For all of commotion that the prior episode Honey caused, casting a dark cloud over the faith of many outraged Degrassi fans, things seemed to briefly spin around in Young Forever, which is clearly the best overall episode of season 13 up to this point. Young Forever is one of the few Degrassi episodes where there aren’t multiple storylines happening. We see the perspectives of various characters (Drew, Becky and Clare), but ultimately everything in the episode is centered around mourning the death of Adam and honoring his memory. This episode will only have one grade, but I’ll recap each perspective individually.
DREW: Devastated by the death of Adam, Drew lashes out at Becky at Adam’s funeral, blaming her for his death. Neither Dallas nor Bianca can console Drew, who wants to be alone and takes off. While wandering the city Drew watches a tribute video Eli and Clare made and sees how happy Adam was with Becky. That night Drew shows up at the memorial bonfire where he apologizes to Becky and refuses to say goodbye to Adam, because he will always remember him.
BECKY: Becky plans a memorial for Adam because she wants Adam to be remembered. She gets help from Jenna, Alli and Connor setting it up, however no one shows up. Just when she’s about to tear everything down a large group of people show up, led by Dallas, Bianca, Imogen and Dave. Drew arrives at the memorial that night and apologizes to Becky for snapping at her at Adam’s funeral. He asks her what they should do next, and she says they should make Adam’s death mean something.
CLARE: Unable to attend Adam’s funeral, Clare can’t find the right words to say to Adam on his memorial page on Facerange. Instead, she comes up with the idea for her and Eli to create a tribute video for Adam. While browsing through video footage, Clare learns that her cancer has gone into remission. As the time for Clare and Eli to leave for Adam’s memorial approaches, Clare tells Eli that she can’t go: she feels guilty that she survived while Adam died, but Eli comforts her and the two eventually head to Adam’s memorial.
What you instantly notice about Young Forever is how thoughtful and planned out the episode feels. The episode has a very clear goal, which is to remember and celebrate Adam’s life, and it never strays from that. Even Clare’s cancer going into remission takes a backseat, as she begins to experience survivor guilt.
Everyone executes their role on point. Luke Bilyk’s fantastic acting in Honey carries over into Young Forever. It’s heartbreaking watching him in a position where he’s not okay emotionally, and there’s nothing anyone can do to help him, not even Bianca. Sarah Fisher is also strong, as well a Demetrius, who’s mastered Dallas as a strong support character.
Continuity can be an issue on Degrassi at times, but the show gladly accepts the challenge in Young Forever, as little things go a long way to making this episode feel natural. From having characters who are no longer regulars (Bianca and Dave) make a guest appearance, to having other characters who couldn’t appear send their condolences digitally (Mo and Fiona), Degrassi hammers home the idea that Adam really did leave a huge mark on the people around him. This episode is full of tear-inducing moments as the Degrassi community comes together to remember one of its own.
The awkwardness of Honey left a foul taste in the mouth’s of the show’s fan base, who believed the show was treating Adam’s death as if it were a joke.
We get quite the opposite here, as Young Forever seems to carefully craft an entire episode with more authenticity and detail than what we could expect to see in any given standard episode.
While Degrassi generally gives a lot of its characters sendoffs nowadays, very few in the history of this franchise have had the luxury of a sendoff episode so thorough and intent on celebrating said character’s legacy.
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In case you were wondering…
In my review I mentioned enjoying the little moments of continuity that popped up throughout the episode…here’s a list of my favorite “little moments” that made a big difference:
*Bianca asks why the doctors couldn’t save Adam, and Becky delivers exactly the kind of response you would expect: “I guess Jesus just wanted him close.”
*Becky’s at the funeral with no knowledge of the fact Adam was trying to contact her when he crashed (until Drew tells her).
*After the funeral, Alli receives a text message from Leo, which she promptly ignores.
*We get a shot of Clare’s computer and see Mo has written his condolences on the wall of Adam’s memorial page on Facerange.
*When Drew’s at home after the funeral, he’s sitting there playing video games (one of Adam’s favorite activities).
*Eli and Clare browse through footage of Adam impersonating Clare for the #StuffClareSays video that was made last year.
