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Uptown Girl (1) is the first episode and first part of the season premiere for Season 8 of Degrassi: The Next Generation. It aired on October 5, 2008 in Canada, and on October 10, 2008 in the United States.

Summary[]

Mia starts the school year off with a bang by being scouted as the new face of football star Tom Blake's shoe line. Mia wants the job, but just how far will she go to get it? Meanwhile, Emma's horrified when she and Manny are assigned different rooms at the Smithdale dorm. After spending hours negotiating with the housing department to get them reassigned, Manny and Liberty are not as excited to be reunited as Emma had hoped, while mystery roommate Kelly adds something new to the mix.

Main Plot[]

Itā€™s the last weekend of the summer. The football team is training, and Holly J. leads the Spirit Squad in tryouts. She pulls out one of the girls and sends her on her way. Mia heads towards them while struggling with Izzy. She runs into the girl who was just kicked out, and she asks her if itā€™s too late for tryouts. Mia notices that Holly J. is the new captain thanks to The Shep being the new principal. Holly J. tells Mia that the Spirit Squad is now called the Power Squad. Holly J. doubts Miaā€™s commitment since she has a daughter, but Mia promises that things are different this time around. Holly J. tells her that it doesnā€™t seem like it. Mia gets home and complains to her mom about Holly J. and how motherhood has gotten in the way of being a normal high school student. Her mom tells her that she is willing to watch Izzy more often, so that Mia can make this her year.

Itā€™s the first day back in school at Degrassi. Spinner is dropping off Jane while Sav is lecturing his little sister, who seems to be switching into less modest clothing at the bus stop. Mr. Simpson is walking with a young student, Danny and Derek greet a girl while Peter, Darcy and Clare run into Anya as they head into the school. Clare announces that sheā€™s in the gifted class, as Sav comes up behind them and says that his sister, Alli is in that class as well. Mr. Simpson then introduces them to Connor, his god-son who will be living with him, who is also in the gifted class! The three ā€œninersā€ are left alone at the stairs. Alli looks over her new classmates and sighs.

The Shep delivers morning announcements about the football/cheerleader fashion show. Mia volunteers to walk with Danny to make him feel more comfortable. Mia and Danny share a moment as Danny kisses her hand to thank her. The girl who had been kicked out of the Spirit Squad tryouts, walks up to Mia and mentions how much Danny seems to be falling for Mia. They introduce themselves, and Leia mentions she is a new student who transferred to Degrassi from a ballet school. Theyā€™re both glad to meet a friend, and agree to meet for lunch.

Degrassi students are gathering for the Fashion Show; and Darcy and Jane are complaining about The Shepā€™s approach to education. Backstage, Mia wows Danny when she shows up, and she lets him in on her plan. The show begins and Riley walks with Holly J., followed by Sav and Anya. Next, Danny, the QB, and Mia shock everyone by doing a flip. Holly J. stares dejectedly. Afterward, Mia and Holly J. are talking when Janice Pierson gives Mia her card and tells her to call if sheā€™s interested in modeling.

Mia is at Top Edge Models being primped. Sheā€™s given a list of clients for go-sees and she stares at herself excitedly in the mirror. She arrives home in time to put Izzy to bed. Izzy asks her who her best friend is. Mia says that she doesnā€™t have one, but everything will change now that sheā€™s a model.

The next day, everyone is admiring the new Mia coming down the hall. They all fawn over her, even Holly J. who invites her to sit with them. Danny is awestruck and canā€™t seem to function. After school, Mia is at a shoot and is having trouble following directions and posing.

The next day everyone is still excited to hear her stories. At lunch, Mia is telling Danny that she doesnā€™t think sheā€™s cut out to be a model when she gets a call for an audition with Tom Blake to be the new face of T-Bombz. Danny encourages her, and they share a kiss for luck.

At the audition, Mia gets worried when another model mentions how one girl gets more jobs because she sleeps with the client. Mia is next and she comically messes up the audition. Janice seems annoyed and tells Mia that if she doesnā€™t book a job soon, she might not be meant to model. Determined to get the job, Mia takes Tom Blakeā€™s contact info.

Back at school, after promising Danny an autograph from Tom Blake, Holly J. warns Mia that if she doesnā€™t get a modeling job soon, the new boy, new friends, new life, will go away. Thinking that Holly J. may be right, Mia takes out Tom Blakeā€™s number, and places a call.

