Parents' Day (D:TNG episode)

"Parents' Day", is the fifth episode of the first season in the TV show Degrassi: The Next Generation.

Summary

Plot synopsis

Toby is embarrassed about his parents coming to parents' day due to their fighting. Paige and Ashley compete for the attention of Toby's mom, an acting agent.

Expanded overview

The episode starts off with J.T. and Toby walking to school while Toby is counting time until Parents' Day to the second. Though Toby has decent marks, he is afraid of when his parents will meet for the event, and cause a catastrophe. With Toby pointing out that J.T. also has things to loathe by reminding him of his mark, Toby continues counting down to the dreaded Parents Day.

Toby and J.T. continue walking to class while Toby illustrates his living arrangements between his separated parents. They walk into their Media Immersion Class and are presented with one of the weekly "News about Kids" broadcasts, much to the disdain of Emma. The NaK broadcasts gives a bias look on the negativity of 'squeegee kids' to which Emma has a strong reaction. Outlining her grieviances to her friends, when distracted by Toby, she bumps into Sean and they both share a little moment.

In the girl's washroom, Paige remarks to Ashley that "everytime NaK claims your airspace, you go all manic depressive". Terri supporting Paige's comment, says that Ashley should get an agent. Ashley remembers that Toby's mother is a casting agent and her and Terri leave happily while Paige is left in jealousy.

During Lunch, Ashley and Terri asks Toby whether his mother is coming to parents day. Hostile to the reminder, Toby simply confirms Ashley's question to where her and Terri simply just leave. J.T. and Toby sit down with Manny and Emma, who is now issueing her affliction with the NaK broadcasts. Referencing NaK's propagandic likeness and their use of advertisements, Emma takes a strong stance against the broadcasts and decides to take a stance.

Walking with Spinner, Paige asks whether he thinks Ashley's prettier than her. Talking about how Ashley is getting an agent, Spinner supports Paige's thought that she also could get an agent.

Emma confronts Mr. Raditch about the ethics of showing NaK broadcasts due to their bias nature and product promoting agenda. Mr. Raditch informs the youth that NaK has funded 18 new computers to the lab in exchange for showing their morning broadcasts. Emma cites that it's bribery, to which Raditch retorted that it benefits the school, and that the parents had voted for it. Reminding Emma that "not everybody at Degrassi has a computer at home", he also suggests for her to right an opinion piece in the Parents Day edition of the Grapevine if she felt strongly against it.

After class, Ashley tells Terri that she has signed them both up for the Welcome Committee, so Toby's mother will spot her first. Paige interjects saying that she herself maybe spotted first as she will also be volunteering in the welcoming committee. She later manages to submit the piece, despite Liberty's strict punctuality policy.

In the computer lab which NaK partially funded, Emma ironically begins writing her piece there with the help of Manny. On the other side of the room, Toby is showing J.T. his plans to avoid parents day altogether. Copying the school logo and scanning Mr. Simpson's signature, he creates a fake letter to his parents telling them that they don't need to arrive for parents day due to his excellence in academic pursuits. At home, Toby presents the letter to his father, who immediately suspects its legitimacy. Discovering the awkward wording and bad spelling in the letter, Jeff concerns asks Toby if he doesn't want him to go to parents day. Wondering if his grades were so abhorrent, Toby remarks that his mother called and wanted to go tommorrow. Jeff begins to get angry about his ex-wife's decision to not even call him and its shown that they can't even get along even when they're not together. Toby yells for his dad to stop and points out his parents' destructive relationship. Jeff states that they are on better terms and promises that there will be no fights.

(overview to be continued)

Trivia

• When reading Toby's letter, Jeff points out that the word 'premium' was spelt with two e's. However, when Toby shows his computerized draft to J.T., premium is spelt properly

See also

List of Degrassi: The Next Generation episodes