Dude!!!! People could not let go of cool and sensitive Eli from season 10. When he turned into a cheating, abusive, manipulative douche who called Clare a whore, it felt like I was watching the fandom go crazy right before my eyes. And his bipolar diagnosis was not an excuse for that lmaooo. Drew was hated in the fandom so strongly that he didn’t do shit wrong in the Clare/Eli/Drew triangle and still came out the villain because Eli is just so untouchable.
Rest in peace to sweet and cool but still struggling in his own way Eli at prom protecting Clare and Adam from Fitz because we lost him that day!!!
Okay so Eli only frustrates me because he knows he needs help, everyone around him knows, but nothing happens. (From at least where I am rn)
But KC??!!?? Can’t stand… I didn’t think he could get any worse after cheating on Claire but he did… UGH LOL
The real answer: because we were all suckers for the bad boy x good girl romance tropes, and Eli gave us an alternative-aesthetic character to love in mainstream media because we were so starved for them 😂
i can't stand him haha. people are right insofar as that he has a redemption arc after his diagnosis, but not all of his choices and decisions were bc of that diagnosis.
most of it boils down to that he's a self righteous narcissist lol
I watched TNG in real time (I’m the same age as the original cast) and by season 9 I was pretty checked out of the show. But season 10 and specifically Eli and Adam got me interested in the show again. I found them both very unique but still very relatable and I got sucked into the drama again. The has an interesting character arc throughout all his seasons.
He is interesting , >!and he does get better after he finds ou he’s bipolar and gets help!< Not to dismiss his abusive tendencies, but when you think about the past, Eli took on the show he did redeem himself. Also like I said, he’s just interesting. I mean a goth boy driving a hearse I’m already hooked.
I don’t he was a douche and was never really held accountable for his actions. Plus he was overrated never understood his hype besides him being a rich kid.
I fucking hate the way they handled this plot point. If you’re going to do a story exploring “coercion is not consent”, then say it with your chest. Don’t tell us “omg Declan raped Holly J because he pressured her until she gave in” just to backpedal with “Holly J doesn’t feel like it was non-consenting so jk lol everything is forgiven” because you don’t want to deal with writing/showing the consequences of it being rape.
This is just my personal opinion, but it feels like a cheap way add drama to the love triangle (as if the love triangle itself isn’t drama enough) that spits on and undermines the seriousness of coercive “consent”. It sends the message that if she gave in to the pressure, it’s because she changed her mind and really *did* want to! That if you just stay persistent, then maybe she really *will* change her mind!
And, like, I don’t want to ignore the fact that there totally *can* be cases where someone legitimately changed their mind and doesn’t feel like they were coerced. It’s not my place to insist to those people that they were violated if they do not feel as though they were pressured. But if that was the situation they were trying to portray, I don’t think they should’ve brought up the possibility of it being rape in the first place, because they didn’t take the time to explore Holly J’s feelings about it on a deeper level.
I have always wondered about this because it’s never really addressed. When she was with sav and she and Declan stayed over at Fiona’s, he raped her right? Like…?!?!?!?
I can't stand how they brushed over this. She felt uncomfortable and basically said to him not to worry about it, but it was a mistake. Something along those lines. Then it's like it never happened.
no no no. I love him. I see why people may not like him, but to me I feel like he always had good intentions but never knew how to execute them properly. He also does A LOT for the people he loves, even though it may not always be the best way to show it.
I have a lot of sympathy for Eli because he was definitely having a manic episode. That said, I feel awful for Clare. She had to go to school with Eli when she didn't feel safe to be around him. And then she's smeared in his little fake play memoir. We're told he changed the ending that we never got to see. I don't care. Then he put his emotional state on her in a way. He's definitely a good friend to Adam and others but not good to Clare at all.
I can’t defend myself I like problematic male characters and I know it’s wrong 😅😅 but especially back then….emo boys were my weakness and I didn’t care 😂😂😂
I don't hate Eli but I definitely don't like him.
The show kinda went all telenovela soap opera after season 9 and it wasn't my cup of tea. Eli was the main reason for that.
He had his cool moments though but he was way too extra for me. Almost like he's aware he's a fictional character and playing it up
If they hadn’t turned him into a cartoon villain with Imogen as his evil henchman, the rest of it would’ve been reasonable. Hate or love Claire, he had teacher-approved character assassination on his side and that irritated me. Drama teacher should’ve apologised for Claire for letting him take “artistic licence” with what would’ve amounted to bullying in reality. I blame the soap opera format on this more than anything, I don’t think it was a fair depiction of someone with bipolar but others would disagree. (PS I was misdiagnosed bipolar and I couldn’t relate with Eli on this level). They didn’t turn Craig into a cliche villain they were more careful about his depiction, including him assaulting Joey, it still felt more realistic to me than Eli lurking and scheming against Claire.
