.gif)
Higher Ground (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Higher Ground is an American-Canadian television show shot outside Vancouver
, British Columbia
, that aired in 2000. It starred Joe Lando
, Hayden Christensen
, A.J. Cook
, Kandyse McClure
and Jewel Staite
.
Higher Ground told the story of a Mt. Horizon High School, a sanctuary for troubled teens. Set high in the mountains of the Northwestern
United States, Horizon's rigorous schedule of outdoor sports — mountain climbing, biking, rafting
, etc. — gave students the confidence to face their personal struggles with addiction
, abuse
or disorders.
Students tackled issues like drugs
, sexual
/ verbal abuse
, self-mutilation
, eating disorder
s, gang violence, neglect
, and suicide attempts
-- but the series never adopted the "issue of the week" style common to teen shows. While navigating perilous action sequences and romantic entanglements, the students (and some of the teachers) found Mt. Horizon's world much safer than their turbulent home lives had been.
Horizon staff
Joe Lando
played Horizon's Director, Peter Scarbrow, a recovering addict who climbed mountains, rode motorbikes and became a father figure to Horizon kids. He occasionally traveled to New York to see his ex-wife, Chloe (Ingrid Torrance). Anne Marie Loder
, Deborah Odell
, Roger R. Cross and Dmitry Chepovetsky
portrayed Horizon's teachers.
Minor characters
The daily schedule of Mt. Horizon's students included regular classes
, preparing food for others, various sport activities
, such as climbing
, football
or rafting
, which are mainly focused on mutual collaboration
. These activities taught student
s both co-operation and confidence.
Scott is a smart 16-year-old football star
who plays the piano and excels in athletics. Scott is the child of divorce
d parents. When Scott was 15, his father married a young woman who was closer to his age than her husband's. This new stepmother
seduced him and later began sleeping with him. Unsure of what might happen if the affair was revealed, Scott started berating her to his father and turning to drugs. His school work disintegrated and he was thrown off the football team. As a last resort, his father decided to send him to Horizon. At first, Scott had a short relationship with Juliette Waybourne, but later he became romantically involved
with Shelby Merrick.
Scott Barringer is played by Hayden Christensen
.
At age 14, Shelby ran away from home because of her stepfather
who sexually
abused her for years. Her mother was in denial, but Shelby believed that if she ran away and kept his secret, her stepfather would leave her little sister Jess alone. On the streets, Shelby became a prostitute
and started using drugs. After a year, Shelby located her natural father in Los Angeles
, but despite his good intentions, he could neither control his daughter nor help her with her emotional problems. Thus he made a deal with juvenile authorities that allowed her to go Horizon rather than Juvenile Hall. During the course of the show she falls deeply in love
with Scott Barringer. Later, Shelby returns home after her stepfather has had a heart attack. She discovers that her stepfather had broken his promise and abused her teenage sister Jess. When Shelby calls the cops, her mother, not wanting her daughters taken from her, finally reveals the truth, and the stepfather is taken into custody
. Shelby is return to Horizon.
Shelby Merrick is played by A. J. Cook
.
Katherine is an African American
, adopted
child of white parents. Even though she always knew she was adopted, a sense of alienation
set in as she grew older, and Katherine felt she didn't fit in. That confusion caused her grades
to slip and to withdraw from her talents as a gifted athlete. The accidental death of Katherine's sister, the biological daughter of her adoptive parents, contributed to her lapse into depression. She was finally sent to Horizon by her parents.
Katherine Ann Cabot is played by Kandyse McClure
.
Auggie came to Horizon to avoid a Youth Authority lockup. The youngest of five children, Auggie grew up in a middle class
home on the fringe of the barrio
. Although not a gang
member, he was a tagger
and had gained an impressive reputation. Eventually he was busted, but the court took mercy on Auggie who, at 15, can barely read or write. All through school, he was placed in educable mentally handicapped classes even though he was actually very intelligent. Horizon's teachers realized the real problem: profound dyslexia
. He became romantically involved
with Juliette Waybourne.
Augusto Ciceros is played by Jorgito Vargas, Jr.
She's often referred to as "Princess" or "Queenie" by Shelby, which is derived from her appearance
and behavior
. She continually assaulted and abused herself with such means as bulimia
and self-mutilation
. Being influenced
by her perfectionist
mother, who has had many husbands in the last nine years, Juliette has grown up in three different household
s with eight sibling
s of three different fathers. Exacerbating her unstable surroundings, almost all of the children are extremely successful overachievers. Unable to compete with their accomplishments, she chose physically destructive measures to get the love and attention she craved. Her biological father, an airline pilot who was often away, finally brought Juliette to Horizon. She has a relationship
with Augusto Ciceros and a short relationship with Scott Barringer.
Juliette Waybourne is played by Meghan Ory
.
He was adopted
at birth by parents who were looking more for a solution to their marital difficulties than for a child to love. When the marriage ended up in divorce, Ezra was caught in the middle of his parents' arguments. The experience forced him to be a pleaser, a mediator, a peacemaker, and a rule-follower. To comfort himself, Ezra turned to drug
s and started using ketamine
, with which he nearly overdosed
himself. After Ezra was revived in the ER
and spent 10 days recovering, he was sent to Horizon. He maintains close relation
with Daisy Lipenowski.
Ezra Friedkin is played by Kyle Downes
.
Also known as Daisy Graves, she has hid herself beneath a mask of gothic make-up
, clothes, and piercings
. When years of emotional abuse at home began to threaten her physically, she assaulted her father with a seven-iron golf club
, and was quickly sent to Horizon hence. Insightful and harshly honest, Daisy carefully hides her own inner pain and rage behind arrogance
and morbid sense of humour. She has a strong friendship
with Ezra Friedkin and later also with Shelby Merrick. Her mother dies in a drunk driving accident toward the end of season one. Shelby and Sophie accompany Daisy to the funeral, where she attempts to reconcile with her father.
Daisy Lipenowski is played by Jewel Staite
.
The headmaster and chief administrator
of Mt. Horizon High School for the past three years. In cooperation with the school's owner and founder, Frank Markasian, he has built Horizon to one of the finest, most progressive and most successful "emotional growth" schools in the Pacific Northwest. Physically, Peter is strong and healthy, an outdoor athlete into running
, biking
, climbing
, hiking
, canoeing
, kayak
ing or windsurfing
, even though he has screw
s in his knee
. Prior to meeting Frank, Peter had bottomed-out. To keep up with the incredible physical demands of the business
after a success at one of the biggest brokerages on Wall Street
, he, at his 28, turned to cocaine
and then to heroin. Drugs ultimately led to divorce and when, after his first overdose and a stint at a rehabilitation clinic, he began using drugs again, Peter ended up on the streets. Recovering at a Washington hospital after another near-fatal overdose, he met Frank, whose philosophy struck a chord with Peter. The two men bonded and Frank invited him to Mt. Horizon for recovery. Frank became Peter's mentor, best friend and surrogate
father. Except for an occasional trip back to New York, he has remained at Mt. Horizon ever since. Peter developed a relationship
with Sophie Becker, the conclusion of which is marriage.
Peter Scarbrow is starred by Joe Lando
.
She met Peter Scarbrow during one of his drug rehabilitation
s and the two became friends, one of the reasons being their interest for adrenaline sports. Later Sophie departed abroad while Mt. Horizon was established. When she came back, Peter, eager for her not to leave his life again, eventually coaxes her to become more involved at the school. Sophie agrees and since then their mutual affinity
begins developing. Later in the show is revealed she has endometriosis
and thus is infertile. At the end, Peter accepts her offer of marriage
.
Sophie Becker is played by Anne Marie Loder
.
