12x19/20 Scream-- RECAP

So this is the finale of the third and final novella the series did as they decided to drop the format in favor of doing a summer set arch in season 13 which in my opinion I think was a rather poor choice.  Anyway there was tons of hype leading up to this episode as well as lots of media which made it out to think that someone would die…..spoilers no one did at least not in this episode however there was much drama none the less.

Eli’s setting up for another tech rehearsal and everything that could go wrong is. Costumes are mixed up, props are falling and he hopes they can open smoothly and on time. Clare shows up asking if Eli has thought of a way to get Asher back yet she knows he’s busy with the play but she wants to give the bastard what for and the sooner the better.

WHATEVER IT TAKES

Becky and Luke are planning on protesting the play for its pro-gay message. Dallas is in on trying to ruin the play but informs the twins that by protesting and saying it’s too gay they are only going to land them in detention….he has a better plan. Becky says she believes in freedom of speech and plans to picket anyway. Luke goes to follow her but Dallas tells him he needs him to hatch his own plan.

Eli is making last minute changes like swapping out the chorus members costumes because there was a mess up with the leads and so everything is flip flopped now. Eli tells Adam he needs to go help Clare and that Adam is in charge however before Eli can go Fiona tells him that Simpson told her to stop selling tickets and wants to see Eli.

Dave and Tristan are practicing their big number however Tristan is still holding back and not kissing Dave. Tori asks why he keeps holding back and he says how he doesn’t want his lip virginity to be taken by Dave on stage. Zig comments how the play doesn’t open until tomorrow and he still has time. Tori shoos him away and Tori apologizes saying he doesn’t get how it is to be out in grade nine but maybe he’s right and he’ll find someone.

Eli’s flipping out because Simpson is telling him that the Bakers among other parents are questioning the plays theme NOW the day before opening night and want Eli to walk them through the script. Eli plans to defend the play till his dying breath and I don’t know if I mentioned it in the last recap or if I just tweeted it as I watched Sabotage but I’ll say it again…..the amount of times they say death, die, dying and other variants of the word are haunting. Simpson says his comment is extreme but Eli doesn’t care….what if they don’t like it….are they going to cancel after everything?

Adam sees Becky’s protest sign and comments how she guesses their date is off. She snarkily comments saying she guesses she forgot to formally cancel and asks where her manners are. Adam snarks back that perhaps they are hiding under her three feet of hair. Becky comments how at least she’s not lying about the fact she’s a girl and Adam informs her he’s trans and that she’s a piece of work. Becky says that if she only accepted how god made her then life would be better. Jenna teases how she’s a natural brunette but blondes have more fun and Becky isn’t amused. Mrs. Cohen then assigns partners for an assignment and pairs Becky and Adam together. Becky protests however it’s heard with deaf ears.

Eli tells his crew to keep rehearsing like tomorrows opening night because it would be however inside he’s freaking out. Dave tells Eli that he has faith that he’ll get through with the parents.

Dallas approaches Fiona and Imogen telling them hello but Fiona doesn’t want to talk to him after he engaged in fisticuffs at her loft. The girls then start making out as Tristan approaches. He asks the girls how they knew that they were each others ones and they give him some advice. They think he’s adorable and take him under their wing.

Eli dresses up as Friar Lawrence and starts pointing out Bible verses about love saying it doesn’t matter that it’s two guys….love is love. And while the Reverend and the other parents aren’t admidently pro gay they say they aren’t concerned about that aspect however Dallas brought to their attention a very important point. Said point is that the deaths of the young lovers glorify suicide. This is another chilling form of foreshadowing considering what happens in twelve more episodes and what characters said event directly affects….

Eli runs the final scene by the parents. Their point stands and Eli totally understands and agrees and his mind goes on overdrive. He can fix it he just needs till the end of the day to make a last minute revision. Simpson and the parents agree.

Becky’s in the bathroom praying for strength to work with someone like Adam. Jenna comments how it’s not a sin to work with a transgender. Becky comments about how they ALMOST dated and what would happen if she formed feelings for her and she turned her into a lesbian. Jenna sticks up for Adam saying that HE is a boy who likes girls however Becky is still in her little small town Christian girl bubble. She thinks god made them partners for a reason and she can SAVE Adam and make him Gracie again.

