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Old 02-22-2012, 04:59 PM
  #46
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That's how I feel too.

I think the writers kind of put themselves in a tough spot because now we're at a point where now we have all these characters that have little to no development and have to find a way to put characters with others with whom they'd have chemistry with. I have a feeling by the time all these characters get in a comfortable place it'll be too late because we're losing 8 characters members halfway into season 12, most of whom haven't had much of a storyline or a reason to care for them.

I just wish they'd quit adding characters as grade 11's. That was the biggest mistake with this group of kids.
I think that the 2012 seniors have it a lot better than the 2011 seniors ever did because I felt that while Fiona and Holly J got storylines and character development that the rest of the senior's storylines if they were lucky to have one that is were rushed to put it simply. By the time most of the 2011 seniors got a storyline with some direction it was really already too little, too late. I think that there are too many seniors and I know that while Fiona and Eli as examples will get plenty of screen time and storylines that help with their character growth I just don't think Imogen, Jake and Katie will get that opportunity for example and they deserve better. I think that it would've better for the overall show and some of the characters if some of these seniors weren't seniors and were instead in grades 10 and 11. I think that the writers put themselves in a tough spot when the truth is it really didn't have to be this way as some of these kids could've easily been in grade 10 or 11 but instead to me we really have too many seniors and we just won't have as much time with Katie, Imogen and Jake when it would not have been awkward for some of these seniors to be younger and stay around for a little longer.
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Old 02-22-2012, 08:59 PM
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I don't necessarily think these seniors have it better than 2011's because we got to watch 2011's characters grow in 4.5 seasons. I can agree that the writers favored Holly J and Anya over Sav, but we had a lot more time to watch Holly J go from bitchy girl-nice girl, Anya go from Holly J's sidekick-a lot more self confident, Riley go from denying being gay- ready to be out, and Sav going from the boy who couldn't stand up to his dad to someone who's a bit more assertive with him. Their transformation felt natural.

Fiona, Eli and Drew have gotten plenty of development but the other 5 haven't had much and unless some of these characters get held back then the writers will only have the remaining half of this season and the first half of season 12 to tell their story. The 5 others will have about as much development as Johnny, Jane, Bruce etc. had in the end.
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Old 02-22-2012, 09:33 PM
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I don't necessarily think these seniors have it better than 2011's because we got to watch 2011's characters grow in 4.5 seasons. I can agree that the writers favored Holly J and Anya over Sav, but we had a lot more time to watch Holly J go from bitchy girl-nice girl, Anya go from Holly J's sidekick-a lot more self confident, Riley go from denying being gay- ready to be out, and Sav going from the boy who couldn't stand up to his dad to someone who's a bit more assertive with him. Their transformation felt natural.

Fiona, Eli and Drew have gotten plenty of development but the other 5 haven't had much and unless some of these characters get held back then the writers will only have the remaining half of this season and the first half of season 12 to tell their story. The 5 others will have about as much development as Johnny, Jane, Bruce etc. had in the end.
The issue that I saw over and over again with the 2011 seniors is that as soon as Holly J wasn't involved in a storyline that the writers seemed to lose interest in the other character. I think that Sav and Riley were two of the most underused and underdeveloped characters on the show and that the writers spent a really long time with both of them dealing with the same issue for over three years and by the time there was finally a decision made one way or another about the direction of Sav and Riley's storylines that it was really way too little, way too late to put it simply. I thought that Anya's exit storyline could've been a lot better but in the she just got upstaged by both Fiona and Holly J, I always knew that we weren't going to have Katie, Imogen and Jake as long as we could've and even though she's been on the show longer the writers show no indication of giving Marisol her own storyline without Katie. I thought that despite being on the show for four years that I just wasn't attached to the 2011 seniors who've left minus Holly J. I thought that the class of 2011 had a lot of potential storylines that were just dropped or ignored all together.
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Old 05-10-2012, 07:37 PM
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For reference - b and c plots for Hollaback Girl that never happened:
Quote:
Originally Posted by TeeNick, part 1
When Marisol's insults become harsher than ever, Mo's self-esteem reaches an all time low. Tristan and Maya bond while working on a history project, and Tori tries to sabotage their new friendship.
Quote:
Originally Posted by TeenNick, part 2
Mo refuses to leave the house, and Marisol's attempt to help only makes things worse. Katie won't graduate unless she improves her math grade, so she hires K.C. as a tutor. When he starts spending lots of time at the Matlin's, Katie develops feelings for him -- but so does Maya.
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Old 05-11-2012, 07:29 AM
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I wonder if those will turn out to be plots for Season 12 episodes? It just seems odd that one of the official websites would be so off in their write-up.
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Old 05-12-2012, 06:53 AM
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What?! I'm glad those Marisol/Mo plots didn't happen. Sounds awful. A Katie/KC/Maya triangle? Ugggghhh. So weird that those descriptions were on TeenNick's website! I hope they don't happen in season 12... or ever.
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Old 05-13-2012, 05:44 PM
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The one with Katie/Maya would be more interesting if it were Connor in the middle
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Old 05-15-2012, 10:49 PM
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I'm actually into the idea of Katie and Maya crushing on the same guy. I've been craving some sibling rivalry on this for awhile now and that would satisfy that. I don't see how Maya could possibly have a shot with an older guy like KC so I'm wondering how both girls would react to that and if Katie would pursue a relationship with him if the feeling is mutual.

I deleted all of my Degrassi season 11.5 episode WTV files this weekend. I figure I can always find them some other way. Not sure I'd even want to watch any of the episodes again. When you don't even want to illegally download episodes, it might be the sign of an unsatisfying season.
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Old 05-18-2012, 11:34 PM
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So now the whole damn season is over. Bumping if anyone wants to put in their thoughts for the season, I'm gathering mine.
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Old 05-18-2012, 11:46 PM
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I vote Glen best new character of the season.

When I grow up I will also send my son to paint strip clubs for money.
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Old 05-19-2012, 05:34 AM
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Oh boy, I don't even know how I feel about season 11 as a whole.

Underwhelming might be a good word to describe it. I think they need to learn how to include more students in the episodes even if they don't have a plot because in 11.5 there was a lot of character absense. Owen was really underused, along with Bianca and some other characters could definitely had been seen more. The frostival would have been a good time to show more students in the background having fun. Also a one liner about why Wesley never showed up in 11,5 would have been wonderful.

Anyways I think a lot of the individual episodes when I first watch them I think they were decent, but then I think back at that whole block as a whole and it seems like little happened and those aren't exactly episodes I'd go to rewatch if I wanted to watch old eps of Degrassi.

Earlier in this thread I stated what I liked and didn't like about the first half of the season and it was pretty much equal. A lot has changed like I find Clare a lot more tolerable now that her and Jake are done and she dealt with her family problems, and Marisol is tolerable now. 11.5 had some really good individual moments like the original niners coming together, Adam/Drew singing Summer Of '69 etc, but storyline wise I think there is a lot of room for improvement. Especially when it comes to how rushed some of the storylines are (Jacinta/Dave and Katie in particular).

They did a better job in 11.5 with balancing relationships and character storylines though.

Overall both parts of the season had their problems. Part 1 was way too relationship focused and part 2 was too rushed. The season wasn't amazing, the only season I'd probably rank below it is season 1 and maybe season 8 but it was decent and had it's moments.

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Old 05-22-2012, 07:05 AM
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Season 11 seemed like a total 180 from season 10. All and all I felt like Now or Never and 11.5 weren't as cohesive as they should have been and that could be because technically they're two different school years. It was underwhelming as a whole but when it was good it was really good- I'm thinking Extraordinary Machine and Smash into You.

Characters who were stronger in S10 were weaker this year. Fiona and Eli sorta lost what makes them great in the second half although since they're headed down some new paths they'll probably bounce back next season.

Imogen and Jake got better and better as the season went on. They're really coming into their own and I really like both of them a lot right now. On the other hand, Katie for me was stronger in the start. It feels like the writers told us a lot about her that in the end wasn't true. For a girl who doesn't like drama she sure is good a being a drama queen.

The Niners were all good introductions. I actually like that the writers seem to be taking their time with them. So far they work well in all the combinations we've seen: Tori/Tristan, Maya/Tori, Tori/Zig, Zig/Maya, Tristan/Tori/Zig, Tristan/Tori/Maya. That says a lot and I know we have a good base for the future generation. Hopefully next season the writers dig a little deeper into their personal lives especially in regards to Zig who we still know next to nothing about.

Balancing screen time was a huge issue this season. I hate to say that taking Wesley out of the equation seems like a benefit to me. Wasting another plot on trying to create a love triangle for him would have been a shame. And in part because of his absence the cast is finally coming together really well. We're getting a lot of nice friendships and relationships and it does feel like a real school with everyone involved in each others' plots. Next season the writers would be smart to try and give at least one solid plot to all their leads preferably finding a way to get everyone an A-plot and subplot each. I think it's possible with all the connections they're building since it's easy for characters to share plots with each other. Bianca, Adam, Owen, Tristan, and Connor could all use more screen time.

