WHAT IF? - SEASON 3 EPISODE 22 - TORONTO CITY SERENADE
Welcome to the last episode of this season. Again, I couldn´t find a Bruce song title that fit the episode, so the title is a play on the title of his song "New York City Serenade".
If you haven´t heard yet, Degrassi is returning with ten new one hour episodes on HBO Max, to be shot this summer and put up for streaming next year! It´ll be great to see what they´ll come up with, but until then you´ll have to settle for what us fan fiction writers put out for you. This is a rare episode, where I still can´t decide if it´s brilliant or the worst idea ever. I´d love to hear your thoughts on it, good or bad.
1. Int. The Dot. Day.
Emma is sitting at the counter, once again pouring her heart out to Jane, who´s an eager listener, since there´s little else to do with only a few customers in there.
Emma:
What am I gonna do? On one hand, what I have with Craig is good for me. It works and we haven´t had anything close to a fight yet. Compare that to year after year of confusion with Sean, where we would reunite and break up over and over again, my logical side is telling me to let him move on with Amy and we´d both be happier for it.
Jane:
But?
Emma:
I´m still totally in love with him! What´s wrong with me?
Jane giggles.
Jane:
It´s called being a teenage girl.
Emma:
When I first met him, I was a mostly sensible girl, who always made the sensible choices. You could say that the first non-sensible choice I made, was when I fell for him.
Jane:
That could be why you have such a problem letting him go. He´s the connection to a side of you, that you long to revisit.
Emma eyes her.
Emma:
You´re getting good at this!
Jane:
Is it any wonder, with all the practice I´ve had? It´s made me consider a career in psychology.
Emma:
I would, if I were you!
Anya comes in and walks up to the counter. She´s looking down.
Anya:
Hi, guys. Merry Christmas.
Emma:
The same to you, although it doesn´t look like you´re having a merry one.
Anya:
Can I have a slice of apple pie and cup of black coffee to go?
Jane:
One "Agent Cooper Special" coming up!
Jane gets to work, leaving Anya and Emma alone.
Emma:
How is Red doing? I get updates from Toby, but they´re few and far between these days.
Anya:
He´s slipping in and out of consciousness. Every day he gets from now on could be his last.
Emma:
The poor guy. If you get the chance to, let him know that I´m thinking of him. I know that Manny and JT are too.
Anya:
I will.
Jane comes back with Anya´s order and Anya pays her.
Anya:
Keep the change. It´s your Christmas present for all the hours, you´ve spent listening to me.
Jane:
You´re welcome. Merry Christmas.
Anya nods at them and leaves them. They watch her leave.
Emma:
Here I am, worrying over which guy I like the most. Compared to someone who´s our age and dying from a horrible disease, it doesn´t seem to matter.
Jane:
It does, Emma. What´s happening to Red is sad and we all wish that we could do something to help him, but we can´t allow it to make everything else seem meaningless.
Emma:
Jane, you could skip college entirely and open up your own practice right now!
Jane smiles at Emma´s words. Emma wonders what to do about her guy problem.
2. Int. Hospital Hallway. Day.
Anya comes up the hallway, still carrying the things she bought at the Dot. She´s passed by a doctor and a nurse, who come running past her and into a room, that Rick and Lexy come out of right after. Lexy is crying and Rick holds her to comfort her, until he can´t hold the tears back anymore either. Anya´s heart sinks, as she walks over to them. From his room, you can hear the monotone sound of the EKG flatlining.
Doctor (off screen):
Clear!
They can hear the sound of Red´s chest being shocked and the pads recharging, but there´s no change to the sound of the EKG. Anya puts her items down on the floor and joins them in their hug, now unable to hold back her own tears anymore.
OPENING CREDITS
3. Int. Olivia and Marco´s Apartment. Evening.
Olivia is filling Ellie in on the situation.
Olivia:
I´m seriously starting to worry about him. Since he got the news of Paige´s arrest, he´s barely been speaking and he spends all his free time alone in his room.
Ellie:
I was shocked too and I´m not anywhere near as close to her, as he is.
Olivia:
I thought that as one of his oldest friends, maybe you could give it a try?
Ellie:
It´s worth a shot.
She knocks on Marco´s door.
Marco (off screen):
I´m busy!
Ellie:
It´s me, Ellie. Do you have time to talk?
Marco opens the door and Ellie is a little shocked to see him with a several days old beard and morning hair.
Marco:
What do you want?
