Derek Wheeler

Wheels was born Derek Michael Nelson[ep 1] to a pair of teenage parents, but shortly after his birth he is adopted by John and Helen Wheeler in a closed adoption.[ep 1] Wheels, Joey and Snake together form a garage band called "The Zit Remedy", later shortened to "The Zits" in high school.[ep 1]

Wheels first appears as a grade eight student in Mr. Raditch's homeroom class. Wheels attempts the first of two ill-fated dates with class president Stephanie Kaye, which ends early when she gets sick from having consumed too much alcohol.[ep 2] Several episodes later, Stephanie asks him out again.[ep 3] Facing peer pressure to "go all the way", Wheels purchases a box of condoms from a drug store.[ep 3] When he shows up at Stephanie's house on date night, he learns that Stephanie's mother is also the pharmacist who sold him the condoms.[ep 3] When Wheels loses interest in her, Stephanie attempts to make him jealous by openly flirting with Joey, which ultimately backfires on her.[ep 4] Shortly after his fourteenth birthday, Wheels meets his biological father Mike Nelson, a struggling musician.[ep 1] He later counsels pregnant classmate Christine "Spike" Nelson (Amanda Stepto) on whether to keep her unborn child or put her up for adoption.[ep 1] Wheels explains that he is grateful to both his natural parents for having given him a chance at a better life, and to his adoptive parents for providing that better life to him.[ep 1]

Wheels' poor grades become an issue in season two and Wheels learns that he is nearsighted and begins to wear glasses. Wheels also enrolls in after-school tutoring with Ms. Avery, forcing him to put music on hold. During a break from a tutoring session, he witnesses substitute homeroom teacher Mr. Colby attempting to sexually molest classmate Lucy and breaks it up. Lucy confided in him, and Wheels promised to corroborate her story when she eventually came forward. Thanks to the extra tutoring, his grades improve enough that he is allowed to resume playing music with the Zit Remedy. Later, Wheels and Joey sleep over at Snake's home when his parents leave him on his own for the weekend.[ep 5] They stay up all night and when they wake up late the next morning, Wheels realizes that he is going to be late for an optometrist appointment.[ep 5] Joey drives them both in Snake's parents' car, despite having neither a driver's license nor any formal driving skills.[ep 5] After they get caught—for fixing a broken tail light—Wheels' parents forbid him to associate with Joey as a result.[ep 5] Wheels heads into final exams still concerned about his grades; he gets promoted while Joey learns he's being left back.[ep 6] Despite these factors, the Zit Remedy perform live for the first time at the end-of-the-year dance.[ep 7]

At the start of season three, John and Ellen Wheeler are killed in a car accident caused by a drunk driver.[ep 8] Wheels was to have been with them that evening; instead he lies about having to study before sneaking off to Joey's house where the band records a demo of "Everybody Wants Something."[ep 8] The grieving Wheels withdraws from his friends, then blames Joey for him not being with his parents that night.[ep 8] Wheels eventually reconciles with Joey and Snake, but is unable to articulate his grief. Wheels is then cared for by his maternal grandparents, but the tragedy affects him for the remainder of the show's run. He takes to using his parents' death as an excuse for his own failings, and is hostile to his grandparents' attempts to discipline him. After receiving a postcard from his biological father, Wheels hitchhikes to see him in Port Hope, Ontario; along the way, he is nearly molested by a traveling salesman who gives him a ride.[ep 9] Mike is surprised to see him and dashes Wheels' dream of living with him; after introducing Wheels to his pregnant fiancé, Maggie, Mike sends Wheels back to his adoptive grandparents.[ep 10] Later in the season, Wheels cites his parents' death as the reason he turns down an offer to drink beer with Snake and Joey.[ep 11]

Wheels, Joey, and Snake enter high school with their bond intact. In a move to display maturity, they change their band's name from the Zit Remedy to "The Zits". They each survive a hazing by bully Dwayne,[ep 12] shoot a music video for "Everybody Wants Something",[ep 13] try to get into a strip joint together,[ep 14] and perform in a "feminist" horror movie directed by Lucy. Wheels also shares a passionate kiss with Heather, but does not reciprocate her interest in him.[ep 15]

The final season revisits Wheels' conflicts with his elderly grandparents. They eventually tire of his lies, disobedience and theft, and evict him.[ep 16] Joey's parents allow him to stay at the Jeremiah house.[ep 16] Wheels is eventually kicked out when he is suspected of stealing from Joey's mother.[ep 17] The theft and Wheels' attempt to shift the blame drive a wedge between Wheels and Joey, though he later confesses.[ep 17] Snake's parents refuse to let Wheels in the Simpson house but Snake, though fed up with Wheels' attitude, takes pity on him and lets him sleep the night on the porch.[ep 17] Wheels and Joey reconcile their relationship when Wheels proves his new-found integrity by paying Joey's mother back the money he stole from her, and performs at the school talent show, alongside Joey and in place of Snake.[ep 18]

In the made-for-television movie Degrassi: School's Out, Wheels is assumed to have graduated from high school, is working as an auto mechanic, and is preparing for a move to Calgary to be with his girlfriend Karen.[ep 19] In a twist of irony, Wheels also has become a heavy beer drinker.[ep 19] At a summer party, he drives Lucy under the influence of alcohol to pick up snacks, and collides with another car.[ep 19] In doing so, he temporarily blinds and partially cripples Lucy, and kills a young child in the other car.[ep 19] Although Wheels had long worn out Joey's and Snake's sympathy after incessantly lying, stealing and refusing to take responsibility for anything, Joey nevertheless visits him in pre-trial confinement.[ep 19] However, Wheels' inability to accept culpability shocks Joey, and disgusts Snake, who refuses to forgive him.[ep 19] He is charged with "criminal negligence causing death, criminal negligence causing injury times two, and drunk driving".[ep 19] Taking responsibility for once, he pleads guilty to all charges.[ep 19]

Wheels is released from prison by the time the events of The Next Generation.[3] He briefly appears in the series' pilot episode "Mother and Child Reunion", in which he apologizes to Lucy on the front steps of Degrassi Community School. His appearance, however, is only shown in the Canadian version on CTV and not in the American version shown on The N. Wheels is mentioned by Snake and it is shown that Snake has still not forgiven Wheels for his actions ten years prior, and Wheels can be seen in old photographs viewed by the characters. Two years later, Joey finally manages to reunite the old friends when taking Snake out bowling to get the latter's mind off of his leukaemia and chemotherapy.[ep 20] Snake initially wants nothing to do with Wheels, but they bond over both having wanted to die (Wheels after killing the child, and Snake while dealing with his ailment and its treatment).[ep 20] The three are witnessed by Spike and her daughter Emma from inside singing "Everybody Wants Something" on the ride home in Joey's convertible.[ep 20]