Épisode Au pied du mur S05E09 - Degrassi : The Next Generation Saison 5

At Marco’s house. Marco walks into the kitchen trying to memorize his lines

Mr. Del Rossi: Marco, we still fishing this weekend?

Marco: Yeah. Yeah of course.

Mr. Del Rossi: Louisa, I think our boy has gone crazy. Look he’s talking to himself.

Marco: You’re funny Pa. It’s for the school play. We’re hosting the city drama festival.

Mr. Del Rossi: Marco don’t tell me you’re becoming an actor.

Marco: No. No, this is just a favour for Mr. Simpson. I’m not becoming an actor.

Mr. Del Rossi: Right because you’re running the printing business with me.

Marco: Pa we’ve discussed this. Social work! I want to help people.

(Mr. Del Rossi waves his hand dismissively.)

Marco: But no look. Social worker’s a good job.

Mrs. Del Rossi: Cousin Lou became a social worker.

Mr. Del Rossi: Cousin Lou? Please Cousin Lou’s a (fanel?)

Marco: Pa, Cousin Lou is a great guy. He helps people.

Mr. Del Rossi: Yeah, but he doesn’t help his poor mother. His mother would love a grandchild one day, but from Cousin Lou, good luck!

Marco: What? So he’ll adopt. It’s no big deal.

Mr. Del Rossi: No big deal?! Marco, for a parent to raise a homosexual…it’s like a failure, an embarrassment.

Marco: Oh really? Well let me tell you that…that I have a rehearsal and I don’t know my lines. Bye.

Mr. Del Rossi: Bye, bye.


During play rehearsal, Toby is practicing with Mr. Simpson and Marco walks over to Paige who is also practicing

Paige: Stressed much?

Marco: There is no way I’m ever gonna memorize these lines.

Craig: Relax. It’s not like you’re the star and the school’s hopes to winning this drama festival are riding on you. Wait you’re Hamlet right?! It is riding on you!

Marco: Yeah. Someone remind me to kill him after I’m done memorizing this.

Paige: I’ll remind you once uh you remind me why we volunteered to do this.

Marco: Because! Thought it’d be fun and because Simpson gave us that whole help me, help Degrassi speech.

Paige: Because someone knew the cute new guy had already volunteered.

Marco: Who? Tim? Okay. He’s okay. I mean if you like that whole dark, mysterious thing.

Paige: Hmm. Yeah. Quelle turn off.

(Marco smiles at Tim.)


In the hallway, Emma is putting up a poster for the drama festival

Peter: Perfect.

Emma: What are you, the leaning tower of Peter? It’s completely crooked.

Peter: I wasn’t talking about the poster.

Emma: Okay let me set one thing straight. You are never getting anywhere with me.

Peter: Never say never.

Emma: But it’s fun. Never, never, never, never, never, never, never.

Peter: Yeah it’s easy to say, but it’s harder to mean and you don’t.

Emma: Please.

Peter: Look if you hate me so much why’d you go on a date with me the other night?

Emma: It wasn’t a date. It was an appraisal.

Peter: Oh yeah and how did I do?

Emma: My files are confidential.

(Peter fixes the poster and looks at Emma.)

Peter: Now that’s perfect. See you around.


In the hallway, Paige is practicing her lines with Craig when a guy pushes Tim into a locker

Random guy: Faggot!

(Craig gets angry and walks towards the guy, but Marco stops him.)

Marco: Craig don’t! Don’t. Tim hey! Woah, you okay?

Tim: Yeah I’m fine.

Marco: Here, dude let me take you to the nurse.

Tim: No, Marco I’m fine.

Marco: Well let me do something. Anything?


At the Dot

Marco: Hey sorry about what happened today. Degrassi’s pretty cool, but there are idiots everywhere. So who have you told?

Tim: No one except my best friend…well my former best friend.

Marco: Oh. Didn’t go well then I take it?

Tim: My best friend since grade 3 called me a fag and punched me in the face.

Marco: Well you’ll find a new friend.