Ellie:
Just to talk about what happened with Paige.
Marco:
Fine. Come in.
Marco lets her in and closes the door behind her. Olivia looks hopeful, that Ellie can help him.
4. Int. Marco´s Room. Evening.
Marco´s room is messy and there´s dirty clothes lying around here and there. He´s got lots of books strewn around the place too. He clears a chair for Ellie to sit on and he sits down on another one.
Marco:
Have you heard anything?
Ellie:
Ashley told me, that she has a bail hearing set for next week. As for Ashley, it looks like she´ll allowed back at Banting in the new year.
Marco:
Why wouldn´t Paige have said anything to me?
Ellie:
She was probably embarrassed at what she´d become. You can´t sink much lower than being a drug dealer.
Marco:
Not when someone dies from what you sold them. Knowing Paige, she´s wrecked with guilt right now.
Ellie:
How are you doing?
Marco:
Okay.
Ellie:
We both know that this isn´t what you´re usually like. It screams depression.
Marco would clearly rather not talk about it.
Marco:
Ellie, things have happened that I can´t tell you about.
Ellie:
You can. We´ve always been able to tell each other anything.
Marco:
I can´t tell you what it is, because I´m too ashamed of it!
She looks at him with sympathy.
Marco:
I´ve had to sink lower than I ever imagined, I would have to, to get by.
Ellie:
I know that we haven´t talked every day, like we used to, but you´re still my best friend. I want to help you, so please let me.
He smiles sadly at her.
Marco:
I know, you do and I love you for it. This is one problem, you can´t help me with. I´m not sure, who or if anyone can.
Ellie:
How can you know, unless you give me the chance to?
Marco:
Because this is something, that´s far from the world you´ve lived in so far. The last thing I want, is to cause you to be dragged into it.
Ellie:
Marco ...
Marco:
Ellie, that´s the last, I´m gonna say about it. We´re friends, but if I decide that this is none of your business, then it´s none of your business. Please respect that.
She doesn´t like it, but goes along with it.
5. Int. Anya´s Room. Evening.
Sav is tucking Anya in and she smiles at him.
Anya:
I´m not a little kid, Sav.
Sav:
Sorry. I don´t know how to deal with this or help you, which is what I want to do more than anything.
Anya:
You´ve been here for me tonight and let me cry on your shoulder. That´s all you can do.
Sav:
I´ll let Darcy know, that I can´t come to Christmas dinner with her family. You need me more.
Anya:
Go and enjoy yourself! I´ll be okay with my own family surrounding me almost all day.
Sav:
Are you sure?
Anya:
Sav, it isn´t like I haven´t been prepared for this for a while. I knew when I met him, that he had AIDS and when we became friends, that there was a big chance, we would be burying him within a year or two. I´m still glad, that I took the time to get to know him.
Sav:
Do you think, he´s in a better place now?
Anya nods sadly.
Anya:
I have to believe, that he is.
Sav kisses her forehead and stands up.
Sav:
If at any point tomorrow, you need to talk, give me a call.
Anya:
Don´t worry about me. I´m sad, but I´ll be fine. With as sick as he was by the end, it´s probably better that he´s at peace. Get home, before you find yourself in trouble with your parents again.
He waves goodbye to her and leaves her. When he does, her facade crumbles instantly and she starts to cry.
6. Int. Anya´s Room. Morning.
Anya wakes up and wipes her eyes. Seeing what she sees, she tries to wipe them one more time.
Anya:
What the ...?
Red´s ghost laughs back at her.
Red:
I would have reacted the same way!
Anya:
Aren´t you supposed to be dead?
Red:
I am dead.
Anya takes a moment to take it in.
Anya:
Sorry, I´m not used to talking to a ghost!
Red:
You´re the first one, I´ve talked to as a ghost. How am I doing so far?
Anya:
Okay, I guess. Shouldn´t you be in the afterlife?
Red:
I´m not supposed to tell you, but it´s not like anyone will believe you anyway. When we die, we get 24 hours to say goodbye to the world.
Anya:
Huh?
Red:
It came as a surprise to me too. You´d think that one of the major religions would have at least mentioned it.
Anya:
So, you´re here to say goodbye to me?
Red:
That´s one part of it. It´s time for you to get out of bed. We have work to do.
Anya:
What kind of work?
Red:
We´re going to save this Christmas for four people, who need saving.
Anya tries to take in, that a ghost is asking for her help.