*Dallas walks up to the memorial with a skateboard, while Dave walks up with headphones in hand.
*The montage where we see Connor/Dave interact for the first time in ages
*Eli references the party Adam threw for Fiona in the season 10 episode “Halo.”
*Just as Mo did, Fiona also sends her condolences by posting on Adam’s Facerange page:
*In a tribute video where Adam is asked where he’ll be in 10 years, Adam references the time he hit on Bianca in “My Body Is A Cage.”
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Earlier….
Below are the thoughts I originally posted before reviewing this episode:
I honestly can’t come up with anything thoughtful about everything that’s transpired in the last episode, as well as the reaction of the fandom since. There’s just too many different moving parts to address, and I don’t even know where to begin putting them all together in a way that makes for a coherent analysis of what’s happened.
There are things we have no clue about that influenced decisions made. There are things that should’ve been handled differently. I’ve spent the past week regularly reading the thoughts swirling around the Degrassi fandom. That in itself is draining. There’s still a lot of emotion. There are people from many angles making valid points about their position. There are also people posting absurdly-irrational thoughts to the point where their message is lost in the noise they’re spouting. Epitome’s getting ripped a new asshole by its own fandom, but the fact that filming is on a hiatus couldn’t have come at a better time if they were planning to hide from the fandom’s wrath.
In terms of where Degrassi should go next, I’m not really sure. Degrassi will return to “business as usual” when it returns in the fall, but what about the future? Yes, there should most definitely be another transgender character on the show. There’s no denying being frustrated, thinking about all of the things they could’ve covered with Adam, but didn’t. For the love of God, we found out while he was in the hospital that he’d finally started his hormone treatments. However, I think it’d be ridiculous to add one so soon after Adam’s death (this is in direct reference to an insightful, must-watch video by Lyra, a trans* woman, where at one point she demands the show add one within the next year). The perception is that Degrassi hastily killed off Adam, so why on earth would we want them to hastily write another trans character into the show in what would come off as a move simply to appease those outraged by Adam’s death? (Unless bringing on another one is part of a plan they’ve already thought about or are putting in motion…remember they’ve already written a huge chunk of the 32 episodes that remain in season 13 after this block. If that’s what they’re doing that’s fine, but I’m saying they shouldn’t up and alter whatever it is they’ve planned to force a new trans character into the fold).
Sometimes the show has a clear direction for where they want to take new characters (ex: Cam), but many times they introduce characters, then decide whether or not to expand their roles/give them storylines for various reasons. Degrassi cannot afford to add a trans character to the show just for the sake of having one. They must be a character with a purpose, because with how conscientious viewers will be with any trans character introduced from this point forward, there won’t be any room for error. For now, I hope they were serious when they said Adam will “have a huge impact on our Degrassi community” as the season progresses.
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Kary's Degrassi Blog 
I know sudden tragic deaths can change peoples perspective and there persona especially in families and friends. Some people will be fine as others will look into there life. The hardest part is closure. I have known parents that have broken up because one can face the fact there kid has died. I have known teen friends who broke up with there significant other because they live to far away. It also can bring people closer… Hopefully 13B does touch these subjects like in 12C but better. The fandom is angry and they feel lost.
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I’ve seen all of that as well. With there being 30+ episodes left in the season, there’s no excuse for those things to not be lingering issues various characters deal with.
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Not to beat a dead horse, but they had plenty of episodes after “The Bitterest Pill” to touch on JT’s death and they failed epically. This was especially infuriating, because… well, you saw the rest of Season 6 and all of Season 7, LOL. I have a feeling that they’ll do better this time around, not just because Adam was a groundbreaking character, but because three of the people that were close to him (Drew, Clare, Eli) are favorite characters of the writers. I firmly believe that this is a factor in how much screentime certain characters get or don’t get.
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Kary, cheers for identifying the complexity of the situation DeGrassi finds itself in . I wonder if the writers and producers anticipated the fallout from the last episode. In my opinion, I believe it’s time for DeGrassi to decide whether or not they are going to be a show for entertainment or if they just want to be a series of expensive public service announcements.
