Degrassi: The Next Generation

I didn't grow up on Degrassi like many Canadian thirtysomethings these days did, but I can relate completely to everything about the original Degrassi Junior High TV show, the follow up show Degrassi High, or the TV movie finale School's Out. So much so that I watched the entire franchise in less than a week and was simply blown away by how similar it was to my own experiences growing up (something I'm still in the process of doing). Wanting more of that, I obviously went ahead and gave the Next Generation series a try, but more often than not in that first season I found myself thinking "This just doesn't have the same...spirit as the original series did". It didn't feel real and authentic. Until I saw this episode, that is. This episode could practically have been ripped out of one of my junior high diaries, as I too had some of my very first drug interactions with ecstasy and that seriously changed me from there on out like that experience changes Ashley in this episode and like it has to many other young people when they go out there, try drugs, make their first mistakes, and really start to actually learn about responsibility and what "being an adult" is all about. This episode, much like the second episode in season one of the original Degrassi Junior High where the character Stephanie (who is very similar to the Ashley character here) ends up drinking some alcohol from her friends parent's liquor cabinet before the big dance and how she screws up one of her friendships because of how she acts when she's drunk with Voila. It's the same situation here really, where Ashley winds up feeling the heart-ache of her first real break up while also hurting all of her friends feelings with the callous things she says about them. This right here is where this show finally found it's footing and started to deal with some real issues where there wasn't a happy ending when the show was over. That realism has always and will always be the main appeal of the Degrassi franchise, and I was thrilled to finally see the reboot come into it's own in this episode here. It's just a shame it took them so long and so many mediocre episodes before they could get here. This is one of the few season one episodes of TNG that I can honestly say have that same "spirit" as the original Degrassi franchise did, and that's what makes it so damned good.

Its the end of the school year and I have to say this episode pretty much centers around Ashley. Now I saw season 2 before I saw season 1 so I knew what was gonna happen. But it happened a little differently then I thought. I thought it really changed Ashley as a person and that was awesome cause Jimmy got what he deserved. But I found when everyone was leaving to be pretty unbelieveable. Just cause the girl took X and dumps Jimmy everyone wants to leave. Bullsh*t, thats not how things work in real life thats what our parents wnated us to do, if there is drugs leave but thats not how things happen. If you see someone doing drugs its whatever. But overall I thought it was a great episode

This is a pretty good episode. I like how the A plot (Ash taking X) and B plot (JT and Toby trying to get Sean's advice on sex) were so linked; Degrassi rarely does that anymore. Fans will love Ash's double entendres in her dialogue with Jimmy. (Poor Jimmy. Humiliated in front of everyone.)



This was the first of a string of enjoyable drug episodes, and the really odd thing is, and I might be on crack for saying this, Sean and Ash would've made a cute couple. At least better than Sean and Emma. Or JT and Toby.



All that trouble over a jagged little pill.

This was a great way to end the 1st season of Degrassi: the Next Generation. With a Party. It's interesting to see more drama in Ashley's life. First fighting with Tobey, her dad being gay her band and now drugs. I can't beleive J.T would bring drugs in the first place. He is usually such a goofy kid. Sean was so smart when switching the pills. I would have been wierd to see Tobey and J.T. high. Ashley made such a fool of herself when she took that pill. She danced with Liberty and broke a vase. She totally destroyed the house and her relationship with Jimmy. It is sad at the end when she's crying. I also wish that Sean would give Emma a second chance. He probably will in the next couple odf seasons. I give this episode a 10/10.

At the end of the year a night at Ashley's, turns into the party of the year. Toby invites Sean and JT as his guests and JT has a little "party favour", he's brought Extacy. When Sean tells them he's going to the kitchen to split the pill into half so Toby and JT can take it, he runs into Ashley. He switched the Extacy with asprin and gives the extacy to Ashley telling her to throw it out. Meanwhile, Paige is pressuring Ashley to have more fun so Ashley takes the extacy. She then calls Jimmy and his friends and Jimmy quickly discovers Ashley is high. JT and Toby also invited Emma and her friends over so Emma and Sean fight. Sean is heartbroken. Ashley then cheats on Jimmy and makes out with Sean. Then Jimmy finds out and Ashley publically dumps him and then she even makes fun of Paige. The next day while trying to clean the house up Spinner comes by to inform her that Jimmy wants to break up and gives her some things Jimmy had of her. Ashley is now no longer popular and her only friend is Terri.

