On July 16, Netflix released the second season of "Degrassi: Next Class." For those of you who are confused by the never-ending seasons of "Degrassi," here’s how it goes: "Degrassi Junior High" and "Degrassi High" ran from 1987-1991. Then came "Degrassi: The Next Generation" in 2001, an anniversary to the original which featured the old characters and new characters loosely related to them (i.e. Emma is the daughter Spike had in middle school). It ran for 14 seasons. After it ended in 2015, and all of the old characters were long gone, Netflix picked it up in the USA and we now have "Degrassi: Next Class."

I know most people who have watched from the beginning will swear that the older seasons were golden while the new ones are crap. And while everyone is entitled to their own opinions, I personally think most of their reverence comes from nostalgia.

It’s obvious the newer seasons try to stay up to date with the times, which means an overemphasis on technology. So while older fans may cringe at the new tech-themed and emoji-filled re-contextualization of the theme song, they can’t stay in the past forever. High school lingo is always changing, and older generations will never truly understand the new trends. I admit, the newer episodes tend to focus on getting the messages across rather than emphasizing the characters themselves (the new “Glee” anyone?), but I don’t think it’s necessarily a bad thing. Storylines may repeat, but real events repeat themselves in life and the writers can’t possibly create 20 seasons of brand new material without resorting to ridiculous and completely unrelatable storylines. And I think it’s great that “Degrassi” has explored issues such as racism, mental health, and sexuality from different perspectives. With the same writers, it still has that same "Degrassi" feel; and plus, it’s pretty impressive that they’ve never repeated the same name twice.

Season two was promoted as the reunion season, but fans who were looking for the old “Degrassi” to come back might be disappointed. Besides Peter, none of the old characters really get a storyline, and there’s no huge moment between them. Instead, we see glimpses into the futures of the old characters to see what’s become of them. Most of them are background characters to new character’s storylines, which won’t please everyone, but it’s not their time anymore. Time has passed, and when you give the new characters a chance, you might just find one you can relate to.

Still, if you’re a hardcore fan of “The Next Generation” and don’t feel like taking the time to watch the new characters, here’s what you missed.

-Spoilers ahead-

1. Emma and Spinner are somehow still together after spontaneously getting married in “Degrassi Takes Manhattan” in season nine. Although they don’t have any scenes together, they talk about having Sunday dinner with Snake and buying a house together.

2. Paige and Marco are still BFFs (obviously), and with their banter and pet names, they are as adorable as ever.

3. Liberty is still a strong-hearted and driven woman, joining the new students in their protest against the zero tolerance policy.

4. Craig makes a brief appearance, and all we know is that he’s still singing.