Over the past 3 or 4 years, through the platform of social media, DeGrassi has opened all facets of the show for discussion. They regularly talk about the writing room, motives and thoughts during production, along with encouraging fans to be cyber-involved with cast and crew. I’ll be anxious to see how they posture themselves after this episode tonight.
Hopefully, they will allow pointed questions about options they discussed while writing 13/7. Is death on the table now for characters nearing the end of their contracts, or has it always been? Anyway, you get the point. Like they say, any publicity is better than none. I’m betting that if anything, ratings will improve tonight. It’s just going to be interesting to watch it all unfold….
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This show has been going down-hill ever since TBP, I’m sure this show will be on for a few more season, because it is carrying Teennick. But I think this show has lost a lot of its credibility. Its completely turned into a Disney show. I don’t see how anyone could say differently.
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the boiling point was the best season since 3 or the first half of 4.
i feel the weekly halves of the seasons really hurt the show’s seasons. (TBP, now or never, and showdown were great, the .5s of those were pretty lackluster, 12b was bad but 12C was good).
this season’s been pretty lackluster thus far, but maybe they’ll improve in the fall.
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The boiling point was not that great at all IMO, I liked season 11, and loved season 12. Season 13 started off kind of boring, but this drama has me heavily invested. I don’t know if its because I lost my sister in 2010 unexpectedly or because my grandma recently passed away, but this episode had me crying extremely bad, and it was as moving as it could be. Season 10 and 11 never have done this, and season 12 was great.
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Not sure if I understand the Disney comment, but do agree about DeGrassi being the anchor of Teen Nick. I believe it’s the only original programming they have and it’s only a minority stake at that. What Teen Nick has going for it is that not a whole lot is expected of it. I do imagine that MTV won’t wait too much longer before it does another makeover. The only thing they’ve done in the past 4 years is play Nick re-runs, DeGrassi, and it’s 2 hour 90’s block they play at night, which has more or less been a success. Ratings are passable. My point is, once MTV starts to pay attention, watch-out. From Variety, it was Much Music that was against the novella format this summer. I think that was a bad move. But, DeGrassi has still managed to make some noise this summer, but at what cost? Like I said, going to be interesting to watch behind the screen this coming year. (probably more interesting than on-screen the way it’s going!)
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I was happy that this episode they gave Adam a nice send off. It made up for the way they handled his character the whole season. I don’t know where degrassi goes from here and how powerful it will be in the fall but I’m interested to see how Becky, Drew and some of the other characters incorporate the lesson of Adam’s death into their lives.
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Within a year isn’t unreasonable. And honestly, it shouldn’t be this hard to include representation. It shouldn’t, but for some reason it is. I understand where you’re coming from. But I also think if they’re listening at all to their fans, and they care about the people who have very validly said this was a mistake, they will rewrite some of what they have, or they will put things into motion. They don’t have the scripts for one year in advance written. They don’t have the start of season 14 written, so in one year’s time, there should at least be signs of a new trans character on the show.
If anything, to give those who identified with Adam what this took away: hope.
As for me personally, the hiatus has come at the perfect time. I need a break from Degrassi, and I’m not sure if I’ll be coming back. I’ve watched it since the beginning, but Adam and honestly Cam as well have made me question if I can ever love it as I have. If this is what they’re going to do with characters who’ve given so many people drive and inspiration, I don’t want to be around to see them do it again, especially since with the reaction to criticism via twitter, Facebook, and Tumblr that they’ve given.
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They should already have the wheels in motion to have a new character on the show for the future, but my point was more that the person who created that video kind of came off as implying that the show needs to add a new trans character right now as retribution for killing off Adam. I believe the show can do it, but I also don’t want them to just up impulsively add a trans character this season, which could lead to them putting forth a half-assed effort into him or her and them just hanging around as the show’s “token trans kid.” And mainly I don’t want them to add one in season 13 (which will consume a MASSIVE amount of that year, from now until early next summer), that is unless they’ve already planned to do so. The show should start brainstorming sessions for season 14 over the winter, as early as this December, and they normally seem to ask fans for ideas that they’ll throw around in their meetings. I wonder if they’ll ask fans this year knowing the #1 thing hands down people will be asking for is the addition of another transgender character? But you’re right, if there’s no signs in season 14 that they plan on adding a new trans character to the show, there will most definitely be a problem.