Hannah led the Cliffhangers for the first half of season one. She loved the kids and became very close with them - especially Kat and Augusto - but struggled to balance her marriage with the emotionally demanding job. She discovered Augusto's dyslexia
, taught Juliette to finally face her mother, welcomed Daisy to the school and helped Shelby use her "tough love" for a good cause. After a new student committed suicide, Hannah decided to leave Horizon and fix her marriage in Seattle.
Hannah is played by Deborah Odell
.
comes from famous writers, politician
s and other significant persons.
Scott Barringer is brought to Mt. Horizon, a school for troubled teens, against his will. Meanwhile, Peter Scarbrow, the administrator of Mt. Horizon, learns that the school is in financial trouble and is facing foreclosure by the bank. Scott tries to run away, but gets caught, and we learn that he was seduced by his stepmother.
Peter is caught between his ex-wife Chloe and a new flame, Sophie Becker. The students help search for Annie's 6 year old daughter Gracie, who wandered off into the woods during a picnic. Shelby Merrick is acting out terribly and must overcome the troubling shadows of her past in order to help rescue the little girl.
Peter visits his father while in New York trying to get a loan, and back at the school the students dread taking their PSATs
.
To teach the kids to work as a team, they are entered in the Junior Eco-Challenge competition.
A search-and-rescue mission is mounted to find Juliette, who has fallen into an uncharted cave containing ancient Indian bones.
Peter gives the group a parenting assignment, and Katherine's behavior with her boyfriend threatens her impending graduation.
Auggie's older brother tries to talk him into selling drugs to the rich kids at Horizon. Meanwhile potential investors visit the school, and Sophie and Peter try to figure out their relationship.
As a thunderstorm causes the school to flood, Shelby's attempt to seduce Scott cause him to relive unpleasant memories. He reveals his secret to Shelby.
After a student commits suicide, Hannah resigns and the school's founder decides to take the group on a trek to the site of his son's death 22 years earlier.
Scott travels down a treacherous river, trying to run away after an encounter with his abusive stepmother. Meanwhile, Shelby falls in love with a horse that's been abused and abandoned.
Juliette is devastated because she is not invited to her mother's wedding. Ezra is devastated over his parents false attempt to reconcile their differences.
As Ezra recovers from an attempt to commit suicide, Peter and Sophie are busy tracking down Auggie and Juliette who have run away.
When a tough father brings his troubled son, David, to the school, the kid antagonizes the other students while the father treks through bear country with Peter.
Horizon's new boss wants to make a promotional film that uses actors instead of the actual students.
When an undercover reporter shows up to do an expose on the school, the students feed her the wild stories that she wants to hear. Scott discovers Shelby's secret.
As a winter storm moves in, the kids' solo treks are ruined, Shelby becomes lost, and Peter's visiting father has a heart attack.
Daisy returns home with Sophie and Shelby for her mother's funeral and must face her abusive, drunken father. Meanwhile, the Cliffhangers read and identify with Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein".
Peter's brother arrives to contest their father's will; Sophie undergoes a medical procedure; Shelby's mother pulls her out of school to take care of her ailing, formerly abusive stepfather; Ezra steals the plot of Romeo & Juliet for his new play.
Shelby's home life disintegrates when she discovers that her stepfather abused her little sister Jess. She confronts her mother about the abuse for the first time. Scott and Daisy worry about Shelby, but Peter doesn't have the power to bring her back to Horizon.
Peter battles his addiction to pain killers. Scott's real mother visits. Shelby returns to Horizon. This episode also features the song Wither by Canadian rock band glo
.
During Parents Week, Scott and Shelby fight and Juliette meets Auggie's parents. Meanwhile, Shelby's sister Jess runs away from home to Horizon. She tells Scott and Shelby what happened to her on the streets; Scott understands Shelby's life for the first time. David returns and terrorizes Ezra and Daisy. At the end of Parents' Week, Scott lies and tells his father that his stepmother never abused him.
Scott's dad wants to take him back home. Scott tries to convince Shelby that they can stay together even if when he leaves Horizon. Kat talks Peter & Sophie in to having a MORP - like a Prom, but without dates or favoritism. David is back and Ezra is upset because Daisy prefers David over him. Scott fights with his dad on their way home and decides not to leave Horizon. He returns just as the MORP is ending. When Shelby asked him why he came back, he says: "Because I love you." Sophie asks Peter to marry her.
The Virgin Suicides
: AJ Cook (Shelby), Hayden Christensen (Scott)
Final Destination 2
: AJ Cook (Shelby), Benita Ha (Annie, restaurant owner), Lynda Boyd (Shelby's mother), Roger R. Cross (Roger)
Mother's Day
: AJ Cook (Shelby), Kandyse McClure (Kat)
Engaged to Kill: Joe Lando (Peter), Anne Marie DeLuise (Sophie)
Reefer Madness
: Lynda Boyd (Shelby's mother), Brittney Irvin (Jess)
Spiral Staircase
: Kandyse McClure (Kat), AJ Cook (Shelby)
Gold Diggers The Secret of Bear Mountain: Jewel Staite (Daisy), Roger R. Cross (Roger)
Wishmaster 3: Emmanuelle Vaugier (Scott's stepmom), AJ Cook (Shelby)
Ripper
: AJ Cook (Shelby), Linda Boyd (Shelby's mother)
Life-size:Anne Marie Loder (Sophie), Garwin Sanford (Scott's Father)
Blonde and Blonder
: Meghan Ory (Juliette), Lynda Boyd (Shelby's mother)
: AJ Cook (Shelby)
Andromeda
: Kandyse McClure (Kat), Anne Marie DeLuise (Sophie), Jim Byrnes (Frank), Emmanuelle Vaugier (Scott's stepmom), Roger R. Cross (Roger)
Are You Afraid of the Dark: Hayden Christensen (Scott), Jewel Staite (Daisy), Jorge Vargas (Augusto), Kyle Downes (Ezra), Kyle Alisharan (Hank)
Cold Squad
: Brittney Irvin (Jess), Jewel Staite (Daisy), Jorge Vargas (Augusto), Benita Ha (Annie), Lynda Boyd (Shelby's mother), Jim Byrnes (Frank), Dmitry Chepovetsky (Jeff), Garwin Sanford (Scott's dad)
The Collector
: Meghan Ory (Juliette), Anne Marie DeLuise (Sophie), Garwin Sanford (Scott's dad)
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, that aired in 2000. It starred Joe Lando
Joe Lando
Joseph John Lando is an American actor, most recognizable for playing Byron Sully on the TV series Dr...
, Hayden Christensen
Hayden Christensen
Hayden Christensen is a Canadian actor. He appeared in Canadian television programs when he was young, then diversified into American television in the late 1990s. He moved on to minor acting roles before being praised for his role of Sam in Life as a House, for which he was nominated for a Golden...
, A.J. Cook
A. J. Cook (actress)
Andrea Joy "A.J." Cook-Andersen is a Canadian actress best known for her role as Supervisory Special Agent Jennifer "JJ" Jareau in the CBS crime drama Criminal Minds...
, Kandyse McClure
Kandyse McClure
Kandyse McClure is an actress, best known for playing Anastasia Dualla on the Sci Fi Channel's television program Battlestar Galactica.- Biography :...
and Jewel Staite
Jewel Staite
Jewel Belair Staite is a Canadian actress, who portrayed Catalina in Space Cases, Kaylee Frye in Firefly and Serenity, and Dr. Jennifer Keller on Stargate Atlantis.-Personal life:...
.
