The love triangle between Craig Manning, Ashley Kerwin, and Manny Santos began in the Season 3 episode, Should I Stay or Should I Go? when Craig begins an affair with Manny while still in a relationship with Ashley. Craig was in the center of the love triangle.
Love Triangle History[]
Overview[]
Season 2[]
In Take My Breath Away, Craig and Manny went on their first date. Craig had a terrible time, describing it to Jimmy Brooks and Spinner Mason as "bizarre." However, Manny told Emma Nelson and Liberty Van Zandt that it was "magical" and that they were now in a relationship. Craig said that her immaturity reminded him of his five-year-old half-sister Angela Jeremiah and he could not kiss her for that reason. Her sweet demeanour meant that he was conflicted as to whether or not to tell her how he felt. When Craig and Manny spoke again, she noticed his disinterested tone and believed that he needed some cheering up.
To that end, she decorated his locker. Craig walked up to his newly decorated locker, and frustratingly asked what she did to it. She explained that she thought it would cheer him up. Ashley walked over, stating that she hopes that she was not interrupting their conversation, and asked Craig to sign her GM food petition. Manny asked what GM food is, to which Ashley replies that "GM" stands for genetically modified. Manny ignorantly asked, "Does that make them good?", which irritates both Ashley and Craig. Ashley left, after which Manny told Craig that she did not think he should talk to Ashley anymore. An annoyed Craig said that Ashley is in his class, therefore talking to her could be inevitable at times. Manny attempted to change the subject, asking what they're doing Friday night, though then takes the hint that there is something wrong. She asked him if he did not like how she decorated his locker, and he replied, "No, Manny. I'm sorry, but it's not my locker that I don't like, it's you," leaving her heartbroken.
Season 3[]
In Should I Stay or Should I Go?, Manny greets Craig as he is walking with Marco Del Rossi in the hallway. Marco notices Manny's revealing clothing and says, "Manny's just putting it all out there, huh?" Craig sarcastically replies, "Never noticed."
When Manny does not receive a rose from Sully, her boyfriend, she scolds him saying, "Craig sent his girlfriend twelve."
As Craig is singing a song expressing his love for Ashley, Manny is seen watching admiringly. At the beginning of this episode, Craig and Ashley are shown making out and Craig attempts to have sex with her, however, Ashley leaves when Craig doesn't profess his love for her. The next day, Craig sings a song to Ashley to express his feelings. After hearing the song, Ashley decides to have sex with him until she hears Craig bragging to Spinner and Ashley tell him that they should take a break.
Manny sees Craig angrily leave Paige Michalchuk's birthday party after having a fight with Ashley, and goes to comfort him. She runs after him, yelling for him to wait, but he yells, "Not now, Manny!" She asks him what happened, to which he replies, "I messed up.. Messed up again, and again, and again.." She tries to calm him down, reassuring him that he didn't, though he retorts, "Tell Ashley that." Manny praises Craig on the song he sang to Ashley earlier that day, telling him that it was amazing and if it were written for her, she'd be happy for months, then going on to say forever.
Craig takes Manny back to his garage, where she requests that he play the song for her. He agrees to do so, though is quickly interrupted by Manny while playing. She tells him that he's the best and if Ashley doesn't see that, then she doesn't deserve him. Manny grabs his guitar from his hands and places it gently on the floor. She leans in to kiss him on the cheek, only for him to turn and kiss her on the mouth instead. Craig reluctantly turns away, after which Manny reassures him that it's alright. They begin making-out and eventually proceed to have sex.
While talking to Emma the following day, Manny states that the night she spent with Craig was the best of her life. Emma begs Manny to tell her what happened between them, though Manny refuses to say. Craig walks by, and Manny gets up to greet him. She says, "I left you like a million messages, you must have been real busy. I missed you." Craig begins explaining, "Look, Manny, I'm not really sure what happened," though is cut off by Ashley, who asks if she could speak with Craig. Manny stands aside out of earshot as they talk, and is shown watching with a heartbroken expression as Ashley hugs Craig.
In Against All Odds, Manny walks up to Craig and engages him in conversation of how he's been. She tells him that she misses him, though he states that there's not much for her to miss, as they had only hooked-up one time. Manny informs Craig of a rave that night, and she hands him a flyer with the directional and time information on it. She encourages that he come, no strings attached Craig comes to the rave, and Manny, surprised to see him, greets him and asks if he would dance with her. He replies, "Why not?" Manny grinds on Craig as they are dancing, placing her arm around his neck and turning around so that they are face-to-face with each other. Craig tells Manny that it would be best if he leave, but shouts, "Don't!" He reminds her that he has a girlfriend, though she assures him that she can keep a secret.
In Holiday (1), Craig and Ashley are shown playing in the snow in the beginning of this episode and later shown at Joey's celebrating Christmas just as Manny calls in front of Ashley but Craig ignores it.
