it is NO shock at all that jake epstein won a gemini award for this episode and i NEED to talk about this scene like.
this is one of my favorite acting moments not just from jake or from this era but in the entire series, period. he's doing a LOT with his facial expressions and body language in this tears are not enough in general but this shot of the journey craig's expression goes through right after the confrontation with his dad is just on another level.
craig is watching albert drive away with like. pure unadultered (and very understandable) rage at first. his teeth are clenched, his shoulders hunched, and i don't know how to describe his eyes other than they are shining with straight up fury. but you can also see in that first gif that expression or rage starts to fade away as his whole body shakes with sobs even though the tears shining in his eyes aren't falling. his face just utterly morphs and you're suddenly reminded that how young craig really is.
the especially interesting thing to me, though, is that i think a lot of shows would end on that expression and that note before cutting away. but in that second gif, craig is deliberately morphing his expression back into that anger again, even though his dad's car is probably not even visible as he glares at where it was driving anymore. he's still glaring even as he's also turning to leave. and i'm sure craig genuinely is feeling that rage, but i think there's also something to be said for him changing his expression back like that because that kind of anger is a lot easier to deal with and probably feels safer than the hurt and helplessness he was also feeling.
How I would have written Ellie's arc post season 4 (degrassi tng)
Tagging @thedegrassidiaries, my Ellie enthusiast moot <3
Season 5: Ellie would have zero love interests. No being all gaga over Craig, no Ellie lowkey toying with Jimmy's feelings and this weird love triangle. She'd be 100% single.
Ellie and Jimmy would still bond over their love for art and become closer friends, making Hazel a little suspicious. But they'd both let Hazel know they're just friends and nothing more.
I'd also give Hazel and Ellie a bond too. Ellie would give Hazel relationship advice and help her understand the palex situation more. While Hazel would also help Ellie open up about Sean.
Another detail l'd add is that Sean and Ellie lose their virginities to one another the day around the shooting era. Like there is nothing that will get me to believe that Sellie didn't have sex while living together but that Sean and Emma were doing it while he was staying in her house, where her parents and brother also are.
Basically Ellie would be single just hanging out with friends.
Season 6: Ellie still lives with Marco and Paige, she still works at the Core. But she doesn’t date Jesse nor have feelings for Craig. Sean comes back for Ellie but Ellie would still be pissed at him for leaving but he’d eventually earn her trust and forgiveness. They’d get back together in Crazy Little Thing Called Love. The dinner scene in What It Feels Like To Be A Ghost would still be there, except Ellie wouldn’t be passive aggressive towards Cranny. Ellie would be annoyed because BOTH Craig and Manny are there and she’s still upset at how Ashley got fucked over.
Ellie would catch Craig doing coke and he’d blame Manny, but she wouldn’t buy it because as @delsrossi said, Ellie is a journalist and canonically observant. She’d notice that it’s Craig’s. So when Manny catches Ellie at the door, they’d have a short talk. Ellie would tell her that Craig tried to blame her.
Ellie would tell Sean and Marco. Sean would also be on the boat of 'yep this is Craig’s'. Same with Marco. Craig got to rehab and Sellie stays happy and in love.
Sean would have that army storyline, except Ellie would be supportive and the whole pregnancy storyline wouldn’t exist. Sellie would end up doing long distance.
Season 7: She’d just focus on the Core and her friendships with Paige and Marco. No Mellie hookup, no codependency. And Alex would stay in this version too, so I’d show more of her and Ellie’s bond. Maybe also show a bond with her parents. Her long distance relationship with Sean would be thriving. Sean would come back to see her again for a bit and they’d catch up.
In season 8, I wouldn’t even have the subplot with Marco-Paige-Ellie because it regressed both Paige and Ellie and Marco was thrown under the bus.
Tell us why despite being 'problematic', you love eclare and think they belong together. I can't help it - I get why many don't like them, but when I see them onscreen they just scream "soulmates" to me :)
Putting under read more.
Eclare, to me, has such great chemistry and from their first scene, there was obviously a connection there. And their story being the Romeo and Juliet esque type, except they are alive and are both at consenting ages haha.
