened for Maya. This all being said, their friendship is seemingly superficial and has fallen apart at every turn. If Degrassi does choose to ignore the lingering distrust and hurt on Tori’s part or guilt on Maya’s then this ending is a bit more problematic. Even though Maya is still going to be dealing with Cam’s death for a while, bringing in drama over pretty much her only friendship can enhance her stress and emotions.
Oh, and thanks for the kind comment. Just my thoughts that I thought I should share!
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I agree with everything except that Demetrius’ scenes were the best since Eli’s meltdown. No, just…no. The Dallas scenes were the best since maybe the original Craig’s breakdown. I mean Munro was just sooooo awful, OTT and hammy with anything dramatic in season 10/11. It was honestly cringeworthy (kind of hilarious too). I do think he’s learned to be much more subtle though. Anyway, Dylan and Demetrius both really kicked things up a notch.
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To each their own, I say.
However, the reason I say his scenes were the best since Eli’s breakdown is because they, similarly, felt very real. Because it’s a television show, just about any breakdown is over the top. That isn’t to say Munro’s scene was over the top, but just to say that I can understand why you might see it as overly dramatic. In my opinion, Eli’s meltdown wasn’t just his improved final scene, but a series of breaks throughout the season. So while Craig’s original breakdown was, as you would probably say, amazing. I think Eli’s breakdown brought a different type of progression throughout his appearances. Dallas’s breakdown is one of a completely different nature and so it is hard to compare to the others. For the simple reason that since Eli’s big spectacle we haven’t seen really any dramatic meltdowns that really tug at emotion (yes Cam had a small one in Rusty Cage but not anywhere near the size of Dallas’s and Eli’s), I would say ‘since Eli’s breakdown.’
But as I said, to each their own.
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FIrst off — I completely respect that you’ve enjoyed Munro’s performances. I do admit I haven’t watched the season 11 episodes leading up to Eli crashing his car in a while. Literally the only ep. that sticks in my mind is the prom ep. when Eli crashes his hearse, pounds his fist against a light pole and makes unbelievable contorted faces. Now I agree that you can’t directly compare Dallas’ and Eli’s plots…but they were called on for an emotional breakdown and thus some similar emotions. The thing is, I don’t feel Eli’s actions/reactions felt real at all in those episode and, like I said, I literally cringed while watching. OTOH, personally, I felt Demterius was able to convey anger, sadness, confusion and hopelessness authentically; it felt natural and resonated with me. Now Degrassi, as a series, is definitely over the top but Demitrius’ performance, to me, wasn’t. Eli’s actions during hearse-gate were OTT and unbelievable even when considering how crazy dramatic Degrassi is. I will admit that improved writing has made somewhat of a difference.
Eli’s “breakdown” plot called for something different but, still,similar emotions were at play. The image of Eli waiting for Clare on that bench before prom sticks in my mind. And yes, OTT (even knowing he’s bipolar). His performance, unlike Demetrius and Dylan’s didn’t ring true to me. It jarred me from the moment entirely. I still feel it was laughable (no disrespect!) with all Munro’s hammy fist slamming,hair tugging and weird out of place laughing (I’m bipolar, and I know every first manic episode manifests differently, but those scenes did not feel real in the slightest. His facial expression were ridiculous.
Now I do think some of this can be chalked up to the improved writing in season 12. If Munro hadn’t entered prior to season 11, his scenery chewing/overacting might not be an as much of issue.Who knows? On a positive note, I have enjoyed Eli/Munro much more recently and thought he played his role well in BSS. There was a balance and subtlety and I hope he keeps it up! And obviously I thought Demetrius was awesome – as was Olivia and, of course, Dylan in pt 1.
Ugh, sorry for the tangent and any typos! I was shocked by how impressed I was by the acting. Several times I said “damn, this is good! and not just “Degrassi” good!”.
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I am a junior in a large high school in NYC and one of the students at our school jumped in front of a train 3 months ago. I can say from this experience that the reactions of all the characters were completely spot on. The day at school after the suicide seemed almost identical to the way it was portrayed on Degrassi. It was refreshing to see Degrassi pull off a realistic issue in our current society.
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Kary, do you believe that the episode handled the suicide well considering how ambiguous it was? Its aftermath?
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I did, especially the immediate aftermath. I think the aftermath in the following episodes will be better than the aftermaths of Claude’s suicide and J.T.’s death, just based on the fact they’re putting more effort into it than they did with those two.
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I thought that as well. I just want to say thank you because I know you put alot of effort and hardwork into this episode review and I know it was going to be one of the most important ones given the episode’s nature.
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LOL, I’m STILL pissed about the aftermath of JT’s death, especially since Season 7 was made up of so many useless episodes. Luckily for the Camaya/Maya fans, they probably won’t be nearly as disappointed as the Jiberty/Liberty fans were.
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Yes I agree with you there…Season six and seven were disasters. But the subplot in the season 7 opener was interesting to me since we got an insight to how J.T.’s death affected Toby’s attitude towards Lakehurst merging. The problem was, like Kary said, the aftermath of his death had too much discontinuity. It was kind of expected since the second that the writers put focus on Mia’s selfishness and self-entitled attitude for grabbing J.T.’s possessions, after he died, is when I knew the aftermath would stink. Plus, the fact that they could not show J.T.’s memorial without putting Mia into the equation ruined the emotional effect as well given how Mia was annoying and poorly acted by Nina Dobrev.
But with Cam’s suicide story line, we get to see real emotions and REAL aftermaths. Dallas has already shown that with his guilt and many other people with their varied reactions. We might even get some extensive insight as to why Cam did it in the first place. Nevertheless, this is a promising story line and I am eager to see how it will affect Eli in next week’s episode.
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I apologize if this shows up twice, I’m having browser issues.
