I’ve been a Degrassi superfan for the majority of my life and I’m not afraid to admit it. From the ripe old age of 10, I have watched almost every episode like it’s my job. When it was announced that Degrassi: Next Class (the newer version of the show, currently in its second season on Netflix) would be doing a throwback episode, my inner early-2000s self strapped on some moon shoes and leaped for joy.
The episode, appropriately titled #ThrowbackThursday, did not disappoint. It had the best combination of OG cast as well as some later favorites. Here are my top 5 favorite returns:
Liberty van Zandt and Emma Nelson (er, Mason)
Perhaps two of the most lovable originals, Liberty van Zandt and Emma Nelson went right back to fighting the good fight as soon as they got back to Degrassi, participating in a protest that was happening on campus. Who could forget Emma’s topless protest back in the day? It brought back some major feels.
Craig Manning
One of my first character crushes was, of course, Craig Manning, the brooding semi-bad boy guitarist who was beat up by his father and suffered some crazy manic episodes. Luckily, he made an appearance on the episode and did what he did best: Sang. And it was magical.
Holly J Sinclair
While she’s not actually an OG character, Holly J Sinclair is one of those that you couldn’t leave out of a throwback episode. As a former student body president and perfectionist, she throws some serious truth at Tristan, current student body president, about trying to micromanage a Degrassi event, because we all know they are doomed for disasters.
Peter Stone
Once the creepy perv that video-taped Manny topless (on an actual camcorder), Peter returns as a music mogul and mentor to Maya, a current Degrassi student. While I miss his Justin Bieber bowl cut, age has definitely done him well. I’ll never get over what he did to Manny, though.
Paige Michalchuk and Marco del Rossi
Two of my all-time favorite characters, Paige and Marco are still as tight as ever. Marco continues to be a voice of reason, explaining to some students why a “zero-tolerance” policy is actually pretty flawed; and Paige gives some great insight on how, even when crappy things happen, Degrassi is a constant that will always welcome you back (she should know, some screwed up stuff happened to her there). It’s also good to see that they’re getting along again after years of fighting.