The Facts Of Life - General Discussion

[Snow Apple]

I liked the Paris movie more than the Australia one but both have good moments. In Paris, Blair learned she liked her own company, and Jo met a cute guy.

[JAYJAY1979]

5 hours ago, Katy M said:

I don't remember them going to Paris.  Like at all. But, I remember the Australia one.  I know Jo and Blair got mixed up in some caper with a cop and bad guy pretending to be a cop.  And Tootie met a guy she assumed was out on "walkabout" but the only thing I remember Natalie doing was taking out her backpack (where Jo or Blair had hidden something) and putting it back under her seat.

Blair and Jo running from the bad guys is the highlight of the Down Under movie...plus Natalie saving the day in the final chase.

Makes me wistful of an era when people just had fun 

[Mrs. Landingham]

Yes, Blair’s wardrobe was…interesting. Even in the episode “Take My Finals, Please”, she starts the episode in her long skirt, blouse, and boots while studying on her bed and doesn’t change into jammies like the other girls until later. 

I agree with you all re: Heather McAdam’s voice not matching her storyline. Talking about the royal wedding at “BuckeeengHAM Pyyaaaalis.” 

The later years just make me sad. I agree with the poster who said those opening credits are jarring. Poor Mrs. Garrett’s little station in the store looked so out of place with her few cookies and coffee offerings.

I’ve lost count of how many loops of these episodes I’ve watched since they started showing them in my area! And they go by in a flash. It’s the pilot, then hey Jo almost marries Eddie, then bonjour Paris, then awww they graduate, omg Cliff’s a stripper, the shop burns down, hi George Clooney, Natalie sleeps with Snake then it’s over and we start again. (Yes, I know there are many episodes in between, but that’s a summary of how my brain processes it.) 

I never tire of it. 

[Mrs. Landingham]

On 1/24/2022 at 2:15 PM, Snow Apple said:

I liked the Paris movie more than the Australia one but both have good moments. In Paris, Blair learned she liked her own company, and Jo met a cute guy.

Oh, this reminds me. I find myself at various points of the show thinking “this could have been a turning point in Jo and Blair’s relationship”. Like the episode where Blair’s creep friend tries to rape Jo and Blair tries to punch him. Or when Jo sat up with Blair all night to help her get over Chad the controlling jerk. Or the end of the Paris trip when Jo was sad to leave the motorcycle guy and Blair deftly distracts the others from interrogating Jo on where she’d been the past few days. I guess the show wanted to maintain the frenemy tension between the two of them forever to make it interesting, but sometimes, I’m bummed about it.

I find certain episodes of the rivalry unwatchable, like Jo breaking Blair’s watch and not only not apologizing but shrugging it off with “meh, you’re rich, go buy another one.” Cringe.

[Maverick]

 Although they are characterized as frenemies, it's clear Blair is well into the friend territory while Jo at best tolerates Blair.  They both bring the cutting comments and personal jabs, it's always Blair who's doing something genuinely considerate and will admit her friendship in the occasional sentimental moment.   In addition to the above, Blair designed the pizza box for Jo's business using her mom's picture and delayed her Christmas plans to stay with Jo and Mrs. Garrett when Jo wasn't able to be with her mom.   Blair could certainly be conceited and annoying, but I think I'd take her as a friend over Jo.  

[GHScorpiosRule]

9 hours ago, Maverick said:

Blair could certainly be conceited and annoying, but I think I'd take her as a friend over Jo. 

Not me. I'd take Jo.

While there were a few episodes where Jo's pride over the rich and "taking" money from Blair, were over the top, there were more instances of Blair's continued put downs of Jo's looks, skills, etc. And how she held herself more superior over the others. As in season five's episode where Blair got Boots to hire Mrs. Garrett for some shin dig, so that Blair could get into the sorority, Blair treated Mrs. Garrett as some hireling/"employee" of hers.

Granted, it was stupid that Boots didn't tell Mrs. Garrett what kind of food they wanted. But Blair yelled out, how Mrs. Garrett wasn't her friend/mentor, but "worked for her" or something like that.

Then there was Blair's jealousy that Mrs. Garrett left Jo in charge of Edna's Edibles, in season 6? so Jo handed over the keys while she worked on the mascot, and Blair turned into this corporate asshole and told Natalie, Tootie, Jo how she expected them to work and produce "proper" croissants.

Writers clearly forgot that in season 4, Blair begged Jo to fix her daddy's Porsche, then a few seasons later, mocks Jo, that Jo wouldn't know a Porsche from a whatever other car she mentioned.

[GHScorpiosRule]

10 hours ago, Mrs. Landingham said:

The later years just make me sad. I agree with the poster who said those opening credits are jarring.

That was me.

And another thing I forgot to mention was that in the complete series set, they cut off the ending credits. By maybe, 30 seconds, I think. Don't know why they did that. And neither do they provide closed captioning. Probably has to do with moolah. Even the individual seasons are distributed by Shout! Factory, so they probably don't have the closed captioning, either.

Andy's background was also all over the place. When we first meet him, he has parents, and a sister. We also met his plagiarizing grandmother. But then by the end of season 7, or maybe it was in 8, his parents are now his foster parents, who are divorcing and this leads to Beverly Ann taking steps to adopt him.

I'll always be bummed that Patty Duke never appeared on this show, when John Astin did, as the piano player Mrs. Garrett flirted with in season 6 premiere.

Then there was Natalie's sister, who got the Chuck Cunningham treatment--except we never even got to see her! She was mentioned in season 1's "Overachieving" when Tootie's dad comes to Eastland. She supposedly is older, as she was also going to speak on Career Day or whatever that was. Natalie mentioned her sister again in either season 2 or 3. Yet we never saw her, not even when their Dad died.

