JustMe2000

all my instincts, they return
and the grand facade, so soon will burn
without a noise, without my pride
I reach out from the inside

kaleidocat

Mention of the Coach Carson incident cited! I knew if KC would mention it with anyone, it would be with Clare.

JustMe2000

Jenna wants KC to cheat off Clare? Wow.

And angry Riley shows up again......

kaleidocat

Oh no I think Clare's "You used me" is coming.

Loved Riley's freak out and hearing him say "you are okay, Riley. You are okay." I've missed you, you crazy boy you.

JustMe2000

Where the hell is Alli? She needs to be a part of that plot.

Zane looks like a long lost Asian Jonas Brother.

Nekoshoujo

Jenna has no morals. At all. I didn't like her before, but now I HATE her. She's corrupting my favorite character!!!

JustMe2000

I can't believe how few regulars were in this episode.

Riley
Peter
Anya
KC
Jenna
Clare

That's it. Oh and Holly J showed up in a wordless cameo to give Clare her decaf tea.

bailamicorazon

Hm. I didn't notice the lack of regulars, but now that you point it out... weird.

Anyway, I actually really enjoyed this episode. I thought both plots were pretty solid.

I'm glad that Riley's coming out process is slow/gradual and still very much in-character for Riley. I like how conflicted he is over what he really wants vs what others think. I thought his interaction with Anya was cute... I think I actually prefer Anya in a supporting role.

Riley and Zane were kind of cute together. I loved how Riley giggled when Anya called him on his crush, and the huge smile he wore after he kissed Zane. I hope we get to see a lot more of Zane next season. (I like that they cast an east asian guy for the role, since Degrassi hasn't really had one since Yick... though I agree with the poster that said he looks like an Asian Jonas brother. xD)

The subplot was good. I like that we got follow-up on Jenna/KC/Clare. I thought the plot was solid, and Clare was absolutely right in her assessment of KC-- he blames everyone but himself. I was glad to see he had fessed up to cheating, and I was glad Clare stood her ground with him. My biggest complaint at this point would be how 2D Jenna is... I'm really finding it hard to find redeeming qualities about her.

Benji

I liked this episode a lot. It was cute.
I like Riley's friendship with Peter and Anya as well.

MegaJ

Poor Riley. I understand his frustration with wanting to be rid of his anger but he still has the gay thing sitting on his chest and doesn't want anyone to know. I don't understand the show seemingly trying to push Riley out the closet while he's still just so completely conflicted and messed-up about it (and we STILL don't know his family situation). Anya was really sweet in this episode and Zane was cool with it, and I actually hope they don't pair them up too quickly and have them be friends for a bit. God, I so see Anya trying to be Riley's hag.

F--- YOU IN YOUR STUPID FACE JENNA!!!!! Okay, I got that out. I was screaming for Clare not to help KC cheat, but alas. But I'm glad she realized that he's just not worth her worrying her head off over, at least for now. I'm glad the Coach Creepy thing wasn't forgotten about.

I barely noticed until you pointed it out. I think they kinda spread everyone out a bit too thin this season. Alli should've definitely gotten some time in the B-Plot, but I guess since she was featured heavily in the beginning of the season, they didn't feel like paying her the extra coin.

JustMe2000

I'm glad they didn't have things start out with Anya already knowing that Riley was gay. I'm was worried that was going to happen. Him coming out to someone else besides Peter was his next step and then he took a huge step at the LGBT mixer and by kissing Zane outside by the cab at the end. The next step has to be with his parents, so hopefully we'll get that in S10.

Speaking of that mixer, were we supposed to believe that was going on at the same time as the math class that KC and Clare were getting back their tests in?

I enjoyed that even with those above mentioned huge steps he took, this was for the most part pretty low key for Riley compared to his other episodes. I liked his interaction with both Anya and Zane, and his stuff with Peter is always good.

As for Clare, wow, I don't quite know what to say at the notion of KC asking him to cheat for her and especially Jenna asking him to ask her. But, I was glad to see Clare stand up for herself and smack the both of them down and then when KC tried to pass the buck, smack him down again. Also glad to see Coach Creepy mentioned again, and I think it was a good way to explain his struggles this semester.

