Summer's going fast, nights growing colder
Children growing up, old friends growing older
Freeze this moment a little bit longer
Make each sensation a little bit stronger
Experience slips away
Experience slips away...
The innocence slips away.
—Rush, Time Stand Still
A Plot
Rick heads back to school with a purpose. Principal Raditch, and Jimmy are angry as all Hell, and Jimmy even fights with Spinner after Spinner tells him he was behind the prank. Back in the school, Rick heads towards Paige and is this close to pulling out the gun, until Paige inadvertently saves her life as she apologizes to Rick and condemns the paint/feathers prank. Rick apologizes to Paige for hurting Terri, and his anger is burnt out. He goes into the bathroom to clean off. Spinner and Jay barge in, and complain about Jimmy knowing that they were apart of the prank. Jay sees that Rick's been in the bathroom and sets up Jimmy as being part of the prank with Spinner going along with it. Rick is livid and feels betrayed. Rick confronts Jimmy, and wrongly accuses him of being as part of the prank and pulls out his gun and shoots Jimmy in the back as he runs away. Kids are running everywhere and Craig even sees Jimmy laying on the ground. Emma, Toby and Sean find themselves on the scene, and Rick is seething and crying with anger at Emma. Sean tries to talk Rick down, but then Rick aims the gun at Emma, and Sean scuffles with him and a gunshot rings out...The police are at the scene questioning Toby, Emma and Sean and inspecting the area. Toby denies being friends with Rick and Emma is still in shock. Snake lays into Raditch and his inaction in regard to Rick's bulling. The school is still in lockdown and Hazel is told that Jimmy has been shot. Spinner is wracked with guilt, but Jay talks him out of confessing their roles in the prank. The media circus surrounds the school, and Toby learns that Rick has died. As the episode ends, the characters reflect on the day and try to make some sort of sense of what happened as Jimmy is at the hospital recovering and candlelight vigils are held at the school.
B Plot
Caitlin is surprised that Joey is selling the house, but Joey tells her that business has been rough and he's left with no choice. Caitlin shows up at Sydney's work and offers to buy the house and after some haggling, she is a new home owner. Joey is upset that Caitlin bailed him out and while they're arguing, news breaks about the shooting at Degrassi...Tropes
- Accidental Murder: Sean tries to get the gun away from Rick and it goes off, killing Rick.
- Call-Back : Craig's response, standing still and gaping, when he sees that Jimmy has been shot, is nearly identical to Snake's reaction to Claude's suicide in the Degrassi High episode "Showtime: Part 2."
- Hope Spot: After Paige and Rick talk, Rick puts the gun in his locker, and it seems like he's calmed down...But then he overhears Jay and Spinner set up Jimmy as the mastermind behind the prank, and things go to hell from there.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Spinner, when he realizes that he's responsible for his best friend getting shot.
- Sean is also overcome with guilt at killing Rick, even though it was an accident and he and Emma might have died otherwise.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Jay and Spinner, worried that they'll get in trouble for the prank on Rick, stage a conversation that sets up Jimmy as the one who was behind it, while they know Rick is listening. This gets Jimmy shot in the back.
- Pet the Dog: Paige tells Rick that she finds what was done to him at the trivia show unacceptable. It ends up saving her life along with the students in the cafeteria, as Rick was starting to pull out his gun but stopped when he heard what Paige had to say.
- Special Aesop Victim: After being bullied one too many times, Rick brings a gun to school. It ends with Rick shooting Jimmy in the back, falsely believing he was behind it, and Rick getting accidentally killed by Sean when he wrestled the gun out of Rick's hands.
- Wham Episode