@matthew clout The thing that pissed me off the most about those seasons was that they did absolutely nothing with Liberty. I mean, she had feelings for him for years before they became official, he was her first sexual partner, she had his baby (and she was still hurting over giving him up), she’s the one who found him bleeding to death, he died on her birthday, and she found out after the fact that he was looking for her to tell her that he still loved her when he was stabbed. There were SO many directions the writers could have gone, yet they couldn’t even be bothered to give Liberty a friggin’ SUBPLOT after “The Bitterest Pill”. I do believe that if any of the other girls was JT’s love interest, we would have gotten a lot more, but just like the fans, the writers have their favorite and least favorite characters too. I guess that Paige serial dating, Sean and Emma’s sex life, Marco getting a bunny, Sav’s first kiss, Danny and Derek fighting over a boring girl, and a zillion useless Manny and Mia subplots were just more important.
I LOVED the Toby B-plot and I think that it would have worked pretty well as an A-plot.
Luckily, we can see from the promos that they’re obviously not going to screw Maya over storyline-wise when it comes to the aftermath of Cam’s death. Of couse, the fact that Maya is being groomed to be the next Emma/Clare does help.
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Beautifully said Kari.. I can’t wait to see how the repercussions of Cams suicide affects Maya & Eli.. As for Dallas I think he will be fine if I’m right he has little someone to look forward to later on. If Eli & Clare do break up it may have to with Eli healing and starting over with a new life at NYU. . Maya is the one I’m most worried about.
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I thought Snake’s acting was pretty poor, the way he told Maya and Katie seemed very fake and unbelievable. Which is sad, given that he’s so good normally. Otherwise said, it was a great episode, and the fact that they remained so illusive of how/why it happened made us feel exactly how it should have done: wanting answers but unable to get any.
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As a principal, he had to stay strong and not show any vulnerability. So for me, I believe Stefan chose the right approach by being simplistic with his acting. Plus, I do not have to inform you how bad that scene would have been if “The Shep” told Maya and Katie the news. Also, the fact that Snake suspended Cam for a week before he took his life must have hurt him on the inside as well. That mixed with the fact that Snake has dealt with witnessing suicide before makes it subtly ironic. Just wait until Eli’s meltdown then we’ll Snake’s emotions come into the equation.
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Overall I enjoyed the episode, but I think with a storyline such as suicide, they could have done a much better job. I just want to point out one comparison between Maya and Liberty. I totally understand that everyone grieves in their own way and that there is no “wrong” way to grieve, but I just cant wrap my mind around the fact that Maya wasnt a tad little more shocked. That doesnt mean she had to cry, but the second they told Maya that Cam was dead, she was like “I have to practice for my audition”. I would think she would have at least asked one question, but she was just so unphased and stoic. I want to point out that although JT didnt commit suicide, when he was killed, Liberty remained calm and poised at his funeral. I remember Mia asking Liberty “how can you not be crying, you are a robot”. Liberty’s character throughout the years was consistantly strong and I dont remember her to be emotional which is why her not showing her emotions at the funeral was expected. But Maya on the other hand has never been known to be this unemotional person. She is a musician and a songwriter. Maya is a deep, artistic person. She has never shyed away from saying how she feels or keep things to herself which makes her reaction to Cam’s death seem so wrong to me. I dont think the writers did a very good job with her reaction, as I previously said that they have already covered this kind of grief with Liberty. In my opinion, it was very out of character for Maya to react like that. She’s 14. This was her first real boyfriend. And like I said, she didnt have to cry to make it seem real, she could have done anything else like be angry or be shocked; anything, but completely unphased. I also think Cam’s death was somewhat anti-climactic because we didnt get to see any of his contemplation. His suicide stroyline had so much potential and I think the writers could have done a much better job. Overall, I would have given this episode a B-.
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Thanks Kary, your review was right on point and even helped me process the episode better.
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One thing that’sbeen bugging me since friday. Why in blazes are you gonna let the Hockey Captain whose teammate just killed himself stay on the freaking roof?!
I could believe that they didn’t know he was up there… if Fiona hadn’t heardsome random people talking about it.
Time was when the roof access was restricted at degrassi. A random kid makes his way up there JUST AFTER another kid commits suicide and NOBODY thinks to let a teacher know?
Like I said, it’s just something that’s been bugging me. Overall, I loved the episode.
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I’ve been waiting all weekend for you’re review (clearly I need a life) but I couldnt agree more. Season 12 has been great so far. Cnt wait for S13 now but I honestly dont believe the writers can get any better than this season w/o misleading us
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Hey Kary, I was just curious what your thoughts about Zig in these episodes were? I know he seems a little slow, but I feel like this is going to cause a substancial amount of guilt for him, which I hope the writers follow up on.
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Oh, Degrassi you have made me sad! I wish we could have seen Cam one more time, but I understand why they didn’t do that, so we would feel like the kids, thinking, so we’ll never get to see him again, ever? The finality of death.
They could not have chosen a better actor than Dylan Everett to play Cam. He really made me feel his desperation and anxiety. No one cries better on screen.
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Dear Kary,
I was “reviwing” some past episodes and do you ever think that Zig might have killed Cam?
In episode 25 season 13 Maya allows him to move in because he has no home. Then in the next episode Miles and Maya “take some time to think” and Zig tellls Maya that he did not want to wait. Then he leans in like he was going to kiss her then he says goodnight. I feel he kinda did cause Cam to kill himself and now just wants to get revenge on Maya or just wants to keep Maya to himself. But he is getting in between Miles and Maya’s relationship.
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[…] the details and the why of Cam’s death, but reviewer Kary, in his review of the episode on Degrassiblog.com, mentioned that this might have been the point of Cam’s character. In his review, he wrote […]
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