1. When Stephanie Kaye started swapping kisses for votes during her campaign for president.
2. When Arthur and Yick first met.
3. When Joey sold Kathleen and Melanie vitamin pills and pretended they were drugs.
"No pills no thrills". Joey, please. You couldn't help but laugh at how they both fell for the fake pills and how ridiculous Joey looked in those glasses.
4. When Spike found out she was pregnant at 14 and used Eggbert to help prepare her.
5. When Joey walked through the school with nothing but his trademark hat.
How could you ever forget those butt cheeks? This also probably caused your sexual awakening, just quietly.
6. When The Zit Remedy unleashed their song, "Everybody Wants Something".
7. And when Lucy filmed their music video.
8. When Caitlin had an epileptic seizure at a sleepover.
Caitlin writhing on the floor was a confronting and standout scene for the season and the writers should be applauded for how they dealt with it without any dramatic music or cheesy lines. Caitlin’s acceptance of herself also played a huge part and learning she has nothing to be ashamed about was another winning element.
9. When Michelle's racist parents told her she couldn't see B.L.T.
10. When Caitlin starts having ~dreams~ about her teacher, Ms. Avery.
This could have played out like a cheesy soap opera scenario, but it actually turned out to be an accurate depiction of teenage hormones and confusion.
11. When Kathleen struggled with an eating disorder which resulted in her fainting at school.
12. When Snake's big brother Glen told him he's gay.
Plenty of students have opened up about their sexuality on Degrassi, but Glen was the first gay character to appear on the entire franchise. Also, props to Glen for refusing to return home until his family could accept him. You were rooting for his acceptance.
13. When Wheels' adoptive parents died in a drunk driving collision.
14. When Dwayne found out he was HIV positive and Joey respected his privacy by keeping it a secret despite the pair being enemies.
To this day, HIV still isn't widely covered in the media, so for Degrassi to sensitively, yet honestly shed light on it all those years ago really says a lot about the maturity and progressiveness of the program.
15. When Snake found Claude's body in the school bathroom.
16. When L.D. developed leukemia and wanted to keep it a secret.
It really opened up your eyes and made you feel for L.D., and on top of that, it was a really frightening concept. You just don't even consider this type of outcome when you're young. L.D. was also the first character in the entire franchise to be diagnosed with leukemia (Snake was the second).
17. When Erica made the decision to have an abortion and became a target for bullying.
18. When the school burnt down.
In an epic way, this really symbolised the students saying goodbye to junior high and for some, it was also a way of saying goodbye to their old selves.
19. When Kathleen was the victim of an abusive relationship.
20. When Caitlin asked fiancé Joey if he was "fucking Tessa Campanelli".
Spoiler: He was, and it broke your damn heart. Also iconic because Stacie Mistysyn, who played Caitlin, became the second person to say "fuck" on Canadian television just seconds after Snake became the first.
21. When Next Generation started and you got to see your old favourites again, plus a whole new cast.
This whole episode was a perfect transition to the new Degrassi universe. The writers included beloved characters from the original generation while also introducing a fresh cast. It was like seeing old friends again with Joey, Lucy, Snake, Caitlin and Spike all back together.
22. When Paige established herself as the queen of Degrassi.
23. Emma and Sean's first date.
24. When Emma channeled her mother by wearing her classic hairdo.
SO ADORABLE. It was literally history repeating and it was too cute. Every Degrassi fan has either attempted or wondered how this hairstyle was even possible and it was sweet to see the show pay tribute to Spike's famous hair.
25. When Manny donned her famous blue thong.
26. When Ashley took ecstasy and called her best friend a "hag" and cheated on her boyfriend, Jimmy.
27. When Spinner got an erection in class and you couldn't help but laugh about it.
28. When Terri realised how beautiful she was and stood up for herself after a stranger tried to comment on her weight.
29. When Caitlin and Joey rekindled their legendary romance as adults.
Caitlin and Joey were always epic and you have to thank the writers for appreciating the fan base enough to bring these two back as a couple, even if it didn't exactly work out. Longtime franchise fans were flooded with nostalgia because honestly, this couple has spanned generations.
30. When J.T. purchased a penis pump.
31. When Emma got her period for the first time and shut down anyone who wanted to embarrass her for it.
This was the perfect burn which empowered every young woman and probably unleashed a few young feminists too.
32. When it was revealed Craig's father was physically abusive.
33. When his father later died and Terri was the only one who understood what he was going through.
Craig proved there's no right or wrong way to react to death, you just feel what you need to feel and that was an important lesson for every fan.
34. When Spinner acted homophobic towards Marco and it broke your heart.
Dealing with homophobic strangers is difficult enough, but dealing with a homophobic friend is next level. This sparked an important conversation even though it shattered your soul.