7. Ext. Street. Day.
Anya is coming towards Emma´s house, with Red´s Ghost by her side.
Red:
We´ll start out with the easiest one. You even know the girl, we´re helping. Emma Nelson.
Anya:
Blonde haired Emma, the senior?
Red:
That´s our subject this morning. Reality is basically a web of events, that are linked together to create a world, that´s hopefully in harmony.
She eyes him.
Red:
I didn´t say that it works all the time!
Anya:
What does Emma need our help with?
Red:
We´re trying to stop her from ruining her life.
Anya:
Thanks for not putting too much pressure on me!
Red:
We only have to nudge her in the right direction. The true love of Emma´s life is Sean, but she´s on the verge of losing him forever to his ex-girlfriend Amy.
Anya:
Should we be interfering in this? If he likes this Amy girl, who´s to say that he wouldn´t be happier with her?
Red:
She has her own soul mate, who she won´t end up with either, if her and Sean stay together. Same with Emma´s current boyfriend, Craig, If we don´t stop Emma from making the mistake of her life now, they´ll all end up miserable.
Anya:
How do you know all this stuff?
Red:
I overheard Emma at the Dot talking to Jane about it one day and it got stuck in my head. After I died, I asked this ghostly spirit about it and it gave me the same information, I´m now telling you.
Anya:
Do you think it was God?
Red:
Who´s to say? I suppose, I´ll find out soon enough.
The come up to the walkway up to the house and she knocks on the door.
Anya:
What am I gonna say to her? I can´t lead off with what you told me, or she´ll think I´m crazy!
Red:
I picked you because I knew, you would be perfect for this. Believe in yourself and you´ll do excellent.
She tries to look hopeful and the door opens. It´s Emma, who opens it and looks confused.
Emma:
Hi, Anya. How did you know where I live?
Anya:
That´s a very good question!
She looks to Red for answers, but he shrugs, like he doesn´t know what to tell her.
Anya:
With a simple answer. I knew that your step father is Archie Simpson, so I looked it up in the phone book.
Emma:
Is this about Red? I read it on Face Range. Did he suffer at the end?
Red shakes his head at Anya, who looks relieved.
Anya:
No, he slept in quietly. But that´s not why I´m here.
Emma:
Why are you here then?
Anya:
To stop you from making a big mistake! You and Sean are meant to be together, literally! Look, I know that this must sound crazy, coming from someone you don´t even know ...
Emma:
You can see it too, huh?
Anya looks surprised at how lucky she was, but goes along with it.
Anya:
If you´re in love with him and he´s in love with you, what´s keeping you apart?
Emma:
It´s not that easy. We have so much history and some of it works against us. If you don´t mind, I´m not really comfortable talking to you about this.
Anya:
Just do one thing and I´ll leave. Look me in the eyes and tell me, that there is anything you´d rather want right now, than to have Sean hold you in his arms.
Emma smiles to herself, Anya´s got her there.
Emma:
I would be lying, if I said there was.
Anya:
I think you know what to do from here. Let me know how it turned out.
Emma:
This has to be the strangest thing, that´s ever happened to me!
Anya:
I´m right there with you! See ya.
Anya and Red walk away from her and Emma closes the door behind them.
Red:
That was pretty good! For a first timer.
Anya:
I´m glad to hear, that you didn´t suffer. Is the pain gone now?
They stop walking and he smiles at her.
Red:
I feel better now, than I have since I was a kid. It´s okay that you mourn me and I would be insulted, if you didn´t, but me dying was a blessing. I wasn´t living anymore, I was only waiting for the end to come.
Anya:
Now that it has, are you okay with it?
Red:
There´s lots of things I wish, I´d done, but from what I gather, that isn´t exactly unusual.
Anya nods. It isn´t surprising to her.
Anya:
What are we doing next?
Red:
This next one will be harder, but we have to get it done today. If we don´t, a good man will commit suicide.
Anya:
If I fail, then I´ll have someone´s life on my conscience. I´m not sure, I want to take that chance.
Red:
If you don´t, he´ll die. Can you live with yourself, knowing that you did nothing to stop it?
Anya sees that he´s right.
8. Int. Sean´s Apartment. Day.
Sean is getting into the Christmas spirit, believe it or not! He´s decorating the apartment and whistling "Jingle Bells " to himself, while he works. The door buzzer goes and he presses the button. Moments later, there´s a knock on the door and he opens it. Emma stands there.
Sean:
Hi, Em. What brings you around?