I have no plans to stop watching the Degrassi. I think running this blog and other various things keep me far more interested in the show than I would be if all I had to do was turn on the TV and watch every week. But honestly, I’m glad the hiatus is here and it couldn’t have come soon enough. I just don’t understand how the show went from being pretty good in season 12 to being a mess in season 13. Young Forever showed they haven’t forgotten how to write, but the question is can they do it consistently with these 30-minute weekly episodes? Here’s to hoping the show gets its crap together this October.
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Kary did you see my post regarding the whole should they or should they not have another transgender on the show. And do you feel like the writers should have the seniors graduate this season. I do. For someone who loves specific details, the timeline has seriously gone off the rails. Not to mention, I feel like this season will be more like seasons 8 and 9 which everybody seemed to hate and they will need a fresh start when it comes to season 14. If the seniors do graduate, it will eliminate half the cast. leaving only this season’s tenners which I think is a good thing. they need a smaller cast again.
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The setup this season has been far different than what they’ve done in a while…summer stuff happening in the summer, and now school will start back again in the fall. I don’t pay attention to the timeline because it’s irrelevant, and has been since season 7. But it does look like they could set up this season to where they could actually cover an entire school year by the end of the season. At this point I wouldn’t mind seeing the seniors graduating at the end of this season!
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Kary,
Just thinking out loud here, but the writers and producers obviously anticipated the reaction of fandom when killing off Adam when so many other avenues were available to write out his part. I’m also pretty confident that they consulted the groups most likely to react to his character leaving. That said, to bring in another trans character this season or next would seem to be just pandering to a special interest group. My thought is there will be something else that will fill the gap and divert attention away from this issue. They are not about to shoot themselves in the foot over something that they could have easily avoided.
Then again, who knows, it’s not beyond them to go off on a tangent without a clear path back either!
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kary you should give your review of the whole summer block! u da bomb nigga!
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I will soon!
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What pisses me off the most about all these crazy fans that are boycotting the show is that…. Jordan wanted off!!!
People aren’t reading between the lines. Her contract was up….. SHE chose not to renew it and it just so happened that the Degrassi writers were asked to do a texting and driving storyline which made Adam the perfect candidate.
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thank you! finally someone with a brain! i don’t understand why they’re making such a big deal about Adams death. People die every day! Being transgendered shouldn’t get you special treatment on a tv show! Come one people quit being ridiculous! Theres a reason why they killed of Adam! And for those who say you’ve been fans since the beginning and are now not gonna watch the show because of this, then you were never real fans!
Quit your bitching and just wait to see what the rest of season 13 has to offer. I’m sure the writers are working hard to get back on “fans” good terms again.
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I wonder if they looked into the feasibility of leaving Adam out of the summer episodes and having him reappear in September, having been on hormone therapy for some time and recast with a male actor?
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I, along with many others, am glad that this block is over and am looking forward to the hiatus to let the dust settle. I’m hoping that once we get back to Degrassi in October, this weird flow that has made the season terrible thus far will be gone, and the strong stories and acting that we saw throughout Season 12 will return.
This episode in particular, though, I found to be fantastic. It was a brilliant sendoff for one of Degrassi’s most beloved characters. The creators seemed to have learned their lesson from the J.T. debacle and gave Adam the celebration he deserved. It did, however, showcase one of the downsides to the 30 minute episode format, at least for me: Drew and Bianca’s jumps from blaming Becky to moving toward healing seemed a little too fast. I know that everyone goes through the grieving process differently and the writers did the best they could with the time constraint, but I wish that even a full day passed between the funeral and bonfire. I did like the idea that the love everyone had for Adam could break down walls, so maybe that was why they stopped playing the blame game so quickly.
Clare’s guilt was well portrayed and important to address, as it gives Clare the chance to live for Adam. Her mention that he was the one who got her through the summer broke my heart, and the tribute video was beautiful. I’m happy that even though we didn’t see much of Clare and Eli interacting with Adam last season, the summer block reminded us that they were still great friends.
