Darcy Edwards

Darcy Edwards
Degrassi: The Next Generation character
Shenae Grimes
First appearance	Anywhere I Lay My Head (episode 4.05)
Last appearance	Fight The Power (episode 8.03)
Portrayed by	Shenae Grimes
Information
Nickname(s)	Darce
Occupation	student Charity work in Kenya (season 8) unknown (season 9 on)
Family	Clare Edwards (sister) Helen Edwards (mother) Randall Edwards (father) Glen Martin (step-father) Jake Martin (step-brother)
Religion	Christian

Darcy Edwards is a fictional character on Degrassi: The Next Generation. She is portrayed by Shenae Grimes. As of 2010, she is one of two Degrassi characters whose actor independently exists within the Degrassi fictional universe, Grimes having been spoken of in Degrassi Goes Hollywood, and Drake in Degrassi Takes Manhattan.

Characterization

Darcy began as a shy girl who was best known for her association with Degrassi's Christian group, Friendship Club. However, as the seasons went on, the character has progressed and has revealed a wild streak.

In season 7, Darcy is shown to have many issues that have developed around her rape, and she shows a darker, rebellious side than what was shown before.

Character's background

Season 4

Darcy makes her first appearance as a new student in "Anywhere I Lay My Head" when Spinner refers to her as "the new girl," to which Darcy replies by saying she prefers being called "Darcy."

One of her earlier appearances was in the episode "Islands in the Stream," which involved a competition between Toby and Rick as to whom could get the most kisses. When Rick was unable to land any kisses (due to his extreme unpopularity among students), Toby paid her $5 to kiss Rick on the cheek, which left him very satisfied despite losing the contest. At the time, Darcy did not know the whole story behind Rick.

In the episode "Bark at the Moon," she was paired up with a boy named Chester, whom Manny Santos had a crush on at the time.

In the episode "Secret", she was cast as the lead of J.T. and Liberty's play, but was fired for forgetting her lines and the part was given to Emma.

During a feud between Manny and Paige in Spirit Squad, Darcy helped plan—and took part in—Manny's revenge on Paige. After Paige made Manny the school mascot, Darcy and Chantay Black threw Paige up in a basket toss, but purposely failed to cradle her, causing her to break her leg.

Season 5

In the beginning of season 5, Spinner takes interest in Darcy, and is invited by her to join her after-school club, which is revealed to be a Christian youth group. Darcy expresses to Spinner that she knows about his involvement with the school shooting that took place in season 4, and that she accepts it.

The couple begin dating in the episode "Foolin'". When Darcy reveals to Spinner that she is a virgin, Spinner lies and says that he is, too. The couple promise not to have sex until marriage. However it is later revealed that Spinner had lied, and had a sexual relationship with Manny. The couple break up but then reconcile when Darcy admits that she was wrong. However, after Darcy finds text message conversations on Spinner's phone between him and Marco, revealing that Spinner and Paige had slept together, Darcy breaks up with Spinner once more.

Season 6

Whilst at Bible Camp over the summer, Darcy forgave Spinner and the couple reconcile.

Also in season 6, Darcy begins to post provocative photos of herself (taken by Peter) on her blog website. She receives a lot of attention from these photos, including that of an online man who calls himself "Adams", whom Darcy befriends. Darcy eventually shows her photos to Spinner, who disapproves of her risqué photos and breaks up with her. Eventually "Adams" arrives at Degrassi and follows Darcy home from school, revealing that he is a 40 year old cyber stalker. After a confrontation between "Adams" and Darcy, Clare, Darcy's sister calls the police and "Adams" is arrested.

In "Free Fallin', Part 1", Peter tries to apologize to Darcy about the online photo situation, but she has a hard time forgiving him. When Peter proves to Darcy that he can be a good guy, Darcy begins to fall for his charm until he lies again about his driver's license, which was actually suspended. In "Free Fallin', Part 2", Darcy realizes that Peter is actually trying his best to please her and the two reconcile.

Season 7

In the season premiere of season 7 ("Standing in the Dark"), after snowboarding with Peter and Manny, Darcy and Peter begin making out. However when Peter attempts to push Darcy to the next level, she stops him, reminding him of her abstinence promise. After an argument, the two separate at the party, leaving Darcy to drink. At one point, she leaves her drink unsupervised, and unbeknownst to her, a stranger spikes her drink with roofies. After passing out when attempting to reconcile with Peter, Darcy is shown being led into a bedroom with an unknown person.^[1] The next morning, Darcy awakes to find herself in bed with Peter. Although Darcy insists that she remembers having sex the previous night with whom she assumes to be Peter, Peter denies it.^[2] Back at Degrassi, after the news gets out about Darcy and Peter, Darcy is forced to surrender her abstinence ring to the Friendship Club. Peter eventually learns that there had been a roofie-user at the snowboarding party the two had attended, and suggests to Darcy that perhaps she had been drugged and raped by the user—an idea that Darcy refuses to accept. After being informed by a doctor that she has chlamydia, Darcy admits to Manny that although she doesn't remember having sex with Peter, she remembers having sex with someone, although she wasn't sure who. Later, during a Spirit Squad practice, Manny notices Darcy's absence and goes off to find her. She finds Darcy under a running shower, fully clothed, having slit her wrists in a suicide attempt. Darcy is rushed to the hospital, where Manny is questioned by Darcy's mother as to the supposed cause of Darcy's actions. Manny denies knowing anything as she knows that rape victims need to heal on their own, and that they can tell their loved ones when they are ready.

