Top 10 Darkest Degrassi: The Next Generation Moments

In season seven, everyone’s favorite bad-boy Gavin “Spinner” Mason was diagnosed with testicular cancer. It was a literal low blow for a character who had already endured numerous hardships in his seemingly never-ending, high school career. Spinner, who referred to his condition as “ball cancer”, ended up losing one of his testicles. In an attempt to cope with his disease, he started using marijuana, but this only caused more problems when it scared off his girlfriend Jane. Spinner would survive, but few will ever forget the emotion they felt watching him tearfully shave his head.

It was hard enough watching Paige get assaulted by Dean back in season two. However, when the case was brought to trial in season four, many felt that justice would prevail. The smug look on Dean’s face during the trial had many wanting to put their fists through their television screens. However, after Paige’s stirring testimony it was hard to imagine her losing. Tragically, in a dark yet realistic turn of events, Dean got off scot free. The plotline was vital in teaching younger viewers about victim blaming, slut shaming and rape culture. That being said, watching Dean wink at Paige after being acquitted was a little much.

Throughout “Degrassi: The Next Generation”’s run, viewers got a glimpse into the troubled home lives of many characters. However, few were as impactful as the storyline involving Craig and his abusive father. In the season two episode “When Doves Cry,” Craig ominously demonstrated just how much his father was affecting him when he stood in front of an oncoming train. What makes this scene so disturbing is the look in Craig’s eyes as the train is barreling down on him; going from mischievous to terrified in an instant. Thankfully, Sean was there to push Craig out of the way. Craig may have walked away laughing, but we certainly didn’t.

Everything about this storyline was difficult to swallow. It starts when Emma goes searching for her father, Shane, who she believes is a doctor. Unbeknownst to her, Shane was actually involved in a drug-related accident in high school that left him mentally disabled. When Emma discovers this, she is shocked. But not as shocked as when she comes home later in the episode to find her house trashed, her mother in labor and Shane at the center of it all. Apparently, Shane decided to pay Emma a visit, but flew into a rage when he saw pictures of her with Snake and Spike. The episode somehow manages to end on a high note despite Shane’s actions.

In the season three episode “Whisper to a Scream,” Ellie is under intense pressure on multiple fronts. She’s just started a prestigious internship; her mother is struggling with alcoholism and her dad left to join the military. You know, typical stuff in the life of a Canadian teenager. Things reach a boiling point when Ellie starts to cut herself as a means of coping with her situation. It’s a truly difficult scene to watch; and the sounds of Ellie’s mother vomiting in the background only make it worse. High school can be a stressful time in the life a teenager, but it should never cause them to self-harm.

“Degrassi: The Next Generation” had a lot of great characters, but Rick wasn’t one of them. In fact, one could argue that his finest moment was when the actor who played him popped up in the music video for Drake’s song, “I’m Upset”. But we digress. While Rick is best known for shooting Jimmy – more on that in a second – it was his abusive relationship with Terri that really made people’s blood boil. While he claimed to love her, he had a funny way of showing it – physically abusing her on multiple occasions. However, in the season three episode “Don’t Dream It’s Over” he went way, way too far; knocking Terri down and putting her into a coma. If that isn’t dark, we don’t know what is.

No one escapes their time at Degrassi unscathed. For Darcy, who was introduced in season four and became a series regular in season six, her darkest moment was easily the time she was roofied and raped at a party. As if being sexually assaulted while unconscious isn’t already horrifying enough, Darcy had been quite vocal about saving herself for marriage. With those dreams dashed in the worst possible way, she entered into a spiral of self-loathing that caused her to hit on anyone and everyone – including Mr. Simpson! When he spurned her advances, she lost it, grabbed a pair of scissors and threatened to hurt herself.

Campbell Saunders’ time on “Degrassi: The Next Generation” may have been short-lived, but it left a lasting impression on viewers. Introduced in season twelve, Cam quickly developed into a fan favourite. The character appeared to be in it for the long haul, but viewers soon discovered that Cam wasn’t the picture of health and popularity he appeared to be. As the hockey team’s star player, he was under immense pressure to perform and it eventually caused him to become depressed. While his relationship with Maya helped in some regard, it wasn’t enough to keep him level. In the end, he took his own life – on school property no less – and his body was discovered by Eli.

Arguably the most infamous episode from any of “Degrassi’s” various incarnations, Rick shooting Jimmy was a major turning point for the show. Rick had endured constant bullying at the hands of his classmates and in the season four episode “Time Stands Still,” he finally got pushed too far. After going home to retrieve his father’s gun, Rick returned to Degrassi intent on getting revenge. He gets tricked into believing Jimmy is to blame for his most recent humiliation and shoots him – with the bullet becoming lodged in his back and paralyzing him from the waist down. Rick then tries to kill Emma, but Sean steps in and accidentally kills Rick. It doesn’t get much darker than that.

Before we unveil our number one pick, here are a few honorable mentions:

Clare Losing Her Baby
“Get It Together”

Too Much Meth
"Just Can't Get Enough: Part One”

Marco Gets Jumped for Being Gay
“Pride: Part Two”

Adam's Death
"Honey"

Craig Attacks Joey
"Voices Carry, Part Two"

As traumatic as it was to see Jimmy get shot, viewers could take solace in the fact that he survived. The same cannot be said for J.T., who died from a stab wound suffered in the season six episode “Rock This Town”. The incident occurred at a party and was carried out by members of the Lakehurst gang – who were upset that J.T. was dating Mia, the former girlfriend of one of their members. As one of the show’s most beloved characters, this came as a major shock. J.T. was the first major “Degrassi” character to be killed off and more than a decade later, we’re still not over it.