Luke Bilyk gets all the applause for another stellar performance this week. I could feel the pain of losing a sibling in his words and movements. Am I the only one who could see him walking into oncoming traffic while he was looking down at his phone on the side of the street? I was kind of panicking that whole scene, doing my best to not shout at the screen, “Look where you’re going!” I’m looking forward to seeing what Drew’s character goes through after the loss of his brother. He’s going to have a busy and stressful year already if he plans to graduate in June and be an effective student body president. I haven’t looked to see which episodes Alicia will be in, but I hope she continues to be a rock for Drew. I want to see Dallas as support for Drew as well, but also want to know how he is dealing, especially since he’s now lost two people close to him in less than a year.
To me, the bonfire was a perfect tribute to Adam’s life. The filming was fantastic, as I felt like I was there, mourning with all my friends.
All in all, this episode gave me hope that the next block can be stronger than this one was.
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i can’t find a torrent for this episode, where can i watch it?
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I don’t know about this. I thought the episode was contrite and many of the lines were quite cliche and played out. I get what you mean about the different perspectives and that was good, but it felt rushed when i feel it should have been longer and showed more aspects, like maybe a character who would not necessarily be morning but be incredibly angry at Adam and what he did ( this does not reflect me feelings on Adam, because I quite liked the character. I just felt the episode felt trite and i would love to see more mentions and effects of Adam’s death to show continuity and fluidity.
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I smoked a blunt and reviewd degrassi tonight! tell me watchu guys think please!
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Don’t quit your day jobs. (assuming you have one!)
See ya in October
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Just watched the episode, and have to say that it was definitely the best of this season. I wish they would have done either an hour episode, or maybe have a special after talking about how Adam impacted the show, since to me he was the most important character Degrassi has ever had. I know during the episode where Cam committed suicide, I shed a few tears, but this one was even more emotional. Would love to know how each actor was impacted by Adam on the show, but for me his character has made me look at transgenders differently, and I for one hope they do have another trans character, but this time, maybe have one who is male-to-female (…then too, maybe that’s where they are going with Tristan). I do hope that they feature Becky more in the next part of the season, maybe show her helping others cope with Adam’s death and maybe someone else be a Christian.
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“I for one hope they do have another trans character, but this time, maybe have one who is male-to-female (…then too, maybe that’s where they are going with Tristan).”
Just because Tristan is flamboyant and gay it doesn’t mean he wants to be female or that he identifies as a female. You may have meant no harm, but the assumption is a bit ignorant.
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I definitely meant no harm, just thinking out loud. If I did offend anyone, sorry. But, the reason I said this, and thinking more on it, is the fact that, before this block aired, Adam wasn’t going to be on afterwards. I’m thinking maybe the reason they changed Tristan’s character so much so quick is part of a future plan. I liked his character in S12, but for some reason just couldn’t watch when he was on. I do think it would be interesting to watch if they do plan on transitioning him into a transgender character, since he has a ton of potential.
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I think these past few episodes were very well written and memorable. The memo of this whole story isn’t just about the consequences of texting and driving, there’s another theme to it – how life can be so tragic so quickly and death can come so randomly.
When JT died, there was buildup because of the rivalry between the two schools and how he was pretty much at the center of it. When Cam committed suicide, he obviously struggled all season. When Adam died, there really was no buildup, it just came out of nowhere, and while a lot of you disagree with me and think that’s a bad thing, I feel like that’s a good thing because it accurately portrays how random and tragic life can be.
A lot of you also disagree with me about how Honey was written. I think that the way they handled Adam’s plot in Honey was good, but the other plots were kind of eh. When it comes to Adam’s plot though, everyone was convinced that his prognosis was good, he’d make it out of surgery, and then in the last moment of the episode, he ends up dead. One second, Drew is talking to him about telling Becky how he feels. Next second Drew is talking to him while unconscious. One second, they’re waiting for him to get out of surgery, next second, he’s gone. The fact that he had the C-Plot helped build that suspense, and I don’t think it was disrespectful to him or anyone at all.
