Degrassi: Where We Left Off and What to Expect

It may not be September, but Degrassi is back for a new school year.

When the show last aired (actually in September), we bid a sad farewell to Sav, Holly J and Anya, among others, who graduated. For those in the cast sticking around, the midseason finale wasn't too joyous. Adam was shot by a party-crashing gang member, Clare was dumped by Jake and made peace with her ex Eli (Munro Chambers). As the new season kicks off, TVGuide.com asked Chambers and newbie Alex Steele, who plays overachiever Tori, about what new calamities we can expect.

Eli (Munro Chambers)
It's been a tough year for Eli: His ex-girlfriend died, he broke up with Clare and he was diagnosed with bipolarity. This season, he'll try to take care of himself. "He's taking the time to relax and get healthy," Chambers says. "He also has Imogen (Cristine Properi). He hurt her [earlier this season] and is trying to make amends there. They get close later on in the season."

Tori (Alex Steele)
Tori may be new to Degrassi, but Steele isn't. She played Angela Jeremiah in Seasons 1 through 5. "I thought it would be cool if I came back as Angela, but when I got the call to come in for Tori, I was so excited," Steele says. "Tori is a very determined girl and knows what she wants, but doesn't have the best battle strategies and gets into quite a bit of trouble. She also gets into two triangles, one is a romance and one is a friendship."

Alli (Melinda Shankar)
In the special episode that aired during the show's hiatus, Alli got herself into major hot water. After finding out her boyfriend Dave (Jahmil French) cheated on her, she rebounds with her best friend Clare's ex Jake. "Alli dug herself a hole and she lost the friend and the guy," Chambers says. "But I wouldn't say that Dave and Alli are completely over — there were misunderstandings made. Also, Clare and Jake are good, so maybe there's hope that Claire and Alli's friendship will come back."

Adam (Jordan Todosey)
Adam (who was born a female named Gracie) will continue to struggle for acceptance from his peers. The good news: He won't be alone. "He's going to have a secret admirer," Chambers says. "He'll also still have fun on his radio show with Dave."

Katie (Chloe Rose)
Viewers quickly learned that Little Miss Perfect had a secret: an eating disorder. "She's a soccer player, she's President of the high school and she's very determined, but sometimes when you're determined and things don't go your way, you make short cuts," Chambers says. "You're going to see her short-cut her way to get what she wants, which may not be the best thing for her."

Fiona (Annie Clark)
Fiona is just trying to fit in now that Holly J, her best friend, has graduated. "She's more focused on trying to find herself," Steele says. Chambers adds: "Fiona's trying to find a new group of friends and move away from her not-so-great past."

Watch a clip from Degrassi below:

Degrassi airs Fridays at 9/8c on TeenNick.