"The Bitterest Pill"
Airdate: Friday, February 2nd

Forgive my ignorance, as I'm not very understanding of funeral protocol, but the thing they do after a burial is called a wake, right? If I'm right, we open this episode at JT's wake, where pictures of his headshot litter various surfaces. JT's grandma starts to break down a little as Shawn insists he wants to make the Lakehurst dude pay.

"He's in jail, Shawn," Emma says. Um. Well, I guess that settles that. Emma and Manny turn their attention to Liberty to see how she's doing, because she's said nothing. "I have nothing to say, Emma," she snaps, and stalks off. Toby follows her and tells her she doesn't have to talk, but she does, saying everyone expects her to be bawling like Mia. "JT wouldn't want you to," Toby reasons. "This is all wrong! All the flowers, the organ, people crying... JT would hate that."

What should they be doing? Honking each other's noses and throwing pies at one another? What, that's a brilliant idea! I'm going to request that happens during my wake...or whatever it is. Anyway, Toby recommends they do a memorial at school and says he couldn't do it without Liberty. And someone has been watching Wedding Crashers, because I think Toby is putting the moves on a grieving Liberty.

A handful of kids are waiting to see the psychologist when Mia approaches Toby to ask what JT said before he died. Toby tells her something about discussing oatmeal, but doesn't admit what that stood for. Manny, of course, butts her nose in as Mia walks away and asks if that's the truth, causing Toby to buckle and admit JT confessed his true feelings about Liberty. Toby debates telling her, but Manny puts the kibosh on that idea. "She's in shock," she reasons. "Maybe she can handle it in a couple weeks, but not now."

The beginnings of the second storyline!: Ellie, in interviewing Ashley about the shooting, admits she hasn't told Jessie about kissing Craig. Oops!

Toby continues his role as savior as he and Lib sit outside of The Dot talking. "I can't feel a thing," she says. "One minute JT is at my birthday, the next he's gone. Forever." Toby continues to convince her she's normal and everything is fine, causing Lib to ask why he's being so nice. I'd say it's because he wants to tap that, but that's just my interpretation. "I know you still had feelings for him, or whatever," he says. "Feelings that were not returned," she says. "Or so you think," I say.

Back at school, Liberty, Toby and Mia open JT's locker. Mia zeroes in on a tape she took of JT playing with her daughter and wants to show it at the memorial, but Liberty says hell to the no. Mia starts trying to take everything, causing Liberty to tell her she's being unreasonable.

Mia unleashes a torrent of bitchery by telling Lib she's not grieving at all and bla bla bla about how she's a robot. Lib stalks off, leaving Toby to slam the locker shut. He chases Liberty down outside and tells her Mia didn't mean it, then suggests they play hookey and go on a road trip. How Ferris Bueler! Are they going to go to the CN Tower and lean their heads against the glass to look down at the former spot of Planet Hollywood? Or maybe gawp at Oh Henry lake?

Plot the second!: Jessie gives Ellie a book of coupons he made proclaiming his love for her. She blurts that she kissed Craig, he blurts that he played Everything But with a chick at a bar, Ellie stomps out, and a random extra gives a knowing glance...hmmm.

As Toby and Liberty attempt to head out for their play date, Toby's car breaks down. Remember the last time that happened? Liberty went into labor. Of course she's not pregnant, so this time something new has to put a fly in the ointment. This time, it takes the form of Toby kissing Liberty, which they both feel weird about when it's over in that way you do when you know you're kissing someone you shouldn't be, but you do it anyway and you can't decide if it's the kiss that was good, or being bad that was good. Not that I know anything about that.

Prepping for the memorial at school, the Two D's help Toby arrange chairs while Danny takes the time out to say thanks for taking care of Liberty, then asks if there's something going on between them after Liberty sort of acts weird in front of them in that way you do when you see the guy you kissed and liked kissing but still aren't sure you should've kissed. Toby's all, "Dude, no way." Danny threatens physical violence if there is.

Okay, a moment to point out two things. One, it's physical violence that led to JT's death, so I think the suggestion is slightly tacky. And two, Danny is a beanpole. Toby could totally stomp him. Enter nosy Manny, saying, "Tell me he's a paranoid freak." Toby says freak yes, paranoid no and admits he kissed her. Manny smacks him. "Are you coo coo bananas?!?" Manny takes him into the boy's locker room and reads him the riot act, convincing him to lay off and take the kiss back.

Can you smell the disaster coming? Of course you can, and it comes in the form of Toby's bungled "kiss apology" - which totally accomplished nothing but making Liberty think they like each other, so no big deal - followed by a spat he gets into with Mia backstage during the memorial.

Mia is all, "Show my video! JT loved me and hated Liberty!" Toby is all, "Nu uh, he loved Liberty and was running to tell her when he got sidetracked by the business end of a knife!"

Of course, Liberty overhears everything. She agrees to show the video, flips on Toby in the hallway (during which they come to an understanding that nothing will ever happen between the two of them), and then finally breaks down when she watches the video of JT playing with Mia's kid. Everyone watches her silently as she sobs. It's heartbreaking. Also, the music choice for this scene? "If I were to die today, my life would be more than okay?" Depressing. I vote for "Take On Me" by A Ha. At the end of the show, the three of them return to JT's locker to sift through what's left.

And the second storyline? After some classic Ellie hostility - during which she delivers the quote of the show: "I kissed someone, you had a random hook up with some bar skank!" - she interviews Jimmy at the memorial and has a moment of clarity about the nature of love, which helps her decide to give Jessie a second chance. Who wants to lay bets that his slip up is a repetitive action?

Degrassi: The Next Generation - Series
Degrassi: The Next Generation - Season 6
"The Bitterest Pill"