Best Freeze Frame Ever

Usually Degrassi's ending freeze frame falls short of evoking whatever emotion it's going for. This week I was crying, so good job, Degrassi.

Seriously, JT died and it actually made me sad. In what was perhaps the best JT/Liberty episode of all time, I felt myself starting to root for the pair. And that's when I knew he was toast. Here's how it went:

Manny, upset about her break-up with Craig, begs Emma to have a party while Spike and Snake are out of town. After JT reminds the girls that it's Liberty's birthday, Emma agrees to a small celebration. Warning Sign #1: JT's being thoughtful and his shirt's not unbuttoned to his waist.

Meanwhile Liberty's hard at work on an Increase the Peace summit with Lake Hearst to figure out how to stop the violence between their schools. Manny tries to set her up with the rival school's Stu-Co Prez, but he's got eyes for someone else (hint: her boobs are on the internet). She invites him to the party and after the AfroTwins catch wind of it, everyone in the Greater Toronto area knows that Casa Emma Manny is the place to be.

Party time. Liberty's as hotted up as she's ever gonna get, Emma's nervous about the fact that she and Sean are scheduled to do it (so she's slamming tequila) and some Lake Heart toughs have shown up at the soiree (along with assorted Degrassi grads, drop-outs and fifth year seniors). Warning Sign #2: Manny becomes the voice of reason, never a good thing. She handles the LH sitch by suggesting that happy rivals inside are better than angry rivals outside (foreshadowing!). She also hides breakables and takes the booze away from the recovering anorexic.

Manny's good deeds are rewarded with a smooch from RivalPrez, which brings up unfinished feelings about Craig. Liberty finds JT in the backyard and tells him that she still loves him. They have an argument about the fact that he has a girlfriend who he "really, really...likes" (and who's out of town, which I forgot to mention). Lib tells him he's a coward for being unable to admit his feelings and storms out of her own party.

JT has a metaphor packed convo with "Tobes," who was inexplicably totally getting action from RivalVeep, and after coming to the realization that he still loves his baby's mama, JT goes out to find her.

Meanwhile in the land of "This is the best they could do?" the Toughs, who don't include TeenMom's ex at the moment, play a dumb prank on one of the AfroTwins. Jay gets sprayed with beer and he and Spin kick the jackasses out of the party... Where JT runs into them pissing on his car. He brushes off their insults, "Ha ha, you guys slay me," and one of them runs at him—with absolutely NO provocation—and STABS HIM IN THE BACK! Psycho's friend is horrified and they both run off. JT slides down his urine-drenched car door, unable to so anything, but look shocked. Liberty finds him and then screams for help as she cradles him in her arms.

And that's when I start feeling HORRIBLE for wishing these two any ill. Touché, Degrassi. At the hospital Manny paces around, blaming herself since the party was her idea, Sean assures her that it's not her fault, Liberty and RivalPrez talk to the police and Emma tearfully talks to her mom on the phone. A doctor comes out and asks for a family member. Emma says that JT's grandma can't get there for a couple of hours (that's when I remember that JT's only got a grandma, which makes the crying worse). Toby says that he's his brother and she can tell him. Aw, man.

The doctor explains that a major artery was hit and they were unable to repair the damage. From down the hall, Liberty hears the girls cry out. Sean clenches his jaw and vows to kill Psycho. Liberty comes running and asks hopefully if JT’s going to be okay. Unable to tell her that the guy she love is dead, Toby just hugs her and the rest of the Class of '07 (at least the ones we care about) follow suit. Freeze frame and somebody get me a damn tissue.