aka, "The prom boat and graduation episode"
Episode 24, Season 14
Original Air Date: 7/31/2014
Main Storyline Character: Drew Torres, Claire Edwards, Imogen Moreno
Normally I cluster the storylines together by character, but this episode has the storylines weaving together a bit, so I went in the order that it was presented on screen.
Previously on Degrassi:
-Drew got banned from prom after prom-posing to Becky and delaying their final exam.
-Eli asked Clare to move in with him when he goes to NYC, but she doesn't want to be the kind of girl who follows a boy.
-Imogen decided she wanted to get back together with Jack.
-Dallas booked the prom boat on the wrong day, so he enlisted Drew to help him.
So here we find ourselves at the end. Or at least, the American TV end. Degrassi will apparently continue on Canadian TV, but here in the US we're going to have to watch it on Netflix. We're saying goodbye to all the characters who have interacted with the original cast of this show, circa 2000. That means that the characters who graduate in this episode are the last to have known Spinner Mason, Emma Nelson, Manny Santos, and Liberty Van Zandt, since those characters were still in season 9, when the newbies were introduced. All the remaining characters who will be left after this graduation never knew the aforementioned people. It's an emotional rollercoaster! I was definitely tearing up towards the last, oh, 15 minutes of this episode.
The episode kicks off with Drew and Dallas wearing tuxes, breaking into the school to get prom supplies. How does Drew have a tux if he wasn't going to prom? We may never know. But we do know that Drew is able to get in since he has school president perks, like a keycode for the front door. What's the first thing they go for? Twinkly lights! My prediction seems to be coming true.
On a park bench outside a burger joint sit Jenna, Alli, Clare, Connor and Eli. Alli's sad that the final night that everyone is together has been ruined. Clare doesn't think this will be the last night they're all together, asking Eli to confirm this. Eli, with his worldly post-graduation wisdom, does in fact confirm that post-high school graduation, you may never see some of these people ever again, which is both a pro and con. Oh. Alli just wanted everything to be perfect. "Our class is wandering around the streets like a bunch of taffeta- and tux-wearing zombies!" comments Alli, and it's true...apparently no one wants to go home, so they're left to wander the 200 foot backlot of Degrassi "streets." Connor finds out that Dallas is at the Dot. "He texted me, 'I'm at the Dot, bring Alli. Don't tell her I told you to.' Oh." I'm gonna miss you, Connor, for missing social cues!!!
At the Dot, Dallas and Drew are putting the final touches on hanging an absurd amount of lights on the streets. The limo of Alli+friends arrives, and they're all wowed. Drew redirected the catering trucks, took the lights from the school, bought more at the hardware store, etc etc. How many hours did this take? It was daylight when they were waiting for the boat and now it's night. Why wouldn't people have changed clothes and be at home watching Fresh Prince reruns in their jammies by now? Drew unveils the final touch, the "Starry Night Prom" poster that Alli had made for her original prom plan. My prediction came true! So predictable. Alli, of course, is overjoyed...but where are the people? And like magic, they start coming out of the woodworks, like formal wear zombies. Social media is magic! Everyone starts dancing, and Eli understandably ditches to go mope about Clare.
Imogen and Becky are at Jack's house. Jack's parents aren't home, so Imogen is free to talk about all the lesbian things she wants. She originally planned to give Jack some flowers but there was nothing open so here's a hot dog instead! Imogen is apparently cool now to fly under the gaydar if that's what Jack wants, because she'd hate herself if she always had to wonder what could have been. Imogen invites Jack to prom, and Jack pops back inside to change clothes.
Back at the Dot, Clare is looking for Eli. Jenna and Alli apparently didn't hear the whole conversation that took place 4 feet in front of them in the last episode when Clare said she didn't want to move in with Eli. They also couldn't read Eli and Clare's facial expressions to realize that something was up. Clare doesn't want to be what 9th-grade Clare feared: a boy crazy idiot. But Alli and Jenna support her fully, saying that she's an amazing woman. And she is! She went through so much stuff over the past 4 years, and is a smart, confident person. Plus, everyone makes mistakes in high school, according to Jenna and Alli, both masters of making mistakes in high school. Eli appears and asks Clare to dance.
Becky congratulates Drew on saving prom. Drew is concerned that everyone will move on and forget about him, bringing back his old narcissistic self. Becky says she'll never forget Drew, probably because of all those sexy kisses they shared. There's some faint swirling camerawork (that hints at romance) in this scene which is addressed when Drew holds out his hand to invite her to dance.
Imogen and Jack are sitting inside the Dot, overlooking the dance party happening outside. Imogen is thrilled to be with Jack, spending these last moments together. Jack is being the worst version of herself, complaining about the over-commercialization of prom to Imogen, essentially ruining all the sparkly magic. Becky bangs on the window, inviting them to participate in a "novelty dance" as Imogen calls it, which are Imogen's favorite kind of dance. She's so kitschy! Jack is being a buzzkill and passes. Imogen decides to pass, too, because she so desperately wants to spend time with Jack. They both admit they missed each other during the breakup.
During a slow dance, Clare asks Eli if they can talk, which Eli denies. "It was bad enough the first time." I'm surprised Eli held out this long at prom with a date who doesn't want to move in with him. Kudos on his maturity. She has no plans, so Eli's pissed that she'd rather do nothing than be with him. She doesn't like that it's a one-or-the-other situation. She just wants to find out what she wants in life. Eli can't deal and walks away.