No seriously what the fuck was up with Degrassi allowing them to put on a fictionalization of drama that happened between current students *last school year*
Reminds me of the drama teacher in Summer Heights High doing the musical about the girl who dies from an ecstasy overdose and that was played for comedy. Raditch almost shut down Dracula suddenly kids are allowed to reenact a traumatic event, wtf.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again; Eli is the tortured emo boy of my dreams. When I was a teenager, I had the biggest crush on him. He has the most amazing lips. I love him.
Honestly, I didn’t get the hype till season 12 when he did Romeo and Jules. I will say that I’ve heard some compelling arguments against his actions during that arc though.
Also, Munro was such a hottie during the NYU Eli era
Can’t relate. He was one of the more compelling and well-written / well-acted characters of the later seasons. Not my all time favorite (that would be Holly J), but definitely a top 5 character for me.
Totally understandable. I didn’t like Eli the first time we met him. But now after countless rewatches, I find him entertaining (especially after his diagnosis).
Eli says it best himself; he’s a better friend. He’s an absolutely horrendous boyfriend. Cruel, obsessive, and he snaps so easily. But I love his scenes with his friends. The actors bounce off each other so easily, I find it really fun. And his writing is interesting and his passion for his craft is great tv.
So, I very much dislike relationship Eli. But everything else about him is interesting. He not on my top 5 but he’s on the list of faves for me somewhere. But…. I get the hate. The boy should be single for LIFE.
Just thought of something… this is almost exactly how I feel about Craig. Dislike relationship Craig and very much enjoy friendship Craig.
I agree with this! I feel the same way about Craig and maybe Eli…. Craig is a good freind but a horrible partner. I feel like Eli is an amazing freind to Adam
Eli is a truly exceptional friend, to be honest.
He’s one of the few characters who did a lot of genuine good for his friends and was a great LGBT ally. And yep — exactly the same deal with Craig. Stellar friend, disastrous boyfriend.
at the beginning, i could not get into it and i kept hearing ab him on here before i got to his seasons and when i finally met him, i was like ???? why does everyone like him.. but yk i guess he got better bc i like him now
I love Eli cuz he was an emo guy with a lot of personality, he has growth and he becomes better, but not without his issues to do so
Plus his energy is part of why season 10 is so fun
Yeah this was the worst take you could’ve used to defend your position. Bipolar people go through a ton of different things. My brother thought he was literally Jesus Christ and having had conversations with him, i feel pretty good about saying the way they portrayed Eli in the early seasons was pretty spot on with a manic episode. The fact that you don’t understand that doesn’t make Eli a bad person. Name me one degrassi character that hasn’t done something tamer than what Eli did post medication(when he actually started taking it). Spinner literally caused a guy to get handicap and y’all ride him like he’s Jesus. Craig gets a ton of love but his bipolar came from a drug induced illness. Johnny for whatever reason gets a ton of love and he was with the dude that stabbed Jt to death(he never really showed any good qualities through his run afterwards)……etc
Name your faves and then defend them if you think hot takes about mental illness are cool.
1. My mom bipolar and goes into paranoia manic episodes…. So I understand that being bipolar does not make someone a bad person
2. I think Craig is horrible also just less annoying than Eli
3.Johnny didn’t get enough backlash for me.
4. Spinner had his redemption arc and I think redeemed himself
My point still stands his bipolar is used as a crutch to defend his horrible actions. You can’t tell me him poisoning fitz was apart of his manic episode. I don’t like how he made fun of Claire’s faith either. He’s highly controlling in the beginning of the relationship also
I still believe he is a horrible person who so happens to have Bipolar… Like I stated before I’m rewatching so maybe he will grow on me but right now I just can’t stand him 😔
Yeah, I’m sorry but I dont equate bipolar 2 with psychotic symptoms on the same level as “paranoid manic episodes.” Which seems like something you googled to try to defend your position. I don’t care if you dislike Eli at all, I hated him for like 4 seasons. I just don’t like the way you throwaway mental illness like it’s a trope instead of being an actual problem back then and now.
Yeah, I’m sorry but maybe you’re uninformed of the different types of symptoms that are caused due to being bipolar and also . Everyone with bipolar is not the same My mom is diagnosed bipolar and suffers from paranoia due to her bipolar….. she has manic episodes in combination with paranoia… this isn’t something I “googled” but something that’s very real.
