MAYA/ZIG PLOT RECAP: Maya wants to create an art exhibit with Zig to keep him out of trouble. She’s even more determined to get him involved once she finds out that Zig is involved with a gang and selling drugs. One day she discovers weed in Zig’s bag and flushes it down the drain. When Zig finds out he’s furious, because now he owes gang members money for it. Maya gives Tiny money for the drugs, hoping it will clear Zig’s debt and allow him to quit working for the gang. However, the gang still asks him to run errands. Maya, desperate to keep Zig from meeting up with the gang, kisses him and he agrees not to go.
“I just don’t wanna see him throw his life away.”
I might be completely wrong about this by the time everything is all said and done, but when Maya repeatedly says she’s not interested in Zig in “that way,” I believe her.
Her actions have been consistent since Zig’s character reappeared in You Got Me. She never seems interested in him as more than a friend. And as his friend, Maya’s become completely obsessed with trying to protect him.
In Sparks Will Fly, we saw that the death of Cam still weighs on Maya’s mind. It affects the way she views her relationships with those around her. For two people who come from completely different backgrounds, Miles and Zig have one thing in common: Maya’s fear that they will self destruct, and ultimately end up like Cam.
In You Are Not Alone we see Maya is hellbent on keeping Zig out of trouble. It’s the reason why she suggests she and Zig spearhead the Degrassi Panorama. “To keep him busy,” Maya says when asked why she’s so adamant about getting Zig involved.
At long last we see what Zig’s been up to: Tiny’s in a gang who’s looked after Zig since his parents kicked him out. However, all of that has come with a price; for their help and protection Zig has been doing “odd jobs” for them (aka selling drugs and other gang-related activity). Maya thinks you can simply walk away from that life, but rarely is it that simple. Upon finding the weed in Zig’s bag Maya has the best of intentions as she flushes the drugs down the drain. However, she’s unaware that how she’s going about protecting Zig is actually placing him in even more danger. Grace explains the dynamics of gang life to Maya, who then decides to give Tiny $300 in exchange for letting Zig off the hook. When this doesn’t work, she kisses Zig and begs him not to meet up with the gang.
There’s this glamorous idea of friendship that we have in our minds, that a friend will be there for you and they will help you, and their help and support will make everything alright.
Degrassi is crapping all over that concept in this storyline.
Don’t get me wrong, Maya’s heart is absolutely in the right place, but as the episode progresses the steps she takes to keep Zig safe make the situation worse than it was to begin with. Even with Zig’s gang ties, the biggest misstep came when Maya kissed Zig. She knows he likes her. She’s desperate to keep him from winding up dead. The kiss has zero romantic value on her end, but it’s going to make Zig believe she’s interested in him. Learning that she lead him on could crush Zig, sending him deeper into the life that Maya’s trying to pull him out of. This is a friendship storyline that’s become complicated, enough to keep my attention from beginning to end.
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WINSTON/FRANKIE PLOT RECAP: Winston starts up a comic book club with the hopes that he’ll be able to meet the girl of his dreams. He’s freaked out when he learns that Miles’ sister Frankie has joined the club. After thinking that she joined the club just to mess with him, he finds out that she actually likes him and the two share a kiss.
When it comes to Winston and Frankie I have two thoughts: on one hand, their story is quite relatable. You’ve got a classic tale of a semi-forbidden romance between someone’s best friend and their sibling. We’ve all been there, either having a crush on a sibling’s friend or someone’s sibling having a crush on you.
On the other hand, it’s difficult to immediately buy into this budding romance given that we know so little about them as individuals.
The good news is Winston and Frankie have a long-established history, even if it’s all happened off screen. “I’ve known you since you were five, and I’ve never seen you read a single comic book,” Winston says. Just like in this episode, he’s always viewed her as Miles’ annoying little sister who’s always getting in the way. As he sees her in a bikini (presumably for the first time at this age), it’s funny watching how Winston’s perception of Frankie instantly changes. Have you ever had that type of self-aware moment where you realize, at that exact moment, that your opinion of someone has changed drastically?