The next morning is graduation, and Alli's praising Drew and Dallas for saving the night. Mrs. Pill, however, isn't too thrilled. The keycode Drew used is unique to him, so she knows he broke into the school last night. Drew doesn't admit that he had accomplices and takes full blame for the incident. Mrs. Pill bans him from walking the stage at graduation. *cue sad trombone* Mrs. Pill needs to enforce her rules. "Next year's students need to know that my rules are for real." Mrs. Pill is hip to the teen speak.
Annnnnnd now begins the part of the episode with many emotional chats that made my eyes tear up and caused me to be in a perpetual near-cry stage for the remaining moments.
Mr. Simpson appears to Clare (maybe he's imaginary! we don't know because he doesn't interact with anyone else) as she's staring at her blank post-graduation card. She dishes on her situation. She'd love to go with Eli, but she knows that she'll wonder what else is out there. At the same time, her instinct is to have everything planned out, so graduating with no plans scares the shit out of her. These are some post-college issues, Clare. Just wait until that time in your life. Mr. Simpson tells her to "embrace it." He's going to Haiti to open a school there, and he never would have encountered this experience if he hadn't said yes to new opportunities.
Imogen is in the empty hallway, fixing her usual chopstick-skewered hair bun, concerned that it won't fit under her graduation cap. Becky says it's time for a change, and tells her to leave the chopsticks out. Oh, and how was her date last night? Imogen admits it was awful, and that she wished the whole time that she could just spend prom with her friends. She didn't even get to conga! "Jack was important to me, but she wasn't the best relationship I had at Degrassi. If someone were to tell me my best friend in high school would be an impossibly sunny blonde Christian girl from Florida I would've told them they were crazy," says Imogen, choking up at the end. Becky responds, "Ditto. Except change blonde Christian to wacky-dressing lesbian." They both cry-laugh a bit and hug. Dallas enters and asks if they "finally...you know." No, a lesbian can have a straight friend, Dallas. Get out of here. Anywho, he's here to remind them to get to the gym, and ask them to help him with "something."
Connor apparently won the valedictorian race and is giving his inspirational speech. He mentions he didn't learn from the classes because "they were too easy" but then lists a bunch of inspiring generic things, as these speeches always do. Mr. Armstrong takes his little deck of cards and reads off the graduates, one by one, and their plans for next year.
Becky Baker - a biology degree at University of Vermont
Alli Bhandari - Cambridge University to study bio sciences
Mike Dallas - going to Japan to play professional hockey
Connor DeLaurier - Caltech for applied physics and aerospace
He calls Claire's name but there's no card. She runs on stage with her card, and Armstrong reads it like a question, "taking a gap year?" Claire responds, "Or as I prefer to think of it, 'opening myself up to everything.'" Eli is there, strangely, since he broke up with Clare and is randomly showing up at her graduation, but he smiles at her decision, as does Mr. Simpson. Mr. Armstrong continues the graduate list.
Jenna Middleton - Los Angeles school of recording arts for a degree in sound engineering (aww, looks like Connor brushed off on her)
Imogen Moreno - OCAD faculty of art
Mr. Armstrong introduces a memorial for Adam Torres, Drew's brother who died a few seasons ago, as he would now be graduating with this class if he were still alive. Drew, sitting in the audience, turns to his mom and apologizes that she never got to see either of her sons cross that stage. She's happy because she's proud he finished school, period. She also apparently has a FaceRange account and spied on the pics he posted of prom, so she thinks his punishment was totally worth it. She's not like a regular mom, she's a cool mom.
It's time to throw the grad caps, but all the kids on stage instead step forward and remove them, spelling out "we <3 Drew." Dallas says they want to throw their caps, but something is missing. Mrs. Pill gives in, saying that in her short time here, she's seen the students show solidarity. She nods to Mr. Armstrong, who says "and now our final graduate, and student council president, Drew Torres." Drew goes up on stage with his big doofy grin and accepts his scroll, which the teachers apparently had at the ready. Dallas helps Drew get on his cap and gown, which they also apparently had at the ready. They all toss up their hats as the music swells and yes I was pretty much crying at this point. All the feels!
After graduation, the students are gathering outside. Drew thanks Dallas for the grand gesture. Dallas did it because Drew covered him when he lied about having no accomplices to the break-in. They'll always have each others' backs! Awww. Becky asks Imogen to put her hands on Becky's hips. Imogen jokes, "Becky Baker, was Dallas right? Have you been in love with me this entire time?" Imogen complies, and Becky starts a conga line to make up for the one Imogen missed at prom night. Awww!
Eli pulls Clare aside and says the same thing he said to her when they first spoke. "Anyone ever tell you you have pretty eyes?" She smiles. Awww!!! Clare thinks it feels forever ago, but Eli thinks it feels like yesterday. Clare likes being with Eli and she knows who she is with him, but she is forgetting what it's like on her own. She needs time to figure it out, even if she has no plan. Eli, in true Eli fashion, completely understands, saying "I know." He'll miss her, of course, and says such sweet things, like, "If I love you now, imagine how much I'll love the person you become." AWWW. They agree to make long distance work. Eli urges Clare to join the conga line with her friends, but Clare wants one more thing, and they passionately kiss. They part lips and she jumps in the line to rock her body in time. The conga line turns to chants of "We'll miss you, Degrassi!" The feels!!!
During the end credits, it reverts back to the old vocals-and-acoustic-guitar-version of the theme song that was first introduced back in season 9. Memories!
Favorite Quotes:
Drew: If you build it, they will come.
Dallas: What's that from, the bible?
Drew: No...a Kevin Costner movie.
do you really think Drew reads the bible?
"Do you want to get back to your friends? Please, go, we always find our way back to each other."--Eli to Clare, their last words.
Lesson Learned: Be true to yourself, and always put friends first.
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