#rick Murray

[mersu-chan]

i did the thing

[zayadriancas]

Time Stands Still Part 1

“You think they wanna know who I am? They wanna torture me.”

[degrassi-fandom-confessions]

I was so annoyed when everyone started befriending Rick and saying “Oh he’s not that bad” like did we forget what he did to Terri or?? I’m sorry but I feel like the writers were trying to paint him as victim towards the end of the storyline and that didn’t sit right with me.

[spinelli-gemelli]

A Degrassi Essay About Rick Murray

(Part 3a.)

"Do I look like I have time for a chat, Richard?"

In a perfect world, and by that I mean my perfect world, season 4's events would unfold something like this: Rick returns to Degrassi; the school ostracizes him via Emma’s campaign; Rick is tormented everywhere he goes; Emma puts an end to Jay's ballistics once the violence against Rick gets out of hand; Rick would learn his lesson and never lay a finger on another girl again; and everyone leaves him alone while he completes his tenth grade year for the second time.

But this is Degrassi. The drama never ends. Drama is inherently messy. And that ending is way too tidy for drama.

While Emma made it clear that she wasn't going to torture Rick in the halls, this memo doesn't reach the other characters. There are three in particular who constantly jab at him: Spinner, Jay, and Jimmy. At this point, pushing him around is just for sport, and Jay would admit to that if you asked him, I guarantee it. Whether or not Rick deserves it, whether or not you feel sorry for the kid, one has to wonder: where are the teachers when all of this is happening? Has anyone reported this to the principal? In this installment, we will explore another popular talking point in the Degrassi fandom: could Mr. Raditch have stopped tragedy from befalling Degrassi? Could he have prevented Rick from returning in the first place?

Let's begin with the first question: could Mr. Raditch have stopped the school shooting? We the viewers learn that Rick has sought out help multiple times based on two different scenes from the show. The first instance is from episode 4x07, the first half of the two-parter episode titled "Time Stands Still". About a quarter of the way into part one, we see Rick making a visit to the principal's office and asking him to intervene in the Whack-Your-Brain predicament that he was recently forced to face. Earlier that day, Mr. Simpson decided to draft Jimmy onto the trivia team last minute after Heather Sinclair got sick with mononucleosis. At this time, Jimmy Brooks is still giving Rick a hard time at school, and he'd be damned if he let that jock taint the only thing he has going for him at Degrassi that doesn't feel like hell on earth! Raditch is already short with Rick in this scene as he rummages through papers and moves back and forth in the office. "Do I look like I have time for a chat, Richard?" He barks at the student. Fortunately Rick isn't discouraged yet. He goes on to tell the principal that Jimmy "doesn't like [him], and he has no qualms expressing it." Rick doesn't name drop here; he simply refers to Brooks as "a member of the Whack-Your-Brain team".

A Youtuber by the name of NotaVampyre uploaded a video about this very exchange and brought something to my attention. Rick's wording in this scene as he's asking for help...he is being extremely vague. At first he starts off direct after Mr. Raditch asks him why he wants to chat. He says that Jimmy is harassing him. When Raditch asks how, that's when Rick gives his vague response. You can make a case that the principal is aware that Rick was at odds with a large number of kids at school, especially if we refer to the deleted scene where Marco and Alex ask him to reconsider letting Rick return to Degrassi, arguing that "he's a danger...especially to girls" as Alex Nunez would put. Unfortunately, the principal is wrapped up in whatever office task he has in front of him, and Rick's concerns are brushed off hastily.

"Richard, I've told you time and time again: it takes two to tango," he tells the boy. It's from this quote that we learn this probably isn't Rick's first trip to the principal's office. Or second. Probably not even the third. The principal goes on to say that he suggests that Rick tries harder to get along with the other student and to come back if anything serious happens. He dismisses the subject immediately after, leaving no room for any more questions Rick has leftover. The student receives the message loud and clear from Raditch: he is left to face this problem on his own.