Tim: It’s just I don’t anybody who would even begin to get this.

Marco: You do now. Tim look I’ve been where you are okay? Two years ago I was you. So I can help you and I want to help you, as a friend.

Tim: Thank you Marco. You’re like my Yoda.

Marco: (In a Yoda voice) Yeah well memorize lines we must, angry Simpson will be!


Inside Degrassi, Emma is trying to sell tickets to the drama festival, but no one is stopping

Emma: Tickets for the drama festival. Tickets? Tickets for the drama festival. Tickets.

Peter: Allow me.

(He takes the tickets and walks over to a random girl.)

Peter: Hi I’m Peter. Degrassi is hosting the city drama festival. It’s a really prestigious event. It’s gonna do a lot for our school so we’re asking everyone to come out and show their support. Thank you.

(Peter gives Emma the money.)

Peter: Selling’s in my blood. My dad’s a car salesman. Imports mainly.

Emma: Maybe he could give me some pointers. I could sure use some.

Peter: I’ll give you some pointers. Say today, 4PM, the Dot.

Emma: I walked right into that one.

Peter: Come on. Just go out with me again!

Emma: Okay Peter, my best friend hates you. I can’t be seen talking to you. You need to back off.

(Peter sees Manny and walks away.)

Manny: Was he bothering you?

Emma: It’s okay.

Manny: It’s not. He was harassing you. We need to do something about him.


At school

Tim: Marco I’m such an idiot. I left my computer on and I forgot to log out.

Marco: Classic beginners mistake.

Tim: My dad sat down and there it was, a gay teens chat room. So he confronted me and the next thing I know I’m out the door running.

Marco: Oh my god. Where’d you go?

Tim: Nowhere. Everywhere. I just had to keep moving. It’s scary out there.

Marco: Tim you can’t do that again. It’s dangerous. You have to go home.

Tim: What if he kicks me out?

Marco: We’ll figure it out then, but first you got to go home and face your dad.

Tim: Right and tell him what?

Marco: Just tell him the truth. I mean you have to show him the real you right? Show him the Tim that you’ve been hiding all these years.

Tim: So I just waltz up to my dad and say I’m gay, and then what?

Marco: Well okay first, he’ll lose it. It’ll get nasty and ugly, but then in time he’ll see who you really are and he’ll wake up one morning and he’ll say my son’s gay and that’s alright.

Tim: Okay. I’m gonna do it. I’m gonna do it Marco. I’m gonna tell him.


At school, Peter is talking to some girl and Emma walks over

Peter: The band’s gonna be really good. They’re gonna play some hits and some of their own stuff. It’s gonna be good. The guitarist is so good. My friend’s the drummer.

Emma: Am I interrupting?

Peter: Only slightly. (He turns back to the girl) Look my dad’s gonna be out of town so there’s nothing in the way of us having fun. Just come.

(The girl smiles and leaves.)

Emma: You’re having a party.

Peter: You’re busy with the festival remember?

Emma: Which I can’t believe you’re bailing on.

Peter: I have more than enough drama in my life these days.

Emma: What’s that supposed to mean?

Peter: You blow hot and cold Emma. You flirt and then you shut me down. Face it you’re a tease.

Emma: Well you’re a jerk!


At Marco’s house, there’s a knock at the door and Tim walks in crying

Marco: Oh Tim. Woah. What are you doing here?

Tim: I’m sorry Marco. I got your address off the play contact list. I have nowhere else to go. Look I did it just like you said. I came out to my dad and he kicked me out.

Marco: Okay.

(Tim hugs Marco.)

Tim: He actually kicked me out.

Mr. Del Rossi: Marco what’s going on in here?

Marco: Nothing. Pa this is my friend Tim. He’s upset.

Mrs. Del Rossi: Let’s go back to the dining room.

Tim: No. No I’m sorry for barging in like this. It’s just…I just came out to my dad.

Mr. Del Rossi: Came out. Came out where?

Marco: No he got in a fight with his dad…over the play. His dad, his dad just doesn’t like him being an actor.