But I did like seeing Chip Fields-Kim's real life mom, playing Tootie's mom. It was jarring the first time I saw her, because the last thing I saw her in was in Good Times, playing Penny's (Wee Janet Jackson) abusive mother.

Aside from recasting Monica, the show did a good job keeping the same actors for parents on this show. If they couldn't get the actor who played Tootie's dad, they should have recast him. I always found it confusing that Tootie was so blasé about her dad missing her graduation.

[Snow Apple]

I think both Blair and Jo (like real people) have their good and bad moments. Both can be snobby in their own way, but they will always be there for their friends when it counts.

[Mrs. Landingham]

And wasn’t that also Kim’s real life mom who appeared in the Paris movie? She played the agent or manager of the famous writer who Tootie and Natalie were following in the cafe. She told the girls that he’s behind on his deadlines for the tourist brochures he was supposed to be writing. 

[Mrs. Landingham]

2 minutes ago, Snow Apple said:

I think both Blair and Jo (like real people) have their good and bad moments. Both can be snobby in their own way, but they will always be there for their friends when it counts.

Agreed. For example, if Blair truly hated Jo, she’d have encouraged Jo to marry Eddie in Season 2 so Jo would leave Eastland and Blair would be the top of the class again. But she didn’t, because she didn’t want Jo to ruin her life.  She cared about her.

[GHScorpiosRule]

23 minutes ago, Mrs. Landingham said:

And wasn’t that also Kim’s real life mom who appeared in the Paris movie? She played the agent or manager of the famous writer who Tootie and Natalie were following in the cafe. She told the girls that he’s behind on his deadlines for the tourist brochures he was supposed to be writing. 

Yes! I just finished watching it. I waited until all episodes aired so I could watch it in one fell swoop.

[Mrs. Landingham]

7 hours ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

Andy's background was also all over the place. When we first meet him, he has parents, and a sister. We also met his plagiarizing grandmother. But then by the end of season 7, or maybe it was in 8, his parents are now his foster parents, who are divorcing and this leads to Beverly Ann taking steps to adopt him.

And in the Australia movie, we learn he has an uncle in Australia!

[Maverick]

 Andy turning into some Oliver Twist waif was such bullshit.   Yes, it was well established in previous episodes that he had other family members and there was never any indication they weren't blood related.   It was just to give Beverly Ann something to do plotwise.  

 

[Egg McMuffin]

On 1/25/2022 at 11:27 PM, Mrs. Landingham said:

Oh, this reminds me. I find myself at various points of the show thinking “this could have been a turning point in Jo and Blair’s relationship”. Like the episode where Blair’s creep friend tries to rape Jo and Blair tries to punch him. Or when Jo sat up with Blair all night to help her get over Chad the controlling jerk. Or the end of the Paris trip when Jo was sad to leave the motorcycle guy and Blair deftly distracts the others from interrogating Jo on where she’d been the past few days. I guess the show wanted to maintain the frenemy tension between the two of them forever to make it interesting, but sometimes, I’m bummed about it.

I find certain episodes of the rivalry unwatchable, like Jo breaking Blair’s watch and not only not apologizing but shrugging it off with “meh, you’re rich, go buy another one.” Cringe.

Yeah - I wish they had been more consistent with the relationship with Blair and Jo. Even later in the series, they’re all over the place. In one late episode, Jo nonchalantly introduces Blair as “my best friend” and it’s kind of a lovely moment. And then in the next episode they’re both being really nasty and insulting to each other like they can’t stand each other.

I thought they regressed the Blair character quite a bit in the last couple of seasons. She had become a more serious, substantial character by her last season at Eastland, and they continued that a bit into the college years. Then they got a new showrunner in season 8, and Blair became this flighty airhead again.

[GHScorpiosRule]

On 1/27/2022 at 1:07 AM, Egg McMuffin said:

I thought they regressed the Blair character quite a bit in the last couple of seasons. She had become a more serious, substantial character by her last season at Eastland, and they continued that a bit into the college years. Then they got a new showrunner in season 8, and Blair became this flighty airhead again.

And just more boggling that she managed to pass the LSATS and get into Law School.

Then there was the moronic episode of her defending Jo against that mechanic who didn't fix her bike. Good thing they didn't show the "trial" in the episode, because Blair was still in law school, and no way does NY allow a law school student, with no supervising licensed attorney, represent someone at trial.

Back to Season five which premiered after the movie, and this is episode three, I think, and I couldn't see past my red-filled haze of rage. That Blair treated Mrs. Garrett as some "hired Help/labor" instead of giving her the respect she deserved; and on top of that, expected Mrs. Garrett to apologize FIRST.

That Mrs. Garrett saved her ass at the sorority for the crap Chinese food that Jo, Natalie, and Tootie made, just shows that Mrs. Garrett is a much better person.

[GHScorpiosRule]

I thought it was kinda cool that both Mrs. Garrett and Beverly Anne were lefties as the actresses were also lefties! How common is that to have siblings both be South Paws?

And I loved Mrs. Garrett’s support of Jo when that twerp Smurf Alex had been threatened. And just WHY was that actress so speshial that she got to appear in the opening credits instead of the closing?

Also loved Mrs. Garrett giving some TRUTH to Natalie after she got a swelled head when taking ONE course at Langley.

I’ll never understand how Eastland went broke with all the alumni donating money for years, unless they all (because they were obscenely wealthy and some provided scholarships like Warner Textiles), and also had a board of directors. What? Did they all decide to stop giving money to keep it going?

Yeah, yeah, PLOT to set up Blair as the Head Mistress for a new show/continuation of the show, but it was STOOPID. Some time between season 7 and the final season, Mr. Parker was gone, and there were all these other people viewers had never seen or heard of before. Acting as if that headmaster who quit had been there for years when at most, it would have been two.