Higher Ground told the story of a Mt. Horizon High School, a sanctuary for troubled teens. Set high in the mountains of the Northwestern
Northwestern United States
The Northwestern United States comprise the northwestern states up to the western Great Plains regions of the United States, and consistently include the states of Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, to which part of southeast Alaska is also sometimes included...
United States, Horizon's rigorous schedule of outdoor sports — mountain climbing, biking, rafting
Rafting
Rafting or white water rafting is a challenging recreational outdoor activity using an inflatable raft to navigate a river or other bodies of water. This is usually done on white water or different degrees of rough water, in order to thrill and excite the raft passengers. The development of this...
, etc. — gave students the confidence to face their personal struggles with addiction
Substance dependence
The section about substance dependence in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders does not use the word addiction at all. It explains:...
, abuse
Psychological abuse
Psychological abuse, also referred to as emotional abuse or mental abuse, is a form of abuse characterized by a person subjecting or exposing another to behavior that may result in psychological trauma, including anxiety, chronic depression, or post-traumatic stress disorder...
or disorders.
Students tackled issues like drugs
Drug abuse
Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, refers to a maladaptive pattern of use of a substance that is not considered dependent. The term "drug abuse" does not exclude dependency, but is otherwise used in a similar manner in nonmedical contexts...
, sexual
Sexual abuse
Sexual abuse, also referred to as molestation, is the forcing of undesired sexual behavior by one person upon another. When that force is immediate, of short duration, or infrequent, it is called sexual assault. The offender is referred to as a sexual abuser or molester...
/ verbal abuse
Psychological abuse
Psychological abuse, also referred to as emotional abuse or mental abuse, is a form of abuse characterized by a person subjecting or exposing another to behavior that may result in psychological trauma, including anxiety, chronic depression, or post-traumatic stress disorder...
, self-mutilation
Self-harm
Self-harm or deliberate self-harm includes self-injury and self-poisoning and is defined as the intentional, direct injuring of body tissue most often done without suicidal intentions. These terms are used in the more recent literature in an attempt to reach a more neutral terminology...
, eating disorder
Eating disorder
Eating disorders refer to a group of conditions defined by abnormal eating habits that may involve either insufficient or excessive food intake to the detriment of an individual's physical and mental health. Bulimia nervosa, anorexia nervosa, and binge eating disorder are the most common specific...
s, gang violence, neglect
Child abuse
Child abuse is the physical, sexual, emotional mistreatment, or neglect of a child. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Children And Families define child maltreatment as any act or series of acts of commission or omission by a parent or...
, and suicide attempts
Teenage suicide
Teenage suicide in the United States remains comparatively high in the 15 to 24 age group with 4,000 suicides in this age range in 2004, making it the third leading cause of death for those aged 15 to 24...
-- but the series never adopted the "issue of the week" style common to teen shows. While navigating perilous action sequences and romantic entanglements, the students (and some of the teachers) found Mt. Horizon's world much safer than their turbulent home lives had been.
Overview
The show focused on one group of Horizon students nicknamed the "Cliffhangers"- A. J. CookA. J. Cook (actress)Andrea Joy "A.J." Cook-Andersen is a Canadian actress best known for her role as Supervisory Special Agent Jennifer "JJ" Jareau in the CBS crime drama Criminal Minds...
as Shelby, a rebellious runaway with a secret. - Hayden ChristensenHayden ChristensenHayden Christensen is a Canadian actor. He appeared in Canadian television programs when he was young, then diversified into American television in the late 1990s. He moved on to minor acting roles before being praised for his role of Sam in Life as a House, for which he was nominated for a Golden...
as Scott, the new kid at Horizon who was kicked off his high school football team for drug use. His relationship with Shelby helps him overcome terrible pain from his past. - Kandyse McClureKandyse McClureKandyse McClure is an actress, best known for playing Anastasia Dualla on the Sci Fi Channel's television program Battlestar Galactica.- Biography :...
as Kat, who's about to graduate but still feels guilty about her younger sister's death two years ago. Kat briefly dates Hank, a local park ranger. - Jorgito Vargas Jr.Jorgito Vargas Jr.Jorgito "Jorge" Vargas Jr. is a Canadian actor. Vargas is skilled in martial arts, skateboarding, skiing and soccer.-Film:* 2012 ...Chef, uncredited role...
as Augusto, aka Auggie, an angry but thoughtful former gang member who has a romance with Juliette. - Meghan OryMeghan Ory-Life and career:Ory was born in Victoria, British Columbia and attended Royal Oak Middle School and then Claremont Secondary School. After receiving the Fine Arts Award for Acting from Royal Oak in 1996, she began pursuing a career in acting...
as Juliette, the bulimic daughter of a controlling, five-times-married mother. - Jewel StaiteJewel StaiteJewel Belair Staite is a Canadian actress, who portrayed Catalina in Space Cases, Kaylee Frye in Firefly and Serenity, and Dr. Jennifer Keller on Stargate Atlantis.-Personal life:...
as Daisy, a goth girl who resents her alcoholic parents - Kyle DownesKyle DownesKyle Downes is a Canadian-American actor, best known for his role as Larry Tudgeman in the Disney Channel Original Series Lizzie McGuire and his characterization of Ezra Friedken in Higher Ground. His other television acting credits include Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Boston Public, CSI: Miami,...
as Ezra, who battles social anxiety and an addiction to various drugs. His classmates call him "the pharmacist." He starts a tentative relationship with Daisy.
Horizon staff
Joe Lando
Joe Lando
Joseph John Lando is an American actor, most recognizable for playing Byron Sully on the TV series Dr...
played Horizon's Director, Peter Scarbrow, a recovering addict who climbed mountains, rode motorbikes and became a father figure to Horizon kids. He occasionally traveled to New York to see his ex-wife, Chloe (Ingrid Torrance). Anne Marie Loder
Anne Marie Loder
Anne Marie Loder is a Canadian actress from St John's, Newfoundland, Canada. She is married to actor and director Peter DeLuise...
, Deborah Odell
Deborah Odell
Deborah Odell is a Canadian actress who has appeared in various films and television series, including Godsend with Robert De Niro and the premiere episode of the SciFi Channel series the Dresden Files.-External links:*...
, Roger R. Cross and Dmitry Chepovetsky
Dmitry Chepovetsky
Dmitry Chepovetsky is a Gemini Award nominated Canadian-Ukrainian actor, best known for his role of Bob Melnikov in the TV series ReGenesis.-Personal life:...
portrayed Horizon's teachers.
Minor characters
- Brittney Irvin as Jess, Shelby's younger sister
- Lynda BoydLynda BoydLynda Boyd is a Canadian actress, singer, dancer, musician, and writer. She is perhaps best known for her roles in the Hollywood films Final Destination 2 , An Unfinished Life , She's the Man , and On Thin Ice, with Diane Keaton...
as Jess and Shelby's mother - Jim ByrnesJim Byrnes (actor)James Thomas Kevin "Jim" Byrnes is a blues musician, guitarist, and actor.-Life and career:Byrnes was born in St. Louis, Missouri, to a homemaker mother and a municipal accountant father. He has lived in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, since the mid-1970s...
as Frank, who founded Horizon after his son Tom committed suicide - Sean Campbell as Sheriff Curtis Swann who frequently helps the Cliffhangers and has a relationship with Annie
- Benita HaBenita HaBenita Ha is a Chinese Canadian actress. She is best known in Canada for her appearance in the television show Street Cents. Her most recent appearance is in the film Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins. She also appeared in Smallville, X-Men: The Last Stand, Psych, Paycheck, Catwoman, and Flight 93...
as Annie, who owns the local restaurant and lives with her 5-year-old daughter Gracie - Garwin SanfordGarwin SanfordGarwin Sanford is a Canadian actor best known for his portrayal of Narim in Stargate SG-1 and Simon Wallis in Stargate Atlantis....
as Martin Barringer, Scott's father - Emmanuelle VaugierEmmanuelle VaugierEmmanuelle Vaugier is a Canadian film actress, singer, songwriter and television actress who has had recurring roles as Detective Jessica Angell on CSI: NY, Mia on Two and a Half Men, Dr. Helen Bryce on Smallville, and FBI Special Agent Emma Barnes on Human Target...
as Elaine Barringer, Scott's evil stepmother - Kyle Alisharan as Hank, Kat's boyfriend
- Terence KellyTerence KellyTerence or Terry Kelly may refer to:* Terence Kelly , Canadian actor active since 1971, in Titanic and In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale...
as Peter Scarbrow's father, who dies of a heart attack and leaves Peter enough money to buy Horizon. - C. Tutt as potential camper
The daily schedule of Mt. Horizon's students included regular classes
Class (education)
A class in education has a variety of related meanings.It can be the group of students which attends a specific course or lesson at a university, school or other educational institution, see Form ....
