I'll warn you right now: get your Kleenex ready. This one's going to be a tearjerker.

Emma and Manny are at their lockers discussing Spike and Snake's foolish decision to go away and leave the kids alone in the house. Manny, naturally, wants to celebrate to help her get over Craig...likely by getting under someone else. Bad um bum! "My mom's specific instructions were not to have a party," Emma says. And anyone who was a child of the 80s knows that what happens next is they're going to do it anyway and wackiness will ensue, but somehow they'll emerge unscathed, still the apple of their parents' eye. Sort of. When JT tells them it's Liberty's birthday, Manny clings to the information like Craig clings to coke. And so the party wheel is in motion...

As an aside, has Darcy dropped off the face of the earth?

Anyway. Liberty watches JT talk with Mia until Manny ambushes her and tells her about the party plan. It goes something like this:

Manny: It's your birthday! Let's party!
Liberty: No.

Manny keeps with the spirit squad...uh, spirit and beats Liberty into submission until Liberty agrees upon one condition: that Manny go to the peace talks she's going to have with the student council of Lakehurst.

Plot Two, Which Isn't Really a Plot Two This Week: Liberty, Manny, the Two D's, Toby and a bunch of others meet with Damien and some other dude about the rivalry between the schools. They try and negotiate some dances and whatnot, but most importantly, Liberty likes Damien...except he has an interest in Manny.

Meanwhile, JT stops Liberty to tell her he's looking forward to the party, and in typical curmudgeonly fashion Liberty poo poos it. The tension between the two of them is so thick you'd need a chainsaw to cut it - especially when JT mentions Mia is out of town and he'll be at the party.

As Liberty and JT pretend they're not still into each other, Manny and Emma usher Snake and Spike into the car and lie through their teeth about throwing a party...until Toby nearly blows their cover with his hooray-for-a-party samba.

"It's not a rockin' bash, it's a teeny tiny little party that's going to end at 9 o'clock sharp," Emma says, and then adds in that bit about the road to hell and best intentions. Oh no, wait - that was me that said that. Toby outs Manny as the one who's been bashifying things, causing Emma to plotz a little because tonight was supposed to be The Night for her and Shawn. Manny claims she can abort the party mission. "It's too late, it's already out," Emma says. "I mean, I guess Shawn and I could still..." bonk during a party? Isn't that mandatory at their age? Me thinks so. "Promise it won't get too crazy," Emma says.

Of course, that's when Toby tells a girl, and the Two D's overhear and tell Spinner, who texts it to Marco...and they tell two friends, and they tell two friends, and so on, and so on...

But preparations are going on, specifically with Manny and Liberty, who is getting a makeover. Liberty is typically down on herself, causing Manny to yelp, "Liberty, you need to forget about JT!" She has a moment of Craig mourning until she spins Liberty around in the mirror, revealing a glamazon...who then puts her horn rimmed glasses back on.

"Can I talk you into some of my sweet berry slushie?" Emma asks Shawn, bringing a blender container over to him. "I'm interested in some sweet berry you," he says. "Can someone get me a bucket?" Carly asks. Shawn asks if she's sure about...you know. She says yes. And promptly spikes her sweet berry slushie with booze.

People start showing up, but of course Liberty gravitates toward JT, who can barely contain his...shall we say, "mounting glee" over her makeover. And then more people show up. And more. And before they know it, the house is overrun with people. Of course, a couple of the Lakehurst guys show up and start acting like jerks, but Manny insists everyone can keep the peace and lets them in, along with Damien and the rest. Emma and Shawn exchange worried glances.

"Look who's here," Manny says, trotting Damien up to Liberty. He gives her a little gift, and she looks like she's about to burst. "I'll let you two get better acquainted," Manny says. And what follows is stilted, awkward small talk. Everyone else seems to be having a raucous good time, though. Manny tries to keep everything cool, hiding breakables and whatnot, yelling at Emma to help her. "It's alright, my therapist says we should just chill," Emma tells her, like a true Angelino. Manny takes the cup out of her hand and smells it. "Does Mexico know you've taken all their tequila?!" And there's the line of the show!

As Manny hides the valuables in the baby's room, Damien enters. She tries to talk him into Liberty. He tells her he's not down with it, but he's down with her. He moves to kiss her, but she stops him. "I barely know you, and you barely know me," she tells him. "Let's fix that," he says, and walks her downstairs...

...where the melee continues. JT tracks Liberty down outside, where she admits she and Damien aren't a match. They start reminiscing about the old times, which JT deems as either classic or not so classic. "Well, it was to me. Just like every day with you," she says, eyes downcast. JT furrows his brow. "Liberty, are you drunk?" Runner up for second best line of the show! "No. I just want to tell the truth," she says. "I don't want to lie anymore. I still love you." JT stutters, so Liberty splits. He follows and asks if they can talk, but she says she already has his answer. "I have a girlfriend," JT says. "Mia! Who I really, really like!" Liberty asks if he loves her, but he stalls before saying yes. "Then why are you still here talking to me?" she demands. And JT is stumped. Liberty calls him a coward and splits.

The party rages on, and Emma sneaks off to her room with Shawn as Manny kisses with Damien before fleeing the scene. Downstairs, Emma jumps on Shawn...and vomits. Now that's romantic!

When Manny makes an attempt to eat her feelings, Ellie approaches her and offers an apology over the whole Craig situation. They both admit he's a manipulative jerk, and then they both admit they still miss him. This is so not over.

The Lakehurst guys make a "peace offering" to Jay by handing him a beer they've shaken up, so when it fizzes all over him, Spinner escorts them out. Meanwhile, JT interrupts Toby's make-out session to make some analogies about a meatball sub that boils down to the whole issue he's having with Mia and Liberty. Toby essentially tells him to go for Liberty, so JT heads outside to find her...and discovers a Lakehurst guy peeing on his car. "Couldn't find a toilet?" he asks. They tell him they found one. "I get it...you guys slay me with your humor," JT tells them, and turns to unlock his car. "Yeah mascot boy?" one of them says. "Well laugh at this." He whips out a knife and stabs JT in the back. "Man, what the hell did you do?" says his friend as JT's eyes glass over. He slides down his car as they run. And when Liberty comes around the corner and finds him bleeding, she screams.

Everyone is at the hospital. The police ask Liberty if she saw the stabbing happen. Manny freaks out that it's her fault. Emma calls her mom. And when the nurse asks to speak to a family member, Toby steps up and says he's JT's brother. "His aorta was punctured," the nurse explains. "We couldn't repair the damage. He didn't make it. I'm sorry...your brother's gone."

And with that, JT is dead.

Let's have a moment of silence...*sniff!*

Degrassi: The Next Generation - Series
Degrassi: The Next Generation - Season 6
"Rock This Town"