[Egg McMuffin]

On 2/5/2022 at 5:53 PM, GHScorpiosRule said:

And I loved Mrs. Garrett’s support of Jo when that twerp Smurf Alex had been threatened. And just WHY was that actress so speshial that she got to appear in the opening credits instead of the closing?

Pamela Segall (now Pamela Adlon of “Better Things” fame) was supposed to play a bigger, continuing part, a younger girls who could support different stories as the original girls got older. Kinda like Cousin Oliver haha. But Adlon said that Lisa Whelchel and Nancy McKeon weren’t friendly to her and McKeon especially seemed to resent her, likely because her character was similar. She was dropped in midseason, never to be heard from again. Her character was awful anyway.

[ljenkins782]

On 2/7/2022 at 1:00 AM, Egg McMuffin said:

Pamela Segall (now Pamela Adlon of “Better Things” fame) was supposed to play a bigger, continuing part, a younger girls who could support different stories as the original girls got older. Kinda like Cousin Oliver haha. But Adlon said that Lisa Whelchel and Nancy McKeon weren’t friendly to her and McKeon especially seemed to resent her, likely because her character was similar. She was dropped in midseason, never to be heard from again. Her character was awful anyway.

Well thank God for that because the character was awful and so was the actress. Although that episode is one of my favorites of Jo's, maybe because I couldn't stand the character, it was super satisfying to see Jo smack her down.

Re: the opening credits, they also added Sean Cassidy to the opening credits and apparently changed their minds there (another good call, his character wasn't adding much). 

[GHScorpiosRule]

26 minutes ago, ljenkins782 said:

: the opening credits, they also added Sean Cassidy to the opening credits 

Wrong brother. It was Ryan Cassidy.😉

[psychoticstate]

On 1/21/2022 at 8:34 AM, GHScorpiosRule said:

Where do I begin/continue?

Season 6 was all over the place with the airing of the episodes. We learned in the premiere that Blair was in Iowa with Cliff; then the next handful of episodes we have her dating other guys, flirting with other guys, with no mention of Cliff; Lisa's hairstyle changed. When episode 15 aired, her hair style was that from the beginning of the season and it's the one where she says she broke up with Cliff.

Please do NOT get me started on the stupid ass "reunion" episode in season 8. As others, and we have discussed previously, Jo KNEW Sue Ann, Cindy, Molly (even though she only returned in season 2 premiere), and Nancy, this episode acted as if she barely knew them. Natalie had that one throw away line "you remember ..." and then they all proceeded to treat Jo like an outsider.  The flashbacks were all from the first season, when Jo wasn't on the show. But that passive aggressive "You had to be there" was just so...passive aggressive. All that squeeing and laughing over those clips and that episode where Blair developed a crush on that gross and creepy headmaster, Mr. Bradley. And when Jo asked, all they had to do was say a line about that really bad storm, and how Blair and Tootie went to the barn to save the horse and bunnies.

And PUHLEAZE as to Sue Ann being a VP right after graduating college. They aged her up by one year. All the girls (except for Tootie and Natalie) were 22, but Sue Ann was 23. And unless your family OWNS a corporation, or you know someone who knows someone, no way is a 23 year old, fresh out of college going to make vice president. Blair, I could see. But Sue Ann? Give me a break.

And like I'm supposed to believe they're all still such good friends, when in seasons 2 and 3, they all acted like Catty Mean Girls and that they had never been friends with Blair, Natalie, and Tootie in the dorm?

Or that they just conveniently forgot that Blair actually did say yes to date with Roger because she wanted to go to the ballet. So Blair being all coy about wanting Roger for herself, like the others did? Bleah. Because we saw that one dude in the "Dear Me" episode, which had to be Roger, when they were talking about going hiking and Cooper Rock.

I hated the updated opening credits once they changed sets to the Over Our Heads store. I hated the bright lights and lighting of the "home" section. I preferred the dark wood and lower lighting.

That's it for now. 

THANK YOU!!  My biggest problem with The Little Chill (besides the fact that FOL should have made this either an hour episode or a two-parter so they could show appropriate flashbacks) was the ridiculousness of the storylines.  Why go to the trouble of bringing Nancy, Sue Ann and Cindy back and write this crap?  Cindy is a fashion model and is hungry (yawn).  Nancy (gasp!) went to Poundtown and became an After School Special on "consequences."  Sue Ann wears massive shoulder pads and is somehow the VP of a big, important company -- what? -- two years out of college?  

If this episode was to show the grass isn't always greener, etc., why not have Cindy on her way out as a model and trying to figure out what she's going to do with the rest of her life?  Why are the girls (other than Tootie and maybe Natalie) acting so SHOCKED that Nancy and Roger were sexually active?  They would have been together more than seven years at that point -- and they're adults.  Are we supposed to believe that out of the seven girls present, only Nancy has lost her v-card?  Did Nancy ever consider not going through with the pregnancy (i.e., the "consequence")?  And Sue Ann -- exactly what @GHScorpiosRule said.  Maybe the other girls are too dense to realize that no one 22 years old would already be the VP of a company their parent doesn't own but surely Blair would know.  Blair and Sue Ann seemed to routinely butt heads in S1 so why wouldn't Blair call her out now?  

Obviously, Nancy, Cindy and Sue Ann don't stay in touch because none of them seemed to know what was going on in the others' lives.   And we never heard another word about them -- no follow up as in invitations to Nancy's wedding or mentioning that she'd had her baby or a throwaway line about seeing Cindy on a magazine cover.  

Yeah, I know.  I'm expecting too much out of FOL.  