To answer the question: yes, I believe the principal could have, and should have, done his due diligence; it could have potentially saved lives. Rick, however, should have also been more ingenious in his approach. Nonetheless, I can understand why Rick wouldn't want to open up about his suffering. I imagine it's much harder for teen boys to admit that they are victims of bullying than it would be for teen girls. Not only is it humiliating for him, though the same could be said about a girl, but there is also the feeling of being emasculated that is unique to the male experience. The teen boy thus suffers a double blow to his ego; first in a crisis of his masculine identity, and the second in humiliation. Men are socialized and hardwired to be tough and competent enough to fight their own battles; any other action or reaction would be perceived as weak and feminine, two things that men neither want nor are expected to be, especially the more masculine he is. I think this is partially the reason why Rick didn't express plainly the ways in which he had been harassed, though not necessarily because he is masculine in the traditional sense, especially since it's been presented in the show that he isn't. Rather, his pride prevented him from being completely transparent, not to mention his distinct, eccentric way of speaking. His flowery language sets him apart even more from the other characters, something that I like about him. It's a sentiment that both NotaVampyre and I share. In this instance, however, Rick's vocabulary works against him as he's not being clear in what he wants from Mr. Raditch.

Even if Rick did come forward, the principal would still have to meet him halfway. Perhaps the other part of the reason why Rick didn't open up about the torment is that he had little expectations for the principal to take action. As we mentioned before: this isn't Rick's first visit to Raditch's office; maybe Rick had told him about a specific incident, such as being shoved against the lockers, before the moment we saw in 4x07 and had gotten nowhere. Maybe deep down, Rick knew nothing would come of confiding into an authoritative figure and didn't bother himself with the details of what was happening to him. Alas, these are only my speculations. We really never know how many times Rick attempted to get outside help, though we can infer that it was at least two. We never know what all Rick told the principal about the bullying he had been facing, thus we the audience are forced to fill in the gaps yet again and make our own deductions about what happened.

[degrassi-ship-war]

when i suggested i might do this on my main blog some of you expressed mild interest, so i've decided to give the people what they want and make a degrassi: the next generation character tournament.

i'm keeping this to opening credit tng characters (there will be two characters who aren't in the opening credits but whose presence looms so large that they had to be included anyway) because it was the only way i could make the math work, and also i thought it would be unfair to the degrassi junior high and degrassi high characters to set them against the tng kids. if this gains some traction and people are interested, maybe i'll do separate polls for the ogs and the next class kids (although many of them are featured in the tng polls as well) after we're done with the tng tournament.

i'm going to post the qualifying rounds later today. they'll consist of sixteen groups of five. i made the lists using a randomizer. the least voted character in each round will be disqualified, while the other four will move on to the main tournament. that way i'll narrow 80 main characters down to 64. i'll also be using these qualifiers to help seed the bracket. qualifying polls will be week-long.

this is the most math i've done willingly since high school so i hope you all appreciate the sacrifices i'm making here.

[anangstyblackgirl]

AI Degrassi - Jimmy gets shôt.

[hatzilakos]

top 10 moments before disaster

[haveyouseenthismovie-poll]

[nkp1981]

The practical effects behind the Terror Dogs for "Ghostbusters"

[silly-boozer]

happy Friday the 13th! I'm watching a bunch of horror movies today. Here's something cool to show you guys.

When I was looking through all the DVDs in storage I found this Ghostbusters behind the scenes booklet which is pretty cool. It came with my set of the first and second movie.

some pictures are really bad quality and bad lighting I apologize

front and back cover:

inside

I'm also watching the first movie commentary on my DVD which I am taking notes on and might post later

[mersu-chan]

i am not normal about him at all, i rotate him in my head at least ten times a day, he has ruined my life and i am not complaining, he lives in my head rent free

(+ a bonus kennith cus i'm silly)

[zayadriancas]

Islands In The Stream

“If you let him treat you like garbage he’ll keep doing it.”