Then it comes to the aftermath – Young Forever, and man, this episode truly was a masterpiece. I honestly feel like this is on the list of one of the very best episodes of Degrassi. Although we didn’t get to see immediate reactions of characters like Eli, or Becky when she finds out the news, since the episode started at the end of the funeral, the two main characters it affected – Drew and Becky – had their parts played really well by their portrayors. Even the people who were given a more minor focus in this episode, like Clare, and how she revealed her cancer was in remission, didn’t overshadow what the whole episode was about. What I love about some of the lines they mentioned in this episode, like Dallas saying “everyone loved the dude” in the beginning is that it was 100% true – it literally affected so many people because he’s interacted with so many people in his years on show.
The continuity in Young Forever, while minor, was also really good. Fiona mentioning a post on the RIP Adam page, because she dated Adam and was really good friends with Drew in S12, was naturally close to the Torres’s. Mo was bandmates with Adam, and he left a post on the page. Even Eli referenced the similarities of the bonfire to the party Adam threw for Fiona in Halo. Those little things here and there were some of the things that made this episode even better, in my opinion.
Overall, I know a lot of you disagree with a lot of what I said in the beginning, but I think that Adam’s death was handled really well and I applaud the writers for the last 3 episodes. The only way they can screw up here is by making it look like Drew and Becky (mainly, but everyone else really) already moved on by 13B and for the rest of the season. My grade for Young Forever is an A+ – it was truly a masterpiece.
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Words cannot express how great this episode is and the fact that it’s completely superior to the episode that happened after J.T.’s death, The Bitterest Pill. In the latter episode, the writers had a hard time avoiding the b.s. drama and did not portray the aftermath and emotions from his friends well enough. With Forever Young, it is the exact opposite. Fantastic acting, writing, and directing. This is without a doubt the best episode of Degrassi Season 13.
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Yeah, one thing that ruined TBP was that awful Ellie subplot. Seriously writers, WTF? I haven’t watched this episode, but I can tell it’s better already.
I still insist that the aftermath of JT’s death would have been handled much better if any other characters were JT’s best friend and the mother of his child.
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Yeah that Ellie subplot was pointless and one of the worst in my honest opinion. It just goes to show the level of inconsistency that Degrassi was at during those seasons.
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The other thing that may have been an issue (but don’t take my word 100% since I didn’t watch the ones before Season 1), was the fact that it was the first major character killed off, and it was hard dealing with it just right. My two cents, take it or leave it lol
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AddedConnerIsKary, I Agree With You About This Episode But I Stil Feel That This Episode Didn’t Make Up For The Lackluster Summer Block. The Entire block Felt Like Filler Or Build Up Episodes For Ths Rest Of The Reason. I Don’t Mind Some Filler Or Build Up But An Entire Block Is To Much. You Keep Waiting For Something That Never Happens. In An Earlier Post Kary, You Said This Block Felt Off And I Really Think It’s Because The Storylines Really Went No Where (Except Clares). For Example Maya/Tristan/Miles/Zoe Was Ok But I Was Just A Setup For The Drama Ahead But It Went To Long And Became Dreary And Dull (Same With Alli As Well). The Writers Really Needed Some Extra Stuf To Help Carry And Enhance The Other Stuff, For Example Alli’s Best Episode Of Her Plot Was When The Stuff With Jenna And Conner Was Added Because It Added Extra And New Dynamic To A Drawn Out Plot
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Ignore The Addedconneris Part At The Very.Beginning, Not Sure What.happened.there
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What’s Up With All The Capital Letters? Makes It Very Hard To Read…
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Man this review is on point! This was one of the great episodes in the history of the series and Luke Bylick gave a career-defining performance.
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Am I the only one who was mad about the fact that we didn’t see anything from Katie, Zig or Maya at Adam’s memorial page. I’m also mad that the rest of Clare’s family weren’t there for her treatment. Her dad, Jake, Jake’s dad or even Darcy. I mean nothing, no fake phone call, no post cards. Are they pretending they don’t exist anymore. Also still cant believe Adam is dead. And this for me was a very emotional episode and definitely a proper send off.