Emma:
I need to talk to you.
Sean:
Yeah, sure.
He lets her in. She looks around at how he´s decorated the apartment and smiles at him.
Emma:
All you need now is a tree and you have the whole package.
Sean:
I have a tree.
He opens a box and takes out a small plastic tree. Emma giggles.
Emma:
It fits you.
Sean:
What did you want to talk about?
Emma:
I´m gonna get this out and then we can deal with the problems later.
Sean look curious, as Emma tries to work up her nerve.
Emma:
Sean, I´ve been in love with you, since I was 12 years old. I can try to pretend, that I´m not and have fun with someone else, but they´ll never be my soulmate. You´re mine and the only guy, I want to spend the rest of my life with. That´s it, I guess.
He bats an eye and she looks at him with the excitement of someone, who´s waiting to see if a bomb will blow up or not.
Sean:
I´m not sure what to say.
Emma:
Forget it!
Emma loses her nerve and runs for the door.
Sean:
Em, I don´t know what to say, because I don´t want to say anything that can ruin this perfect moment.
She turns around and looks happy.
Emma:
What about Amy?
Sean:
It wasn´t like we were serious. What about you and Craig?
Emma:
He´ll have to live with it!
She runs into his arms and they kiss passionately.
Sean:
Let´s agree that we´ve broken up for the last time.
Emma:
I couldn´t agree more!
They look happy together.
9. Int. Ellie and Jay´s Apartment. Day.
Jay and Ellie are getting romantic, by making Christmas cookies together. That´s to say that she does most of the baking, while he takes cares of putting frosting on them.
Jay:
Can I have one now?
Ellie:
If you want to.
Jay:
Tell me that I´m allowed to.
He smiles kinkily at her, which she doesn´t seem to mind at all.
Ellie:
Actually, I´m not sure, you won´t have to convince me, that you deserve one of my delicious cookies.
Jay:
I have an idea, how to convince you.
They´re about to kiss, when Ellie´s phone rings. They both look annoyed, as she picks it up.
Jay:
Can´t it wait?
Ellie:
It´s probably someone I know, calling to wish me a happy Christmas. It´ll take a second.
She puts it to her ear.
Ellie:
Ellie here. Miss Nash, if you´re nasty!
They smile at each other, but her smile soon fades.
10. Ext. Street. Day.
Ellie comes out to meet with Anya, who has Red´s ghost there with her.
Ellie:
Are you Anya?
Anya:
Yeah, I am. I know that this must seem weird to you ...
Ellie:
You can say that again!
Red:
Tell her what I told you. There´s no other way, than to tell her all of it.
Anya quickly makes eye contact with Red, confusing Ellie even more.
Ellie:
Are you okay?
Anya:
I will be. Your friend Marco isn´t, though.
Ellie:
You know Marco?
Anya:
I don´t, which will only make what I´m about to tell you seem even more unbelievable. All I ask is that you hear me out.
Ellie doesn´t know what to think, but is prepared to keep an open mind for Marco´s sake.
11. Int. Marco and Olivia´s Apartment. Day.
Marco and Olivia are saying goodbye.
Marco:
Say hi to your brother for me.
Olivia:
Are you sure, you´ll be okay on your own?
Marco:
You don´t need to worry. I´m going to my parents´ house soon anyway.
Olivia:
I do, whether you like it or not. All of this that´s happened with you, has made me think. Maybe sugar dating isn´t for me anymore either.
She gets a sad smile out of him.
Marco:
This is the best present, you could have given me. Find love, Olivia. You should be with someone, who makes you feel special.
Olivia:
That could be the problem. I´m already living with a guy, who does that for me.
She smiles back at him and leaves the apartment. He goes to his desk drawer and gets a full pill bottle out. After opening it, he pours a good twenty or so into his hand and contemplates swallowing them. We see that he has an envelope with the words "To my friends and family" lying on top of the drawer.
12. Ext. Street. Day.
Olivia comes out of their building, just as Ellie comes up to it.
Ellie:
Is Marco still up there?
Olivia:
He hasn´t left yet.
Ellie:
I´m afraid, that he´s going to hurt himself. Seriously afraid.
Olivia:
Marco is depressed, but he wouldn´t do that!
Ellie:
Would you have picked me for a girl, who used to be a cutter?
Olivia looks very surprised.
Olivia:
Not if I´d had a million guesses!
Ellie:
Let me in, please! Wouldn´t you prefer to be safe, than sorry?
