The Candy Bandits Story Explained

The term "Candy Bandits" refers to Jays group of hooligans, who rampaged through Degrassi High School, coming up with schemes to get the one thing they loved more then anything else: candy. They would do anything to get candy, whether that meant robbing snack machines, or stealing computers to sell in order to buy candy. The Candy Bandits are a lot like the band Black Sabbath, in the sense that both groups have gone through several changes in the members, but one always remained constant. Jay is to the Candy Bandits as Tony Iommi is to Black Sabbath.

The original Candy Bandits consisted of Jay, Towerz, Alex and Amy. Jay had been hanging around the Degrassi scene for some time; he had made some background appearances and even called Marco gay in "Pride". Then came the episode "Gangsta Gangsta." This was the test to see if Jay and his rag tag group of followers could impress. Things were going along pretty good until the moment that cemented Jays position and earned the Candy Bandits their name. Sean is alone in the hall at his locker when he hears a crash. He looks up to see Jay and his sidekicks grabbing candy out of a snack machine they had broken in to.

When I saw that the first thing I thought was "Man they must like candy". They didn't even bother taking the money from the snack machine, just the candy. You know how much candy is in a candy machine? Much more then four normal people would want to eat in a single sitting. Plus you know the kind of punishment you get for breaking into a candy machine? Youve got theft, destruction of property, and bribery because Jay gave Sean a candy bar to keep him quiet. Jay is lucky that Sean loves candy as much as the Candy Bandits, because most people would have ratted him out.

Of course Sean was intrigued by these troubled teens who loved candy as much as him. He fought Jay in the traditional "fight the head guy to prove your worth" and became a regular member of the Candy Bandits. I think he wanted Emma to join, but she was still too much of a prude to accept the Candy Bandit's ways. To be a Candy Bandit you have to willing to do whatever it takes to get candy. Whether that means smashing snack machines, stealing it from the Dot Grill, or even stealing school supplies to sell for candy money. That last scheme is by far the best. I just love the fact that they were able to get away with stealing TVs and computers. That's how well funded Canadian schools are, a gang of hoodlums can continually steal expensive equipment and nobody really looks into it. If I went to school in Canada I can guarantee you that my house would be well supplied with TVs and overhead projectors. Sean quickly became Jay's second hand man in the gang, and was entitled to such benefits as sitting in the front seat of Jay's car, and getting to make out with Amy during Media Immersion.

Things were going great, but much like the band Black Sabbath, things began to fall apart. The first problem had to do with Towerz dating Liberty. This happened when Liberty tried to seduce Sean in a situation that was very embarrassing for all parties involved. Towerz said he wanted to date her because he likes the "smart" girls. I think it had to do more with him wanting to date somebody of the same race, and Hazel was already involved with Jimmy. Dating Liberty is unacceptable and he was promptly ejected from the show.

Then came the trouble with Amy. After she and Sean made out in Mr. Simpson's class, she apparently broke up with him so that she could date some guy from Montreal, possible a member of the Montreal Crew. Since Sean and Jay had become the best of friends, and she and Sean were unable to get along, Jay decided to kick her out of the Candy Bandits. Later she died of alcohol poisoning, thereby making a reunion of the original Candy Bandits impossible.

So now the only members of the Candy Bandits left were Jay, Sean, and Alex, and it was obvious that Sean and Alex were simply not into stealing candy anymore. Sean was living on his own and this had forced him to mature. If he got in trouble he would lose his wellfare, and there was also his relationship with Ellie to think about. He simply couldnt take the risks anymore. He was a family man now, sort of, except for the fact he didnt have a family. He was one family away from being a family guy.

Alex was also moving on in her life. She become student council vice president. That is an important position; she can't risk getting in trouble with the law. That could lead to impeachment, and scandal. The paparazzi would have a field day if she was caught with a case of stolen Mars Bars.

So Jay decided it was time to end the Candy Bandits. Maybe someday he will reform the gang, but not now. He is still scouting for new members who are as dedicated to candy as he is. It looks like Emma is drawn to him; rumor has it she is going to give him head in a future episode. So maybe he will be able to draw her and others into the Candy Bandit lifestyle. We can just keep watching, and waiting for the Candy Bandits to return.

byJohny Dangerous