[psychoticstate]

So I have gone back to my FOL DVD set and started watching again (don't judge.)  

Season 2 was like watching a different show over S1.  Everything was more solid and our core group of girls can definitely generally handle comedy and drama much better than some of the S1 girls.

I noticed, unfortunately, that S2i is also when the Tootie-centric episodes begin.  Nothing against Kim Fields, who was good very early and then good after she was an adult but Tootie was downright insufferable at times.  I'm not sure what the writers' fascination with her was. 

Anyhow, she was definitely in the insufferable category IMO in "Who Am I?" (S2E4).  Of course the character of Fred also came off pretty poorly so they were matched well, I guess.  So we learn in this episode that not only is Tootie the best dancer in school, who has taught all the girls at Eastland the moves, she also designs clothing.  Did we ever hear anything else about her designing after this episode?   And we're supposed to believe that Tootie made that dress for Blair in a week?  In between school, working at the cafeteria, seeing Fred, and meeting up with other black students to share their experience?  Um, okay.  Too bad FOL didn't show Mrs. Garrett helping Tootie with sewing it or something and then having the discussion about Tootie's conflicted feelings.   Hope that Tootie and Carl won the dance contest (held in the cafeteria, of course, and not the gym) and each got a new portable stereo . . .  with a tape deck! 

"Gossip" (S2E9) of course had to be centered around Tootie - although maybe Natalie, the journalist, could also have been the gossip.  Besides Tootie's huffing and puffing and early onset shouting, the worst part of the episode for me was that Tootie actually got a punishment benefiting her crime (would not happen often) and the other girls (including Nancy, Cindy and Sue Ann) decide they will help her.  Huh?  They didn't even sleep on it and decide they also partook in the gossip (maybe except for Jo and Blair) and were guilty too and then decide to help?  Nope.  Just immediately jumped in, which would teach Tootie that maybe she wasn't in the wrong after all.  I don't know, it just bugged me.  I mean, Mrs. Garrett could have lost her job but well, it was Tootie, so . . . 

"Breaking Point" (S2E10) deals with the heavy subject of teen suicide but instead of introducing us to Cynthia in an earlier episode, she's intro'd and outro'd in 22 minutes or less.  Maybe there should have been a part 1, where we meet Cynthia and see the campaigns for student council president, etc.  Oh well.  OF COURSE Tootie gets a gift from Cynthia for being "nice" and then Tootie is the one who has to shriek that she found Cynthia.  I'm pretty sure that Natalie went to Cynthia's room to interview her for the school newspaper and Tootie was tagging along so NATALIE was there also.   And as I've seen elsewhere, the teen hotline or support group is mentioned but we never hear of it again (and given some of the upcoming storylines from S2 and S3, the girls may have needed it.)

"Pretty Babies" (S2E13), once again Tootie is at the forefront.  While it's a relatively enjoyable episode, it's pretty farfetched.  I doubt a famous photographer would be traipsing through Peekskill looking for the "new face of the 80s!"  A modeling scout maybe.  But even if he were, wouldn't they want to set up meetings with him in the auditorium?  Nope.  It's the cafeteria again!  I would think the lighting in there, especially bouncing off the green plaid sofa, would be hideous.  Wouldn't he want to have some head shots of each girl?  Maybe take some test shots?  Nope!  This episode Tootie is into taking pictures.  Again, did we ever hear of her being into photography before or since?  So this Jonathan Dutton looks at six girls at Eastland (pretty sure Blair was no. 6) and then calls the whole thing off once he spots Tootie.  And Tootie's parents are apparently in agreement with her attempting this and going to New York with Mrs. Garrett and the girls (although the following season she wouldn't be allowed to go, leading to her taking off on her own and meeting up with teen hooker Kristy).  So Jonathan Dutton is a famous photographer with no one else in his studio?  Where is his assistant?  The makeup people?  The wardrobe people?  If they are hiding in the back, it's understandable after seeing what Tootie is in.  This was in 1981.  I remember 1981.  That was the year Princess Diana was introduced to the world, when frilly, romantic blouses were in, when culottes were in.  Tootie is dressed like it's 1977 with her bejeweled headband and hanging beads and multicolor outfit.  I mean, even 14-year-old Reena (12!) is at least wearing a long gown like many of the models did wear in the fashion mags.  So the photographer then puts Tootie on a stool to take snaps?   Huh?  And the still shots that were shown, supposedly of the photographs he's taking, were godawful.  Ugh.  The whole thing just made no sense.  

Good on Mrs. Garrett for calling out that a naked child should have zero to do with perfume.  When the photographer said that Tootie needed to lose 8 pounds (exactly 8, not 10!) I couldn't help but think how the show never did that to Natalie - and good on them for it.  

 

[GHScorpiosRule]

21 minutes ago, psychoticstate said:

So I have gone back to my FOL DVD set and started watching again (don't judge.) 

No judging! If you scroll up, you'll see I was posing as I was watching the DVDs!

I wanted to BITCHSLAP Nancy, Sue Ann, and Cindy for being so willing to believe the gossip about Mrs. Garrett--a woman who was there for them in the first season and their Den Mother! So catty and, and, and...OOOHHHHHHHH!!!

[Snow Apple]

I'm not fond of he modeling episode, but I did like Tootie's line delivery regarding the orange juice, "It's from concentrate." 

That's one thing I love about this show. The girls nail the funny deadpan lines.

[psychoticstate]

21 hours ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

No judging! If you scroll up, you'll see I was posing as I was watching the DVDs!

I wanted to BITCHSLAP Nancy, Sue Ann, and Cindy for being so willing to believe the gossip about Mrs. Garrett--a woman who was there for them in the first season and their Den Mother! So catty and, and, and...OOOHHHHHHHH!!!