Winston was under this notion that Frankie is just trying to make him look dumb, but it turns out she likes him. “Miles can never know about this,” they both say after sharing a kiss. They’re young and inexperienced, a refreshing pace from the veteran characters we see jumping from relationship to relationship. But the big question is will Winston and Frankie reach that point where they’re an item? Miles might be the only thing that’s standing in their way.
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CLARE PLOT RECAP: After her breakup with Eli and rejection at the hands of Drew, Clare decides to train for a triathlon. Jack coaches the Triathlon Club and ends up inviting Clare to join an axe-throwing league. Since Jack’s a lesbian, Alli gives Clare the notion that Jack might be interested in her. However, Jack informs Clare that she’s not interested and the two become friends.
This plot is really simple: Clare is looking for a distraction, and finds one in physical activity. It gives her a way to work out all of the anger she’s built up, especially toward Drew. We’ve all been there, using things in our lives to distract us from the nonsense that stresses us out.
The only major knock on the plot at this point might be Alli planting the see in Clare’s mind that Jack might be developing feelings for her. It didn’t really add anything significant to the plot, so I don’t see why it was added into the story. Anyone who watches the show regularly enough to know the logistics of how things are going to play out in the near future know that Jack liking Clare isn’t plausible.
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Kary's Degrassi Blog 
I don’t know if you noticed or not Kary but there was at least a stereotype or assumption in each storyline somewhat whether it be major or minor.
Maya/Zig: This is straight up said by Zig when talking to Drew and Dallas.
Dallas: “The rubber room kids? Aren’t they the reason our lockers keep getting searched?”
Zig: “I’m sorry, did you tie your shoes this morning?”
Dallas: “Excuse me?”
Zig: “Well, I just mean being a dumb jock that Velcro might be more your speed. Doesn’t feel good to be judged by false reputation does it?”
Winston/Frankie: This happens in the scene with Zoe, Tristan and Winston.
Tristan: “Frankie got international super spy, Living in a mansion, Driving a Maybach, Married to… you”
Winston: “Doesn’t sound so bad.”
Zoe: “Except you may be the shack of the guys.”
Tristan: “Drew, Dallas, Blake, all hotties.”
Zoe: “And you’re the dud.”
This indicates that they think Frankie would never be interested in Winston simply because she doesn’t look like/act like a geek/nerd.
Clare: This is said in the scene with Alli and Clare after Clare hangs out with Jack.
Clare: “It was so cool out in the woods, we had beer and tossed axes. It was just a bunch of ladies and no one mentioned guys even once.”
Alli: “Yeah because aren’t all those girls gay?”
Clare: “Are they? I don’t know…so what?
Alli: “So maybe you’ll find yourself with some new suitors.”
Clare: “Because it’s crazy to think they’d wanna hang out with me just because I’m fun to be around.”
This indicates an assumption that because Jack is gay any girl she talks to she MUST have a crush on which we obviously find out is not true at the end of the episode.
Just something I noticed which I found interesting and wanted to share with you. :)
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Not only did I notice that, but I also noticed every plot had a “club” theme as well as a theme about the characters receiving some kind of emotional support (hence the name of the episode lol). I really liked the fact that all of the plots had similar themes, it’s something Degrassi Junior High did all the time back in the 80’s.
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Interesting! :) Also, who’s the other “hottie” – Blake? A new character?
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Why is it not plausible for Jack to like Claire? Claire has nice boobs.
Date: Wed, 4 Jun 2014 08:32:00 +0000 To: lornefreeman@hotmail.com
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I believe Kary is referring to the fact that Jack will clearly be getting involved with Imogen plot-wise and romantically in the near future, whilst Clare will be contending to the Eli/Drew dilemma.
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Exactly!
