Degrassi: The Next Generation: Season 03 (2003)

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New to the cast of Degrassi: The Next Generation as the series enters its third season are Alex Nunez (Deanne Casaluce), a well-meaning student with a checkered past; Jay Hogart (Mike Lobel), a would-be "gangsta" who talks series regular Sean (Daniel Clark) into committing the robbery that will get him expelled; Dylan (John Bregar) , older brother of rape victim Paige (Lauren Collins) and the first "serious" soulmate for the recently uncloseted Marco (Adamo Ruggiero); the mercurial Rick Murray (Ephraim Ellis), who takes advantage of his relationship with the emotionally needy Terri (Christina Schmidt) to display the violent side of his nature; and Chris Sharpe (Daniel Morrison), an up-and-coming teen DJ who seriously considers dumping his steady in favor of Emma (Miriam McDonald). The season begins with the two-part "Father Figure", in which the long-suffering Emma learns the awful truth about her birth father just as her mother Spike (Amanda Stepto) is preparing to deliver her baby--while Spike's new husband Snake (Stefan Brogren) learns that he has leukemia and must undergo chemotherapy. In later episodes, Manny (Cassie Steele) decides to shed her "cute" image for a "hot" one and loses many of her friends in the process; the relationship between Ashley (Melissa McIntyre) and the troubled Craig (Jake Epstein) grows serious, if not entirely monogamous; while serving a detention, Ellie (Stacey Farber) reveals that she has been "cutting" herself out of frustration over her mom's alcoholism; class clown JT (Ryan Cooley) begins making inroads into professional show biz; the unbalanced Rick hits Terri so hard that she lapses into a coma; and Marco and Dylan share their first kiss. Several of the season's most powerful episodes are two-parters. In "Pride", Spinner (Shane Kippel) reacts abominably when he learns his friend Marco is gay. In "Holiday", grown-up DeGrassi Highstalwarts Caitlin (Stacy Mistysyn and Joey (Pat Mastroianni) finally confess their long-held love for one another. And in "Accidents Will Happen", Manny (Cassie Steele) makes a profoundly difficult decision when she finds out she is carrying Craig's baby. Echoing one of the more famous season finales from the original Degrassi series, Season Three of Degrassi: The Next Generation concludes with a fire during a school dance--but this time around, the festivities proceed as planned! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi