Degrassi - [REWATCH] Degrassi TNG - 314/15 Episode Discussion - Accidents Will Happen (original airdate 1/26/2004 & 2/9/2004)

**kaleidocat** · 01-23-2020, 02:46 PM

Accidents Will Happen Part 1 & 2

"Accidents Will Happen" is a two-part episode of Degrassi: The Next Generation that aired in the middle of season 3. The first part aired originally on 26 January 2004, and the second part originally aired on 9 February 2004.

Due to the content discussed in this episode, it was shelved from United States broadcast for several years. It was aired in the US for the first time after, the television station, The N, decided to air it during what was called "Cast Picks". Cassie Steele, who plays Manny Santos, the main character of this episode, chose this as her "pick". It was not shown again until a later date, when The N decided to air an "every episode ever" marathon, before the premiere of the 6th season. (wiki)

Accidents Will Always Happen: 13 years on, we need Degrassi’s infamous abortion episode more than ever.
The AV Club: A Very Special Episode of Degrassi tackles abortion

**JustMe2000** · 03-04-2020, 10:44 PM

So I watched Part 1.

-Toby trying to get on the good side of Jimmy (or "Jimmer") was just painful, but oh so relatable. Speaking of Jimmy, wow was he a total ass in this episode.

-Degrassi always had a way of characters suddenly being on a sports team for an episode, this time we got Manny, Hazel, Emma and Kendra.

-I had forgotten that just prior to this episode Manny and Emma had a falling out. Miriam and Cassie always did a great job with their characters during those spats they had.

-"Spike, I think I'm pregnant," is, for my money, of the great moments in Degrassi history. The whole sequence with that music playing in the background while Manny jogs to the scene of she and Spike looking at her pregnancy test was great. Oh, and using Spike for that sequence was perfect. It's exactly why you bring back the former students as adults.

-When Degrassi does come back in some form, my advice to TPTB is to use the two plot formula as much as you can.

This episode holds up well although it's the classic setup for the juicy stuff to come in Part 2.

semmafightsellie · 12-11-2020, 08:25 AM

such a good ep. cranny had everything together.

**kaleidocat** · 01-26-2024, 05:18 PM

20th Anniverary: ‘Degrassi: The Next Generation’s’ Banned Abortion Episode Changed TV

This is a good read. No quotes from Cassie but there's some from Epstein so being a Craig fan, especially of the his trauma, I liked that this was brought up:

Quote:

Simultaneously, Craig was also rooting for his girlfriend to keep the child. Craig had a pretty tumultuous journey in Degrassi, starting with the abuse from his biological father, leading to him being taken in by his stepfather, Joey Jeremiah. From Craig’s perspective, keeping the baby was his opportunity to finally have a real family, the one thing he craved desperately due to his circumstances.

Episode writer Shelley Scarrow admires Craig’s perspective, saying, “It’s very emotional. It’s from a place of need; it’s not his politics. He’s not drawing lines in the sand and saying, you can’t do it for this reason, or it’s illegal, or it’s against my religion, or I don’t believe in it. It was like, oh, I feel this way because I’m a fully-fledged human.”

Epstein is especially impressed that Degrassi went against the stereotype of the teen father wanting nothing to do with the baby and instead showed Craig ready to take on the role of a father. It wasn’t out of left field that he wanted to do it; it was totally valid based on his life experiences,” Epstein offers.

Though, in the end, Degrassi wanted to make one thing clear: It was Manny’s body, and therefore, Manny’s decision. In one scene, Manny frantically appears at Emma’s door, desperate for some advice from her friend’s mother, who ensures her that if she doesn’t want to follow through with her pregnancy, she doesn’t have to. This is one of the most important scenes in the episode as it solidifies the message of choice. Just because Spike decided to carry her baby to term and raise Emma as a young mother doesn’t mean she believes this is the right decision for everyone. She’s able to see past her own opinions and choices and encourage Manny to make the decision that’s right for her.

Despite Emma’s hesitance to support her best friend, she passionately tells Craig at the end of the two-part episode, “[It’s] Manny’s body, what about her?” While the ending seemed to place a lot of emphasis on the “my body, my choice” message, Scarrow admits, “I don’t know that that felt as radical at the time as it even does now. It just felt like a statement of fact, so it is interesting that that’s a question now that we’ve moved so far in other directions.”

Epstein also acknowledges that while he’s happy Degrassi kept an open mind to the various perspectives around abortion, he understands that it was much easier for Craig to accept Manny’s pregnancy than it was for her. “He’s not the one who’s gonna be pregnant for nine months, and he’s not the one who has to necessarily give up the same kinds of things that Manny gives up,” Epstein reasons.

**JustMe2000** · 01-27-2024, 05:20 PM

It really is amazing when you think that it was a couple of years before that episode aired in the US.

I will say the show overall did a good job of showing different scenarios regarding teen pregnancy and abortion, right down to Lola's guilt free abortion.

**kaleidocat** · 01-28-2024, 05:46 PM

I was hoping to find a clip of the hallway confrontation between Manny, Craig, and Emma and praise them but eh, not seeing it. Something of interest as we celebrate this episode might be the commentary from the DVDs featuring Cassie Steele.

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Fan Forum > TV Shows - Past > Degrassi > [REWATCH] Degrassi TNG - 314/15 Episode Discussion - Accidents Will Happen (original airdate 1/26/2004 & 2/9/2004)