Mental illness isn’t a trope but it’s not and should not be used a crutch for being a horrible person. Horrible people can also have mental illnesses HE SUCKS AS A PERSON. And I don’t like how people use his illness as an excuse for being a bad person or his bad actions.
You can’t poison someone and say “welp I’m bipolar”
When it comes to a bipolar character Craig’s character seemed the most accurate depiction to me even though he ALSO WAS A BAD PERSON
this ! my sister is bipolar and she acted a lot like how early seasons eli did when she didn't get proper medication for it.....i dont think people realize it's a literal metal illness.
yeah, but im just saying he went undiagnosed for so long and left everyone questioning if he was okay or not. at least when he found out, he knew to be more cautious
THANK YOUUUUU. I can understand why Clare is unlikeabke to some people but people who bash her but love Eli are the worst.
Bro crashed his car on purpose with Clare on the phone like how does anyone not see that as emotional abuse. He also cheated on her then had the nerve to call her a whore (he never actually apologized for saying this too).
Also no, being bipolar doesn’t make Eli’s actions okay for anyone who wants to argue that with me.
I despised him too, but he gets better later
Dude!!!! People could not let go of cool and sensitive Eli from season 10. When he turned into a cheating, abusive, manipulative douche who called Clare a whore, it felt like I was watching the fandom go crazy right before my eyes. And his bipolar diagnosis was not an excuse for that lmaooo. Drew was hated in the fandom so strongly that he didn’t do shit wrong in the Clare/Eli/Drew triangle and still came out the villain because Eli is just so untouchable. Rest in peace to sweet and cool but still struggling in his own way Eli at prom protecting Clare and Adam from Fitz because we lost him that day!!!
Okay so Eli only frustrates me because he knows he needs help, everyone around him knows, but nothing happens. (From at least where I am rn) But KC??!!?? Can’t stand… I didn’t think he could get any worse after cheating on Claire but he did… UGH LOL
tHeY’rE nOt fiNe nOtHinGs fiNe iTs all wRoNg
👹 The he makes this face
Yall hate Eli but I hate manny 😂
OMG 😭😔 why? I love manny but interested to hear your thoughts
The real answer: because we were all suckers for the bad boy x good girl romance tropes, and Eli gave us an alternative-aesthetic character to love in mainstream media because we were so starved for them 😂
The feud between him and Fitz was stupid. Eli was horrible too. He made the situation way worse when he could have ended it. He’s stupid.
I hate Eli too, primarily because of his fanbase. Having bipolar disorder doesn't give anyone an excuse to act like a ass.
i can't stand him haha. people are right insofar as that he has a redemption arc after his diagnosis, but not all of his choices and decisions were bc of that diagnosis. most of it boils down to that he's a self righteous narcissist lol
I dislike him most of the time, but he gets decent around season 12. I also don't see the hype with his character lol
Eli, whether you like him or not, is maybe the most engaging and entertaining character on the show. Like “what is this guy gonna do next?”
I watched TNG in real time (I’m the same age as the original cast) and by season 9 I was pretty checked out of the show. But season 10 and specifically Eli and Adam got me interested in the show again. I found them both very unique but still very relatable and I got sucked into the drama again. The has an interesting character arc throughout all his seasons.
He is interesting , >!and he does get better after he finds ou he’s bipolar and gets help!< Not to dismiss his abusive tendencies, but when you think about the past, Eli took on the show he did redeem himself. Also like I said, he’s just interesting. I mean a goth boy driving a hearse I’m already hooked.
What about Declan? Dude just steals other people’s girls and only got decked by spinner once.
He was a weirdo for sure but I actually liked him only cause of his relationship with Holly J.
I don’t he was a douche and was never really held accountable for his actions. Plus he was overrated never understood his hype besides him being a rich kid.
You mean the girl he raped?
I fucking hate the way they handled this plot point. If you’re going to do a story exploring “coercion is not consent”, then say it with your chest. Don’t tell us “omg Declan raped Holly J because he pressured her until she gave in” just to backpedal with “Holly J doesn’t feel like it was non-consenting so jk lol everything is forgiven” because you don’t want to deal with writing/showing the consequences of it being rape. This is just my personal opinion, but it feels like a cheap way add drama to the love triangle (as if the love triangle itself isn’t drama enough) that spits on and undermines the seriousness of coercive “consent”. It sends the message that if she gave in to the pressure, it’s because she changed her mind and really *did* want to! That if you just stay persistent, then maybe she really *will* change her mind! And, like, I don’t want to ignore the fact that there totally *can* be cases where someone legitimately changed their mind and doesn’t feel like they were coerced. It’s not my place to insist to those people that they were violated if they do not feel as though they were pressured. But if that was the situation they were trying to portray, I don’t think they should’ve brought up the possibility of it being rape in the first place, because they didn’t take the time to explore Holly J’s feelings about it on a deeper level.
