The 500th Episode Of ‘Degrassi’ Represents The Pinnacle Of Fan Service Television

Here is the best thing about Degrassi: It will never end. It will go on forever, rehashing the same plots with slight updates, switching fake social media (MyRoom, FaceRange) with more current fake social media (Hastygram, Teendr), introducing characters that are tangentially related to former characters, and so on. Degrassi follows a strict “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” formula because, well, it has yet to break for them. And, for the most part, it’s always worked for the fans. Practically everyone I know who watched Degrassi over the weekend—for those not in the know, a whole new season of Next Class just dropped on Netflix— were people who had been watching since 2001. Some had been watching since 1987, beginning with Degrassi Junior High. If you’re a Degrassi fan, you’re likely a Degrassi fan for life. No one puts in that much effort watching melodramatic Canadian teen drama and just gives it up. We’ve come too far. We’re in it for the long haul. But Degrassi writers know this, and it’s why they’re always rewarding us.

That’s the case in the latest iteration of the series, Degrassi: Next Class, on Netflix — the perfect home, considering Degrassi is best digested in large chunks. The N/TeenNick figured this out way before “binge-watching” was considered a thing; the network would air Degrassi marathons just about every weekend. While Degrassi Next Class has a whole roster of new students with new-ish problems, the episode “#ThrowbackThursday” (yup!) is a master class in fan service for old viewers.

“#ThrowbackThursday” is the 500th episode of the Degrassi franchise and features a mini-reunion of some of Degrassi: The Next Generation’s best characters. The episode revolves around a big alumni event, an easy way to bring back older characters without seeming too desperate. Before the theme song even kicks in, we get quick appearances by Holly J Sinclair and Liberty Van Zandt (in law school, of course) who walk in as a protest is happening; Liberty immediately joins in.

But as all Degrassi fans know, you can’t have a good ol’ social justice protest without Emma suddenly appearing out of nowhere! She returns to Degrassi, still married to Spinner (unfortunately, though at least we don’t have to watch any scenes of the two actually together), eager to reference her topless protest against Purple Dragon and quickly grabbing a protest sign to support the students. This is one of the key elements in “#ThrowbackThursday”: it re-introduces these characters by emphasizing what made them so memorable (or obnoxious, depending on your particular opinion of Emma) in the first place. What we remember most about Craig — besides that cocaine-fueled nosebleed in front of Taking Back Sunday — is that he played music that made all the girls swoon. His quick appearance in “#ThrowbackThursday” features him singing “Rescue You” on his acoustic guitar — the only difference is that now it’s Tristan swooning (“full-body chills,” he says), keeping with Degrassi’s ongoing commitment to highlighting LGBT characters.

Peter (who has a multi-episode arc where he’s now working in the school) and Sav are still both playing music together; Marco and Paige are still sassy BFFs (and yes, she continues to pepper every statement with “Hon”) dispensing unsolicited but pretty solid advice; and the generally forgettable Mo Mashkour has a generally forgettable stand-up performance — everyone’s all back to normal. Because that’s the prime appeal of Degrassi: as much as things change, the core aspects all remain the same. Even Heather Sinclair’s eternally off-screen presence is mentioned in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it joke. 

The other great, fan service-y element of “#ThrowbackThursday” are all of the silly references to past events. Manny (who does not appear) is bumped from the performer’s list because, according to Tristan, “Her song was kind of a downer. I think it was about teen pregnancy.” To comfort a worried student, Spinner rattles off a list of his past Degrassi mistakes ranging from getting a boner in class to when he “got my best friend shot” — the second reference to poor Wheelchair Jimmy. (Spinner also has a creepy joke about how all of the current students are so much better looking, which I’m choosing to believe is a reference to Emma’s cry-face in the earlier seasons of TNG.)

Sure, “#ThrowbackThursday” is a pretty clumsy episode but clumsiness has always been one of Degrassi’s most endearing qualities. When Paige reassures a current student that Degrassi is a “great place” to make mistakes, it’s hard not to imagine it’s a meta-commentary on the show itself: Degrassi is a show that’s had growing pains for over 500 episodes and counting, making countless mistakes but sometimes learning from them and doing it better when the same storyline is inevitable rehashed through a new student. It’s part of what makes Degrassi so endlessly watchable and why we keep coming back, and it’s nice to see “#ThrowbackThursday” acknowledge that.

[Watch the “#ThrowbackThursday” episode of Degrassi: Next Class on Netflix]

Pilot Viruet is yet another freelance writer in New York City who watches everything from teen dramas to wrestling, hosts monthly TV parties, and started a website solely for a .pizza domain. You can follow them @pilotbacon.