, preparing food for others, various sport activities
Sport
A Sport is all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants. Sport may be competitive, where a winner or winners can be identified by objective means, and may require a degree...
, such as climbing
Climbing
Climbing is the activity of using one's hands and feet to ascend a steep object. It is done both for recreation and professionally, as part of activities such as maintenance of a structure, or military operations.Climbing activities include:* Bouldering: Ascending boulders or small...
, football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
or rafting
Rafting
Rafting or white water rafting is a challenging recreational outdoor activity using an inflatable raft to navigate a river or other bodies of water. This is usually done on white water or different degrees of rough water, in order to thrill and excite the raft passengers. The development of this...
, which are mainly focused on mutual collaboration
Collaboration
Collaboration is working together to achieve a goal. It is a recursive process where two or more people or organizations work together to realize shared goals, — for example, an intriguing endeavor that is creative in nature—by sharing...
. These activities taught student
Student
A student is a learner, or someone who attends an educational institution. In some nations, the English term is reserved for those who attend university, while a schoolchild under the age of eighteen is called a pupil in English...
s both co-operation and confidence.
Students
- Scott Barringer
Scott is a smart 16-year-old football star
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
who plays the piano and excels in athletics. Scott is the child of divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
d parents. When Scott was 15, his father married a young woman who was closer to his age than her husband's. This new stepmother
Stepfamily
A stepfamily, also known as a blended family or reconstituted family, is a family in which one or both members of the couple have children from a previous relationship...
seduced him and later began sleeping with him. Unsure of what might happen if the affair was revealed, Scott started berating her to his father and turning to drugs. His school work disintegrated and he was thrown off the football team. As a last resort, his father decided to send him to Horizon. At first, Scott had a short relationship with Juliette Waybourne, but later he became romantically involved
Interpersonal attraction
Interpersonal attraction is the attraction between people which leads to friendships and romantic relationships. Interpersonal attraction, the process, is distinct from perceptions of physical attractiveness which involves views of what is and is not considered beautiful or attractive.The study of...
with Shelby Merrick.
Scott Barringer is played by Hayden Christensen
Hayden Christensen
Hayden Christensen is a Canadian actor. He appeared in Canadian television programs when he was young, then diversified into American television in the late 1990s. He moved on to minor acting roles before being praised for his role of Sam in Life as a House, for which he was nominated for a Golden...
.
- Shelby Merrick
At age 14, Shelby ran away from home because of her stepfather
Stepfamily
A stepfamily, also known as a blended family or reconstituted family, is a family in which one or both members of the couple have children from a previous relationship...
who sexually
Sexual abuse
Sexual abuse, also referred to as molestation, is the forcing of undesired sexual behavior by one person upon another. When that force is immediate, of short duration, or infrequent, it is called sexual assault. The offender is referred to as a sexual abuser or molester...
abused her for years. Her mother was in denial, but Shelby believed that if she ran away and kept his secret, her stepfather would leave her little sister Jess alone. On the streets, Shelby became a prostitute
Prostitution
Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...
and started using drugs. After a year, Shelby located her natural father in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, but despite his good intentions, he could neither control his daughter nor help her with her emotional problems. Thus he made a deal with juvenile authorities that allowed her to go Horizon rather than Juvenile Hall. During the course of the show she falls deeply in love
Love
Love is an emotion of strong affection and personal attachment. In philosophical context, love is a virtue representing all of human kindness, compassion, and affection. Love is central to many religions, as in the Christian phrase, "God is love" or Agape in the Canonical gospels...
with Scott Barringer. Later, Shelby returns home after her stepfather has had a heart attack. She discovers that her stepfather had broken his promise and abused her teenage sister Jess. When Shelby calls the cops, her mother, not wanting her daughters taken from her, finally reveals the truth, and the stepfather is taken into custody
Arrest
An arrest is the act of depriving a person of his or her liberty usually in relation to the purported investigation and prevention of crime and presenting into the criminal justice system or harm to oneself or others...
. Shelby is return to Horizon.
Shelby Merrick is played by A. J. Cook
A. J. Cook (actress)
Andrea Joy "A.J." Cook-Andersen is a Canadian actress best known for her role as Supervisory Special Agent Jennifer "JJ" Jareau in the CBS crime drama Criminal Minds...
.
- Katherine "Kat" Ann Cabot
Katherine is an African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
, adopted
Adoption
Adoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting for another and, in so doing, permanently transfers all rights and responsibilities from the original parent or parents...
child of white parents. Even though she always knew she was adopted, a sense of alienation
Social alienation
The term social alienation has many discipline-specific uses; Roberts notes how even within the social sciences, it “is used to refer both to a personal psychological state and to a type of social relationship”...
set in as she grew older, and Katherine felt she didn't fit in. That confusion caused her grades
Grade (education)
Grades are standardized measurements of varying levels of comprehension within a subject area. Grades can be assigned in letters , as a range , as a number out of a possible total , as descriptors , in percentages, or, as is common in some post-secondary...
to slip and to withdraw from her talents as a gifted athlete. The accidental death of Katherine's sister, the biological daughter of her adoptive parents, contributed to her lapse into depression. She was finally sent to Horizon by her parents.
Katherine Ann Cabot is played by Kandyse McClure
Kandyse McClure
Kandyse McClure is an actress, best known for playing Anastasia Dualla on the Sci Fi Channel's television program Battlestar Galactica.- Biography :...
.
- Augusto "Auggie" Ciceros
Auggie came to Horizon to avoid a Youth Authority lockup. The youngest of five children, Auggie grew up in a middle class
Middle class
The middle class is any class of people in the middle of a societal hierarchy. In Weberian socio-economic terms, the middle class is the broad group of people in contemporary society who fall socio-economically between the working class and upper class....
home on the fringe of the barrio
Barrio
Barrio is a Spanish word meaning district or neighborhood.-Usage:In its formal usage in English, barrios are generally considered cohesive places, sharing, for example, a church and traditions such as feast days...
. Although not a gang
Gang
A gang is a group of people who, through the organization, formation, and establishment of an assemblage, share a common identity. In current usage it typically denotes a criminal organization or else a criminal affiliation. In early usage, the word gang referred to a group of workmen...
member, he was a tagger
Graffiti
Graffiti is the name for images or lettering scratched, scrawled, painted or marked in any manner on property....
and had gained an impressive reputation. Eventually he was busted, but the court took mercy on Auggie who, at 15, can barely read or write. All through school, he was placed in educable mentally handicapped classes even though he was actually very intelligent. Horizon's teachers realized the real problem: profound dyslexia
Dyslexia
Dyslexia is a very broad term defining a learning disability that impairs a person's fluency or comprehension accuracy in being able to read, and which can manifest itself as a difficulty with phonological awareness, phonological decoding, orthographic coding, auditory short-term memory, or rapid...