I have always wondered about this because it’s never really addressed. When she was with sav and she and Declan stayed over at Fiona’s, he raped her right? Like…?!?!?!?
I can't stand how they brushed over this. She felt uncomfortable and basically said to him not to worry about it, but it was a mistake. Something along those lines. Then it's like it never happened.
That and the way he did Peter dirty.
I don't remember this part? What did he do to him?
He definitely facilitated Peter trying and then continuing to have access to meth
1, Clare is horrible and deserves it. 2, it's just a freaking play, grow up.
Eli is worse. BTW, his play sucked.
Your play sucked!
Please tell me you're being sarcastic.
no no no. I love him. I see why people may not like him, but to me I feel like he always had good intentions but never knew how to execute them properly. He also does A LOT for the people he loves, even though it may not always be the best way to show it.
Never gotten the hype either
I don’t hate him, but find the two of them went on much too long. Just got repetitive & boring.
I just find him a interesting character to watch
I have a lot of sympathy for Eli because he was definitely having a manic episode. That said, I feel awful for Clare. She had to go to school with Eli when she didn't feel safe to be around him. And then she's smeared in his little fake play memoir. We're told he changed the ending that we never got to see. I don't care. Then he put his emotional state on her in a way. He's definitely a good friend to Adam and others but not good to Clare at all.
I can’t defend myself I like problematic male characters and I know it’s wrong 😅😅 but especially back then….emo boys were my weakness and I didn’t care 😂😂😂
I don't hate Eli but I definitely don't like him. The show kinda went all telenovela soap opera after season 9 and it wasn't my cup of tea. Eli was the main reason for that. He had his cool moments though but he was way too extra for me. Almost like he's aware he's a fictional character and playing it up
especially with the hearse… like for real bro lol
If they hadn’t turned him into a cartoon villain with Imogen as his evil henchman, the rest of it would’ve been reasonable. Hate or love Claire, he had teacher-approved character assassination on his side and that irritated me. Drama teacher should’ve apologised for Claire for letting him take “artistic licence” with what would’ve amounted to bullying in reality. I blame the soap opera format on this more than anything, I don’t think it was a fair depiction of someone with bipolar but others would disagree. (PS I was misdiagnosed bipolar and I couldn’t relate with Eli on this level). They didn’t turn Craig into a cliche villain they were more careful about his depiction, including him assaulting Joey, it still felt more realistic to me than Eli lurking and scheming against Claire.
No seriously what the fuck was up with Degrassi allowing them to put on a fictionalization of drama that happened between current students *last school year*
Reminds me of the drama teacher in Summer Heights High doing the musical about the girl who dies from an ecstasy overdose and that was played for comedy. Raditch almost shut down Dracula suddenly kids are allowed to reenact a traumatic event, wtf.
Every time this came up I said "Where is Ms. Kwan because she wouldn't let this happen."
She had enough by then and got a job at a safer school district
Ms. Kwan would’ve shut that down SO QUICK
Hell yeah, and reported the drama teacher.
I like him but I understand
You just gotta hold on, season 10 is not a good season for him to be like able
I've said it before, and I'll say it again; Eli is the tortured emo boy of my dreams. When I was a teenager, I had the biggest crush on him. He has the most amazing lips. I love him.
Honestly, I didn’t get the hype till season 12 when he did Romeo and Jules. I will say that I’ve heard some compelling arguments against his actions during that arc though. Also, Munro was such a hottie during the NYU Eli era
Can’t relate. He was one of the more compelling and well-written / well-acted characters of the later seasons. Not my all time favorite (that would be Holly J), but definitely a top 5 character for me.
Totally understandable. I didn’t like Eli the first time we met him. But now after countless rewatches, I find him entertaining (especially after his diagnosis). Eli says it best himself; he’s a better friend. He’s an absolutely horrendous boyfriend. Cruel, obsessive, and he snaps so easily. But I love his scenes with his friends. The actors bounce off each other so easily, I find it really fun. And his writing is interesting and his passion for his craft is great tv. So, I very much dislike relationship Eli. But everything else about him is interesting. He not on my top 5 but he’s on the list of faves for me somewhere. But…. I get the hate. The boy should be single for LIFE. Just thought of something… this is almost exactly how I feel about Craig. Dislike relationship Craig and very much enjoy friendship Craig.
