Tessa Campanelli: The Villainized Runner-Up In Joey’s Love Arc in School’s Out! – And How The Affair Became The Best Thing That Ever Happened To Caitlin

As I was writing about Britney Spears’ marriage to Kevin Federline and how the phrase, ‘Be careful who you marry and have children with’ holds true when it comes down to a woman’s biggest decision of her life, I was reminded of Degrassi High. To be more precise, I was reminded of School’s out, the last chapter of the 80’s and early 90’s generation of kids. This included Joey Jeremiah, Caitlin Ryan, Wheels, Snake, Spike and more. The movie had two major plot-lines. One involved Joey’s relationship with Caitlin and affair with Tessa, another classmate at Degrassi, and the second involved Wheels, Joey’s best friend and classmate, spending the summer endlessly working on his old car getting to work. Snake and Spike are seen as supporting characters, with Snake being a major influence on the main characters’ stories.

My previous two vlog entries were all about marriage and divorce. The one with Britney Spears, in particular, was about the downfalls of marrying and having children with the wrong person and the long-lasting effects that can come thereafter. Caitlin ALMOST became the victim of that same fate; much like Britney Spears. Of course Joey could never be compared to Kevin Federline’s level of credibility of being the wrong person to marry, but as a hormonal teenage boy treating the girl he had the intention of marrying, it was close enough. School’s Out’s opening sequence was of Joey at a jewellery store picking out an engagement ring for Caitlin.

As the story goes, when Joey proposed marriage to Caitlin, she had to think about it. She’d already made plans to go to college with Lucy to study journalism, and accepting Joey’s marriage proposal would mean she’d have to turn her life around. She wasn’t mentally prepared for any of it. She didn’t say yes. She didn’t say no either. She said she needed to think about it. Joey, in turn, even though they didn’t break up, felt defeated and rejected. Even more so, when she started spending more time working than with him throughout the summer before she started college.

Feeling distraught and emotionally disconnected, not only because of Caitlin rejecting his marriage proposal, but also because he found out he wasn’t graduating high school with the rest of his peers, Joey found solace in Tessa. She, too felt defeated as she was mistreated by her boyfriend at Degrassi’s end-of-year party that everyone attended, but felt better as soon as she laid eyes on Joey. She immersed herself into his life as she had her own intentions. She wanted Joey for herself, and she didn’t care that he was still in a relationship with Caitlin. She didn’t see Caitlin as a threat. She saw her as someone who’d disappear and be forgotten about once she started college. Tessa was a year younger, which meant she’d be spending more and more time with him. Her ultimate plan was to make her fall in love with him.

Tessa’s plan worked; for the summer months, at least. After spending so much time together, going out on dates, they eventually slept together. Joey, instead of losing his virginity to his girlfriend, lost it on a girl he was cheating on her with. Caitlin was working her a** off trying to earn money for college. She was feeling guilty; constantly apologizing to Joey for leaving him behind. Joey assured her that it was all good, when in actuality, it wasn’t. Tessa wasn’t the real villain in the situation. Joey was. Both girls were getting hurt all because of him and his carelessness. The only thing he cared about was that he was getting laid. He still had a girlfriend AND getting laid by another girl. Not only that, but he was bragging about it to his friends; giving them intimate details and such.

Eventually, Tessa found out she was pregnant with Joey’s child. It was an unexpected, unintended pregnancy. She wanted to tell Joey, but he continuously pushed her away, and she didn’t know why. His birthday was the last straw. She wanted to take him out; to spoil him for his special day, and yet again, he pushed her away; tossed her aside even. He told her he was busy because he was spending the day with his parents. In actuality, he was spending it by having a romantic evening with Caitlin. It was then that she told him she wanted to marry him.

Once again, Joey and Caitlin were a happy couple, and Joey was on top of the world. His main priority became Caitlin. Tessa was on the back burner; an option more like. She was always his second choice. She was never important to him. She envisioned a future with him. He, on the other hand, saw her as a fling; someone to sleep with while his girlfriend was busy. As soon as his girlfriend said she had more time for him, he ditched her. To make things worse, he made her feel like SHE was the problem. Tessa wasn’t ever the problem. HE was the problem – always. The only person that could truly see that was Snake.