Eli, for all flaws, absolutely loves Clare and she is his #1 woman (ignoring s13-14). He genuinely wants her to be happy, which is shown when he gets Clare and Jake back together and backs off for the most part (I say most part because the two share a kiss, but even the, he's still so respectful of her boundaries).
And Clare loves Eli a lot too, but doesn't want to be his only good thing or have the weight on all his shoulders. She WANTS him to have other interest and have a healthy life. ANd she's able to confide in him and just cry it out. Even though it took a while, she was able to tell him about Asher and Eli was by her side from start to finish. Same way he was there when Clare had cancer. Which is why it's even more ridiculous that the writers had Eli cheat but that's for another day haha.
Short answer: Chemistry, development, & unconditional love and support.
My main issue with C*anny and C*ellie was that there seemed to be an uneven power dynamic. Most of the time Ellie and Manny were worshiping Craig and seemed to be blind to his faults sometimes. Craig clouded their judgment.
Ashley, on the other hand, sees through his bs and isn’t afraid to call him out. That doesn’t mean she doesn’t love him, but at the same time, Ash isn’t blind to his faults the way Manny and Ellie are. They seemed to be more equal.
One more ask! You’ve mentioned several times that you have complicated feelings towards Zaya, which makes sense since all the characters and ships on this show have more than their share of flaws and messy moments :) So I wanted to ask what you love about them AND what you wish you could change about them! Also, talk about why you prefer Camaya!!
Putting under read more just in case.
What I love about Zaya: Their chemistry. Like it's explosive yet also has a lot of comfort. I can buy how much they love each other and their development was beautiful to see.
What I wish I could change about Zaya: Well them kissing while ZIg was still with Tori was a little 'ugh' to me. Even moreso that there were those moments of Zig pestering Maya to go out with him. I HATE those types of relationships where one person goes after the other without taking 'no' for an answer. It's not cute, it's not sweet, it's romantic. It's DISGUSTING and ignoring the other person's agency. And while I don't blame him for Cam's death, even if Cam didn't end up committing suicide, he shouldn't be telling the girl he claims to love's boyfriend to get out of her life But he did feel bad about that and realizing his mistake. And also, Zig calling Maya his "sloppy seconds" is also never addressed? And I mean ZIg's attitude about Maya following her dream in NC is just idk...but I'm getting ahead of myself.
But what I would personally change about them to have them as endgame is that, they can still kiss and Zig would still have feelings for Maya except he'd back off a little more. Zig would be honest with Tori and break up with her. Maya would be upset at first but understand.
Idk if Cam would have still killed himself if Zig didn't talk to him. But if he does :(, I'd have Zaya have that same storyline. And in s13, Zig would be less of a dick about Matlingsworth but he'd still be into Maya. Wouldn't call Maya his "sloppy seconds" or any of that. Wouldn't be an asshole about Maya not being into like that and they'd stay friends and that same storyline.
In season 14, I'd have it be the same, except I'd give Matilngsworth and Zoemund closure. Zoe and Zig can go on a date, but realize they're better as friends (which a perfect lead in for Zoe realizing she's gay). Matlingsworth can be friends or have the same thing as Zoemund.
And everything else with Zaya in that season is still the same :)
For next class s1, even though I HATE the cheating and Zig being unsupportive of Maya's dream, it isn't ooc imo. But I would rather if Zig wasn't jealous of Maya and Jonah but still...
Early Season 2 can be the same except after #TurnItUp, Zig (and Grace) wouldn't try to insist for Maya to forgive him and she'd get some space. So Zig would be less of a dick and Grace would not have feelings for him. Like I don't even like Gracevas, but Grace having feelings for Zig of all people and defending him to Maya...Like she could tell Zoe that she thinks Zig is hot. They didn't HAVE to have Grae have feelings for the guy. While I don't think it came out of nowhere because Grace is a very private person and probably would have hid it through insults or smth or something could've developed, it's the way Grace kept defending him to Maya when ZIg completely fucked up.