When Darcy returns to school, she is told to receive counseling three times a week by Ms. Sauve. Although she doesn't talk about the incident with the counselor, Darcy's counseling is reduced to once a week. However, the sentence is short-lived when Darcy shows poor behavior in class and her counseling sessions are increased once again. Eventually, Darcy reveals to Mr. Simpson that she was raped, and Mr. Simpson offers his support. After breaking up with Peter, Darcy starts flirting with Mr. Simpson.^[3] Mr. Simpson confronts Darcy about this and Darcy goes insane and grabs a pair of scissors, wanting to talk. When Mr. Simpson asks her to give him the scissors, Darcy cuts off a chunk of her hair and runs. Mr. Simpson asks to see Darcy in the Media Immersion room where Mr. Simpson, Ms. Hatzilakos, and her mom are waiting. Darcy, feeling betrayed, lies and tells her mother and Ms. Hatzilakos that Mr. Simpson has been the one who is touching her and is treating her like a "teacher's pet". Until the situation is investigated, Mr. Simpson is told to leave Degrassi. Manny learns that Darcy's claims are false and when she goes to confront her, she finds Darcy on the roof of the school with Johnny DiMarco. After Darcy's actions suggest that she's going to jump off the roof, Manny stops her and tells her that she must confess to the rape. As a result, Darcy apologizes to Mr. Simpson for her lies but he says he can't fully forgive her because the effects of the accusations are too damaging.

Also in season 7, over Spring Break holiday, Darcy's parents force her to attend a group for troubled teens at Degrassi. Peter attends as well, and admits to her that he only joined because he saw her name on the list of participants. In an effort to erase her memory of being raped, Darcy seduces Peter and the couple have sex on school grounds. After having some trust issues, Darcy admits to the group that she was raped.

Slowly, Darcy's life begins to get back to normal. In the season finale, Peter learns that his mother — and, thus, Peter — will be moving to Regina, Saskatchewan to be close to his sick grandmother. Darcy becomes upset at the news, as is Peter, and in the last few moments of the episode, it is revealed that Peter will be attempting to legally emancipate himself from his parents to stay back in Toronto with Darcy.

Season 8

It's the start of a new school year at Degrassi, and Darcy's younger sister Clare is starting as a new ninth-grader in the gifted program. Darcy is seen encouraging Clare to dress more normal since she's no longer in private school but continues to wear the uniform. Darcy's time at Degrassi is cut short though as she has long since decided to move to Kenya to help build a school. Peter, her current boyfriend, becomes very upset, and feels like she is abandoning him since she waited till one day before she leaves to tell him and he went out of his way to become emancipated to stay at Degrassi for her and Darcy ends up leaving on bad terms with him. Later after Darcy arrives in Kenya, she sends a care package from Kenya for all of her friends to be delivered by Clare, and sends a present to Peter as well. Upon receiving the gift from Clare, Peter throws it out in front of his new friend Mia on their date as she's seen to be very jealous. He later digs the present out of the trash can and puts it in his pocket, along with a note from Darcy revealing he still has feelings for her.

Relationships

• Gavin 'Spinner' Mason
  • First Relationship
    • Start Up: "Foolin'" (504)
    • Broke Up: "High Fidelity, Part 1" (518)
      • Reason: Spinner felt that Darcy couldn't accept his sexual past.
  • Second Relationship
    • Start Up: "High Fidelity, Part 2" (519)
    • Broke Up: "High Fidelity, Part 2" (519)
      • Reason: Spinner slept with Paige and Darcy found out.
  • Third Relationship
    • Start Up: "Here Comes Your Man" (601)
    • Broke Up: "Eyes Without a Face, Part 2" (606)
      • Reason: Darcy took sexy photos of herself and posts them online and Peter gave them to Spinner, who got mad because he asked her to stop, and she lied and said she did.

• Peter Stone
  • First Relationship
    • Start Up: "Free Fallin', Part 2" (615)
    • Broke Up: "Live to Tell" (712)
      • Reason: Peter says he doesn't "know who she is" anymore.
  • Second Relationship
    • Start Up: "Bust A Move, Part 2" (714)
    • Broke Up: "Fight the Power" (803)
      • Reason: Darcy moved to Kenya. Darcy is unaware that Peter thinks they are over

References

1. ^ "Standing in the Dark: Part 1". Degrassi: The Next Generation. October 5, 2007. No. 1, season 7.
2. ^ "Standing in the Dark: Part 2". Degrassi: The Next Generation. October 5, 2007. No. 2, season 7.
3. ^ "Death or Glory: Part 1". 'Degrassi: The Next Generation'. November 2, 2007. No. 5, season 7.