[degrassi-fandom-confessions]

I wonder what the aftermath would have been if Rick shot Toby by accident

[spinelli-gemelli]

A Degrassi Essay About Rick Murray

(Part 1)

"Rick, why did you come back here?"

I like seeing a shift in tone amongst Degrassi fans, specifically to the reaction of Rick Murray's eight episode arc spanning seasons 3 and 4 of DTNG. From what I've gathered, the overall fanbase has shifted from having sympathy for the character, which I can understand, to demanding to know why Rick didn't just pack up and go to another school after the incident he caused. In this essay series, I will cover popular fan discussions regarding the arc of Rick Murray, such as the inquiry upon his return, other characters' interactions and reactions towards him, and Principal Raditch's failure to act as his students expressed concerns about Rick.

Unfortunately, a lot went on after the coma incident and before Rick’s return off-screen, but it is some of the most important information that would answer a lot of questions. Did Mr. McGregor press charges against the Murrays? Was there a settlement? How extensive was Rick’s therapy, and for how long did he attend? Could they not prove that Rick was guilty of aggravated assault? Was there no physical evidence that could pin him to his crimes? Considering that Rick was able to continue his education, we can accurately guess the answers to a lot of these questions.

Most fans think tragedy could have been avoided if Rick had simply started over at a different school. I mean, it’s Toronto. Surely they aren't short on the number of schools in the city. I guess for Rick, it was either the devil he knew or the devil he didn't know. There are a few who do think it was better (at least before tragedy struck) for him to reset at Degrassi, though more for the sake of the students' safety rather than for Rick’s comfort. If Rick went to another school, it would benefit him greatly. No one would know about the abuse he inflicted on Terri, that is, assuming no one in this other school is affiliated with Terri. The only way anyone could receive any kind of information about Rick's history would be to ask the kid himself. Even after this inquiry, Rick would still have the ability to downplay his abuse or flat out deny that it even happened since his peers would have no proof that he did anything wrong, so there would be nothing anyone could do about it. Diving deeper into this hypothetical scenario, Rick, attending this non-Degrassi school, would have the opportunity to slip back into old habits since no one would hold him accountable or punish him for what he did to Terri. He would be more of a danger to women, assuming he would begin dating again at this other school, which is extremely likely. His problems aside--and they would be set aside in this scenario--Rick is portrayed as the shy, charming, yet eccentric, hopeless romantic. He would easily attract women, especially if they're unaware of how he treated his ex. At another school, Rick's abuse problem wouldn't go away: some other poor girl would simply fall victim to him.

Alas Rick made the decision to return to Degrassi. In his mind, he's hoping for his pupils to forgive and embrace him. Whether he is determined or delusional, it does take some strength of character to go back to a place where potentially an entire class of students will detest you. Rick chose redemption over comfort, the path of most resistance. Whether or not someone would return to a school under these circumstances is up for debate. Would you really want to go back to a community where you nearly killed a well-known and well liked person, or would you be eager to get as far away from it as possible? Nonetheless, Rick's presence at Degrassi makes for good drama, and that's what this franchise is all about.

I believe that Rick realized he could have failed in his quest for forgiveness, and that if he did, he could at least avoid Marco, Paige, Spinner, and Jimmy, and instead center his social life around his new peers: the class of '07. Repeating a year has its benefits: if Paige and pals rejected his apology, he could at least make nice with the grade ten students, right?

That's where Emma comes in and throws a wrench in things...

[degrassi-ship-war]

Qualifying Round (Group 5):

The character with the least votes will be eliminated. The other four will move on to the main tournament!

[bixiebeet]

Sorry it’s small! Photos of the full interview with Annie Potts for the 2016 UK Ghostbusters magazine. She discusses working with the cast, the Janine-Egon romance, and the fact that she never watched The Real Ghostbusters! She also thinks that Janine would “probably be running the business by now” and have “underlings who are making a lot of fun of her.”