. He became romantically involved
Interpersonal attraction
Interpersonal attraction is the attraction between people which leads to friendships and romantic relationships. Interpersonal attraction, the process, is distinct from perceptions of physical attractiveness which involves views of what is and is not considered beautiful or attractive.The study of...
with Juliette Waybourne.
Augusto Ciceros is played by Jorgito Vargas, Jr.
- Juliette "Jules" Waybourne
She's often referred to as "Princess" or "Queenie" by Shelby, which is derived from her appearance
Human physical appearance
Human physical appearance refers to the outward phenotype or look of human beings. There are infinite variations in human phenotypes, though society reduces the variability to distinct categories...
and behavior
Behavior
Behavior or behaviour refers to the actions and mannerisms made by organisms, systems, or artificial entities in conjunction with its environment, which includes the other systems or organisms around as well as the physical environment...
. She continually assaulted and abused herself with such means as bulimia
Bulimia nervosa
Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by binge eating and purging or consuming a large amount of food in a short amount of time, followed by an attempt to rid oneself of the food consumed, usually by purging and/or by laxative, diuretics or excessive exercise. Bulimia nervosa is...
and self-mutilation
Self-harm
Self-harm or deliberate self-harm includes self-injury and self-poisoning and is defined as the intentional, direct injuring of body tissue most often done without suicidal intentions. These terms are used in the more recent literature in an attempt to reach a more neutral terminology...
. Being influenced
Power (sociology)
Power is a measurement of an entity's ability to control its environment, including the behavior of other entities. The term authority is often used for power perceived as legitimate by the social structure. Power can be seen as evil or unjust, but the exercise of power is accepted as endemic to...
by her perfectionist
Perfectionism (psychology)
Perfectionism, in psychology, is a belief that a state of completeness and flawlessness can and should be attained. In its pathological form, perfectionism is a belief that work or output that is anything less than perfect is unacceptable...
mother, who has had many husbands in the last nine years, Juliette has grown up in three different household
Household
The household is "the basic residential unit in which economic production, consumption, inheritance, child rearing, and shelter are organized and carried out"; [the household] "may or may not be synonymous with family"....
s with eight sibling
Sibling
Siblings are people who share at least one parent. A male sibling is called a brother; and a female sibling is called a sister. In most societies throughout the world, siblings usually grow up together and spend a good deal of their childhood socializing with one another...
s of three different fathers. Exacerbating her unstable surroundings, almost all of the children are extremely successful overachievers. Unable to compete with their accomplishments, she chose physically destructive measures to get the love and attention she craved. Her biological father, an airline pilot who was often away, finally brought Juliette to Horizon. She has a relationship
Intimate relationship
An intimate relationship is a particularly close interpersonal relationship that involves physical or emotional intimacy. Physical intimacy is characterized by romantic or passionate love and attachment, or sexual activity. The term is also sometimes used euphemistically for a sexual...
with Augusto Ciceros and a short relationship with Scott Barringer.
Juliette Waybourne is played by Meghan Ory
Meghan Ory
-Life and career:Ory was born in Victoria, British Columbia and attended Royal Oak Middle School and then Claremont Secondary School. After receiving the Fine Arts Award for Acting from Royal Oak in 1996, she began pursuing a career in acting...
.
- Ezra Friedkin
He was adopted
Adoption
Adoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting for another and, in so doing, permanently transfers all rights and responsibilities from the original parent or parents...
at birth by parents who were looking more for a solution to their marital difficulties than for a child to love. When the marriage ended up in divorce, Ezra was caught in the middle of his parents' arguments. The experience forced him to be a pleaser, a mediator, a peacemaker, and a rule-follower. To comfort himself, Ezra turned to drug
Drug
A drug, broadly speaking, is any substance that, when absorbed into the body of a living organism, alters normal bodily function. There is no single, precise definition, as there are different meanings in drug control law, government regulations, medicine, and colloquial usage.In pharmacology, a...
s and started using ketamine
Ketamine
Ketamine is a drug used in human and veterinary medicine. Its hydrochloride salt is sold as Ketanest, Ketaset, and Ketalar. Pharmacologically, ketamine is classified as an NMDA receptor antagonist...
, with which he nearly overdosed
Drug overdose
The term drug overdose describes the ingestion or application of a drug or other substance in quantities greater than are recommended or generally practiced...
himself. After Ezra was revived in the ER
Emergency department
An emergency department , also known as accident & emergency , emergency room , emergency ward , or casualty department is a medical treatment facility specialising in acute care of patients who present without prior appointment, either by their own means or by ambulance...
and spent 10 days recovering, he was sent to Horizon. He maintains close relation
Friendship
Friendship is a form of interpersonal relationship generally considered to be closer than association, although there is a range of degrees of intimacy in both friendships and associations. Friendship and association are often thought of as spanning across the same continuum...
with Daisy Lipenowski.
Ezra Friedkin is played by Kyle Downes
Kyle Downes
Kyle Downes is a Canadian-American actor, best known for his role as Larry Tudgeman in the Disney Channel Original Series Lizzie McGuire and his characterization of Ezra Friedken in Higher Ground. His other television acting credits include Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Boston Public, CSI: Miami,...
.
- Daisy Lipenowski
Also known as Daisy Graves, she has hid herself beneath a mask of gothic make-up
Gothic fashion
Gothic fashion is a clothing style worn by members of the Goth subculture; a dark, sometimes morbid, eroticized fashion and style of dress. Typical Gothic fashion includes dyed black hair, black lips and black clothes. Both male and female goths wear dark eyeliner and dark fingernails. Styles are...
, clothes, and piercings
Body piercing
Body piercing, a form of body modification, is the practice of puncturing or cutting a part of the human body, creating an opening in which jewelry may be worn. The word piercing can refer to the act or practice of body piercing, or to an opening in the body created by this act or practice...
. When years of emotional abuse at home began to threaten her physically, she assaulted her father with a seven-iron golf club
Golf club (equipment)
A golf club is used to hit a golf ball in a game of golf. Each club is composed of a shaft with a grip and a clubhead. Woods are mainly used for long-distance fairway or tee shots; irons, the most versatile class, are used for a variety of shots; Hybrids that combine design elements of woods and...
, and was quickly sent to Horizon hence. Insightful and harshly honest, Daisy carefully hides her own inner pain and rage behind arrogance
Pride
Pride is an inwardly directed emotion that carries two common meanings. With a negative connotation, pride refers to an inflated sense of one's personal status or accomplishments, often used synonymously with hubris...
and morbid sense of humour. She has a strong friendship
Friendship
Friendship is a form of interpersonal relationship generally considered to be closer than association, although there is a range of degrees of intimacy in both friendships and associations. Friendship and association are often thought of as spanning across the same continuum...
with Ezra Friedkin and later also with Shelby Merrick. Her mother dies in a drunk driving accident toward the end of season one. Shelby and Sophie accompany Daisy to the funeral, where she attempts to reconcile with her father.
Daisy Lipenowski is played by Jewel Staite
Jewel Staite
Jewel Belair Staite is a Canadian actress, who portrayed Catalina in Space Cases, Kaylee Frye in Firefly and Serenity, and Dr. Jennifer Keller on Stargate Atlantis.-Personal life:...
.