While Joey was on cloud 9 with Caitlin, Tessa was dealing with her surprise pregnancy. She tried telling Joey, but him pushing her away constantly kept her from doing that. She ended up aborting the baby, and she was scared and alone throughout the entire process. Caitlin, meanwhile, lost her virginity to Joey. It was a vulnerable moment for her; a sacred one. She even cried after. She thought he lost her virginity to her too. Little did she know…

Joey was never going to tell Caitlin about what was happening behind her back. He just wanted to pretend Luke his time with Tess never happened in the first place. Tessa was never seen again after her abortion appointment, and honestly, I really wish we did. Going through something like this is NEVER easy. She was young, scared and alone. She didn’t even have her parents throughout the entire process. It would’ve been interesting to see what had happened to her in the aftermath. How she coped with the trauma and the brave decision that she made for herself. Instead, she was tossed aside… like a villain. She started off as a childish, immature, hyperactive grade 7, but evolves into a beautiful, mature and promiscuous young woman. That said, she most certainly deserved better. She was a strong, outspoken character who was caught in a difficult situation with Joey, who cheated on Caitlin with her. She made a difficult choice regarding her pregnancy and was largely forgotten in later seasons, which fans felt was an unfair ending for a character who was more than just an “other woman”.  To break it down more thoroughly:

Reasons Tessa deserved better 

• Treated poorly by Joey: Joey cheated on Caitlin with Tessa, and he continued to lead Tessa on even after Caitlin returned. While Tessa had her own role in the affair, Joey was the one who repeatedly betrayed both women. 

• Greater chemistry with Joey: Many fans believed Tessa and Joey had a stronger connection and better chemistry than Joey and Caitlin did, which made their relationship more compelling. 

• Unfair ending: Tessa’s storyline was abruptly cut short, and she was largely forgotten in later seasons despite having a significant role in School’s Out. She made a difficult decision about her pregnancy and was left with no follow-up, leaving fans disappointed by her treatment. 

• Strong and compelling character: Tessa was a strong and outspoken character who didn’t let anyone push her around. Her character was compelling because of her biracial identity and her journey to self-acceptance. She deserved a more respectful and fulfilling conclusion to her story. 

Caitlin eventually found out about Joey’s affair with Tessa, and it was one of the most heartbreaking moments in the entire series. It also marked to be the most groundbreaking moment in TV history – the first time the word FUCK was ever said on network television. Caitlin was never meant to know anything of what had happened between Tessa and Joey. If it were up to Joey, Tessa would’ve been erased from his memories completely. Her knowing happened by accident. It was when Snake confronted Joey for constantly making fun of him at his expense. Joey didn’t seem to care how his actions affected others – only him – and finally, he got called out for it.

Being the careless jerk that he was, Joey tried to deny the affair; to laugh it off. But Caitlin wasn’t having it. She demanded the truth. He told the truth. He admitted he slept with Tessa, and in the process, put the blame on Caitlin by telling her he did it because she was working too much throughout the summer; that Tessa asked him out, not the other way around. None of it mattered to her, and rightfully so. No matter how much Joey tried to defend himself, she was having none of it. She was going to turn her whole life around for someone who failed to protect her heart. She ended the confrontation with Joey by taking her engagement ring off her finger and tearfully storming off to her room.

We didn’t see Caitlin and Joey’s separate lives after they both finished high school. But we got glimpses of them when characters were re-introduced in Degrassi The Next Generation 9 years after we last saw them. Joey was working as a car salesman. Caitlin wasn’t having working as a journalist. Tessa was nowhere to be found, but still seen as a villain. Joey became a family man. Since his relationship with Caitlin ended in high school, he married another woman who already had a child, Craig, and together they had a child of their own as well. His wife sadly died. After having been abused by his biological father, Craig went to live with Joey, and Joey became more of a father figure – an important figure – in Craig’s life. He helped Craig fight through his demons when he struggled with bipolar disorder. Craig, because he was a teenager and because he was going through so much at the time, didn’t always appreciate everything Joey had done for him. He just referred to him as ‘some guy’ whose house he lived in.