I liked this episode a lot. People say they didn't want kids to see teens taking drugs, but this stuff happens all the time whether you block a channel on tv or something to prevent kids from seeing it. You have to understand that lots of teens take drugs and the results end up like Ashley's did when she lost most of her friends. This episode teaches the consequences and the dangers of taking drugs, so personally i would've let kids see this episode and show them you can lose your rep, your friends and even your family sometimes if you take drugs.

Okay. This is the best episode of Season 1...besides the Mother and Child Reunion part 1 and 2 episode. I loved how every character was in this episode and involved in some little way with the plots. It made my whole thinking of Degrassi more....um..."wow" I guess...thats the only way I know how to put it. Also when Ashely and Sean kissed I was like.....OH! And then Jimmy wanted to beat Sean up again like her did the last episode, where the just pushed each other basically. I liked when JT and Toby thought they were high but they weren't HA!!! That was funny! I liked....just about everything that happened and again how every main character was in this episode....they should have more episodes like this...(where every main character is invovled a little in one plot that is dramatic...) Cleverly plotted I'd say!

This episode was the best episode of season one and I don't say that lightly. Up against Caberet and Family Politics, uh, yes. You already know the story. Let me start by voicing my concerns about the subplot, the Semma drama. Emma was mad because Jimmy and Sean were fighting in the first place, or because Sean accidentally hit Emma in the midst of the tension? I'd like to think its because she didn't want him fighting. I mean, the hit was an accident after all. But Emma's a little annoying like that. Soo anyway Ashley and Toby are both allowed to have one friend over. Losers Terri and JT are invited initially. Then more start coming, you know how it goes when there's no parental supervision when you're thirteen. I love how all the main characters started coming, as unrealistic as it was. Even like, Liberty, and Sean. And Spinner. It was just random. But it made for a good story. JT is really the idiot who started all the problems for bringing the Ecstasy pill in the first place. And everything would have worked oot better if he really was the one who took it, instead of just thinking that he took it. Sean thinks he so slick giving it to Ashley to "throw away". Brotha already knew he would end up getting laid by the drugged-up ho later that night. But, he really only needed her to release his tension he had for Emma. right. So Paige calls Ashley a hag and then Ashley calls her *gasp* a hag. It was intense. Jimmy's all offended and acts like he's never taken any pills before but we all know he's addicted to Spinner's Ritalin. At the end of the episode, Jiberty have their first kiss! Emma and Sean cry it out, but don't reconcile, Ashley's no longer the popular hag, and depending on whether or not you're watching The-N's version or CTV's, Ashley/Toby's parents come home and bring the real hell. Thank goodness for that watermelon, or it would have been really bad.

At the end of the year a little girls' night at Ashley's, turns into the party of the year. Toby invites Sean and JT as his guests and JT has a little "party favour", he's brought Extacy. When Sean tells them he's going to the kitchen to split the pill into half so Toby and JT can take it, he runs into Ashley. He switched the Extacy with asprin and gives the extacy to Ashley telling her to throw it out. Meanwhile, Paige is pressuring Ashley to have more fun so Ashley takes the extacy. She then calls Jimmy and his friends and Jimmy quickly discovers Ashley is high. JT and Toby also invited Emma and her friends over so Emma and Sean fight. Sean is heartbroken. Ashley then cheats on Jimmy and makes out with Sean. Then Jimmy finds out and Ashley publically dumps him and then she even makes fun of Paige. The next day while trying to clean the house up Spinner comes by to inform her that Jimmy wants to break up and gives her some things Jimmy had of her. Ashley is now no longer popular and her only friend is Terri.

OK so Ashley who was like the coolest girl in school decides to takes Ecstacy after Paige told her to lighten up. JT ended up taking a vitamin instead of Ecstacy because Sean switched the pills. So anyways Ashley ends up ruining her life and cheating on Jimmy. I actually thought this was the best season finale in Degrassi history. Compared to all the other unexpected twists in the other season finales, this twist was the best one of all. But there were some things I didn't think fit in correctly. First of all why whould Ashley cheat with Sean? I mean of course she's high but why not Spinner or someone else. During the whole party the place was clean but when no one was there except Terri and JT the placed was completely trashed! It must have been Ashley alone but it kind of makes you think that if Ashley did it wouldn't Terri stop her?