Also Natalie was very quick to believe it -- and Natalie was the one who immediately called Nancy, Cindy and Sue Ann over to have Tootie blab to them about how Mrs. Garrett was loaded to the gills.  

21 hours ago, Snow Apple said:

I'm not fond of he modeling episode, but I did like Tootie's line delivery regarding the orange juice, "It's from concentrate." 

That's one thing I love about this show. The girls nail the funny deadpan lines.

That was a really good line and Kim Fields' delivery was spot on.  

Watched "Free Spirit" (S2E15) last night.  I loved that we got to see something/someone from Mrs. Garrett's life.  The writers did good in calling back to her former job of housekeeping for the Drummonds when Mrs. Garrett is telling Alex that dreams can change.  

Not sure that we ever heard of Natalie writing poetry again, although at least the writing part stuck.  I was with Jo that Blair should not have gotten involved in any way over the fact that Mrs. Garrett was still supporting Alex (or sending him money).  IMO, that would have not been her business if Mrs. Garrett was her actual mother but certainly not with Mrs. Garrett being their school dietician.  

And Jo's response to Blair saying that Mrs. Garrett always said they could talk to her about anything without fear ("She was talking about sex.  This is personal!") was gold.  

[Mrs. Landingham]

On 2/18/2022 at 11:30 AM, psychoticstate said:

but Tootie was downright insufferable at times.  I'm not sure what the writers' fascination with her was. 

And Natalie’s dad’s death was somehow about Tootie, too, because she doesn’t know what to sayyyyyyyy to Naaaaaaaat!!! Poor ME! 

On 2/5/2022 at 2:53 PM, GHScorpiosRule said:

Also loved Mrs. Garrett giving some TRUTH to Natalie after she got a swelled head when taking ONE course at Langley.

I was thinking about Mrs. Garrett’s talks just recently. I loved what she said to Jo in the episode where Jo showed up to meet her boyfriend’s wealthy parents wearing camo and being totally obnoxious. Mrs. Garrett told her the “I’m just a kid from the Bronx” attitude doesn’t cut it anymore and she knows better. And, nobody thinks of her as a “Bronx Barbarian” anymore, rather, she thinks that of herself and reverts to that persona whenever she feels uncomfortable. I’m doing a bad job at paraphrasing but that was one of Mrs. G.’s best lectures.

[Snow Apple]

7 hours ago, Mrs. Landingham said:

And Natalie’s dad’s death was somehow about Tootie, too, because she doesn’t know what to sayyyyyyyy to Naaaaaaaat!!! Poor ME! 

And then Tootie won't give Natalie space to grieve in her own way/time and want Nat to be her old cheerful self in a relatively short time. 

Mrs. Garrett at least told Natalie of her own experience and guilt for laughing at a movie after her own dad passed, but she didn't push. She just let Nat know it's ok to go on living.

Edited February 21, 2022 by Snow Apple

[bluegirl147]

I'm rewatching season three and every episode has a serious issue.  But they deal with it in humorous way, not like and tonight on a very special Facts of Live way.  And I am finding myself literally LOL.   I don't remember laughing so much when I originally watched these episodes almost 40 (OMG wow) years ago.  All five of them were really good actresses with great comic timing.  

[psychoticstate]

14 hours ago, Mrs. Landingham said:

And Natalie’s dad’s death was somehow about Tootie, too, because she doesn’t know what to sayyyyyyyy to Naaaaaaaat!!! Poor ME! 

I was thinking about Mrs. Garrett’s talks just recently. I loved what she said to Jo in the episode where Jo showed up to meet her boyfriend’s wealthy parents wearing camo and being totally obnoxious. Mrs. Garrett told her the “I’m just a kid from the Bronx” attitude doesn’t cut it anymore and she knows better. And, nobody thinks of her as a “Bronx Barbarian” anymore, rather, she thinks that of herself and reverts to that persona whenever she feels uncomfortable. I’m doing a bad job at paraphrasing but that was one of Mrs. G.’s best lectures.

 

6 hours ago, Snow Apple said:

And then Tootie won't give Natalie space to grieve in her own way/time and want Nat to be her old cheerful self in a relatively short time. 

Mrs. Garrett at least told Natalie of her own experience and guilt for laughing at a movie after her own dad passed, but she didn't push. She just let Nat know it's ok to go on living.

I think that particular "speech" of Mrs. Garrett's after Natalie's dad died was excellent and spot on.  None of the other girls could understand exactly what Natalie was going through, as they all still had both their parents, but Mrs. G could.  I think Charlotte Rae really excelled during moments like this.  

And yes -- of course Natalie's dad dying is ALL ABOUT TOOTIE because EVERYTHING was ALL ABOUT TOOTIE.  Honestly, I would have had zero problem with Natalie bitch slapping Tootie into the next decade for being impatient that Natalie hasn't just gotten over it.  I recall an episode in S3, I think, when Tootie lost her precious little mind over Jermaine Jackson and couldn't be bothered to help the girls with existing plans because she was going to New York to the concert and that was that (and Mrs. G demonstrated very suspect parenting decisions by actually caving to Tootie and taking her to the concert when Tootie stomped her feet and threw a tantrum.)  

I'm sorry but Tootie was my least favorite character out of the girls and Mrs. G (obviously).   

3 hours ago, bluegirl147 said:

I'm rewatching season three and every episode has a serious issue.  But they deal with it in humorous way, not like and tonight on a very special Facts of Live way.  And I am finding myself literally LOL.   I don't remember laughing so much when I originally watched these episodes almost 40 (OMG wow) years ago.  All five of them were really good actresses with great comic timing.  