After not seeing each other for 10 years, Caitlin and Joey’s reunited, and romantic feelings resurfaced in both of them. Their resumed relationship was a happy occasion. Instead, it showcased why they were never right for each other to begin with. They repeatedly cheated on one another, lacked compatibility and mutual understanding, and had different life goals. Their relationship was defined by drama, including love triangles with other people. Not only Tessa, but the likes of Claude Sydney as well, which ultimately led to their on-again, off-again status. To break things down more thoroughly:

Incompatibility and lack of understanding 

• Conflicting personalities: Caitlin was often portrayed as more career-driven and “strait-laced,” while Joey was more of a “goofy” guy. This created a dynamic where they struggled to truly understand each other’s perspectives. 

• Different life paths: Caitlin’s focus on her career sometimes clashed with Joey’s needs and responsibilities, especially as he became a father figure to Angie. 

Cheating and infidelity 

• Caitlin’s infidelity: Caitlin cheated on Joey with Claude in “Everybody Wants Something” and later with Kevin Smith in “Goin’ Down the Road (2)”. 

• Joey’s infidelity: Joey cheated on Caitlin with Tessa in “lSchool’s Out!.

• Recurring pattern: The cycle of cheating and being cheated on is a major reason fans felt they were not meant to be. 

Love triangles and external drama 

• Love triangles: Their relationship was plagued by love triangles with other characters, first with Claude and later with Joey’s girlfriend Sydney. 

• Bringing out the worst: The constant drama often seemed to bring out the worst in both of them, making their relationship unhealthy. 

Years after they graduated Degrassi and got back together, Caitlin and Joey’s reunited were facing adult life problems, like living together, navigating parenthood, considering big decisions about their respective careers, and more. Caitlin became heavily involved in helping Joey raise Craig and Angela, his biological daughter. When Joey was at risk of losing his house, Caitlin bought it back for him – without telling him. This brought a lot of animosity and resentment in their relationship, and it was one that they eventually couldn’t overcome. In the end, Caitlin cheated on Joey with Kevin Smith after seeking comfort following a fight that had to do with how to best handle Craig’s bipolar disorder, and it was then that she decided to move to Los Angeles for a job. Feeling distraught and responsible for the breakup, and seeing just how it affected Joey, Craig finally embraced him as a son embraces his father.

Following the breakup with Caitlin, the final one, Joey went on to date a woman much younger than him. He continued to support Craig as his son, and eventually, he moved from Toronto to Calgary. He was never seen again following his move, but we did get glimpses that he continued to be there for Craig when he was going through a drug addiction, as well as that he continued to be friends with Snake. Caitlin moved on to working endlessly on her journalism career, and successfully so. The last time she was seen was when she was a guest at a speaking event for another Degrassi alumni that she mentored. While there, she unknowingly hooked up with her manatee’s boyfriend, a man at least 10 years younger than her. As they were hooking up, they were caught by Caitlin’ manatee, Ellie.

Distraught, Ellie started drinking just before her and Caitlin’s presentation. Feeling humiliated, Caitlin decided to go see Ellie at her apartment. Ellie told her that the man she hooked up with was her boyfriend, and she that she was also considering to quit her journalism career to save her relationship. Caitlin encouraged her not to even think about quitting her career for a man; not just for a man who disrespected her the way he did, but for any man, because a career isn’t ever worth jeopardizing for any guy out there. In hindsight, Caitlin’s advice to Ellie described her decision to not end up with Joey years prior. She almost did so when she graduated high school, and it would’ve been the wrong choice had she gone through with the engagement to Joey when they were teenagers.

In hindsight, Joey cheating on her with Tessa was the best thing that ever happened to Caitlin. Joey only proposed to Caitlin in School’s Out! because he was afraid of losing her because he wasn’t graduating high school with her and the rest of his peers as he was held back. It was his way of keeping her close. It was his way of keeping her; as if she was his property. Joey’s attempts to keep Caitlin close for his own convenience highlighted his selfish nature and unwillingness to support her growth, a pattern that repeated itself in The Next Generation.

