Part two of Degrassi‘s “Ray of Light” episode picks up with Eli arriving at school, rejuvenated by his drug-filled experience at the secret party. He’s just telling Clare about how amazing he feels when Talia, the girl from the party, walks by and returns the shirt he left behind, much to Clare’s shock and chagrin.
Forced to explain this surprise encounter, Eli admits to the MDMA and the party, and Clare predictably freaks out, leaving him alone on the school steps, where Eli discovers “leftover” MDMA from Talia inside the shirt. As fate has it, Eli’s NYU interview is that afternoon, so Fiona quizzes him on his film knowledge to help him prepare. While they’re at it, she also casually informs him, “Oh, p.s. you don’t have to finish the video yearbook anymore.” Apparently Fiona is at Clare’s beck and call for giving and rescinding Eli-related assignments, and Clare no longer thinks Eli can “handle” this project because editing footage of Cam — in her view — led Eli to do drugs.
Reasonably enough, Eli is less than thrilled by Clare’s meddling but has to pull himself together for his interview, which ends up going tremendously well, and Eli runs from the room to celebrate.
Clare, however, just wants to lecture him about how doing drugs is the wrong way to deal with Cam’s death. Which leads Eli to… take some of the leftover MDMA, take a shower in the girls’ locker room, and run around the school naked. After Eli comes down from his naked and drug-induced tomfoolery, Principal Simpson detours from a lecture about possible suspension and expulsion in order to explain that they have more in common than Eli knows — and in a reference only possible for a show that has been on television for as long as Degrassi, Simpson explains how he, too, found the body of a classmate who committed suicide when he was a student at Degrassi. Knowing the oddities and difficulties of such a role, Simpson has been keeping an eye on Eli.
Eli, though, swears that he’s OK. He’s got a handle on his own mental health issues, and if only people didn’t keep trying to make him talk about it 24/7, he’d get through the recent trauma better. Taking drugs was bad, he admits, but for him, talking all the time was equally bad.
In order to ensure a break from forced talking, Eli decides he needs a break from Clare. Clare, however, refuses to hear what he’s actually saying. Instead, she tries to convince Eli that he’s linking her to being there when he found Cam, but he walks away.
He uses his spare time to finish the video and then screens it for a bunch of classmates, including some of the hockey team and, of course, Fiona and Imogen — the true stars of the yearbook video!
Meanwhile, we may not know what Adam’s been up to since spring break, but at least Adam’s mom is alive and well… Mama Torres is in attendance at a Parent-Teacher Council meeting, where Katie proposes reopening the garden where Cam died, as part of her attempt to win Jake back (as the garden had largely been Jake’s pet project). Mama Torres doesn’t think it’s a healthy idea for the school, but Katie argues that students can paint a mural and transform the space into a positive space. It will symbolize the school getting back on its feet, stronger than before. When the PTA takes too long to makes its decision, Katie takes it upon herself to open the garden.
As she’s knocking out the plywood walls erected around the space, Principal Simpson arrives with the PTA’s decision: the garden is approved for reopening. And Katie now has detention.
The moment proves to be healing for her relationship with Jake, though, and as they’re sitting in detention, Jake passes Katie an ad for a soccer camp that’s hiring experienced female counselors — an olive branch offering an empowering way for her to help fund her college education.
And finally, a quick summary of Jenna’s storyline: when Becky (oh hi, Becky! You’re cute in love… I mean, that is, I presume you’re still in love with MIA Adam?) finds out that Jenna’s kind of dating Connor, she tries to convince her to go out with her brother, Luke, instead. Jenna, who had once liked Luke, considers the idea for half a second before Luke reminds her that, yep, he’s still a tool. Even though she’s not 100% pleased with all the ways that Connor shows her affection, she still finds him the sweetest guy she’s ever dated and decides to stick with him for now.
Queer sightings remained limited this week, but never fear, we have a Fiona plotline to look forward to in the next pair of episodes! By the looks of it, though, Fiona might have something to fear in the days ahead…