The lack of regular cast members (Alli's absence being the most notable, imo) did give it a weird feeling, but I still thought it was a pretty good episode.

Looking forward to next week and more Declan/Holly J.

Benji

Lol. That's why I appreciate episodes like Hungry Eyes where they mix the main and sub plots well. I'm guessing the mixer was a school event considering there was a mention of an LGBT club in Beat it. Plus Peter and the principal are family so it wouldn't be hard for it to get set up. But anyway, it's not as bad as in Lost In Love when the Niners had their Bot Wars competition and it supposedly lasted over 10 hours.

LindyC

I loved his huge smile too. Riley has a beautiful smile.


As for Clare/KC/Jenna... I really could not care less, however, I kind of thought maybe Clare should have admitted that she helped KC cheat...because she did.

kaleidocat

This was a really solid episode! It felt very sincere. I didn't notice how few regulars were in the episode either but I think it worked because both the a and b plots felt very focused. Maybe Alli could have been there to provide a catty remark to KC out of defense for Clare but I'm okay with her absence. But the comment about the lack of regulars did make me wonder if Riley's character is a little bit isolated. Call me crazy but I miss his friendship with Fiona (hell, I just miss seeing Fiona, also an isolated character). I'm guessing Riley's treatment of her in Beat It probably killed that though. So having him come out to Anya made sense. I always enjoy the moment when a character comes out and it's like this light bulb goes off for the girl, she realizes it wasn't her, and then she is quickly comfortable to recommend what guy he should go after...meanwhile you can tell that the dude is absolutely terrified. It reminded me of that episode of Being Erica with Jake Epstein playing a young gay male.

Like MegaJ, I still feel like there's a part of Riley's story that is missing. I don't entirely understand his anger issues. I don't know if he just hates himself that much or if the rage isn't entirely connected to his struggle to accept his sexuality. I just feel like I have a lot of questions about him that need answering. Maybe I'm just looking for a little familial angst, but I think if we meet his family, a lot of questions could be answered.

I really appreciate all the advice the characters gave to each other. Riley is a lucky guy to have such supportive friends and I even like the side of him we see trying to accept his issues and cope; "You are okay, Riley. You are okay." I also liked all of KC and Clare's interactions, from KC talking about the coach to his rationalizations to justify his actions to Clare giving him the smack down.

Now the Clare/KC/Jenna love triangle...I'm loving it actually! I don't dislike Clare/KC but I like what I've seen of her post-KC break up. There's something fresh about her reactions and the storyline so I'm hoping to see more of the love triangle in season 10 and I hope a Clare/KC reunion isn't rushed. I think it's pretty obvious that there are feelings still there between the two but I'm enjoying watching them make a bigger mess out of things.

Jenna's character confuses me. Maybe all she really is meant to be is that backstabbing friend whose only true intentions were to land the guy. Which is alright, I guess, if she's only a recurring character. I wonder if the writers expect us to like her. But I'm enjoying the love triangle so if she does anything, I'm being entertained.

Nekoshoujo

^ I agree so much.

I think Riley's anger issues are interesting and that maybe they originated from his self hate (something I've been thinking he's had a lot longer than we've seen) and that now he's just used them to cope for so long he can't quite let go of that.

I have to agree with you about the love triangle. It's really interesting to see KC and Clare in these positions. Surprisingly, I also don't want them rushed back together because I think they're learning a lot about themselves being apart. However, part of that is also coming from the fact they have a strong connection that isn't just going to drop any time soon. Clare has grown a lot since KC broke up with her. She's always been a favorite of mine, but lately I've really loved her. This was actually one of my favorite episodes for Clare. I especially loved the reality check she gave KC. He really needed to hear that and I think he's going to be thinking about what she's said. He really needs to make some changes and be on his own for awhile. He does need to get away from Jenna though. She's so toxic for him!

I think when they do get back together (and no doubt they eventually will) they'll be a lot better off being more secure in who they are as individuals.

I really don't get Jenna's character either. Maybe they felt they really needed a villian. But the problem is she's not even a good villian- She's just not smart enough so she comes off as petty and annoying. But she has her fans so maybe she's playing to a certain demographic here.