Manny calls Craig and asks, "Is this a bad time?" He answers, yes, to which Manny replies, "Right, she's there..", referring to Ashley. She then tells him that she was calling only because she missed him. Ashley walks over to Craig, which prompts him to cover-up his conversation with Manny by pretending that he is talking to Spinner and then quickly hang up the phone before she could respond. Manny is shown with a saddened expression upon the abrupt end of their phone call.
After a word with Caitlin Ryan, Craig realises Mmanny is the one for him and tells her he'll dump Ashley. However when he goes to Ashley's house to do such, Ashley gives him her grandfather's guitar and he realises he can't dump her then. The episode ends with Craig promising Manny he'll dump her after the holidays and Manny reluctantly believing him.
In Holiday (2), Ashley takes a look at the Christmas gifts she thinks Craig got for her but is shocked and hurt to see Manny wearing them the next day. So Ashley confronts Manny and they realize Craig had been lying to both of them. Then when Craig and Ashley are supposed to be singing Craig asks Ashley what's wrong but Ashley slaps him across the face and exits the stage and follows her to see what's wrong but Ashley confronts Craig telling him she knew about him and Manny and she dumps him, things are over between Manny and Craig as well.
In Accidents Will Happen (1) , Ashley, who is still bitter about her break up with Craig tries to ignore Manny when she decides to confront her and knows she hates her but Ashley decides to pack up her things and Manny says she's sorry and Ashley however retaliates by telling her sorry doesn't make up for the trouble she caused. Manny then tells Ashley that she knows, but Craig told her she was the one and that's the only reason she let it go on. Craig lied to her too, and she'd erase it if she could. Ashley then tells Manny she's gonna be late and Manny leaves while Ashley looks at Manny to think about what she said.
In Accidents Will Happen (2) When Paige tells Ashley about Manny being pregnant, in the cafeteria Ashley who is still bitter about Craig cheating on her spots Craig and Manny looking at a book of baby names and asks what they've got there and snatches the book from them. Then Ashley makes announcement and tries to force Craig and Manny to tell their news but says that they're too modest and she tells everyone that Craig got Manny pregnant and that it's too difficult for them to use protection, this cause Manny to leave the cafeteria in tears and Ashley, still bitter tells Craig "I can't believe you slept with her." Making conflict with them two.
In Rock and Roll High School, Craig and his band Downtown Sasquatch sign up for Degrassi's Battle Of The Bands and finds out he's going up against Ashley and her band called "Hell Hath No Fury." Later in class Ashley is told to read something, which Craig laughs at and it hurts Ashley. After school when Craig is at a music store, Ashley is also there and she sees Craig but leaves when he spots her. Then Craig tries to apologize to Ashley which makes her feel even worse due to what happened. The next day when both bands are practicing, Ashley's band is after Craig's and they perform an insulting song directed towards Craig. The next day Craig confronts Ashley to not perform the song at Battle Of The Bands and this leads to them getting into an argument, Craig is then about to tell Ashley to go to hell but is interrupted by Archie Simpson. The next day Ashley, Paige Michalchuk, Ellie Nash and Hazel Aden are walking down the hall wearing shirts with Craig on fire. Then Craig and Ashley get into another argument and Craig tells Ashley that he's sorry multiple times and asks how many times he has to apologize and Ashley says until he means it. Then after Ashley performs, Craig is shown performing and Ashley listens to his song "What I Know". Then after Battle of the Bands Craig's band wins the competition. Ashley compliments him on it and begins to forgive him.
Season 5[]
When Ashley returned home from London in High Fidelity (2), Ellie told her that Craig was in Vancouver pursuing his solo music career and that he was dating Manny. Ashley said that this made her "vaguely itchy." Later that day, Craig arrived back in Toronto to attend the Class of 2006's graduation ceremony. When he looked over at her, Ashley awkwardly averted her gaze.
Timeline[]
- Start: Should I Stay or Should I Go? (307)
- Ended: Rock and Roll High School (318)
- Reason: Ashley forgave Craig after hearing his song "What I Know".
Trivia[]
- Both Ashley and Manny lost their virginities to Craig: Manny in Should I Stay or Should I Go? and Ashley in Voices Carry (1). Craig lost his virginity to Manny.
- Craig cheated on both of them at the same time.
- They were two of the girls other than his half-sister Angela Jeremiah that Craig wrote a song about. The third was Ellie Nash.
- Craig's stepfather Joey Jeremiah went through a similar love triangle with his ex-girlfriends Caitlin Ryan and Tessa Campanelli in School's Out!.
- They were all members of Downtown Sasquatch, though never at the same time and in Manny's case only temporarily.
- Craig included a song about both Ashley and Manny on his album Of Two Minds: "She's the Ash" (Ashley) and "Thong Girl, Wrong Girl" (Manny).
- Manny's ex-boyfriend Spinner Mason was friends with Ashley and formerly friends with Craig.