Season 3 and Season 4 Zaya can still be the same and they'd get back together during their trip and talk things out :)
As for why I prefer Camaya, I just think they're very sweet and pure. They truly seemed to adore each other and I love how Cam liked Maya in the beginning and Maya started to feel the same way. I know it's unrealistic, but a Camaya endgame would have been adorable. They were definitely each other's first loves.
Had a dream about degrassi and it just came to me…
So I know the college storylines weren’t super popular and hell there were times when I was probably bored too, but I also feel like it was pretty realistic and added a balance to the crazy things happening in the degrassi middle/high school and such.
Hell I feel like I can really relate to Paige in season 6 because college was VERY stressful that first year (hell it still is now).
this isnt a fanfic thing but i noticed you connect degrassi(specifically eli and clare) to marianne and connell from normal people. i was listening to the degrassi podcast the other day and during their episode on clare, they mention something along the lines of her “bending to the will” (i cant remember exactly how they say it) of all her boyfriends and i think thats a really interesting thing that i definitely didnt think about until i listened to the podcast. its obviously very subtle and maybe not even intended, but its interesting to think about that aspect of her character and marianne, and how she does the same, except that its very explicitly stated throughout the book and show.
also another very obvious connection is the two male romantic leads wearing necklaces that get a cult following of their own lol
That's interesting, I'll have to find that podcast (there are a lot of Degrassi podcasts out there, lol).
At first glance, I didn't necessarily agree--Clare, for instance, doesn't have the self esteem and self worth issues that Marianne does, and to the extent that she quote unquote bends to the will of her boyfriends, it seems to be more due to her character's romanticism. But thinking about it more, over the course of her character arc, Clare deals with the sudden departure of her sister, and then her parents' divorce, her mother's incredibly quick remarriage (and seeming disregard for Clare's feelings on the matter), and her father's abandonment, not to mention her estrangement from her friends in the back half of S11. People joke about Degrassi putting Clare through everything, but they fr did (I mean, I haven't even touched S12-14 here). While her background is less acutely sad than Marianne's, and the show doesn't really explicitly address this outside of maybe the weed cult episode, it makes sense that she would feel similarly abandoned in her home life and might channel those feelings into romantic relationships.
Also thanks for reminding me that I'm overdue for a Normal People rewatch, lol.
Hi! Since you ship Camaya, Zaya and Matlingsworth: how would you rank those three ships from your favorite to least favorite, and name one thing that you do and don’t like about each of those ships :)
God this is so hard 😭
Once again, gonna put under read more just in case.
1. Zaya
2. Camaya
3. Matlingsworth (still love them tho)
So Zaya is one of my current hyperfixations and I just really love them.
Pros: their chemistry, their development, how Zig loved the fuck out of Maya, the way Zig would cheer Maya up, how Maya always has him as her hype man, and they just give power couple energy.
Cons: Zig going after Maya while she was with Cam and Miles is so icky to me. Also the cheating arc was so dumb and Zig blaming it on Maya was even dumber. Don’t even get me started on his reaction after Maya was rightfully angry at him for not wanting to be friends after he cheated on her and lied for weeks. Also I don’t like the scene where he says he should’ve kissed her while she was still grieving Cam.
Matlingsworth is also a ship I really love together and I lowkey wish they worked things out, but I’m glad Zaya is endgame.
Pros: I also liked their chemistry, they’re very cute, and they’re both very happy. I’m also really into how they started. Reminds me of Jarley and Brochel, two other ships I also love. And I feel Maya was the first person who made Miles want to be better, and the first person he loved. Like genuinely was in love with.
Cons: Him planting drugs in Zig’s locker to frame him and his reaction when Maya was rightfully angry. I hate comparing him to Peter because I actually think Miles is a good guy while Peter is scum, but it does parallel with early s6 in some ways. I get that he wanted to keep Maya safe, but this was not the way to go about it.
Camaya was also just so pure and adorable and they break my heart.
Pros: They were absolutely adorable and genuinely loved one another (in a puppy love way maybe but still). I also like Dylan and Olivia’s chemistry.