Teachers
- Peter Scarbrow
The headmaster and chief administrator
Superintendent (education)
In education in the United States, a superintendent is an individual who has executive oversight and administration rights, usually within an educational entity or organization....
of Mt. Horizon High School for the past three years. In cooperation with the school's owner and founder, Frank Markasian, he has built Horizon to one of the finest, most progressive and most successful "emotional growth" schools in the Pacific Northwest. Physically, Peter is strong and healthy, an outdoor athlete into running
Running
Running is a means of terrestrial locomotion allowing humans and other animals to move rapidly on foot. It is simply defined in athletics terms as a gait in which at regular points during the running cycle both feet are off the ground...
, biking
Cycling
Cycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists...
, climbing
Climbing
Climbing is the activity of using one's hands and feet to ascend a steep object. It is done both for recreation and professionally, as part of activities such as maintenance of a structure, or military operations.Climbing activities include:* Bouldering: Ascending boulders or small...
, hiking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
, canoeing
Canoeing
Canoeing is an outdoor activity that involves a special kind of canoe.Open canoes may be 'poled' , sailed, 'lined and tracked' or even 'gunnel-bobbed'....
, kayak
Kayak
A kayak is a small, relatively narrow, human-powered boat primarily designed to be manually propelled by means of a double blade paddle.The traditional kayak has a covered deck and one or more cockpits, each seating one paddler...
ing or windsurfing
Windsurfing
Windsurfing or sailboarding is a surface water sport that combines elements of surfing and sailing. It consists of a board usually two to four metres long, powered by the orthogonal effect of the wind on a sail. The rig is connected to the board by a free-rotating universal joint and comprises a...
, even though he has screw
Screw
A screw, or bolt, is a type of fastener characterized by a helical ridge, known as an external thread or just thread, wrapped around a cylinder. Some screw threads are designed to mate with a complementary thread, known as an internal thread, often in the form of a nut or an object that has the...
s in his knee
Knee
The knee joint joins the thigh with the leg and consists of two articulations: one between the fibula and tibia, and one between the femur and patella. It is the largest joint in the human body and is very complicated. The knee is a mobile trocho-ginglymus , which permits flexion and extension as...
. Prior to meeting Frank, Peter had bottomed-out. To keep up with the incredible physical demands of the business
Business
A business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
after a success at one of the biggest brokerages on Wall Street
Wall Street
Wall Street refers to the financial district of New York City, named after and centered on the eight-block-long street running from Broadway to South Street on the East River in Lower Manhattan. Over time, the term has become a metonym for the financial markets of the United States as a whole, or...
, he, at his 28, turned to cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
and then to heroin. Drugs ultimately led to divorce and when, after his first overdose and a stint at a rehabilitation clinic, he began using drugs again, Peter ended up on the streets. Recovering at a Washington hospital after another near-fatal overdose, he met Frank, whose philosophy struck a chord with Peter. The two men bonded and Frank invited him to Mt. Horizon for recovery. Frank became Peter's mentor, best friend and surrogate
Surrogacy
Surrogacy is an arrangement in which a woman carries and delivers a child for another couple or person. This woman may be the child's genetic mother , or she may carry the pregnancy to delivery after having an embryo, to which she has no genetic relationship whatsoever, transferred to her uterus...
father. Except for an occasional trip back to New York, he has remained at Mt. Horizon ever since. Peter developed a relationship
Intimate relationship
An intimate relationship is a particularly close interpersonal relationship that involves physical or emotional intimacy. Physical intimacy is characterized by romantic or passionate love and attachment, or sexual activity. The term is also sometimes used euphemistically for a sexual...
with Sophie Becker, the conclusion of which is marriage.
Peter Scarbrow is starred by Joe Lando
Joe Lando
Joseph John Lando is an American actor, most recognizable for playing Byron Sully on the TV series Dr...
.
- Sophie Becker
She met Peter Scarbrow during one of his drug rehabilitation
Drug rehabilitation
Drug rehabilitation is a term for the processes of medical or psychotherapeutic treatment, for dependency on psychoactive substances such as alcohol, prescription drugs, and so-called street drugs such as cocaine, heroin or amphetamines...
s and the two became friends, one of the reasons being their interest for adrenaline sports. Later Sophie departed abroad while Mt. Horizon was established. When she came back, Peter, eager for her not to leave his life again, eventually coaxes her to become more involved at the school. Sophie agrees and since then their mutual affinity
Intimate relationship
An intimate relationship is a particularly close interpersonal relationship that involves physical or emotional intimacy. Physical intimacy is characterized by romantic or passionate love and attachment, or sexual activity. The term is also sometimes used euphemistically for a sexual...
begins developing. Later in the show is revealed she has endometriosis
Endometriosis
Endometriosis is a gynecological medical condition in which cells from the lining of the uterus appear and flourish outside the uterine cavity, most commonly on the ovaries. The uterine cavity is lined by endometrial cells, which are under the influence of female hormones...
and thus is infertile. At the end, Peter accepts her offer of marriage
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
.
Sophie Becker is played by Anne Marie Loder
Anne Marie Loder
Anne Marie Loder is a Canadian actress from St John's, Newfoundland, Canada. She is married to actor and director Peter DeLuise...
.
- Hannah Bower-Barnes
Hannah led the Cliffhangers for the first half of season one. She loved the kids and became very close with them - especially Kat and Augusto - but struggled to balance her marriage with the emotionally demanding job. She discovered Augusto's dyslexia
Dyslexia
Dyslexia is a very broad term defining a learning disability that impairs a person's fluency or comprehension accuracy in being able to read, and which can manifest itself as a difficulty with phonological awareness, phonological decoding, orthographic coding, auditory short-term memory, or rapid...
, taught Juliette to finally face her mother, welcomed Daisy to the school and helped Shelby use her "tough love" for a good cause. After a new student committed suicide, Hannah decided to leave Horizon and fix her marriage in Seattle.
Hannah is played by Deborah Odell
Deborah Odell
Deborah Odell is a Canadian actress who has appeared in various films and television series, including Godsend with Robert De Niro and the premiere episode of the SciFi Channel series the Dresden Files.-External links:*...
.
Episodes
Higher Ground consists of 22 episodes, each of which having its own quotation at the beginning. These quotesQuotation
A quotation or quote is the repetition of one expression as part of another one, particularly when the quoted expression is well-known or explicitly attributed by citation to its original source, and it is indicated by quotation marks.A quotation can also refer to the repeated use of units of any...
comes from famous writers, politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
s and other significant persons.
- 1. Scott Free
- Aired: January 14, 2000
- Quote: "We are all in the gutter, but some of us look at the stars." ~ Oscar WildeOscar WildeOscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde was an Irish writer and poet. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of London's most popular playwrights in the early 1890s...
Scott Barringer is brought to Mt. Horizon, a school for troubled teens, against his will. Meanwhile, Peter Scarbrow, the administrator of Mt. Horizon, learns that the school is in financial trouble and is facing foreclosure by the bank. Scott tries to run away, but gets caught, and we learn that he was seduced by his stepmother.
- 2. Babes in Arms
- Aired: January 21, 2000
- Quote: "The secret of secrets is inside me again" ~ Anna AkhmatovaAnna AkhmatovaAnna Andreyevna Gorenko , better known by the pen name Anna Akhmatova , was a Russian and Soviet modernist poet, one of the most acclaimed writers in the Russian canon.Harrington p11...
Peter is caught between his ex-wife Chloe and a new flame, Sophie Becker. The students help search for Annie's 6 year old daughter Gracie, who wandered off into the woods during a picnic. Shelby Merrick is acting out terribly and must overcome the troubling shadows of her past in order to help rescue the little girl.