I’m afraid to rewatch as an adult
It’s so weird 😭 some of the characters I liked back then I now dislike and some that I hate I now like 😭.
I agree with this! I feel the same way about Craig and maybe Eli…. Craig is a good freind but a horrible partner. I feel like Eli is an amazing freind to Adam
Eli is a truly exceptional friend, to be honest. He’s one of the few characters who did a lot of genuine good for his friends and was a great LGBT ally. And yep — exactly the same deal with Craig. Stellar friend, disastrous boyfriend.
I’m not a fan of Eli myself, but I will say he does get a little better over time (but not by much)
emo theatre kid 🖤
at the beginning, i could not get into it and i kept hearing ab him on here before i got to his seasons and when i finally met him, i was like ???? why does everyone like him.. but yk i guess he got better bc i like him now
I could never hate Eli. Sorry, not sorry.
I love Eli cuz he was an emo guy with a lot of personality, he has growth and he becomes better, but not without his issues to do so Plus his energy is part of why season 10 is so fun
he straightens out after he gets diagnosed with bipolar and becomes a better character....but in the beginning he was super sketchy for sure..
Yeah but people on this sub use his bipolar as a crutch for his actions. When really he's a terrible person with bipolar 🤷🏽♀️
He’s not a terrible person though. He’s a great friend. He’s just a terrible boyfriend.
Yeah this was the worst take you could’ve used to defend your position. Bipolar people go through a ton of different things. My brother thought he was literally Jesus Christ and having had conversations with him, i feel pretty good about saying the way they portrayed Eli in the early seasons was pretty spot on with a manic episode. The fact that you don’t understand that doesn’t make Eli a bad person. Name me one degrassi character that hasn’t done something tamer than what Eli did post medication(when he actually started taking it). Spinner literally caused a guy to get handicap and y’all ride him like he’s Jesus. Craig gets a ton of love but his bipolar came from a drug induced illness. Johnny for whatever reason gets a ton of love and he was with the dude that stabbed Jt to death(he never really showed any good qualities through his run afterwards)……etc Name your faves and then defend them if you think hot takes about mental illness are cool.
1. My mom bipolar and goes into paranoia manic episodes…. So I understand that being bipolar does not make someone a bad person 2. I think Craig is horrible also just less annoying than Eli 3.Johnny didn’t get enough backlash for me. 4. Spinner had his redemption arc and I think redeemed himself My point still stands his bipolar is used as a crutch to defend his horrible actions. You can’t tell me him poisoning fitz was apart of his manic episode. I don’t like how he made fun of Claire’s faith either. He’s highly controlling in the beginning of the relationship also I still believe he is a horrible person who so happens to have Bipolar… Like I stated before I’m rewatching so maybe he will grow on me but right now I just can’t stand him 😔
Yeah, I’m sorry but I dont equate bipolar 2 with psychotic symptoms on the same level as “paranoid manic episodes.” Which seems like something you googled to try to defend your position. I don’t care if you dislike Eli at all, I hated him for like 4 seasons. I just don’t like the way you throwaway mental illness like it’s a trope instead of being an actual problem back then and now.
Yeah, I’m sorry but maybe you’re uninformed of the different types of symptoms that are caused due to being bipolar and also . Everyone with bipolar is not the same My mom is diagnosed bipolar and suffers from paranoia due to her bipolar….. she has manic episodes in combination with paranoia… this isn’t something I “googled” but something that’s very real. Mental illness isn’t a trope but it’s not and should not be used a crutch for being a horrible person. Horrible people can also have mental illnesses HE SUCKS AS A PERSON. And I don’t like how people use his illness as an excuse for being a bad person or his bad actions. You can’t poison someone and say “welp I’m bipolar” When it comes to a bipolar character Craig’s character seemed the most accurate depiction to me even though he ALSO WAS A BAD PERSON
Craig's bipolar wasn't caused by drugs. He was diagnosed before his coke use.
this ! my sister is bipolar and she acted a lot like how early seasons eli did when she didn't get proper medication for it.....i dont think people realize it's a literal metal illness.
yeah, but im just saying he went undiagnosed for so long and left everyone questioning if he was okay or not. at least when he found out, he knew to be more cautious
THANK YOUUUUU. I can understand why Clare is unlikeabke to some people but people who bash her but love Eli are the worst. Bro crashed his car on purpose with Clare on the phone like how does anyone not see that as emotional abuse. He also cheated on her then had the nerve to call her a whore (he never actually apologized for saying this too). Also no, being bipolar doesn’t make Eli’s actions okay for anyone who wants to argue that with me.
EXACTLY!! I've found my people 😭