In the second half Dave really shined to me but sadly his powerful plot was taken over by petty relationship drama with Alli. I think this represents the greater problem with Degrassi today: Fandom is more important than plot. That seriously needs to stop.

As far as characters who changed for me this season, I'm always flip flopping when it comes to Alli. She was great all through Now or Never but ended up annoying me with her petty behavior and jealousy in 11.5. I feel like Alli holds everyone to such high standards to the point of ridiculousness. Normally having Alli pop in spices up a plot but in the second half of the season it served only to bring in a lot of wining. However, her friendship with Jenna remains a welcome.

Speaking of Jenna she's probably my season 11 MVP. Talk about a transformation. She's been through a lot and has clearly learned from it all. One of the few characters who seems to be doing the character development thing right, she got a new role as "voice of reason" in 11.5. Honestly? I think it really works for her. She's also making some much needed new connections. Her friendship with Jake feels natural and low key, it's just that we barely got to see it! Hopefully that's amended in season 12. Especially since they both have connection to Mo- there's a trio I'd like to see! I think I would like to see her branch out beyond KC now. Her entire time on the show, her storyline has connected to him. It's almost impossible to view Jenna as a character away from that relationship and that's still a problem for me. I'd like to see Jenna have a strong storyline that doesn't connect to her relationship with KC or what resulted from it.

Clare also stands out as a character that developed throughout the season, it just took her a little longer. With Clare I get it: she's been through a lot and she took her personal issues out on those around her. Clare's always had a balance problem, either she's letting people walk all over her blinded by her locality to her friends or she's so focused on herself she can't see what's going on with others. But in 11.5 after things settled with Jake, it seems like maybe she's finally got it. Her words to Eli in the finale meant more than that she's still interested- they meant that she's finally looking out for herself while trying to help an be with the people around her. She's not going to let herself get hurt just to suits someone's needs and she's not going to hurt others to suit hers. I think that's where Clare's been headed all along it just took her awhile to get there.

Marisol was the surprise for me this season. In Now or Never it seemed like writers weren't interested in developing her beyond being Katie's eternal bff/frienemy. But go figure in 11.5 Marisol found her own place apart from Katie's shadow. Not only did she stand on her own but she overshadowed Katie in some ways. At least she did for me. Marisol continues to be one of the most realistic characters on the show. She's not just a one hit wonder. Yes she's a mean girl. But under that she's also a hard worker who has gotten where she is by actually putting the effort in. We saw that in the cheer-leading plot with Tori and the finale with Fiona. Fiona might not know the value of the dollar, but clearly Little Miss Steaks waitress, Marisol does. It's interesting to see that her "good" traits have been their all along but are only now getting the focus they deserve. I was worried that by giving Marisol more time in the spotlight they'd try to play the sympathetic mean girl card with some sad backstory. Thankfully they didn't. Marisol doesn't need a sob story to be likable. That's so below her. Marisol is likable because even with all her stupid screw ups, and self serving behavior she's real. It helps that Shanice has the kind of charisma that brings life to even the most cliche lines. Writers, please don't waste this next season! Give Marisol something really awesome to work with.
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Old 05-22-2012, 02:53 PM
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Characters who were stronger in S10 were weaker this year. Fiona and Eli sorta lost what makes them great in the second half although since they're headed down some new paths they'll probably bounce back next season.
I will take this 1 step further and say must of the grade 11 and 12 characters are weak. Some are completely unlikeable. I will take this 10 steps further and propose that Degrassi should clean house next season and bring in a whole new crop of kids (plus the current niners). Stop dragging out the school years. But that's not going to happen, so.

It's hard for me to think back on this season because most (all?) episodes I've seen only once and only when they originally aired. My memory is foggy. This is what I remember...

