Beat It (2) is the eighth episode of Season 9 of Degrassi: The Next Generation. It aired on November 1, 2009 in Canada, and November 19, 2009 in the United States.
Summary[]
When Riley is accused of gay-bashing Sam, he's ostracized. Would he rather be a "homophobic jock" or gay...or is there a third solution? And when Sav finds out about Anya's secret life, he feels betrayed—and a little weirded out.
Main Plot[]
After unsuccessfully trying to sleep with Fiona, Riley is accused of gay-bashing after an openly gay student ends up in the hospital, suffering of a brutal attack at Degrassi (This is due to one of the victim's friends overhearing some homophobic comments.) and is ostracized. Feeling desperate, he decides to search for a de-programmer to make himself straight.
The LGBT club leader, Larissa, confronts Riley and asks him to join the club. Riley refuses, rudely. He tells Peter that he feels sorry for those freaks.
This worries Fiona and Peter and they try to help him come out by explaining to him that his refusal to come out is really destroying his dream of being the popular football star, as everyone now thinks of him as a gay basher.
Riley is confronted by Sam in the bathroom and they get in a fight. Riley admits he's gay and tells Sam to beat him up. Sam refuses to do that and comforts him. Sam tells him that he doesn't have to come out until he's ready.
Sub Plot[]
Meanwhile Sav finds out about Anya and Leia LARPing. He is upset and bewildered in Anya for why she would hang out with the "weirdos" and "losers". Anya tries to convince him it's fine, but she says the wrong thing by saying his band is stupid. He asks her if she will be his girlfriend or "fairy princess". Anya replies and says "you better hope I can be both"..
Anya continues to LARP and has a "wedding" to unite the enemy tribes. Sav is there and Anya is happy and surprised. Sav plays a mandolin during the wedding, and Anya steps up and smiles at him.
Third Plot[]
Jenna finally admits to Dave that she is not romantically interested in him. However, to soothe his hurt feelings and protect his ego, she publicly puts on the act of a hurt girlfriend who just got dumped. Clare and K.C. approach Jenna and Clare tries to comfort her by saying; "You'll find someone someday, Jenna." Jenna looks at K.C. and he smiles. Clare begins to piece it together that K.C. and Jenna are beginning to like each other.
- Riley finally admits he's gay to Peter.
- This marks the last appearance of Blue Chessex.
- The homophobic counsellor that Riley sees is named Gerry Halliwell, a reference to Spice Girl Geri Halliwell.
Regular Cast (Ordered alphabetically)
- Raymond Ablack as Sav Bhandari
- Dalmar Abuzeid as Danny Van Zandt
- Annie Clark as Fiona Coyne
- Sam Earle as K.C. Guthrie
- Jahmil French as Dave Turner
- Jordan Hudyma as Blue Chessex
- Judy Jiao as Leia Chang
- Jamie Johnston as Peter Stone
- Argiris Karras as Riley Stavros
- Jajube Mandiela as Chantay Black
- Samantha Munro as Anya MacPherson
- Scott Paterson as Johnny DiMarco
- Aislinn Paul as Clare Edwards
- AJ Saudin as Connor Delaurier
- Jessica Tyler as Jenna Middleton
- Natty Zavitz as Bruce
Supporting Cast
- Yasmine Ali as Cute girl #3
- Kyra Azzopardi as Trish
- Paula Boudreau as Ms. Dawes
- James Edward Campbell as Mark Fitzgerald
- Melissa DiMarco as Daphne Hatzilakos
- Coral Fraser as Cute girl #5
- Heidi Hatcher as Cute girl #2
- Bruce Hunter as Gerry Halliwell
- Michael Kinney as Darryl Armstrong
- Linlyn Lue as Laura Kwan
- Nicole Martin as Cute girl #4
- Wesley Morgan as Sam
- Jennifer Podemski as Chantel Sauvé
- Damon Runyan as Coach Carson
- A.K. Shand as Katie
- Alina Usataia as Cute girl #1
- Rebecca Williams as Larissa
Absences
Riley: "Yes, you can. It's like a disease."
Fiona: "Wow, you must really hate yourself."
Riley (angrily, as Fiona walks off): "Too bad you can't cure bitch!"
Fiona: We don’t talk anymore, ‘kay?