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Episode Recap: Degrassi of the Dead
Before I can get into this week's episode, I have to put it out there that I'm a huge zombie movie fan. I've seen 'em all! My favorite of them being Shaun of the Dead which (in case you haven't seen it) takes a more comedic approach to the classic zombie story. When I found out the Halloween episode of Degrassi was going to be about zombies invading the high school, my love for this show was completely renewed. I thought it was ridiculously cool when they got Kevin Smith to do a guest stint but this week's episode brought it to a new level. And just to sweeten the deal, the writers made a great decision not to include any of the new Lakehurst kids in the mix. Now for my recap:
You had to guess something odd was happening when the episode kicked off by going right into the opening theme. What? No setup for this week's drama fest? Instead, they interrupted the credits for an emergency alert. Apparently, genetically modified vegetables have caused a global catastrophe and the undead are roaming the streets. Peter, Manny, Paige, Jay, and Ashley (another Breakfast Club-esque grouping) have found shelter inside the high school but the undead bodies of their classmates are all around them. Great day for Paige to decide to visit her alma mater! As the group contemplates their next move, Manny insists that Emma will come to save the day. Perfect timing for a zombified Emma to appear outside the window. With no options left, Jay decides to make a run for a car only to be greeted by the undead principal who takes a big juicy bite out of his neck. The remaining 4 make their way to the gymnasium where zombie Jimmy awaits them. In true Ashley tradition, she uses the completely inopportune time to declare her love for her undead boyfriend. Silly Ashley fell for his "even when I'm dead I still don't have use of my legs" trick and just as soon as she turned her back poor little Ashley went bye-bye.
With only 3 people left, Peter switches into hero mode by disappearing into a horde of zombies attempting to distract them from the girls inside the gym. With just Manny and Paige left, the two had to set ill feelings aside if they had any hope of getting out alive. The best line of the episode came when Manny asked "Are you hitting on me?" in response to Paige's comment that despite their long-standing rivalry, she was glad they were alive together. As they made their way through the air ducts, they came upon the science lab where mad scientist Derek was performing experiments on a zombie Spinner. Clearly out of his mind, Derek's plan was to blow up the school and repopulate the earth with the school's only surviving females. Just when all hope seemed lost, Paige used her flirtatious ways to lead deranged Derek right into Spinner's biting range and the girls made a run for it as Derek used his dying breath to push the button to blow up the school. In a selfless act, Paige pushed Manny out of harms way getting blown away by the explosion. As Manny makes her way to the school bus, she finds Peter walking among the zombies. Apparently all they had to do was act like they were one of them to survive. Manny and Peter drove off on the bus on their quest to repopulate the world.
Overall, my real complaint about this week's show was that it was only 15 minutes long. I get the fact that they probably spent their entire budget on the added effects but come on. What a scam? The episode ended after 15 minutes and the rest was just a making of. How do you create a making of segment that's as long as the actual segment? Regardless, I was entertained. It had all the elements of the classic zombie movie. Ashley's "I love you" monologue is a must for any zombie flick and I'm pretty sure Derek's mad scientist bit was a reference to Day of the Dead. And of course, as is the case with most great zombie movies, the end leaves no room for a sequel. Everyone is dead. Good stuff!
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Oct 27, 2007 12:09 AM
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