What I liked:
- Holly J, Anya, and Sav in Holly J's hospital bed
- Anya's storyline/sendoff
- Jake, in general
- anything related to KC/Jenna/Ty
- the redemption of Bianca
- Marisol, Mo, and Marisol/Mo
- the niners, especially Maya

Wishlist for season 12:
- Snake being redeemed/treated like a real character again. No clue what happened to him, but I hate it. He used to be so central to this show. I don't care that he's an adult. I don't care if fans will complain and find a Snake plot "boring." GIVE ME SNAKE OR GIVE ME DEATH~
- Bisexual male character
- Suicide
- Betrayal
- More focus on the younger kids and new characters
- Less focus on relationship drama, but since that'll never happen, I'll also accept...
- Relationship abuse that is subtle and dragged out over the course of the season and actually shown to be problematic and not with some obvious "bad" character or anything like that. Preferably the final episode will have a "Viewer Discretion Advised" warning and PSA at the end.
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Old 05-22-2012, 03:29 PM
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Balancing screen time was a huge issue this season. I hate to say that taking Wesley out of the equation seems like a benefit to me. Wasting another plot on trying to create a love triangle for him would have been a shame. And in part because of his absence the cast is finally coming together really well.
I have to agree with this. He was like-able but Connor has stood out a lot more paired up with Mo and K.C. then he did with Wesley. They clearly had no plans for Wesley except being the nerd who only hangs out with Connor and Dave, and the cast is too big and underdeveloped as it is.

Quote:
Snake being redeemed/treated like a real character again. No clue what happened to him, but I hate it. He used to be so central to this show. I don't care that he's an adult. I don't care if fans will complain and find a Snake plot "boring." GIVE ME SNAKE OR GIVE ME DEATH~
I agree, he's been really bitchy these days. With Connor living at Snake's there is no reason we shouldn't see more of Snake/Spike/Jack and maybe even Spinner/Emma.

Last edited by ihavealife2uknow; 05-22-2012 at 03:36 PM
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Old 05-22-2012, 07:52 PM
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Season 11 was....a season. Some good stuff, some bad. In the whole grand scheme of Degrassi seasons, this season will probably rank low only because there isn't too much that's remarkable about it.

The Good:

-The Anson/Vince/Gang storyline, mainly for what it brought out in Bianca. Drew's part was okay, but even comparing his PTSD to Bianca's transformation it comes up short. Bianca went from a two-dimensional floozy to a very dynamic character. It is very reminiscent of what they did with Alex, but I like Alex so there.

-The KC/Jenna pregnancy storyline. Hands down the best teen pregnancy arc since Accidents Will Happen. Instead of being squashed into a few episodes with like JT/Liberty or someone becoming a model with Mia, KC and Jenna were actually forced to deal with this. It all felt very realistic, with the all the stress Jenna was going through, KC's lackadaisical attitude to it and the low-income background. The aftermath with KC finally owning up to it was good stuff too. I was worried about the two of them, but this storyline really brought out some great scenes and moments and acting.

-The Dave/Adam storyline. This would've been ruined if this was a "poor Adam" storyline, but Adam did behave awkwardly to the point where you could see it from Dave's angle (though his language was uncalled for) and Adam was never a victim and could stand up for himself. I never felt more engaged.

-Fiona is still one of my favorites and while the Charlie stuff was meh, I did like what it brought out in her and her later storyline with Imogen/Eli was good too. The character shines whenever she has to go through adversity, so yeah she had to lose her money; it's a crutch in her life and also for the writers for a convenient out for storylines.

-I also like pretty much every new character, but I'll get into that later.

The Bad.

-The graduating class of season 11. It was their last season, the writers weren't going to waste any good ideas on them, so...blah was what we got sans Anya. And that's only because she's a character they never worked with until that season. Holly J's storyline just felt too soapy and while I did like that wham line ("She wants 200,000.") I think this too much to just drop on the audience's head when the character is headed out the door. Riley's storyline was short, but it least it got semi-good resolution. The less said about Sav's storyline, the better.

-The complete lack of parental involvement and idiot adults is very disconcerting, and it's getting to the point where it's unrealistic. I can understand not getting your mother involved in your business when you're a teenager, but finding your birth mother after you've learned you're adopted? No Just No. Not to mention Clare's mother being completely detached and not even being told by POLICE that she ran away from home. And pretty every adult involved with Eli sans Bullfrog suck. Ms. Dawes, his psychologist, etc.

-I'd never though I'd say this but Clare and Eli are better together than apart. With The Boiling Point, it was nice seeing their relationship build and them helping each other and going through intense drama. Not to mention their personalities/backstories bouncing off each other at times (Quick little irony I always liked about them, just looking at Clare and Eli, which kid would you say had the broken home and uncaring parents?) Clare and Eli apart? Ick. They did the wrong thing by paring them up with other character in the beginning, Clare only got tolerable around Not Ready To Make Nice because she and Jake already broken up and Imogen was almost a non-entity in Eli's downward spiral. So, I'd never though I say this, bring on the EClare season 12!

And that's it, I'll post thoughts on new/bumped-to-main characters later. My fingers hurt.
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