I always felt that S3 might have had the show's strongest drama-esque episodes.  S1 was . . . well, S1.  And things were falling into place and becoming cohesive in S2.  S3 is when everything clicked.  I do remember back in the early 80s when previously taboo subjects were all over the tv.  I remember "Something About Amelia" with Ted Danson playing an incestuous child molesting father and Glenn Close as his wife.  It was positively scandalous when it aired.  Heck, even Little House on the Prairie had an episode about a girl that Albert liked who was raped (then ended up pregnant, of course, and had an unfortunate end courtesy of a ladder.)  

I've seen on other sites where "Fear Strikes Back" (S3E2) gets a lot of grief, but I think the show did a good job - considering FOL is a sitcom and they had 22 minutes to go from start to finish.  I think the girls' responses were dead on for the characters and for being teens - no real response from Tootie, Blair wants to pretend like it didn't happen, Jo hopes that some jerk tries something with her so she can beat his ass and Natalie is afraid of the dark and constantly worries about her safety.  

I think Mrs. G gave another good talk by saying that while she didn't fear a rapist growing up in Wisconsin, she feared things, including lightning.  And while it's not the same as the fear after being attacked, fear is fear.  

I also commend the show for not having the rapist caught by the end and wrap it up neatly. 

[bluegirl147]

7 minutes ago, psychoticstate said:

I always felt that S3 might have had the show's strongest drama-esque episodes.  S1 was . . . well, S1.  And things were falling into place and becoming cohesive in S2.  S3 is when everything clicked. 

I agree with you. As I was watching the first few episodes I was thinking this is their strongest season.

 

7 minutes ago, psychoticstate said:

I'm sorry but Tootie was my least favorite character out of the girls and Mrs. G (obviously).   

She got better as she got older but when she was at Eastland she really was annoying. She whined so much.

Edited February 21, 2022 by bluegirl147

[Maverick]

 The episode where Natalie's dad dies is airing now.  Watching with the sound off, I noticed that Blair has on a dark purple suit while Tootie's wearing a a grey dress and Jo has a dark jacket.  Blair's suit isn't inappropriate but I'd thing fashion queen would be the one to wear something black.  I'm sure she would have had something appropriate to the occasion in her famed wardrobe that she had to store in the pizza parlor during the gas leak.  

[Mrs. Landingham]

I agree that season 2 is when the show finally came together and season 3 was the best, culminating in the Paris movie.

I’ve watched that behind the scenes special of the show a few times and Asad Kalada (producer or creator can’t recall which) said that the episode where Jo is assaulted by Blair’s childhood friend at the country club was the moment where he realized he had a real show. Blair showed depth and loyalty to her new classmate and we saw the vulnerable side of Jo (the part of her that just wanted to fit in) and they established a real dynamic.

I also liked when Margie Peters, one of the writers, said that one of her conditions for coming aboard was that she be free to be realistic, i.e. getting those girls out of short shorts and into normal clothes for upstate NY. Season 2 was definitely an improvement. 

[psychoticstate]

1 hour ago, bluegirl147 said:

I agree with you. As I was watching the first few episodes I was thinking this is their strongest season.

 

She got better as she got older but when she was at Eastland she really was annoying. She whined so much.

Tootie had a special knack for whining and shouting -- whouting?  Shining?  
 

1 hour ago, Maverick said:

 The episode where Natalie's dad dies is airing now.  Watching with the sound off, I noticed that Blair has on a dark purple suit while Tootie's wearing a a grey dress and Jo has a dark jacket.  Blair's suit isn't inappropriate but I'd thing fashion queen would be the one to wear something black.  I'm sure she would have had something appropriate to the occasion in her famed wardrobe that she had to store in the pizza parlor during the gas leak.  

Ha!  I never noticed that.  
 

37 minutes ago, Mrs. Landingham said:

I agree that season 2 is when the show finally came together and season 3 was the best, culminating in the Paris movie.

I’ve watched that behind the scenes special of the show a few times and Asad Kalada (producer or creator can’t recall which) said that the episode where Jo is assaulted by Blair’s childhood friend at the country club was the moment where he realized he had a real show. Blair showed depth and loyalty to her new classmate and we saw the vulnerable side of Jo (the part of her that just wanted to fit in) and they established a real dynamic.

I also liked when Margie Peters, one of the writers, said that one of her conditions for coming aboard was that she be free to be realistic, i.e. getting those girls out of short shorts and into normal clothes for upstate NY. Season 2 was definitely an improvement. 

The cheese may stand alone but I love the Paris movie.  Definitely the best out of the "Facts of Life Goes To" movie selection.  

The episode Asaad Kelada is talking about really shows how strong Nancy McKeon's acting was (and she was FOURTEEN) and how good the chemistry was with her and Lisa Whelchel.  The frenemy vibe was already set up but it also showed that when push came to shove, Blair was going to stick up for Jo, no matter what.  

Regarding Margie Peters, yes.  Eastland is supposed to be in upstate New York and in S1 the girls were running around in short shorts and tiny t-shirts in the autumn?  I'm thinking not.  And not a single NY accent in the bunch!  

I appreciated that in S2 we saw the girls in their school uniform the majority of the time -- unless it was clearly the weekend or they were doing something outside of school.  You know, more realistic! 

[Mrs. Landingham]

52 minutes ago, psychoticstate said:

The cheese may stand alone but I love the Paris movie.  Definitely the best out of the "Facts of Life Goes To" movie selection.  

