Recap / Degrassi The Next Generation S 3 E 7 Should I Stay Or Should I Go

Should I Stay Or Should I Go?

Original Airdate: Oct. 29, 2003

Craig and Ashley continue to weigh their feelings towards each other — despite wanting to take things to the next level, he finds himself unable to say that he loves her. Spinner is also planning a surprise birthday party for Paige. Elsewhere, Snake is dealing with the consequences of his chemo treatment and needs cheering up, leading to Joey recruiting an old friend to lift his spirits.

Tropes:

• The Bus Came Back: Derek "Wheels" Wheeler returns to the franchise after more than a decade of being away from the series (a semi-deleted scene in "Mother and Child Reunion, Part 2" notwithstanding).
• Continuity Nod: The plot presumes that viewers already have familiarity with Degrassi: School's Out! (if not the preceding shows). Viewers not familiar with the telemovie will likely have no clue who the random guy that shows up at the bowling alley is, why Joey's so chummy with him and expects Snake to be, why Snake (initially) still hates him for something unexplained, and why this random guy is talking about being a Death Seeker due to having killed a kid after getting drunk and driving, an incident that is otherwise unelaborated on within the episode.
• Earn Your Happy Ending: After a decade of being estranged from the rest of his friends, Wheels is shown to have moved on from the fatal crash that haunted him during his time in prison, and successfully repairs his fractured friendship with Snake.
• Putting the Band Back Together: In order to cheer up Snake during his chemotherapy sessions, Joey enlists the help of Wheels and successfully reunites the Power Trio from the original Degrassi Junior High, who are shown laughing along with each other towards the end of the episode.
• Took a Level in Kindness: Compared to his characterization in School's Out!, where he was shown to have Took a Level in Jerkass by refusing to admit he was capable of driving drunk and killing a child), Wheels is far more repentant, goes out of his way to lend a sympathetic ear to Snake, and talks about how he had to come to terms with his past actions. By the time the episode ends, he's shown to have mended his friendship with the Power Trio.
• What Happened to the Mouse?: Despite the fact that Snake is shown to have repaired his friendship with Wheels, the latter is never seen again in the series, even in situations where Snake and Joey are shown hanging out with each other. (In real-life, Wheels' actor, Neil Hope, lived in transient housing, and would later pass away in 2007, making any future reunion impossible.)
• Will They or Won't They?: Craig and Ashley's relationship. They both want to have Their First Time with each other, but he finds himself unable to admit that he loves her (and instead shows his feelings through small gestures), despite the fact that she wants him to say it before they can progress any further.

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