That night, Mia arrives at Tom Blakeā€™s home. She seems nervous, and when he asks her why she called him, she says it was for an autograph. Deciding not to go through with her plan, Mia is about to leave when Tom says that he wouldnā€™t say no if she wants to spend time with him, but only if she wanted to. Mia gets her courage back, and kisses him. Tom begins to undo her shirt buttons, and Mia says, ā€œYeah, definitely.ā€

Sub Plot[]

At Smithdale, Liberty and Manny are unloading boxes as Emma says good-bye to her mom and Snake. The three of them walk off excitedly inside. However, Emma is horrified when she finds out that she and Manny are not rooming together.

Later, Manny is participating in Frosh Week games when Emma comes up to her to tell her some news. Manny introduces her to Gwen, her roommate, but Emma ignores her. It gets awkward when Emma announces that sheā€™s ā€œfixedā€ the mistake, she and Manny are roommates now.

When Liberty arrives, Emma lets her know that she and Manny are her new roommates, along with a girl named Kelly. Liberty and Manny are unenthusiastic about it because they were having fun meeting new people. A guy walks in with his stuff and introduces himself as Kelly. Realizing that nobody is happy, Emma says she will sort everything out. Kelly answers that this was the last room available. Theyā€™re stuck together.

Later that day, Kelly walks in the room while Liberty is changing, and hides from embarrassment. Emma shows up with breakfast for everyone, but is left alone because they already had plans.

Feeling lonely, Emma is calling home when Kelly walks in. She tells him that she plans on going home until Frosh Week is over because she canā€™t make new friends. Kelly tells her he came from the Yukon without knowing anyone, and grabs his water gun. He invites Emma along to the beach battle.

At the water fight, Emma is glad Kelly invited her. They spot Manny and Liberty and ambush them. Manny and Liberty apologize for not wanting to room with her. Emma accepts their apology, and then mentions she has plans with a few people she met.


  • This episode is named after Uptown Girl" by Billy Joel.
  • The theme song lyrics have returned. It's now performed by Damhnait Doyle.
  • Judy Jiao, Jajube Mandiela, Samantha Munro, AJ Saudin, Sam Earle, Aislinn Paul, Melinda Shankar, Natty Zavitz, Scott Patterson, Jordan Hudyma, and Argiris Karras have all been added to the opening credits.
  • Aubrey Graham, Stacey Farber, Lauren Collins, Shenae Grimes, Mike Lobel, Mazin Elsadig, Amanda Stepto, Melissa DiMarco, and Adamo Ruggiero have all been removed from the opening credits.
  • This episode marks Kelly, Riley, Leia, K.C., Alli, and Connor's first appearances on Degrassi.
    • Clare had already appeared four times in the series.
  • Most of the new freshmen have siblings and relatives attending or having attended Degrassi already such as Alli (Sav), Clare (Darcy) and Connor (Mr. Simpson/Emma).
  • Emma says she is going to just get Manny in her room, but it turns out that her, Manny and Liberty have to share rooms with Kelly Ashoona.
  • Nearly every credited person appears in these episodes, including the freshmen.
  • Weirdly, in the previous episode, Liberty said she was going to Banting, but is at Smithdale.
  • This marks the first regular appearances of Sav Bhandari, Anya MacPherson, Chantay Black, Johnny DiMarco, Bruce, and Clare Edwards.
  • This episode marks the beginning of Mia and Danny's relationship.

  • Leia: "Not with that psycho witch in charge!"
  • Alli (To Sav): "You swore you wouldn't tell anybody!"

  • "Paranoid Freak" - The Trews
  • "Let's Get It Goin'" - D'fade
  • "Hands Up" - Nathan Brown


  • v - e - d Season Eight Episodes

    Uptown Girl (1) ā€¢ Uptown Girl (2) ā€¢ Fight the Power ā€¢ Didn't We Almost Have It All ā€¢ Man With Two Hearts ā€¢ With or Without You ā€¢ Money for Nothing ā€¢ Lost in Love (1) ā€¢ Lost in Love (2) ā€¢ Bad Medicine ā€¢ Causing a Commotion ā€¢ Heat of the Moment ā€¢ Jane Says (1) ā€¢ Jane Says (2) ā€¢ Touch of Grey ā€¢ Heart of Glass ā€¢ Up Where We Belong ā€¢ Danger Zone ā€¢ Degrassi Goes Hollywood

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