- 3. Walking the Line
- Aired: January 28, 2000
- Quote: "If we open a quarrel between the past and the present, we shall find that we have lost the future." ~ Winston ChurchillWinston ChurchillSir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
Peter visits his father while in New York trying to get a loan, and back at the school the students dread taking their PSATs
PSAT/NMSQT
The Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test is a standardized test administered by the College Board and National Merit Scholarship Corporation in the United States.This test is offered by the College Board....
.
- 4. Our Strongest Link
- Aired: February 4, 2000
- Quote: "All are needed by each one; Nothing is fair or good alone." ~ Ralph Waldo EmersonRalph Waldo EmersonRalph Waldo Emerson was an American essayist, lecturer, and poet, who led the Transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century...
To teach the kids to work as a team, they are entered in the Junior Eco-Challenge competition.
- 5. What Remains
- Aired: February 11, 2000
- Quote: "In the silence of our woods your children will not be alone." ~ Chief SeattleChief SeattleChief Seattle , was a Dkhw’Duw’Absh chief, also known as Sealth, Seathle, Seathl, or See-ahth. A prominent figure among his people, he pursued a path of accommodation to white settlers, forming a personal relationship with David Swinson "Doc" Maynard. Seattle, Washington was named after him...
A search-and-rescue mission is mounted to find Juliette, who has fallen into an uncharted cave containing ancient Indian bones.
- 6. Crossroads
- Aired: February 18, 2000
- Quote: "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent" ~ Eleanor RooseveltEleanor RooseveltAnna Eleanor Roosevelt was the First Lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945. She supported the New Deal policies of her husband, distant cousin Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and became an advocate for civil rights. After her husband's death in 1945, Roosevelt continued to be an international...
Peter gives the group a parenting assignment, and Katherine's behavior with her boyfriend threatens her impending graduation.
- 7. Worlds Apart
- Aired: February 25, 2000
- Quote: "It is easier to fight for principles than to live up to them." ~ Alfred AdlerAlfred AdlerAlfred Adler was an Austrian medical doctor, psychotherapist, and founder of the school of individual psychology. In collaboration with Sigmund Freud and a small group of Freud's colleagues, Adler was among the co-founders of the psychoanalytic movement as a core member of the Vienna...
Auggie's older brother tries to talk him into selling drugs to the rich kids at Horizon. Meanwhile potential investors visit the school, and Sophie and Peter try to figure out their relationship.
- 8. Seductions
- Aired: March 3, 2000
- Quote: "To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance." ~ Oscar WildeOscar WildeOscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde was an Irish writer and poet. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of London's most popular playwrights in the early 1890s...
As a thunderstorm causes the school to flood, Shelby's attempt to seduce Scott cause him to relive unpleasant memories. He reveals his secret to Shelby.
- 9. Hope Falls
- Aired: March 10, 2000
- Quote: "Never deprive someone of hope; It might be all they have." ~ H. Jackson Brown, Jr.H. Jackson Brown, Jr.H. Jackson Brown, Jr. is an American author best known for his inspirational book, Life's Little Instruction Book, which was a New York Times bestseller...
After a student commits suicide, Hannah resigns and the school's founder decides to take the group on a trek to the site of his son's death 22 years earlier.
- 10. Close Encounters
- Aired: March 17, 2000
- Quote: "Tell me who admires you and loves you, and I will tell you who you are" ~ C.A. Sainte-BeuveCharles Augustin Sainte-BeuveCharles Augustin Sainte-Beuve was a literary critic and one of the major figures of French literary history.-Early years:...
Scott travels down a treacherous river, trying to run away after an encounter with his abusive stepmother. Meanwhile, Shelby falls in love with a horse that's been abused and abandoned.
- 11. Wherefore Art Thou
- Aired: March 31, 2000
- Quote: "False face must hide what false heart doth know." ~ William ShakespeareWilliam ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
Juliette is devastated because she is not invited to her mother's wedding. Ezra is devastated over his parents false attempt to reconcile their differences.
- 12. Best Behavior
- Aired: April 7, 2000
- Quote: "Let us not look back in anger, nor forward in fear, but around in awareness." ~ James ThurberJames ThurberJames Grover Thurber was an American author, cartoonist and celebrated wit. Thurber was best known for his cartoons and short stories published in The New Yorker magazine.-Life:...
As Ezra recovers from an attempt to commit suicide, Peter and Sophie are busy tracking down Auggie and Juliette who have run away.
- 13. Attention Deficit
- Aired: April 14, 2000
- Quote: "Somewhere in the world your Father is lost and needs you but you are far away." ~ William StaffordWilliam StaffordWilliam Edgar Stafford was an American poet and pacifist, and the father of poet and essayist Kim Stafford. He was appointed the twentieth Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress in 1970....
When a tough father brings his troubled son, David, to the school, the kid antagonizes the other students while the father treks through bear country with Peter.
- 14. The Kids Stay in the Picture
- Aired: April 21, 2000
- Quote: "From here there is no place that does not see you. You must change your life. ~ Rainer Maria RilkeRainer Maria RilkeRené Karl Wilhelm Johann Josef Maria Rilke , better known as Rainer Maria Rilke, was a Bohemian–Austrian poet. He is considered one of the most significant poets in the German language...
Horizon's new boss wants to make a promotional film that uses actors instead of the actual students.
- 15. Exposed
- Aired: April 28, 2000
- Quote: "I'm giving you a longing look ... Everyday I write the book." ~ Elvis CostelloElvis CostelloElvis Costello , born Declan Patrick MacManus, is an English singer-songwriter. He came to prominence as an early participant in London's pub rock scene in the mid-1970s and later became associated with the punk/New Wave genre. Steeped in word play, the vocabulary of Costello's lyrics is broader...
When an undercover reporter shows up to do an expose on the school, the students feed her the wild stories that she wants to hear. Scott discovers Shelby's secret.
- 16. Innocence
- Aired: May 5, 2000
- Quote: "The childhood shows the man, as morning shows the day." ~ John MiltonJohn MiltonJohn Milton was an English poet, polemicist, a scholarly man of letters, and a civil servant for the Commonwealth of England under Oliver Cromwell...
As a winter storm moves in, the kids' solo treks are ruined, Shelby becomes lost, and Peter's visiting father has a heart attack.
- 17. Daised and Confused
- Aired: May 12, 2000
- Quote: "I cherished hope, it is true, but it vanished when my person reflected . . ." ~ Mary ShelleyMary ShelleyMary Shelley was a British novelist, short story writer, dramatist, essayist, biographer, and travel writer, best known for her Gothic novel Frankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus . She also edited and promoted the works of her husband, the Romantic poet and philosopher Percy Bysshe Shelley...
Daisy returns home with Sophie and Shelby for her mother's funeral and must face her abusive, drunken father. Meanwhile, the Cliffhangers read and identify with Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein".
- 18. One of Those Days
- Aired: May 19, 2000
- Quote: "You don't live in a world all alone. Your brother is here too." ~ Albert SchweitzerAlbert SchweitzerAlbert Schweitzer OM was a German theologian, organist, philosopher, physician, and medical missionary. He was born in Kaysersberg in the province of Alsace-Lorraine, at that time part of the German Empire...
Peter's brother arrives to contest their father's will; Sophie undergoes a medical procedure; Shelby's mother pulls her out of school to take care of her ailing, formerly abusive stepfather; Ezra steals the plot of Romeo & Juliet for his new play.
- 19. Because it's There
- Aired: May 16, 2000
- Quote: "Why climb Mount Everest? Because it's there." ~ George MalloryGeorge MalloryGeorge Herbert Leigh Mallory was an English mountaineer who took part in the first three British expeditions to Mount Everest in the early 1920s....
