Censored is the tenth episode of Season 2 of Degrassi Junior High, and the twenty-third episode overall. It aired on March 7, 1988.
Plot[]
Caitlin talks with Spike in the hallway about hairstyles, then goes to the office; she sees angry parents coming out of Mr. Lawrence's office, and they're obviously complaining about Spike and her condition. They tell Mr. Lawrence as they leave, "That girl is NOT staying at Degrassi!" Back in the hallway, Nancy reminds Caitlin that her school newspaper article is due tomorrow, and needs to be 200 words. Caitlin goes to the bathroom, where Spike is talking to Erica and Heather about all the parents wanting her to leave school; she says that her mom will fight it, but she's only one person, so what can she do?
Meanwhile, in the hallway, L.D. sees the pictures of bikini-clad women in Joey's locker; she says that it's sexist, and expects Alexa to agree with her, but Alexa is amazed by the size of the women's busts than anything else. As they walk away, L.D. tells Alexa that she's going to go to Mr. Lawrence with a complaint about the pictures in Joey's locker, because they're sexist, and if they don't battle sexism, who will? Caitlin arrives at the newspaper article meeting and tells Nancy that she's going to do the article about Spike; Nancy thinks that it's a touchy subject, but Caitlin convinces her that it will be a good article and it's relevant to Degrassi. Outside, Alexa and L.D. leave the school; Joey, Snake and Wheels start making fun of them as they walk by, rating them and giving them a 3.5 or 4 out of 10. L.D. decides that it's time to fight fire with fire, and wants Alexa to help her.
At home, Caitlin's mom knows about the PTA meeting scheduled for tomorrow, but says that she thinks Spike would be happier in a place with other pregnant girls; she points out that Spike needs everyone's help and support, but Caitlin says that they're all just trying to sweep it all under the rug and pretend like it never happened. Caitlin asks her mother, what about what Spike wants? She points out that Spike wants to stay at Degrassi. Upstairs in her room, she begins to work on the article for the paper about Spike.
The next day at school, Alexa and L.D. put up beefcake pictures in their lockers. L.D. says they're gross, and Alexa can have them back after they're done with the little experiment. Joey, Snake and Wheels walk by; L.D. points out the pictures to them, and then starts talking about how good looking the guys in the pictures are, and what great bodies they have. She rates the one guy in the picture as a "10" and wonders what Joey would be, then laughingly says that she can't count that low. Joey tells her that it's ridiculous, and L.D. points out that his pictures are just as ridiculous.
Caitlin hands in her finished story to Nancy; Mr. Raditch reads it over her shoulder and says that they can't run it in the paper. He tells Caitlin that it's well written, but the press has a responsibility to be balanced, and she hasn't done that. He asks her if she's spoken to Spike about her wishes, but Caitlin points out that she knows what Spike wants. Mr. Raditch tells her again that they can't publish it in the paper; Caitlin grabs her story out of his hand and storms out of the room, claiming that it's censorship. In the hallway, Susie tells Caitlin that it's a really good article, then tells her about some high school kids who started an underground newspaper. Caitlin thinks this is a great idea; Susie tells her that the kids got suspended. Caitlin asks Susie to cover for her in study period and leaves.
In Mr. Raditch's class, Doris Bell arrives at the door and asks Joey to come with her. She tells him that they've received complaints and has him open his locker, and is shocked when she sees the pictures. Joey points out that he got them out of the newspaper, and asks if L.D. was the one who complained and tells her that L.D. has pictures that are just as bad in her locker, and that the pictures offended him. Doris goes back to the classroom to get L.D.; when she sees the pictures in her locker, she tells her to take them to Mr. Lawrence's office.
Both L.D. and Joey are sitting in the office, waiting to see Mr. Lawrence. In the hallway, students buy the official newspaper, and Caitlin hands out copies of her article; everyone reads it, including Spike and Shane. A student gives a copy to Mr. Raditch, who reads it and then goes to see Mr. Lawrence. In Ms. Avery's class, Mr. Lawrence calls down and has her send Caitlin to the office. In the outer office, Joey and L.D. are still waiting; they ask why she's there, and when she tells them about the article that she wrote, Joey asks why she did it, saying that it was just guaranteed trouble. Caitlin tells him that it's the principle of the thing; L.D. agrees that some people care about principles.
Caitlin returns to class, and tells Susie that she got tons of detention and if she ever does anything like this again, she'll be suspended. In the bathroom, Spike reads the paper. Class ends and everyone tells Caitlin that they like the article. She walks by Spike who asks if this is her idea of a joke, and why Caitlin didn't just mind her own business. Caitlin tells Spike that she was fighting for her rights, but Spike points out that Caitlin never talked to her, and doesn't know what Spike wants. Spike tells Caitlin that she doesn't need "Little Miss Perfect" standing up for her, adding that she's a person, not public property.
Spike arrives at school; Caitin and Susie watch her and Caitlin moans that she can't do anything right, and that she's a joke. Nancy comes along and asks Caitlin what her next article is going to be about; Caitlin is surprised that she's still going to be allowed to write for the Degrassi Digest. Nancy tells her that the article was really good, and she liked it, but that future articles should be less controversial. Caitlin tells her that she's thinking of writing about sexism; Nancy looks skeptical, but Caitlin assures her that she'll be balanced, and she'll interview both Joey and L.D. about the locker pictures. As they watch Spike go in for the PTA meeting, they wonder what will happen to her.
- The character featured in the final freeze frame for this episode was Spike.
- This episode marks the beginning of Caitlin's interest in journalism.
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Eggbert • A Helping Hand... • Great Expectations • Dinner & a Show • Stage Fright • Fight! • Bottled Up • Sealed With a Kiss • Dog Days • Censored • Trust Me • ...He's Back • Pass Tense |