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I’m actually surprised that Jack doesn’t like Clare, since every guy she comes across automatically falls at her feet for some inexplicable reason (this inexplicable reason being that she’s an annoying drama queen, BTW). I wouldn’t be at all surprised if the writers had girls fall for the Mary Sue too.
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The Frankie/Winston plot is so refreshing and so cute!
Zig/Maya has got me interested for what is in store for the rest of the season.
Clare, meh.
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Oh wait just a second.
1. Clare*
2. How crude. There are other appealing aspects to Clare than her breasts. Ugh, men.
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Oops that ^ was meant for Lorne, sorry xD
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Not that I don’t agree, but I really like the idea of “Anastasia McBoobington” telling someone off about focusing on breasts, lol.
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I loved this episode!. Eff da hater taters.
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This EP was just that,, blah. . You can see there is no romantic feelings on Maya side and Im with Kary about Cam’s suicide is really effecting her with guys but she really has no idea whats she in for by involving herself into Zig & Tiny’s world.. Which I can understand…. As for Winston & Frankie I think they are adorable and awkward. As for Clare I know shes hurt and angry about Eli but Shes the one who kind of enforced herself to be with Drew and Drew pulled back because he knew he would be a rebound right now. Clare has no right to blame Drew its her fault as well. I bet thats all going to come to play in the next EP. I am loving Grace & Jack.
Change of subject… I felt absolutely nothing. Its been like this for a long while of feeling this. Eli & Clare relationship felt very empty ever since they got back together in S12. Its like Munro & Ais on screen chemistry disappeared since they got back together in ‘Come as You are’. On the other hand Luke & Aislinn’s chemistry is unbeievable and I love it……
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Forgot to add Clare should be throwing an ax at Eli’s picture not Drew.
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Seeing as how Frankie just might be the new it girl in a couple years (not the new Emma/Clare/Maya, but more along the lines of characters like Paige or Holly J), I wonder how long it will be before poor Chewy gets screwed over for a more TeenNick-friendly guy (assuming he doesn’t end up getting a makeover like Connor did).
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You make a good point about Maya and Zig. I’m actually starting to think that Maya has real feelings for Zig and just won’t admit it (either verbally to others or to herself), but she had a little crush on him when we were first introduced to them as characters, and I feel like she never let go of those feelings based on how much she’s holding on to their friendship now. But what you said about Cam makes a ton of sense too, and after reading your post I guess I feel it can go either way. I’ll be really interested to see how this plays out.
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I’m really annoyed that they have spent twice the amount of time on Clare’s “struggle” with Drew than her actual struggles with CANCER and how they just dropped the Asher case.
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-Bluehaired chick explaining to Maya about gangs and gang territories was embarrassing and ridiculous.
-Degrassi’s hand-wringing about pot is getting old.
-I find it really amusing that a show that just did an episode about black men and stereotypes is incapable of casting a black male darker than Dave that isn’t a thug/gangster/bully. Except for beautifully written, major character Danny Van Bamf.
-Apparently teenage Canadian lesbians drink beer and throw axes in the forest. Oh, and talk about how great it is there are no guys around. Sounds legit.
-Winston and girl Miles made me so uncomfortable. I didn’t need to see that kid in a bikini. Maybe I’m getting too old for this show. I just want to see what happens to Clare :(
-Tristan saying “Oh my ganja” with a dramatic close-up of Maya’s face was EASILY the highlight of the episode for me.
But most of all, this episode encapsulated the fact that Degrassi has 1001 problems with race and class. I’m not going to bemoan them here, however, in what universe would Miles and Tiny go to the same school? Since Degrassi is now apparently surrounded by affiliated territory (lmao), WHY would a politician that lives in a mansion send his kids there?? Is there only one high school in DegrassiLand ? Is Lakehurst rebuilt yet? Idk if it’s my age or if Degrassi has slowly inched over from vaguely realistic to completely absurd.
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