Random Opinions + Explanations Blog
Bc I’m feeling anxious and can’t sleep and want to write something 😊
Kenna
I don’t think I’ve talked about my feelings toward Kenna much (just hasn’t come up ig). I do ship them, although they aren’t a favorite of mine for reasons you can probably guess (the guitar, Karisol, etc). They were a very dysfunctional pair, but the reason I ship them is because it was clear they were very emotionally bonded. I also thought they had an interesting dynamic, both coming from neglectful backgrounds, and their love for each other/chemistry was intriguing and believable to me (especially in Halo). I also think they were better suited to each other than Klare, and although I hated how they treated Clare in Heart Like Mine, they just instantly felt like they fit way better than K.C. and Clare did.
I am, however, content with them not ending up together. I think they both needed a fresh start, and their relationship was a chapter of their lives that had closed. I wouldn’t be opposed to them being explored again if K.C. stayed, but I am perfectly fine with Jenna ending up with Connor.
Manny
Manny’s still one of my favorite characters, but she’s gone down my list on rewatch. I mentioned before how it seemed like she looked better while other characters (Ellie, Paige) were made to look bad, and whether it was intentional or not, it got on my nerves, especially since Ellie and Paige are two my favorites and I hated the writing for them in s5-6 & DGH, respectively. On top of that, I think they could’ve written her acting storylines better (same problem I have with Craig’s music ones). Finally—hot take—I just feel like she has an unnecessary attitude sometimes and it’s kind of off-putting. It’s almost like they tried too hard to make her feisty later on (one example being the fight with Jane) and I just find it to be a little over-the-top.
Despite all of that, though, I do still like her a lot. She had great development and is arguably the best friend in Degrassi history. But, she’s just not very top-tier anymore for the reasons I listed.
Krew vs. Jatie
This is one I’ve gone back and forth on for a while, and I still don’t think I have a solid answer to which I prefer. I remember Alex saying that she likes s11 Katie with Drew and s12 Katie with Jake, and that’s pretty much how I feel too.
I definitely think Jatie were better suited to each other long-term than Krew were and they ultimately had the healthier relationship, so in that sense, I prefer them. But I find the circumstances and dynamic of Krew more interesting; plus, they were also a perfectly stable couple prior to Hollaback Girl as well as a breath of fresh air from couples like Cake and Imogeli. I don’t see why they needed to end the way they did. All the bullshit in early S12 really rubs me the wrong way and the fact that that was used as a pathway to Jatie honestly does make me a little weary. IMO, there was no need to ruin one perfectly stable relationship to make another stable one happen. Regardless, I do still love Jatie and I appreciate how drama-free they were (minus the Vegas incident, but at least we know they’re endgame now bc they deserved).
Camaya
I’m gonna be completely honest and say I’ve never been a super huge fan of them, which is something I’ve come to accept on rewatch. I like them in the sense that they were each other’s innocent and awkward first loves, and also in the sense that Maya provided some much needed light into Cam’s life. But, they just never clicked with me much and the stuff in Doll Parts was messy. And the fact Zaya got together later taints [Camaya] a bit for me, too.
Novas
I was completely neutral on them when they were being developed in S14, mainly because I didn’t care for either character at the time and I also didn’t care for the season at all, lol. I didn’t have a problem with them getting together, but I also wasn’t really affected when they were dropped like I was with Matlingsworth. And then the NC shit happened and I just wasn’t into them at all. Upon rewatching their scenes in S14, though, I’ve come to see the appeal. The way they were being developed was similar to the way I described season 10 Drianca: two unhappy, generally unlikable people who expressed better sides of themselves around each other (mainly referring to The Way We Get By). I think Novas had potential to be what Drianca could’ve been (like I said, similar formula), but I am very happy with Zasha and I’m glad Zoë finally ended up in a good relationship.
Crash
I used to not care for them because I found their season 3 storylines to be bleh, but upon rewatching + making gifs of them, I’ve come to really like them. They’re not an OTP, but I enjoy their connection and I definitely think Craig loved Ashley the most. They had an interesting vibe, their personalities meshed well together, and they were great in episodes such as Tears Are Not Enough and Voices Carry. I like their two characters just about equally (same with Jiberty, fun fact), and they were better suited to each other than anyone else they dated. I would’ve been cool with a Crash endgame, especially seeing the mini where they’re married.
Adam
I don’t think I’ll get many disagreements here, but all of Adam’s drama with Becky, Todd, Imogen, etc. in 13A was so OOC and unnecessary. The fact that all of that was supposed to be buildup for his death (which was already poorly written and in a damn subplot), is even more annoying on rewatch. The really couldn’t come up with something better for Adam to do with his 6 final episodes?
The Degrassi Baddies
Zai and I were talking about this recently, and we determined that Degrassi wasn’t very good at writing their “bad” characters (ie. Jay, Alex, Fitz, Owen, Bianca, etc). Like, Jay didn’t really have any of his own storylines, Alex didn’t get much focus until Palex, Owen didn’t do much outside of Owanya, Bianca was developed but extremely underused, etc.). Aside from Fitz, who was an odd case (literally, his final plot was…weird), the others really only got focus once they were in a relationship (Manny, Paige, Anya, Drew). Even Sean didn’t get as many stand-alone storylines (many involved Emma in some way). I just thought this was an interesting observation to share.