Olivia:
Sure, if it´s that important to you.
Olivia gets her keys out and opens the door to the building.
13. Int. Marco and Olivia´s Apartment. Day.
Marco is literally on the verge of putting the pills in his mouth, when he hears the front door open.
Ellie (off screen):
MARCO!
He quickly tries to put the pills back in the bottle, but can´t before the girls reach him. They both look shocked at what they´re seeing.
Olivia:
Give me the pills.
Seeing as he´s caught, he pours the rest of the pills back in and hands the bottle over to her. She looks at the label and then sees the envelope.
Olivia:
Is this you attempting to kill yourself?
Marco nods and the tears start flowing.
Marco:
You don´t know what it´s like to be ashamed of who you´ve become all the time!
Ellie sits down next to him and puts her arm around him.
Marco:
I allowed that son of a bitch Earl to own me! I can´t believe, I was stupid enough to fall for ir!
Ellie:
It´s okay, Marco.
Marco:
No, it isn´t! I can´t face my parents or my friends, after what I did. I prostituted myself, Ellie.
She tries to take in another shock.
Marco:
At first, it was easy money. I went on a date with him, allowed him to touch me and I´d do the same to him.
Olivia:
Only it didn´t stop there, did it?
Marco:
He invited me on what I thought would be another date. They paid me and another guy money to do sexual things to each other.
Ellie:
God, Marco!
Marco:
They did it to humiliate us, so they could feel superior. I can´t get the sound of their mocking laughter out of my head, It was like they had reduced both of us to something, that was below human.
Ellie gives him a hug. Olivia looks relieved, that they can move on now.
14. Ext. Hospital. Day.
Anya and Red are outside the hospital. She´s talking on her phone to Ellie.
Anya:
That´s great news. Thanks for telling me.
She hangs up and puts the phone in her pocket.
Anya:
Marco will be okay. He can start to move on now.
Red:
That leaves only one more thing to do.
Anya:
Are you sure about this?
Red:
I´m sure.
He looks at peace with his decision.
15. Int. Hospital Waiting Area. Day.
Anya and Red come walking through. They see a man and a woman in their 40´s sitting together.
Red:
That´s them.
They walk over to them.
Anya:
Mister and Mrs. Carlson?
They look surprised, that she´s talking to them.
Mr. Carlson:
Who are you?
Anya:
My name is Anya. I was a close friend of your son´s.
They stand up and look very interested.
Mrs. Carlson:
Were you with him, when he passed on?
Anya:
They were still trying to save his life, when I got there. What I can tell you, is that he didn´t suffer, when he died. It was quiet and peaceful.
They look relieved.
Mr. Carlson:
Thank you for telling us, Anya.
Anya:
He didn´t blame you, just so you know. Even when you were apart, his love for you didn´t go away.
Red´s mother starts crying and it becomes too much for Red, who now also lets the tears flow. His father hugs his mother close and Red takes in the sight one last time. Anya looks filled with sympathy for them.
16. Ext. Graveyard. Day.
Anya and Red come up to a burial plot, that´s just been dug and is ready to be filled.
Red:
In a few days, I´ll be lying in one of those.
Anya:
It should be Earl, who´s going in one of those.
Red:
It will be, in due time. HIV doesn´t stay HIV forever.
Anya:
Unless they find a cure.
Red:
It might ruin my karma to say so, but I hope he dies before that.
Anya:
I think your karma will be okay, considering that he´s the one, who gave you the disease, you died from.
Red:
What time is it?
Anya looks at her phone.
Anya:
Your 24 hours will be up in a few minutes.
They smile sadly at one another.
Red:
Thanks for being my friend, Anya.
Anya:
No, Red. It´s me who has to thank you.
Red:
Tell Roxy and Rick, that I love them and not to be too sad.
Anya:
By the way, have they told you, which religion got it right?
Red laughs.
Red:
They save that for after you can´t tell anyone.
Anya:
That makes sense. If we knew, it would probably send the world into chaos.
Red:
Like it needs more of that, right?
Anya nods in agreement.
Anya:
You wouldn´t have to know if me and Sav are soulmates, like Emma and Sean are?
Red:
If I told you, then you would miss out on finding out for yourself. Goodbye, Anya.
Anya:
Goodbye, Red.
They smile at each other one last time, before he walks away from her. Seconds later, he disappears into this air. She´s left looking glad, that she got to have this last time with him.
CLOSING CREDITS