Everyone’s been so wrapped up in who may or may not die in the bus crash that happened at the end of DNC Season 2, that I’m guessing we really didn’t think of all of the other stuff that might be coming in Seasons 3 and 4.

In a recent interview with Rhianna Patrick from ABC.net, Degrassi co-creator Linda Schuyler confirmed Degrassi: Next Class will deal with the Syrian refugee crisis. However, she also casually dropped another major plot happening….

[SPOILER ALERT: THIS IS A HUGE SPOILER…IF YOU DON’T WANT TO KNOW, DON’T READ BELOW]

Linda also confirmed that they will be doing an abortion storyline in Degrassi: Next Class Season 3. During the interview she was asked about having received push back from broadcasters for certain storylines, and of course she mentioned The-N (now TeenNick) wanting her to alter the end of Manny’s abortion storyline in TNG Season 3. That’s when Linda mentioned that another abortion plot is coming in 2017:

The news is kind of shocking, but at the same time not really. I guess I wasn’t expecting an abortion plot to happen this quickly, but as soon as Degrassi made the move to Netflix and we heard in every article that the show now has more freedom to tell stories the way they want to, it was definitely something I expected to happen at some point.

You can most definitely expect the upcoming abortion storyline in DNC Season 3 to be more intense than the ones they’ve done in TNG or even Degrassi High, because they won’t have to hold back anything for the sake of pleasing any networks.

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For Newer Degrassi Fans: How Degrassi Handled Abortion in TNG

If you’re unfamiliar with The Next Generation (especially the early years), here’s a quick summary of what happened with the most-recent abortion storyline, which was created over a decade ago.

The final shot of Manny before she has an abortion in Accidents Will Happen.

The final shot of Manny before she has an abortion in Accidents Will Happen.

The episode Accidents Will Happen was a two-parter that the American broadcaster at the time (The-N) initially refused to air. Character Manny Santos got pregnant and ultimately wound up having an abortion, a decision she was resolute in. The-N did eventually air Accidents Will Happen several years after it was supposed to originally air.

However, the network’s discomfort with airing an abortion storyline to begin with had more of an impact beyond The-N not airing the episodes, namely how the story itself was told. The abortion plot itself had to remain self-contained within AWH, so Degrassi couldn’t do a followup plot or even reference Manny’s abortion in subsequent episodes. Manny’s pregnancy was referenced in an offhand remark made by Manny’s best friend Emma during an argument they had in Season 4, but the comment was obscure enough to not raise red flags for fans who’d never watched Accidents Will Happen.

Degrassi fans often complain (sometimes a little too much) about storylines being dropped after an episode or two, but Manny’s abortion was a case where they were basically forced to handle the story that way, or not do it at all. That type of restriction isn’t in place with Degrassi: Next Class, so we can expect them to create a thorough arc around the abortion plot in Season 3.

Posted by Kary

11 Comments

  1. I dont think ive been this hype for an abortion storyline..i think my biggest thing is…who the hell is in a messing around to even get pregnant? or is it Zoe from that random Zig hookup? WTF im clueless. Guess we’re gonna find out in Jan?

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  2. I personally am hoping for Maya/Zig. I think that storyline would be the most emotional. I had posted this before on a ‘What if Zoe gets pregnant?’ thread on here. It makes just as much sense for Maya to get pregnant, as she and Zig were sexually active at that time, as well.

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    1. I’m hoping for Maya/Zig, as well. Zoe’s been through so much over the first two seasons of NC, and I think that her coming out to those around her will be heavy enough without needing to throw an abortion plot into the mix. Plus, the writers’ baiting of Novas shippers at the same time Zoe was coming to terms with her attraction to girls was really tacky. Let’s just stop trying to keep them bonded.

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  3. For anyone who’s curious, there seems to be a possible clue that was hidden in plain sight all along (we just didn’t know how big it might be until now): https://degrassiblog.com/portfolio/degrassi-on-set-61016/

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    1. She wouldn’t look pregnant if she were having an abortion by any reasonable timeline.

      My vote is on Maya.
      REALLY hope it’s not Frankie.

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      1. *totally forgot to consult you on this :-/* Part of me wants it to be Maya because I love her, but at the same time I also don’t want the story to get lost in the “I hate Maya and they always give her so much screentime” nonsense people are sure to spout.

        What is the comparison between the time a woman starts showing noticeably and the timeframe when an abortion typically happens?

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      2. It’s SUPER rare to show at all. The girl would have to have an unreasonably flat stomach. And that said, because of a woman’s reproductive organs all girl’s stomachs have a bit of a “pooch”, as we call it.

        When I had an abortion I started showing just a tiny bit a few days before. But since you can’t typically get it past 3 months [I believe] AND most women who want an abortion get it WAY sooner than that deadline, showing is SUPER unlikely.

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    2. I don’t see the connection lol

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  4. The first abortion was one of the twins from Degrassi High. I always hated how Liz made her feel bad for doing what was a hard decision. I’ve been watching since Degrassi Junior High (ok on DVD lol). But O love Degrassi although I stopped watched TNG after a while.

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    1. It was interesting how the other sister was the one who was kinda traumatized by the abortion, not the one who actually went through with it. The Liz confrontation part of that story was great, and I hope it’s something they bring back with this plot in DNC…especially with today’s super aggressive “call out” culture.

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  5. I think it’s gonna be Lola because if you look on one of the cast’s snapchat from when they were on set someone drew like grant red scribbles over her belly and it was kind of in the shape of a bump so maybe they were trying to cover something up.

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