I’ll stand with you. The Paris movie gives me a ton of nostalgia. Sure, there were annoyances but overall, I liked it. I’m old enough to remember life without cell phones and the scarcity of pay phones, so it gives me a small surge of exhilaration watching the girls run around Paris and outskirts independently, with only the understanding that they meet Mrs. G the night before their flight home. Hitchhiking! Meeting strangers! (In my younger traveling days, I called my parents from a hotel landline once a week to let them know I was alive. Now? I am over-connected and hideously reachable with my cell, meh.) The movie has especially been nice to watch during this pandemic.

[GHScorpiosRule]

2 hours ago, psychoticstate said:

I appreciated that in S2 we saw the girls in their school uniform the majority of the time -- unless it was clearly the weekend or they were doing something outside of school.  You know, more realistic! 

Well except for Blair in her western shirts and skirts! Lisa pretty much stopped wearing jeans and like a teenager and more like a matron after the first season. When she wasn’t wearing the uniform.

[psychoticstate]

15 hours ago, Mrs. Landingham said:

I’ll stand with you. The Paris movie gives me a ton of nostalgia. Sure, there were annoyances but overall, I liked it. I’m old enough to remember life without cell phones and the scarcity of pay phones, so it gives me a small surge of exhilaration watching the girls run around Paris and outskirts independently, with only the understanding that they meet Mrs. G the night before their flight home. Hitchhiking! Meeting strangers! (In my younger traveling days, I called my parents from a hotel landline once a week to let them know I was alive. Now? I am over-connected and hideously reachable with my cell, meh.) The movie has especially been nice to watch during this pandemic.

We stand in unison, Mrs. Landingham!  I also remember the pre-cell phone era and having to carry a dime or quarter) with you everywhere in case you needed to use a pay phone.  

It is pretty amazing to watch the Paris movie today and think that Natalie was what?  15?  Tootie would have been 14 then and they were running around Paris unsupervised.  I think the season before this, Tootie's parents would not allow her to go to New York with Mrs. G and the other girls so I can only imagine how they would react over her being completely unsupervised in Paris.  

14 hours ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

Well except for Blair in her western shirts and skirts! Lisa pretty much stopped wearing jeans and like a teenager and more like a matron after the first season. When she wasn’t wearing the uniform.

Ha ha!  By the time Blair and Jo start college, Blair was dressing like a 40-year-old executive or secretary.   I blame the wardrobe department, who seemed to think that Lisa's healthy figure couldn't be put into jeans or something your average college student would wear, and the 80s.  Heck, when the gang over at Beverly Hills 90210 were starting their freshman year of college a decade later, Kelly Taylor was going to class in little pastel suits (I remember them well.)  

At least by the time Natalie and Tootie were on campus, they were dressing a little more appropriately (although still very much in their 80s splendor.)  

p.s. - An interesting tidbit I remember reading or hearing:  supposedly when she wasn't filming and on set, Lisa would be in camo/cargo pants with pockets and she'd usually have a book in one of those pockets that she'd be reading between takes.  I think I heard that she was the least like her FOL counterpart out of the four of them.   

[Maverick]

 Fashion-wise, Season 5 was All About Wool.   Sweaters.  So many sweaters.  There's that scene that was in the credits where the girls are applying to get their jobs back and they look like an ad in J Crew.  

[bluegirl147]

15 hours ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

Well except for Blair in her western shirts and skirts! Lisa pretty much stopped wearing jeans and like a teenager and more like a matron after the first season. When she wasn’t wearing the uniform.

Blair was rich NYC girl.  Wardrobe really dressed her wrong.

1 hour ago, psychoticstate said:

 I blame the wardrobe department, who seemed to think that Lisa's healthy figure couldn't be put into jeans or something your average college student would wear, and the 80s.

If that is true then shame on them.  

1 hour ago, psychoticstate said:

I think the season before this, Tootie's parents would not allow her to go to New York with Mrs. G and the other girls so I can only imagine how they would react over her being completely unsupervised in Paris.  

I just watched that episode last night.  I always wondered if her parents were ever told  she came into the city.  Considering she was almost trafficked her parents (and Mrs Garrett) was right for not wanting her to go into the city without adult supervision.  

[JAYJAY1979]

Out of all the girls, Tootie seemed to wear the 80s looks well.

80s fashion was all about looking older than you were vs fashions of today where it's more youthful.

Blair's look would have worked as a female executive..while Jo's 80s vibe was interesting. 

[CeeBeeGee]

On 2/18/2022 at 2:30 PM, psychoticstate said:

So Jonathan Dutton is a famous photographer with no one else in his studio?  Where is his assistant?  The makeup people?  The wardrobe people?  If they are hiding in the back, it's understandable after seeing what Tootie is in.  This was in 1981.  I remember 1981.  That was the year Princess Diana was introduced to the world, when frilly, romantic blouses were in, when culottes were in.  Tootie is dressed like it's 1977 with her bejeweled headband and hanging beads and multicolor outfit.  I mean, even 14-year-old Reena (12!) is at least wearing a long gown like many of the models did wear in the fashion mags.  So the photographer then puts Tootie on a stool to take snaps?   Huh?  And the still shots that were shown, supposedly of the photographs he's taking, were godawful.  Ugh.  The whole thing just made no sense.  

Good on Mrs. Garrett for calling out that a naked child should have zero to do with perfume.  When the photographer said that Tootie needed to lose 8 pounds (exactly 8, not 10!) I couldn't help but think how the show never did that to Natalie - and good on them for it.  

Pretty Babies is painfully implausible and frankly, cheap-looking (those freeze-flash photos! As if!). And I love your point about how disco-era Tootie's outfit is. That said, they caught a super creepy vibe that did indeed exist at the time--the sexualization of very young girls, a hangover from the '70s. Think Roman Polanski, David Bowie, Jimmy Paige, the first five years of Brooke Shields's career where, starting at the age of twelve she was either playing a prostitute in Louis Malle's Pretty Baby, interestingly), or improbably naked and running around in a towel, or full simulating sex on a beach (or a suburban house). Or doing very suggestive ads for Calvin Klein. It was completely normalized. It even lingered on in the first season with the "Blair's mom is a ho" episode, and the girls running around in short shorts. Thank God they recalibrated the show and I did like Mrs. Garrett's diatribe against that crap in Pretty Baby.