Shelby's home life disintegrates when she discovers that her stepfather abused her little sister Jess. She confronts her mother about the abuse for the first time. Scott and Daisy worry about Shelby, but Peter doesn't have the power to bring her back to Horizon.
- 20. Falling Up
- Aired: June 3, 2000
- Quote: "Tragedies are about the depths that call up to certain men and insist that they descend." ~ Robert BlyRobert BlyRobert Bly is an American poet, author, activist and leader of the Mythopoetic Men's Movement.-Life:Bly was born in Lac qui Parle County, Minnesota, to Jacob and Alice Bly, who were of Norwegian ancestry. Following graduation from high school in 1944, he enlisted in the United States Navy, serving...
Peter battles his addiction to pain killers. Scott's real mother visits. Shelby returns to Horizon. This episode also features the song Wither by Canadian rock band glo
Glo (band)
Glo is a modern rock band from Montreal, Canada formed in 2001. They consist of Rick , Eddie , and Patrick . Glo first came onto the Montreal music scene soon after the start of the new millennia....
.
- 21. Mended Fences
- Aired: June 9, 2000
- Quote: "If we really want to live, we'd better start at once to try." ~ Wystan Hugh AudenW. H. AudenWystan Hugh Auden , who published as W. H. Auden, was an Anglo-American poet,The first definition of "Anglo-American" in the OED is: "Of, belonging to, or involving both England and America." See also the definition "English in origin or birth, American by settlement or citizenship" in See also...
During Parents Week, Scott and Shelby fight and Juliette meets Auggie's parents. Meanwhile, Shelby's sister Jess runs away from home to Horizon. She tells Scott and Shelby what happened to her on the streets; Scott understands Shelby's life for the first time. David returns and terrorizes Ezra and Daisy. At the end of Parents' Week, Scott lies and tells his father that his stepmother never abused him.
- 22. Because I Love You
- Aired: June 16, 2000
- Quote: "The child shall become father to the man." ~ William WordsworthWilliam WordsworthWilliam Wordsworth was a major English Romantic poet who, with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, helped to launch the Romantic Age in English literature with the 1798 joint publication Lyrical Ballads....
Scott's dad wants to take him back home. Scott tries to convince Shelby that they can stay together even if when he leaves Horizon. Kat talks Peter & Sophie in to having a MORP - like a Prom, but without dates or favoritism. David is back and Ezra is upset because Daisy prefers David over him. Scott fights with his dad on their way home and decides not to leave Horizon. He returns just as the MORP is ending. When Shelby asked him why he came back, he says: "Because I love you." Sophie asks Peter to marry her.
HG Cast in Other Roles
The Higher Ground cast worked together frequently after the series ended, and co-starred in a high number of the same TV shows.Movies
Bloodsuckers: AJ Cook (Shelby), Joe Lando (Peter)The Virgin Suicides
The Virgin Suicides
The Virgin Suicides is the 1993 debut novel by American writer Jeffrey Eugenides. The story, which is set in Grosse Pointe, Michigan during the 1970s, centers on the suicides of five sisters. The Lisbon girls' suicides fascinate their community as their neighbors struggle to find an explanation for...
: AJ Cook (Shelby), Hayden Christensen (Scott)
Final Destination 2
Final Destination 2
Final Destination 2 is a 2003 supernatural horror film and the sequel to the 2000 film Final Destination and was directed by David R. Ellis. It was written by Jeffrey Reddick, Eric Bress and J. Mackye Gruber. The film stars Ali Larter, A. J. Cook, Michael Landes and Tony Todd...
: AJ Cook (Shelby), Benita Ha (Annie, restaurant owner), Lynda Boyd (Shelby's mother), Roger R. Cross (Roger)
Mother's Day
Mother's Day
Mother's Day is a celebration honoring mothers and celebrating motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. It is celebrated on various days in many parts of the world, yet most commonly in March, April, or May...
: AJ Cook (Shelby), Kandyse McClure (Kat)
Engaged to Kill: Joe Lando (Peter), Anne Marie DeLuise (Sophie)
Reefer Madness
Reefer Madness
Reefer Madness is a well-known 1936 American propaganda exploitation film revolving around the melodramatic events that ensue when high school students are lured by pushers to try "marijuana" — from a hit and run accident, to manslaughter, suicide, attempted rape, and descent into madness...
: Lynda Boyd (Shelby's mother), Brittney Irvin (Jess)
Spiral Staircase
The Spiral Staircase (2000 film)
The Spiral Staircase is a 2000 television film remake of the 1946 film The Spiral Staircase based on Ethel Lina White's novel Some Must Watch...
: Kandyse McClure (Kat), AJ Cook (Shelby)
Gold Diggers The Secret of Bear Mountain: Jewel Staite (Daisy), Roger R. Cross (Roger)
Wishmaster 3: Emmanuelle Vaugier (Scott's stepmom), AJ Cook (Shelby)
Ripper
Ripper (film)
Ripper is a 2001 Canadian-British horror film, directed by John Eyres. The film stars A. J. Cook and Bruce Payne. It was written and produced by John A. Curtis and Evan Tylor and by production companies Prophecy Entertainment and Studio Eight Productions.- Plot :Molly Keller Ripper (also known as...
: AJ Cook (Shelby), Linda Boyd (Shelby's mother)
Life-size:Anne Marie Loder (Sophie), Garwin Sanford (Scott's Father)
Blonde and Blonder
Blonde and Blonder
Blonde and Blonder is a 2008 Canadian comedy film starring Pamela Anderson, Denise Richards and Emmanuelle Vaugier. The film was directed by Dean Hamilton, and was released on January 18, 2008.The film's name is a reference to Dumb and Dumber....
: Meghan Ory (Juliette), Lynda Boyd (Shelby's mother)
TV
Criminal MindsCriminal Minds
Criminal Minds is an American police procedural drama that premiered September 22, 2005, on CBS. The series follows a team of profilers from the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit based in Quantico, Virginia. The BAU is part of the FBI National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime...
: AJ Cook (Shelby)
Andromeda
Andromeda (TV series)
Andromeda is a Canadian-American science fiction television series, based on unused material by the late Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, developed by Robert Hewitt Wolfe, and produced by Roddenberry's widow, Majel Barrett Roddenberry. It starred Kevin Sorbo as High Guard Captain Dylan Hunt...
: Kandyse McClure (Kat), Anne Marie DeLuise (Sophie), Jim Byrnes (Frank), Emmanuelle Vaugier (Scott's stepmom), Roger R. Cross (Roger)
Are You Afraid of the Dark: Hayden Christensen (Scott), Jewel Staite (Daisy), Jorge Vargas (Augusto), Kyle Downes (Ezra), Kyle Alisharan (Hank)
Cold Squad
Cold Squad
Cold Squad is a Canadian police procedural television series first broadcast in 1998 that followed the investigations of a part of the Vancouver Police Department Homicide Division tasked with solving cold cases, the titular Cold Squad, as led by Sergeant Ali McCormick .The cast of Cold Squad was...
: Brittney Irvin (Jess), Jewel Staite (Daisy), Jorge Vargas (Augusto), Benita Ha (Annie), Lynda Boyd (Shelby's mother), Jim Byrnes (Frank), Dmitry Chepovetsky (Jeff), Garwin Sanford (Scott's dad)
The Collector
The Collector
The Collector is the title of a 1963 novel by John Fowles. It was made into a movie in 1965.- Plot summary :The novel is about a lonely young man, Frederick Clegg, who works as a clerk in a city hall, and collects butterflies in his spare time...
: Meghan Ory (Juliette), Anne Marie DeLuise (Sophie), Garwin Sanford (Scott's dad)