Wise Up – Episode Review

So I never mentioned Clare or Miles in last week’s episode review, but that’s okay. I got you this week, Clare and Miles. Mad props to Eric Osborne for his portrayal of Miles, because that stuff was for real. Also, mad props to Ana Golja, who is bringing it on.

Clew

Let’s start with Clew. The best part of this whole situation was when Drew told Clare they would have to tell their parents they were getting married. Lol I loved how Drew didn’t even ask. It just goes to show you how much he was panicking. But I think it also shows he was desperate to make Clare understand that he deserves a say in what will happen to this baby, that like it or not she will have to start thinking of him as the father. I love the influence that Dallas is having on Drew. It makes perfect sense that Dallas would offer some sage advice on fatherhood, for so many different reasons, so I’m glad Dallas was the first one Drew told. I’m actually glad Drew told Dallas before he talked to Becky about it, because, as predicated, the whole Drecky thing was a total flop. I’m not at all surprised by their break-up, nor do I really care. The only thing that’s surprising, after seeing Zig’s face during the prep rally, is the fact that Becky is alive at all and isn’t in a heap of blood and guts on the gymnasium floor. Flashback:

Those, to me, do not look like the faces of people who have just seen a sprained ankle!

 

Zoe

I heart you, Zoe Rivas. You are like a stinky cheese that gets softer yet sharper with time (Is that a thing? lol. I don’t know if that’s a thing). Degrassi has been in dire need of a new it girl for a long time. The last one they had was freakin’ Paige Michalchuck!! That was like 50 years ago. It was clearly always intended for Zoe to fill those shoes. She has been straining to do so for a while now, but has always been too un-liked and removed from the common folk to be their idol. Instead she was just this ex-starlet who was so stuck up and pathologically mean that nobody would spend time with her except maybe a few friends. Well, I love Zoe as the power cheer captain. It’s fun to see how she can snap twice and everyone will just get up and follow her down the hallway. I totally believe that Zoe would have that sort of power over people. Also, she is finally NICE. Did you hear what she said about that new girl doing good flips or whatever? And how she stood up for the other girl with the pink hair? Good job, Zoe. It’s going to be good for you to be on power squad. And fandom, you may hate me for saying this, but I believe Zoe is actually a better cheerleading captain than Paige ever was:

Paige may have been blond, and she had the it girl attitude, but her wardrobe was seriously mistaken. Meanwhile, Zoe has proven that brunettes can bring it just as well as blondes, if not maybe a little better. Also note how she can actually look confident/ peppy/ happy/ refreshing when her drab-straight hair isn’t hanging in front of her formally pissed-off-looking face.

Oh yeah, and Zoe and Zig. That was totally pervish how Zig had that app on his phone, and it was arguably stupid and self-depreciating that Zoe just went ahead and snap chatted him or whatever. It was hypocritical for Zig to act all concerned about Zoe’s behavior, but he was well-intentioned. Meanwhile, Zoe probably over-reacted by banishing Zig for life, but at the same time we can understand why she would be quick to feel judged and wouldn’t want to be treated like some delicate case study, given what’s happened to her lately. What I still care about more than the texting, is the fact that Zig only seems interested in dating girls in Maya’s friends-circle. Actually Miles is the same way. Can’t Zig date Grace or someone? Next he’s going to go for Tristan, I swear.

 

Miles

Miles, Miles, Miles. I really appreciated the drama between Miles and his father this week. It overshadowed everything else in the episode. Considering how that means it overshadowed Clare’s pregnancy… and how Clare is possibly the writer’s favorite character ever, and how an unplanned pregnancy is possibly the most dramatic thing ever… well to overshadow something like that is a pretty big deal.

I just think this plotline was really well done. Everyone can relate to arguing and clashing with a parent. Most people can probably say they have a strained relationship with a parent because they share a similar personality with that parent. Maybe for you it’s because you and your parent are both stubborn. For Miles, it’s because he and his dad are both manipulative.  I really felt for Miles in this episode. Not so much because of how horribly his father treated him (although that was terrible), but mostly because Miles had to go through the ordeal of recognizing that he is just like his dad. This type of parent-child conflict is something Degrassi TNG has never addressed.

I hate how Mr. Hollingsworth bought Miles that car/ those cars. That is such a typical scum-parent move. Let me manipulate you and treat you in a very unloving way, then buy you something or do something “nice” for you so that we don’t have to talk about it, when really all you want is for me to apologize. I can’t understand why Tristan would forgive Miles just because Miles got a new car, but whatever. I guess Tristan is in high school, after all, and none of his friends can drive. It’s funny though, how Miles showed the car off to Tristan in lieu of an apology, just like Mr. Hollingsworth did to Miles a few minute before. Smh.

I was afraid for a minute, when Mr. Hollingsworth II pushed Mr. Hollingsworth III into that antique heirloom picture frame, that the whole thing would become a tribute to “When Doves Cry.” I’m glad the whole Miles-having-an-internal-conflict-about-his-own-behavior thing didn’t just go away because Miles became a victim. The episode may have reminded us of Craig and his alcoholic/abusive father, but the writers didn’t just repeat a plotline. They let the Hollingsworth situation maintain its own nuisances in a way that, in my opinion, was actually more developed than anything we’ve ever seen in a Degrassi family-based plotline. I appreciate how we’re getting to know a lot about the entire Hollingsworth family. Mr. Hollingsworth is almost becoming a main character. Heck, he’s had way more character development than someone like Chantay ever had. So I’m looking forward to seeing more of the interactions between Miles and his dad.