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I honestly feel like they SHOULDN’T add another transgender character to the show. Not because it wouldn’t be cool and make up for more storylines, but because I think Adam was THAT special. He made television history for goodness sake’s. There are some issues on the show that only need to be one and done for instance suicide, school shootings, transgender teens. These issues are incredibly special and delicate, not just for degrassi but for television in general. Come on we know how recycled storylines are in this show. They’re good at first but never good the second and third time around, for instance drug abuse, death and pregnancy. the only reason we liked the jenna pregnancy is because we saw jenna and kc deal with being parents and later giving Tyson up for adoption. and while adam dying was really sad, it didn’t have the same impact because we had just had a popular character die six months earlier. Same thing with the Alli/Leo abuse storyline. It will be sad to watch a favorite character go through something like that, but it wont’ have the same impact as when Terri and Fiona went through it. If they want to do another storyline like adam again, I feel like the character should be androgynous. Same feel but without feeling recycled and having the character constantly being compared to adam.
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At this point I think they refuse to acknowledge Darcy for the lulz.
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Many of the people leaving reviews on here have excellent points. I love this blog simply for the fact that a viewer, whether new or long-time, can discuss this show in a serious and thoughtful manner!
You have to give the writers/producers enormous credit here, because they had to make a quality episode for the viewers after the events of Honey. Keeping that all in mind, they also had to do this with the backdrop of all of us basically knowing what the entire plot of the episode would be about before it even aired. This was easily the strongest episode of the summer block, although Honey and the premiere were good as whole episodes in my own opinion. I think this goes to show that the writers and producers DO have the ability to keep churning out solid, complete episodes like they did for a long stretch in Season 12. It’s just a matter of consistency, and I hope that they can keep it up going into the fall.
Adam was around long enough and had accumulated a large enough fan-base to deserve a well thought out exit from the show. I know, the texting and driving issue death will always be decried by hardcore Adam fans, but it IS a real problem that teens face, and not always with the best of outcomes. This will always be the stark contrast with the death of Cam just a few months before. While the character of Cam became popular with viewers quickly during his short stint on Degrassi, he was only on the show for roughly two thirds of a single season with one purpose in mind. At the same time, Adam had been on for a MUCH longer period of time, since Season 10 if I’m not mistaken. Before any Cam Saunders fangirls attack me for that comment, just think it over a bit when you compare the two characters’ timelines during their tenures on the show.
The only concern I had with Jordan Todosey’s exit from the show was that it came so close after another character’s death that it may have been overshadowed or possibly lost some of its shock effect. I am happy I was proven wrong on this when many viewers WERE legitimately surprised that Adam had died in surgery. She was a good actor that will be sorely missed because of how well liked her character was and how well she portrayed a unique teen situation on this show. It’s a shame that she wanted off the show and her contract wasn’t renewed, but I wish her the best of luck in the future.
Luke Bilyk’s acting here was simply excellent. This may very well be the trademark performance during his whole time on the show. Drew’s behavior was believable and Luke sold it wonderfully. In all fairness, there were cliché lines in this episodes, but overall this episode will rank high compared to any others since DNG became just “Degrassi”. Also, Demetrius Joyette has once again seemed to fit in very well in a support role this week, showing that his acting skills have definitely been recognized by the Degrassi staff and are being put to good use. I look forward to seeing what Degrassi’s staff puts together for their fall block in a month or so, so here’s to hoping for the best while preparing for the worst!
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This episode was amazing! Way better than the rest of season 13! Adam had a nice send off! Luke’s acting was really good! I’m happy Clare’s cancer is in remission! It was nice to see Bianca n Dave! Becky was really sad and handling it really well though! Adam will be missed!
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It was GREAT to see Jahmil again! I’ve always liked his character, but honestly I don’t know how much they will use him this year. It would be a shame not to use him considering it is Dave’s senior year. If I had to guess we won’t see very much of Bianca since she will be off at college, but I’m sure she will be doing cameos alongside Drew as his graduation nears at the end of the school year. I totally agree with you that this block finale blew the doors off what they had already aired for Season 13. Hopefully the producers can keep it up!
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I’m not sure what happened with Jahmil and DeGrassi. Maybe someone else knows. It just seems as if he may not be in the good graces anymore. At one time I read that he wasn’t sure he would be back this series, but I guess he is. His character, Dave, always seemed a bit one dimensional to me, but he was also more true to real life compared to some of the other characters. It’s like they tried to feature him in some “A” plots, but they never really took off.
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