Degrassi Junior High Season 1, Episode 5: The Great Race
- Original Airdate: February 15, 1987
Written by: Yan Moore
Directed by: Clarke Mackey
Summary
We open prior to a swimming meet for the girls' swim team, with Melanie staring at her rather flat chest in a mirror, complaining to L.D that her mother won't let her buy a bra, even though she clearly needs one. L.D is bemused, and gets her to go out and swim. The girls win their match, sending them on to the city finals. The next day at school, L.D asks Stephanie to announce the news, and Stephanie tells her that is Jason Cox, the sports representative's responsibility. Meanwhile, it becomes clear Melanie is crushing on Snake, the tall boy last seen competing with Steph to be student president. Jason Cox does make an announcement - telling the students to come cheer the boys' soccer team at their next match, not mentioning the girls swimming team at all. L.D and Melanie are offended, and when they confront him and the soccer team, Jason tells them that no-one is interested in girls sports, and that if the soccer team were competing against a bunch of girls, they'd win all the time to. So L.D challenges the soccer team to a swimming relay.Jason accepts the challenge, despite the fact no-one on the soccer team can swim - but Jason plans to recruit Snake, who was district swimming champion, despite he fact he was cut from the soccer team for being no good. L.D complains about the boys' sexism, while Melanie complains that Snake must think she's just a little kid, because her mother won't let her buy a bra. Frustrated, L.D decided to take Melanie to go buy a bra herself, if it means that much to her. At school the next day, Jason informs L.D that he's recruited Snake to the soccer team, and L.D accuses him of stacking the team, since Snake isn't any good at soccer. Melanie is initially pleased with how the bra shapes her figure, but is embarrassed when Joey and the other boys start to make fun of her, accusing her of stuffing it with Kleenex. As a result, she refuses to participate in the swimming match, because she doesn't want anyone to see her in her swimsuit without it on.
When it comes to the day of the big match, neither Snake nor Melanie is swimming. While looking for Snake, Jason discovers Melanie isn't swimming, and happily reports that news to his team. Snake and Melanie meet each other on the steps outside school, and Snake tells her he's not swimming because he knows he's only been recruited to the soccer team to win them the swimming relay - he explains he used to be good at soccer, before he got so tall. Melanie explains she's not swimming because she doesn't want people to laugh at her, and Snake tells her that everyone hates being laughed at, but you can't let it stop you doing things. This inspires Melanie to go participate in the swimming match after all.
When she enters the pool, Joey makes fun of her from the stands, calling out: "Melanie, you're so flat the walls are jealous!" L.D deals with this directly - by grabbing him and throwing him in the pool. In the actual race, Melanie swims the last lap, and secures victory for the girls - the final shot is her raising her head out of the pool.
In the B-plot, Arthur and Yick are comparing their heights, frustrated that they haven't grown in awhile. They observe the tall Snake, and decide they need to eat whatever he eats to get taller. They have no success with yoghurt, and buying several of the same chocolate bars as Snake eats just makes them sick, so the resort to stretching their bodies on the monkey bars.
Tropes specific to this episode
- A-Cup Angst: Melanie's dilemma, that her body isn't developing as quickly as she would like it to.
- Ask a Stupid Question...: Wheels starts establishing his Deadpan Snarker credentials:Wheels: Where's Snake?Jason: He isn't here?Wheels: Yeah, he's just so skinny you missed him.
- Early-Installment Weirdness:
- Melanie and L.D appear to be close friends here, whereas later Cast Calculus establishes they are in different grades and barely know each other.
- Snake tells Melanie that he has been bullied by Joey too, whereas it's later established that Snake is one of Joey's best friends.
- The prominent role of Jason Cox, a character who never gets a plotline again and who is established in "Revolution" to have left the school.
- Height Angst: Arthur and Yick, as an obvious Spear Counterpart to Melanie's problems.
- You Go, Girl!: Melanie proving to be the best swimmer against the sexism of Jerk Jock Jason.
