"I can't snitch. That's what they expect me to do." |
Fight the Power is the third episode of Season 8 of Degrassi: The Next Generation. It aired on October 17, 2008 in the United States, and on October 19, 2008 in Canada.
Summary[]
Jane plays football with the guys, but during the final moments of a game, Derek misses the block, so Jane fumbles the ball, and most of the team blames her for costing them the win. Jane must decide if playing a sport she loves is worth the constant harassment from her teammates.
Main Plot[]
Jane wants to join the school's football team, but Principal Sheppard says that she's a girl and therefore she can't join. Jane is eventually able to join, and The Shep says she won't receive any special treatment. The boys are very upset that a girl is on their team, so they decide not to give Jane her shoulder pads. When Jane comes out of the locker room and asks where her shoulder pads are, the team throws pads at her. When they have their first game, Jane does fantastic. She almost catches the ball, but Derek misses the block and blames it on Jane. The next day, the football team along with lots of other boys come to school wearing t-shirts saying "Sorry I dropped the ball, it's my time of the month", clearly mocking Jane for being a girl on the boys' football team. Surprisingly, Mia and Holly J. stand up for her, and Holly J. tells Derek to take the shirt off. When Jane shows the shirts to Mr. Simpson, he talks to the coach in front of the team, and The Shep says punishment is that they're going to run laps until they cry. The team is mad, and Derek and Bruce slam Jane into lockers after practice. Derek then kicks Jane in the stomach, but Riley pulls Derek off her and pushes him down the hall. Before their 2nd game of the season, Jane comes into the boys locker room, and The Shep tells her she's "not supposed to be in here." Jane then makes a speech about how she's part of the team. Everyone on the team, except Derek and Bruce, finally accept Jane.
Sub Plot[]
Meanwhile, Darcy is moving to Kenya and tells Peter the day before she goes. He is upset and can't stand to see her go, but when he meets Mia Jones at his back-to-school party, they bond over their differences. Mia later finds out that Peter is not over Darcy and thinks she is just a rebound. They have lunch together and Clare delivers a gift from Darcy. To make Mia think that Peter is all hers, he throws the gift in the garbage. However, after Mia leaves, Peter pulls the it out of the garbage and keeps it.
- This episode is named after the song "Fight The Power" by Public Enemy
- This marks the final appearance of Darcy Edwards.
- Paula Brancati (Jane) was nominated for a Gemini award for her performance in this episode.
Regular Cast (Ordered Alphabetically)
- Raymond Ablack as Sav Bhandari
- Dalmar Abuzeid as Danny Van Zandt
- Charlotte Arnold as Holly J. Sinclair
- Paula Brancati as Jane Vaughn
- Stefan Brogren as Archie Simpson
- Nina Dobrev as Mia Jones
- Marc Donato as Derek Haig
- Jamie Johnston as Peter Stone
- Argiris Karras as Riley Stavros
- Shane Kippel as Spinner Mason
- Jajube Mandiela as Chantay Black
- Samantha Munro as Anya MacPherson
- Aislinn Paul as Clare Edwards
- Melinda Shankar as Alli Bhandari
- Natty Zavitz as Bruce
Supporting Cast
Absences