I don't really have much to post here -- just seeing if there are any other Degrassi fans on the board. If you are and you've binged the season, though: Spoiler: About the season finale Did the end sequence imply Grace died?
I used to watch Degrassi before they had switched to the new class. I found the writing to be pretty good for what it was, a teen drama. But when they introduced the new class, it was with a different format that I couldn't keep up with. They had went with more of a daily soap format, but I don't know if they still do that.
The switch to "New Class" accompanied the move to the Netflix format -- i.e. 10 episodes released at once. I guess the change in writing reflected the binge-watching mentality. It's true that an entire season tended to revolve around one or two rapidly developing sub-plots. Anyway, I've been a Degrassi fan for over 30 years now. Like Snake/Mr. Simpson, I've been there from almost the beginning. I don't care what the story is, I just like that it's a recurring comfort place to go and a reminder of where I came from.
I love Degrassi. It's had its ups and downs, but mostly ups. @Owain Taggart, I think the change you're referring to was a few seasons ago (before the move to Next Class on Netflix), where instead of airing episodes weekly, they were airing them every weekday for 2-3 weeks. More of a soap format, like you said. I wasn't thrilled about those seasons either. I feel like it's improved since moving to Netflix. As for the end of this season, I don't think that's what they were implying. They showed Grace in the hospital, looks like she was preparing for her transplant, then showed her and Jonah together outside, without the tubes she had been wearing. To me that implies that she had a successful transplant surgery.
Interestingly, I don't think Canadian distribution of the show allows it to be on Netflix, but as far as I know it's on our MTV instead. But I really loved the way it tackled serious issues, especially in Degrassi High and Jr High, and the followup show did do that too. What's also really great is how this show is more of continuation of the old shows rather than a reset, and I think it's something that more shows could learn from. And of course, who could forget The Zit Remedy
Everybody wants something!.. I loved how the Zit Remedy was a completely amateur teen garage band (whose only song had just one refrain), that was totally something that could have been in your everyday high school. Contrast that to Degrassi TNG's musical prodigies like Craig or Maya, who somehow become the next best thing to Justin Bieber or Drake (in-joke intended). I don't like how there needs to be this all-or-nothing to their success. But maybe that's what the modern target audience wants.
Haha yeah, agreed. Actually, what made The Zits accessible and relatable was just how down-to-earth their concept was, and you're right, that when they went bigger with TNG, something was a bit lost in it. Correct me if I'm wrong, though, but didn't The Zits have a reunion of sorts in TNG? Also, I don't know if they still do it this way, but I liked how each episode was actually a song title. I do find it ironic that out of all that, we got Drake.
Drake will always be Jimmy to me! I've also always felt it was weird how often the students of Degrassi seem to have musical abilities that shoot them into stardom. At my high school, I remember there being like one girl who could sing really well, and she certainly never became famous. And we didn't have TV celebrities like Zoe enrolling all of a sudden. That's really my biggest complaint about the show. Otherwise, I really have enjoyed it.