Degrassi Junior High

"He's Back" is just as creepy as "A Helping Hand". In this episode, Mr. Colby is back and his next victim is Susie. It's awful that Lucy is having nightmares about him, and it's even awful that he returns. I felt so bad for Susie. It was so heartbreaking when Mr. Colby tries to seduce Susie and she's crying. I love how she's able to escape him. It was so sad how Susie went to pick up her sister and she's crying and her sister gives her a hug. I love how Lucy explained what Mr. Colby try to do to her. And I love how Lucy, Susie, L.D., Wheels, all went to the secretary to report Mr. Colby. I give this episode a 10/10

Mr. Creepy returns to DJH to sub for Ms. Avery! Melanie thinks he's the hottest thing since sliced bread, and Susie thinks he's just a nice guy. And a nice guy he seemed-he offers to help Susie work on the yearbook. Unfortunately, he puts his creepy moves on her, and she takes off. Although Lucy tried to warn her, she didn't believe her. This time, with the continued support of L.D. and Wheels, they report Mr. Creepy to the principal. Thank God he was reported before he could get his hands on yet another vulnerable young girl. What a creep!

This was a really good episode. At first in hearing the previews I thought maybe Mr Colby had reformed and was trying to prove himself. But it shows Lucy's fears, and also how when something like this happens, unless someone tells, it will keep on happening. One key part is when Mr Colby chases after Lucy in the gym, and he said "if anything had happened you would have told someone. But you didn't." It was almost like he was asking for it. Like he needs help and knows it, and is challenging Lucy to report him. Melanie is totally infatuated with him; sometimes I wonder then why she didn't offer to help Susie after school. Susie isn't as vulnerable as Lucy, except that she is working on yearbook stuff alone, and almost no one can help. Though Caitlin says she will "next time". Maybe she's restricting herself because of her epilepsy. But Susie just talks and talks, kind of the same way she did when she and Caitlin were alone in the darkroom processing pictures, and they'd wondered if Caitlin was gay. And they do portray Mr Colby as a good teacher; talks about relevance of commercials and stuff like that and they actually learn. What we do learn about Susie is that she has a younger sister, Norah-Jean. Looks like about 5-6 years younger. And her mother "always calls her immature". That's typical for a firstborn; wanting them to grow up fast, and be a good example to younger sibling(s). But that's about it. That part where Lucy can tell that Susie's been there too; that was quite touching. Especially when they were all hugging and crying. And the fact that Mr Colby called in sick the next day; maybe he sort of saw that coming. And Lucy volunteering, well, maybe that's what she needed all along. To be able to be out there helping other kids whose parents are also busy. And the parts with Alex and the yearbook, that was just comic relief.

This episode is one of the greatest ideas in Degrassi history. Not only did they cover the issue of a teacher molesting a student in "A Helping Hand", but they were bold enough to bring Mr. Colby BACK to do it again.



Lucy acts as if she's ok, but she's obviously not whenever Mr. Colby is in sight. I like the use of Susie's sister Norah-Jean as sort of a connection between Susie and Lucy, so it's not as if it's just two random people were getting molested by Mr. Creepy. The contradiction of how Lucy saw Mr. Colby as compared to Melanie was drastic: Lucy saw him as the devil himself, while Melanie drooled over him the entire episode. This just goes to show that there is always more than what meets the eye.



Lucy went through what most people who are victims of sexual harassment face: not wanting to report it because she would feel embarassed if people knew about it. I liked how Wheels and L.D. supported Lucy and pushed her to tell the truth. The turning point for Lucy was seeing that Mr. Colby touched Susie as well, and she did not want anyone to go through what she went through. This was an excellent episode (one of the best of the series), and an excellent follow-up to the Lucy/Colby storyline.