Degrassi: Next Class—A Binge-Worthy Option to Add to Your Queue
by Katie Gilkinson, Reporter
Entertainment and Culture
Have you been looking for a new show to watch, since we are all stuck at home? My recommendation is Degrassi: Next Class, a Canadian teen drama that originally aired in early 2016. It is the fifth series in the Degrassi franchise, but you do not need to watch all of the previous series before you watch this one. The main characters' names are Miles, Lola, Grace, Hunter, Frankie, Shay, Tristan, and Zoë. They attend Degrassi Community School and face a variety of teenage challenges.
Degrassi: Next Class has four amazing seasons and is available to watch on Netflix. It is also available to watch on YouTube, Google Play, and Amazon Prime Video for a fee. Each season is ten episodes long, with each episode lasting about 25 minutes. The short length makes it an easy binge watch for a long weekend. The show is rated PG-14, mainly because of some of the mature content and issues they discuss. Degrassi: Next Class is a drama about high schoolers that go through real world situations. It deals with actual obstacles that teenagers go through and maintains a sense of reality. The characters do not break out into song every few minutes, like some high school shows.
Throughout the four seasons, all of the characters build relationships with themselves, friends, family, and teachers. Some tough topics are breached, but in a respectful and appropriate way. These topics include race, immigration, sexuality, trauma, mental illness, and much more. Those issues can be tough to talk about, but all of those conversations help continue the story and bring more of a real-world feel to the show. The writers of Degrassi did an excellent job incorporating these topics into the storyline naturally.
Degrassi: Next Class will likely take you through an emotional roller coaster at some points, but it is totally worth it. If you are looking for a show that has valuable lessons and is entertaining, I highly recommend Degrassi: Next Class.