Board Thread:WARNING ALL USERS False Info\Spoilers/@comment-12006563-20140218203738/@comment-6383956-20140218220623

I think they realized they needed to introduce a smarmy, popular, constantly unimpressed with everyone character because -- without Jackson -- there's not nearly enough conflict within the group. It takes out a lot of the ordinary teenage/high school experience which I think is important for the show to have in the background at least.