 

On 2/19/2022 at 12:22 PM, psychoticstate said:

That was a really good line and Kim Fields' delivery was spot on.  

And Jo's response to Blair saying that Mrs. Garrett always said they could talk to her about anything without fear ("She was talking about sex.  This is personal!") was gold.  

Kim's comic acting was very strong. Great instincts.

And I love that line of Jo's! It's the Bronx accent ("She was tawkin' about sex!") that really nails it.

[Maverick]

 Jo had a big change in look at the start of season 6 without an explanation.  In season 5 she still has here pony tail and wears camo/jeans/vests, etc.  All of sudden she's got big 80s hair and sweater dresses.  The change in clothing style I could maybe buy (but it was such a big change it warranted at least a passing comment about why/to acknowledge it) but I just didn't buy Jo having a hairstyle that was that much work.   

 And also on the subject of her fashion choices, WTF with the red thing she was wearing in the Ft. Lauderdale episode?  Did she mug Nena and steal 30 of her 99 luftballons?  Did no one tell her it's parachute pants, not an actual parachute?   Did she lift it from the set of the Tomorrow People episode where bubble suits were taking over the people of Earth?    

[Bort]

8 hours ago, Maverick said:

I just didn't buy Jo having a hairstyle that was that much work.   

Except Jo never had a simple ponytail, it was some weird triple ponytail that was… a lot of work.

[FormerMod-a1]

I never saw that as a lot of work - do one side pony tail, do the other, now gather all the hair (including them) in the third at the back.  Done.  In fact, I may have tried it in my youth.  :D

[GHScorpiosRule]

27 minutes ago, aquarian1 said:

I never saw that as a lot of work - do one side pony tail, do the other, now gather all the hair (including them) in the third at the back.  Done.  In fact, I may have tried it in my youth.  :D

Me too.

Just as there were no explanations for Blair's continued different hairstyles, I never paid attention to Jo finally getting rid of the pony tail.

[RealHousewife]

14 hours ago, JAYJAY1979 said:

Out of all the girls, Tootie seemed to wear the 80s looks well.

80s fashion was all about looking older than you were vs fashions of today where it's more youthful.

Blair's look would have worked as a female executive..while Jo's 80s vibe was interesting. 

Yeah the fashion back then was much more mature. I think young women and girls who looked youngest were probably around the 90s or early 2000s. The fashion was more youthful, but teens who contour and 20-somethings full of botox weren't a thing yet. 

[GHScorpiosRule]

9 minutes ago, RealHousewife said:

Yeah the fashion back then was much more mature. I think young women and girls who looked youngest were probably around the 90s or early 2000s. The fashion was more youthful, but teens who contour and 20-somethings full of botox weren't a thing yet. 

No, it really wasn't. We wore t-shirts, and jeans and actually dressed like...what teenagers dressed like. None of those hoop/swing skirts for us! 

Blair's and even Tootie's clothing choices weren't for the typical teen or even college student. Well, at least not on the East Coast at the time.

Look at Samantha's dress style in Who's the Boss? SHE dressed like real teens during the 80s

[RealHousewife]

Just now, GHScorpiosRule said:

No, it really wasn't. We wore t-shirts, and jeans and actually dressed like...what teenagers dressed like. None of those hoop/swing skirts for us! 

Blair's and even Tootie's clothing choices weren't for the typical teen or even college student. Well, at least not on the East Coast at the time.

I was a toddler for my 80s existence, so I'm sure you know better than me. I looked at the fashion that wasn't jeans, although I have seen some fun dresses that were youthful. I'm sure you're right that the way Blair was styled wasn't typical. I wonder if part of why some females from that era look more mature than my generation is the hair/makeup? 

[Snow Apple]

How funny. In the 80's we thought we looked so youthful, especially compared to our parent's generation when they were our age. 

I agree we dressed more like Samantha in Who's the Boss or even Mallory from Family Ties than TFOL. 

I also think Jo's ponytail can work today on girls. Not the big puffy hair in the later seasons though. It's funny that I still see older women still sporting that big hair. 

[GHScorpiosRule]

22 minutes ago, RealHousewife said:

I wonder if part of why some females from that era look more mature than my generation is the hair/makeup? 

Oh yeah. The 80s were all about the BIG HAIR and HUMONGOUS Shoulder Pads!!!

I stayed away from the BIG HAIR, though. And so did the girls on this show.

And what'sherface saying she dressed Lisa in those skirts and western shirts to "hide" her body, totally contradicts what they all said: that the show, writers let them be their real, normal, healthy sizes, and not stick, size 0. So why then try to hide Lisa?

[Snow Apple]

Thanks for reminding me of shoulder pads. They looked weird on me and I didn't like the look anyway. I took them out of my newly brought clothes back then. My mom used them as oven mitts. LOL.

[RealHousewife]

17 minutes ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

Oh yeah. The 80s were all about the BIG HAIR and HUMONGOUS Shoulder Pads!!!

I stayed away from the BIG HAIR, though. And so did the girls on this show.

And what'sherface saying she dressed Lisa in those skirts and western shirts to "hide" her body, totally contradicts what they all said: that the show, writers let them be their real, normal, healthy sizes, and not stick, size 0. So why then try to hide Lisa?

Honestly guys, I love me some big hair! I need it to come back. lol

So sad. Lisa has always been a knockout.