Tessa was consistently blamed for Caitlin and Joey breaking up. But she was never the main cause for the breakup between them. The main cause for their breakup was Joey’s selfishness when he didn’t get things his way. Staying with Joey would’ve been a poor choice for her, both as teens and as adults, but especially as adults, given his failed business and financial instability. In both her broken engagements with Joey, she chose herself. The first time around, she hesitated because she truly believed that love could conquer all. But sometimes, that’s just not the case. Not with Joey, anyway. He was the type of a man that always put himself first in his relationship with Caitlin, and adulthood didn’t change that.

As a fan, I admired Joey’s dedication as a father, especially to Craig. He did everything for him that a father, a real father, should for his child and more. He showed care and attentiveness towards Craig even though he wasn’t his responsibility. But when it came down to his relationship with Caitlin, he just couldn’t make himself be the man that she was looking for. Then again, however, I don’t think she herself knew what she was looking for. A popular discussion between the Degrassi franchise fans is their relationship, which was fueled by their tumultuous relationship throughout the franchise. While the couple was a defining pairing for many viewers, their numerous breakups, betrayals, and differing life paths suggest they were ultimately incompatible. To break things down more thoroughly:

Arguments supporting the idea that Caitlin and Joey were never meant to be include:

• Incompatible personalities. The relationship was a prime example of the “opposites attract” trope, pairing goofy, immature Joey with the more serious, straight-laced Caitlin. While this created an initial spark, it led to long-term conflict, as neither was willing to truly understand the other or compromise on major life choices.

• A repeating pattern of betrayal. The couple’s history is marred by infidelity. Joey famously cheated on Caitlin with Tessa Campanelli in the movie School’s Out!, and Caitlin cheated on Joey with Claude Tanner and later with Kevin Smith. The fact that their on-again, off-again dynamic was fueled by betrayals is a strong indicator of incompatibility.

• Differing priorities and life goals. After high school, Caitlin pursued her career as a journalist, and by the time of Degrassi: The Next Generation, she was an accomplished professional. Joey, meanwhile, stayed in town, remaining somewhat stagnant in comparison. Their diverging life paths made a future together unlikely.

• The cheating cycle continued into adulthood. Even when they attempted to get back together as adults on Degrassi: The Next Generation, the relationship was still doomed. Joey cheated on his girlfriend, Sydney, with Caitlin, showing that neither had grown past their old patterns. This was the same kind of betrayal that tore them apart years earlier.

• Caitlin’s own assessment. In The Next Generation, after her disastrous engagement to a Hollywood producer, Caitlin confided in Joey that her constant attempts to rush into marriage stemmed from her relationship insecurities. This suggests her relationship with Joey was more about comfort and a longing for stability than true compatibility.

• Writers losing the spark. Some fans argue that the “will they, won’t they” drama became frustrating over time and that the writers struggled to maintain the couple’s initial spark once they were together. The repeated pattern of conflict and reunion grew tiring and unconvincing for many viewers.

Caitlin’s love story with Joey was a losing game. The entire blame for the end of their relationship was put on Tessa. Even years after the entire matter between them was settled and should’ve been forgotten about, Tessa was still villainized. This type of resentment towards her wasn’t justified; not in my view. If it wasn’t Tessa, it would’ve been another girl. She was just there, stringed along for the ride. She wasn’t a villain. She was also the victim in the entire situation, and she paid a much bigger price for it than Caitlin ever did. Joey was duplicitous, cheating on Caitlin with Tessa while also lying to Tessa about their relationship’s status and being unwilling to discuss their future seriously. She also became pregnant and had an abortion, a traumatic experience she went through alone, and the storyline left her without proper resolution. Joey was seeing both Tessa and Caitlin at the same time, which meant he was lying to both of them. Tessa was under the impression that Joey had broken up with Caitlin, which wasn’t the case.  Tessa was left heartbroken. She was left to deal with a much larger lifelong trauma than Caitlin or Joey ever did at the hands of Joey’s decisions. She was never the main character in his life; but rather, a runner up, and Joey, being the immature man that he is, used her as a pawn. In reality, though, she was a mature and complex young woman who got herself involved in a very difficult situation.