Ash is tired of being little "Miss Perfect". So she takes the E pill Sean gave her to throw away. At her small party, she makes a total fool of herself. She tells Jimmy she took E and went upstairs,and sees Sean crying. They make out in her room as Jimmy looks for Ash in the house. Sean comes out the room, then Ash comes out.

They get into this argument and it's over for them. Paige insults Ash, and Ash insults her back, and so Paige leaves. Why Paige got mad? I have no clue, Ash just called her what Paige called her. Stupid.

Anyways everyoe leaves the party. The next day, Spin comes by with Jimmy things. Jimmy broke up with Ash.

Ash ruined her reputation by taking E.

Good episode, well-acted out.

I thought it was the best episode of Season 1. "Jagged Little Pill" was the defining episode of Ashley. She was little Miss Innocent until she decided to take X. She may have been high and if affected a lot of her judgement but a lot of the stuff that she said in JLP held up truth. She was being controlled by Jimmy, she did cut loose finally and her experience with Sean was probably the most intense thing in her life up to that point. That is an example of a life not very lived. JLP also captured its audience and dragged them into Ashley's heartache. She made one mistake in which she was soon going to find out cost her a lot. But also gained her so much more.

All I have to say for this episode is that the acting is absolutely horrible. Ashley is soooo stupid for taking the Ecstacy; she obviously succumbed to peer pressure seeing as what Paige said got to her. I know that people act completely different on drugs, but I don't think that Ashley did a good job at all; she was stupid to take the stuff in the first place and I can't believe that JT and Toby actually thought they were on E. They acted really stupid too! Ashley making out with Sean? So sick! She was obviously so messed up and in this episode she just annoyed me even more than she already had.

Exactly what a season finale should be; it leaves issues unresolved. In particular, it pushes the Sean/Jimmy rivalry up a notch, leaves Ashley with almost none of her friends, and is the second episode where Sean's more than simply an extension of Emma.



I'd give this episode a better score, but everything goes back to the way it was in the first third of next season, except for Jimmy and Ashley's relationship.



This episode's even better when you're on a jagged little pill.

The Degrassi school year is over and Ashley decides to have some of her friends come over to watch some movies. Toby invites J.T. and Sean over as well. When J.T. and Sean come into the house they go upstairs with Toby. In Toby\'s room, J.T takes out a little plastic bag. In the bag is a pill. Toby and Sean notice that J.T. has brought a drug called ecstasy. Sean takes the pill and lies to get it away from the two other guys. Meanwhile Paige tells Ash that she is prodictable and Ashley goes into the kitchen to get some popcorn. She sees Sean with the pill and asks him why he brought drugs there. Then Sean explans the story and replaces the drug with an asprin,cuts it in two and asks Ash to put the ecstasy down the drane. When Sean goes upstairs to give Toby and J.T. the \"ecstasy\", Ash takes the pill instead of puting it down the sink.



Later on, the pill starts to work. The girls notice something new about Ash and asks what happened. Ashley says nothing happened and decides to throw a big party and invites everyone over to her house. So all these people show up and there\'s this bog party. Ash goes up sairs and runs into Sean. They go into her mom\'s room. She\'s telling Sean how he understands everything that goes on in her life and they start to have sex.



Jimmy comes over and asks where Ash is. One person says she went upstairs. So Jimmy goes upstairs to look for Ashley. He peeks into Ash\'s mom\'s room and catches Sean and Ash having sex. Jimmy\'s in shock and runs down the stairs and heads for the door. Ash tells him all about why she did it with Sean and says that she should\'ve broke up with him on his birthday.



Her mom and stepdad come home and tells everyone to go home. So now Ashley\'s life had to start over the next year.

Jagged Little Pill was a good finale for degrassi. It was well written. This is one of the rare episodes where all of the cast where in it. Even if they didnt have anything to do with the plot of the episode, everyone was in it. This was the episode where Ashley took E.