35. And when Marco was attacked by a group of homophobic strangers and Jimmy rushed to be by his side.
Marco was always a sweet, honest character and this was just an unfair, awful moment. The only positive is that it exposed you to what a hate crime is, and aimed to teach a lesson about tolerance and equality.
36. When J.T. and Liberty FINALLY kissed.
37. When Emma finally met her father and Degrassi alumni, Shane.
This was iconic for two reasons: The writers brought back Shane and also gave a perspective on a different family structure. Not everyone has a father present, and Emma grew to accept that.
38. When Manny told Craig she was pregnant with his child.
The regret in Manny's eyes, the look on Craig's face. Degrassi dealt with this beautifully, and let's never forget when Manny later defended herself by pointing out that Craig cheated on his girlfriend, "but no one ever talks about that".
39. And when she eventually chose to terminate the pregnancy.
Before this, Degrassi had already dealt with abortion and pregnancy, but this introduced the topics to a new generation. The two-part episode "Accidents Will Happen" was even viewed as so controversial that the story line was either edited or went un-aired in some countries.
40. When Ellie opened up to Paige about her struggle with self harm.
It was a raw moment and truly made you feel for Ellie, but ultimately it also gave some exposure to the issue of self harm, which up until this time, wasn't given much limelight.
41. When Hell Hath No Fury made you want to join a girl band.
42. When Manny flashed Peter on camera and declared she was "gonna be famous".
43. When Liberty chose to give her baby up for adoption and J.T. couldn't hold back the tears.
Liberty was always a strong, smart woman and she proved that once again by making the right decision for herself and her child.
44. When Spike and Snake had a child and got married and it made you feel really nostalgic.
A wedding AND a baby with two iconic characters? Bless you, Degrassi.
45. When Jay gave Emma gonorrhea and she delivered this line.
46. When Paige found the strength to deliver this speech after struggling with her sexual assault.
The writers didn't just throw away this storyline, instead they carefully continued it for many episodes, emphasizing the seriousness. Another example of the franchise treading delicately and really pulling things off.
47. When Terri was forcefully pushed by Rick and cut her head open on a rock.
48. When Rick brought a gun to Degrassi and shot Jimmy before being fatally wounded.
It's hard to pick the ultimate iconic moment, but if fans absolutely had to, this would easily be a contender. This wasn't just a random event and although it could have come across as some kind of soap TV moment, it didn't. There was something about the vulnerability of it all which made it so memorable.
49. When Jimmy had to adjust to life in a wheelchair and give up his dream of playing basketball.
50. When Manny literally kicked Paige's ass.
It was actually really hard to pick a side because they're both such great, sassy women. You still loved the catfight though because ~drama~ and actual butt kicking.
51. When Emma ripped her dress off to protest Purple Dragon.
52. When Craig suffered a nosebleed on stage after using cocaine, causing him to realise he had a drug addiction.
Ellie also played a big part in this moment because her unrequited feelings for Craig made it so hard to watch this happen. You wanted to root for Craig but he made it so hard at times. How could he just repeatedly lie to his friends?
53. When J.T. died and you didn't even know you could feel so many emotions.
What can you even say about this? It hurt. It was awful. You probably cried. J.T. had been on the show for so long that you even witnessed him grow up. To see him ripped away in the dark was horrible.
54. When Spinner and Emma got married and literally all you could think was WHAT ABOUT SEAN?
55. When Paige and Alex kissed for the first time and you probably squealed with joy.
56. When Ellie called Caitlin Ryan a "slut" in front of a huge crowd and you literally couldn't believe it.
57. When Degrassi introduced Adam and you fell in love instantly.
Adam was the first transgender teen character to appear as a series regular on a scripted television show and that is truly iconic.
58. When he later died after texting while driving and you never forgave the writers for it.
Make us fall in love and then take him away? Thanks. After J.T. your heart couldn't really handle another main character death, plus Adam was so lovable.
59. When Eli and Clare first met.
60. When Cam took his own life and you were once again reminded of how intense Degrassi can be.
Degrassi dealt with death and suicide before Cam but like always, they put a fresh perspective on it and didn't just spend one episode on the issue. They gave the storyline respect and attention and also looked at the aftermath and people affected.
61. When Jenna and K.C. gave their baby up for adoption because they knew they couldn't give him the life he deserved.
62. When Eli walked naked through the school and it was a perfect throwback to when Joey did the same thing.
It's just wonderful when the writers leave little Easter eggs for longtime fans.
63. When Bianca ended her engagement with Drew despite everything they went through.
64. When Spinner randomly popped up at The Dot four years after his last appearance.
65. When Clare and Eli found out they lost their baby.
66. When the school honored Adam at graduation.
67. And most importantly, when the Degrassi franchise and its characters made you feel like you were a part of something.
Here's to even more memories.