They are rehearsing for the play some more as Tristan’s eyes catch those of one of the stage hands and his heart skips a beat. He’s in love. As they are practicing Eli is working on his re-writes. He tells Clare he got it and no not a revenge plot for Asher cause that’s taken a backburner to the show….a new ending. The lover’s spirits won’t reunite in heaven but will pass like ships in the night making them spend eternity alone. Clare then tells Eli how she has an idea….the following day Asher and the entire office will be at a journalism awards and it’d be the perfect time to plant something incriminating on Asher’s computer. Eli says no cause the play opens but then says they can manage both.

Adam meets up with Becky in class and Becky wants to say a few words. Everyone things she’s crazy however there are many other Baptists like her who believe the same thing. Adam shows Becky a fossil to use for the project that’s said to be older than what the Bible claims the world is. She says just cause she’s Christian doesn’t mean she doesn’t enjoy science. Adam then calls her out saying she can believe in science but not in the fact that he was born a she. Adam tells her about how he got bullied and beaten and the things she says make people think it’s okay to do that stuff.

Tristan tells Tori and Maya he found love in a hopeless place…..well the theater. He had an energy exchange with the stagehand. Tori tells him maybe he should wait until after opening night to pursue him. Tristan is pissed that she wants him to wait.

Eli tells Imogen the new concept and she tells him it’ll take a couple hours to fix the effects accordingly. Eli doesn’t have hours cause he needs to make sure that the parents approve things. He makes a fist which is still sore from breaking Dallas’s nose at the party and Imogen asks if he’s okay. He’s fine….it’s just between saving the play….and Clare. Imogen comments how it’s like déjà vu. Eli tells her he doesn’t plan on having an episode but she’s glad she’s done being involved with him none the less. She compares him to Romeo with his passion and reminds Eli how he ended up dead.

Eli’s flipping out the next day because he’s waiting on Simpson’s call. Simpson tells him great work on the re-write and the play is back on. Dallas tells him this isn’t over. Clare then approaches Clare saying that in re-writing the play made him think and making rash choices isn’t the answer. He lists off all the things he’s done….giving Fitz the fake ID, Vegas Night, Love Roulette, not to mention crashing his car into a wall which he doesn’t bring up.  Clare is pissed that Eli wants Asher to get away with what he did. Eli informs her he never said that he just thinks payback isn’t the answer and that he’s instead made an appointment for Clare to tell Miss Oh.

Tristan tells Maya he tried to talk to the cute stagehand however he floundered and perhaps Tori is right that he can’t talk to cute guys. Tristan sees a rose on his locker and it’s from a secret admirer. Maya tells him he should go and meet him……TBC

Clare (and Helen) take that meeting with Miss Oh that Eli has set up. Clare says that Eli is making up the story but Miss Oh comments how the paper has said she hasn’t worked there in weeks and how she was dismissed cause of her infatuations with Asher however Eli told her it went the other way. Helen asks how she could keep it a secret and she says she talked to the editor but its Asher’s word against hers. Helen and Miss Oh want to press on with pressing charges but Clare doesn’t want to let it go that far which was the reason she didn’t tell in the first place.

I KNOW I CAN MAKE IT THROUGH

Tori walks in on Maya and Zig having a jam session and is freaking out because Tristan is MIA. Maya is giddy cause she thinks Tristan is getting lucky with his secret admirer and Tori rolls her eyes at the thought that he’s blowing off the play to hook up. Zig says maybe they should give him space but Tori says there is no time.

Becky tells Adam that she’s not going to protest anymore Adam nods and interrupts asking the class if they have seen Tristan because he’s gone MIA. Becky starts telling Adam she was wrong to judge as Luke comments Tristan must of came to his senses when he realized how wrong the play was. Adam wonders if the Bakers are the cause of his disappearance and he walks out of the class. Becky tells Luke to swear to god he has no part in Tristan’s disappearance.

Eli asks how the meeting went and Clare tells him to go to hell because now they want her to go to the cops and it’s going to make her come off as an idiot and embarrass her yet again which is why she wanted things done on her terms. The only way she can do that is to plant something on Asher tonight. Clare asks if he’s in but he says no and she tells him to work on his stupid play and leave. She starts crying in the hall and Katie asks if she’s alright. Clare confides in Katie making her promise never to tell Jake what they are about to do. Clare wants Katie to help her sneak in and play lookout while she posts some not so savory photos of herself on his laptop. She’s only seventeen after all so it’ll be considered child pornography and Asher will go away for a long time. Katie wonders if she’s going too far but Clare justifies it and Katie agrees to help.