Mr. Del Rossi: I can understand. Acting’s not a real job. It’s for the…

Marco: Papa can you leave us alone? Please.

(His parents walk back to the dining room.)

Marco: Tim okay let me explain. This is…

Tim: Don’t Marco. Just don’t.


At Marco’s, the next day

Mrs. Del Rossi: Tim we’ll see you again tonight?

Marco: Yeah. Hey my mom’s right. You’re more than welcome to stay here. Make me feel better. I feel kind of responsible.

Mr. Del Rossi: Responsible? What did you do?

Marco: Nothing Pa. I just talked Tim into joining the cast.

Mr. Del Rossi: Yeah Tim, I don’t understand. I don’t much like acting, but your father, he kicked you out because of that?

Tim: See my father thinks acting is a waste of time. What do you think Marco? You know about acting, about pretending to be someone you’re not?

Marco: I don’t know bud, but guess you just gotta play the part as written.

Tim: Yeah, but you’re so good at it. I mean when you act you’re like Pacino. You fool everybody. Thank you. Um I have to go.

Marco: Mom, dad, here are the tickets. Festival starts at noon.


At Emma’s house

Manny: Faux il déteste la fouille (??). Um how do I spell déteste?

Emma: Déteste as in hate? P-E-T-E-R.

Manny: Okay that’s at least 10 Peter references in the last 2 hours.

Emma: I just hate what he did to you and waiting for karma to get him is boring me.

Manny: It won’t actually be karma. It’ll be a girl, Achilles’ heel-like.

Emma: Manuella! You’re such a genius. An eye for an eye.

(Emma shows her cell phone.)

Manny: Baby that’s a telephone and you might want to use it to call the men in white coats because they pick up.

Emma: It’s a camera phone.

Manny: So?

Emma: So Peter needs to learn that paybacks are hell and I happen to think he needs to learn it from us.

Manny: And that’s why you’re my best friend in the whole wide world.

Emma: Time for a picture. Cheese!

(They take a picture.)


In the hallway

Paige: Nervous?

Marco: Yeah not because of the play though. Tim stayed over last night

Paige: I hope you were safe.

Marco: What? No! Totally missing the point. Look he came out to his dad who then, get this, promptly kicked him out.

Paige: Wow. I just went from excitement to horror in 5 seconds. Acting has put me in touch with my emotions.

Marco: Paige this is so my fault. Okay I, well I kinda made him think that I already was out to my dad.

Paige: Your dad? The guy who thinks you listen to Britney in the car because it puts chicks in the mood.

Marco: I know. I was just trying to help him okay? Inspire him, be his mentor…his Yoda.

Paige: Too late, it is not.

Marco: Yeah believe me. It definitely is. Tim hates me.

Paige: He won’t. Not after you come out to your father.


At Peter’s party, Peter is talking to the same girl as before, but walks over to Emma when he sees her

Peter: Emma.

Emma: Were you expecting someone else?

Peter: Not expecting. Maybe hoping.

Emma: Well I was hoping you’d accept an apology. I was being unfair sending mixed signals.

Peter: So what’s the signal now?

Emma: Green. For go.

Peter: Let’s see what we can do.


During the drama festival, another group finishes on stage

Ms. Hatzilakos: That was a scene from Pygmalion Play by David Jones and Jen Walker from Carson Town.

(Backstage Mr. Simpson is stressing out and Marco is rehearsing.)

Craig: Mr. Simpson you gotta breathe.

(He breathes.)

Marco: And by a sleep to say we end. The heart-ache by the thousand…and the thousand natural shocks-

Mr. Del Rossi: Marco. You called?

Marco: I did, yeah. Um pa we need to talk.

Mr. Del Rossi: Sure.

(They walk outside.)

Marco: Before the play starts, Pa there’s something that I need to talk to you about. It’s actually about Tim. I’ve been helping him lately because he’s younger and he’s confused. He’s gay and Tim thought that you already-

Mr. Del Rossi: No! You brought him into my house?

Marco: No pa I’m trying to tell you something. It’s not about Tim.

Mr. Del Rossi: I don’t want to hear about it. That boy is going home. I do not want a queer under my roof.

Marco: What if you already have one?

Mr. Del Rossi: You’ll be late for your play.

Marco: Pa.

Mr. Del Rosi: I gotta go find your mother. I don’t know where she is. You know how she gets. She gets lost so easily.

Marco: What? What? You’re gonna pretend?

Mr. Del Rossi: I gotta go find her!

(He leaves quickly.)

Marco: You’re gonna pretend I didn’t say anything to you. Pa!

Craig: (On stage) And thy best graces spend it at thy will! But now my cousin Hamlet and my son. Hamlet?

(Marco walks on stage.)

Marco: A little more than kin and less than kind.


At Peter’s house, Peter and Emma are making out and she’s taking off his clothes

Emma: Undo some things! No silly on you.

Peter: My. I’m sorry about the room or whatever.

Emma: It’s okay. Can we just…

Peter: It’s just…I hate it.

Emma: What your belt?

Peter: No I just wish I could take you someplace better. It’s just my dad practically uses this place as a storage locker…threw me in here with everything else he doesn’t want.

Emma: Wow. You have no private space. I can’t do this. My room since the baby, I’m stuck in the basement with the laundry and the mold and Snake’s old bowling shoes, so I can relate.

(Emma walks over to Peter and kisses him.)

Emma: I need to go. Smile.

(She takes a picture of him with her phone before leaving.)


During the play

Marco: Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio. He hath borne me on his back a thousand times, and now…

Tim: (Whispering) How abhorred!

Marco: …how abhorred in my imagination it is! my gorge rises at it. And here hung those lips that I…

(Marco stops and walk to the front of the stage.)

Marco: I’m sorry. Sorry. I have to do this. Dad! I’m gay.

(His dad walks out of the theatre and his mom follows.)

Paige: (Quietly) Way to go Marco.

Marco: Here hung those lips that I have kissed I know not how oft.


At Emma’s house, Manny is reading a magazine

Manny: Did you get awesome shots of his flat goofy butt? Does hilarity ensue? Will I laugh, cry, pee?

Emma: Manny it didn’t work.

Manny: No!

Emma: He barely noticed me. I guess I’m a lousy Bond girl.

Manny: We’ll get him next time don’t worry and we’ll put laxatives in his food right before a test and kabaam!

Emma: That’d be funny.

Manny: Yeah.

(Manny goes back to her magazine and Emma lies down looking at the picture she took on her phone.)


At Marco’s house

Mrs. Del Rossi: Marco. How was the rest of the play?

Marco: After my little bit of improve it’s not bad I guess. We didn’t win.

Mr. Del Rossi: I have work early tomorrow.

Marco: So we’re not gonna talk about this?

Mr. Del Rossi: I’m too tired for talking.

Marco: No Pa, stop! Stop. Did you ever know? Huh? All these years. Pa did you ever know that I was gay?

Mr. Del Rossi: Stop saying that!

Marco: I can’t! Pa it’s taken me 17 years to say it. I’m gay. Gay. I am totally gay.

Mr. Del Rossi: This is funny to you?

Marco: No! No Pa! This is not funny at all! I just came out to you in front of the entire school. Does that sound like a joke to you?

Mr. Del Rossi: Look you’re my boy and I love you. You’re the best son a father could ever want, but this part of you, I don’t want to know. I can’t know about.

Marco: Then you don’t want to know me.

(His father walks away.)

Mrs. Del Rossi: He will, Marco. One day.

Marco: Yeah. One day.


Scenes for next week

Spinner: (To the camera) My best friend wants a party and my girlfriend wants to pray. How can I do both?

Voiceover: A weekend retreat has Spinner questioning the group’s message.

Some guy: Anything you want to be forgiven for? What about your friend Jimmy?

Voiceover: Will they push him too far?

Spinner: (Sarcastically) Thanks Darcy. No brainwashing huh?

Voiceover: Or is he coming around?

Darcy: All you need to do is believe, okay?