Tori, Maya and Zig are looking for Tristan when they hear his ringtone coming from where the hockey team is hanging out. They ask Luke where he got that phone and ask Owen to help out. They tell him how his brother is missing and he thinks his teammates have something to do with it and Owen flips out asking Luke where he got the cell and starts pounding him until he gives up Tristan’s whereabouts.

Katie’s watching the girls room door as Clare un-does her shirt and begins to take pictures of her bare chest….the song playing in this scene is ‘Shake It Out’ from Florence And The Machine and even when I hear various covers of it play I always come back to this heart wrenching moment in my head.

Becky’s sitting at the bus stop listening to the soundtrack of the musical and singing before she has a moment of clarity and heads back to school. Meanwhile on stage Eli is freaking out texting Clare for the millionth time hoping that she shows up to the show and isn’t out doing something rash and regrettable. Adam says forget Clare for a second since the lead is MIA and curtain is seconds away. Eli asks if Adam wants to take over and Adam comments how at least Eli acts. Eli points out he can’t sing and regrets not thinking they’d need an understudy. He’s about to shut down the show when Becky says she can play Juliette. Eli says but the play doesn’t need a Juliette he needs a Jules and he’d rather cancel the play then go back to a female lead. Becky says fine she’ll dress in drag and play a boy if it means fixing something that she may have inadvertently set in motion. Eli comments at least she can sing…..(Seriously….Sarah Fisher needs to be on Broadway.)

We get vocals of one of the songs from the play as we flash on Clare and Katie heading up to the Interpreter’s office before fading out on Tristan singing the song lying in one of the storage rooms. Owen, Tori, Maya, and Zig find him and Tristan laments that he brought this on himself. Tori tells him he can wallow later cause it’s Showtime but he is still a bit iffy cause he has yet to be kissed and how can he kiss Dave when he doesn’t know what it’s like to be loved. Owen tells him that he loves him and Tori then kisses Tristan so his first kiss isn’t on stage.

The play begins and Tristan and Tori show up just in time so Becky doesn’t have to go on stage.

Clare and Katie arrive in the office and watch as the last person leaves. Katie tells Clare they should get it over with but Clare freezes up. She can’t help but let something Asher said keep coming up in thought. How everything you release into the world can come back to haunt you and she worries that posting pictures of her breasts to his computer will be bad for her in the end. It intercuts to a scene of the play before we get back to the office where Clare breaks down to the former intern whom she interviewed. She tells the girls that maybe they should just go.

Tristan and Dave have their kissing scene onstage as Becky watches from the sideline. Adam asks her if she had to would she of done it….as Jules and not as Juliette. She admits she’s a bit confused by all of it but she didn’t want to be responsible for ruining the play. Adam suggests she join in during the final chorus after all she’s already in costume.

Clare can’t believe they did what they did and Katie comments how at least they aren’t in jail. Katie asks Clare if she really believes it was her fault. Clare doesn’t know after all she didn’t tell anyone and she brushed it off. Katie tells her not to blame herself about it and Clare says how maybe she will just go to the police. Katie tells her how brave she is as Jennifer comes back down telling Clare they should talk.

The final chorus is performed as Becky smiles at Adam who is watching in the wings giving her a thumb up as Eli walks into the theater smiling in approval for a job well done. Tristan thanks Tori again for giving him that push. Tori smiles saying how they have seven more performances and as they go to get ready for curtain call that cute stage hand tells Tristan he did a nice job….Tristan flails.

Becky’s skipping out cause she needs to get home. She needs to think of a lie to tell her parents for what she was really doing and the pray for forgiveness….for said lie not being in the play. Speaking of forgiveness she thanks Adam because all she wanted since transferring to Degrassi was to do the musical and Adam let her fulfill that dream. She gives him a hug and a smile and then leaves.

Eli watches the curtain call with a smile on his face at his job well done. He then heads onstage to take a bow as Clare shows up with flowers in the wings. Clare apologizes for not being there to see the show but she had something else that needed to be done. She went to the paper and almost put naked photos of herself on Asher’s computer…..Almost but she didn’t….she tells him about Jennifer who told Clare when she was interning Asher assaulted her too and they both are going to the cops to report him. She promises to come to each and every other performance and starts to quote the play. Eli says they should stop thinking of themselves as Romeo and Juliette cause things really didn’t work out for them did they. Clare agrees and Eli asks about the pictures. She tells him they are deleted and he tells her he’ll have to settle for the real thing. He tells her he loves her and she said forever and always and the season has officially reached its mid-point.