I think they all were, sans Tootie. I do like Tootie, but her dramatic scenes always seemed forced. The episode where Natalie lost (her dad?) was very, very good. MC was excellent. Jo was good in the episodes where her she realized her parents were never getting back together again. She was also good in that one where her teacher-friend died. That scene where she came home in the middle of the night to find Mrs. G and Tootie waiting for her was pure drama. It was not played for laughs at all. There wasn't a single joke. Blair was good in that one where her face gets scarred. The thing I liked best about FOL was the fact that it was not afraid to tackle drama. They had many episodes that were an equal mix of drama and comedy. I think that's why I also like Roseanne. If you think about it, Facts dealt with many, many dramatic issues.

I CONCUR, NO OBJECTIONS HERE, COUNCELOR:)

I agree as well.

Yep. Some episodes were just great in dealing with drama. And I agree that Kim's scenes seemed forced and unbelieveable, especially in "Starstruck."

Yep. Some episodes were just great in dealing with drama. And I agree that Kim's scenes seemed forced and unbelieveable, especially in "Starstruck."


I think Kim was really good in "Starstruck". I think the way that she was acting was totally believable. If you look at old footage from the 1960's of teenagers going hystrical over The Beatles, you will see what I mean.

I like the one where Eddie comes back and Jo thinks they're getting back together and Eddie plays along. And then Tootie sees that wedding picture in Eddie's wallet and confronts Jo. Jo pretty much tells Tootie to shut up, that she's a liar. And then at the end, when Jo learns the truth, Eddie says to her, "I'm sorry". And Jo is crying and she says, "So am I" and the episode ends. I was crying right along with Jo. They had great endings on that show. I like too when Jo's father says, "Jo, we ARE close, and I do love you and your mother. Very much. But Jo, we'll never be a family again." And Jo is crying and the show ends. Man, Jo sure did a lot of crying on this show!

I agree with Blair's number #1 fan, although Tootie was annoying in "Starstruck," I do think her acting was believable. I recall seeing fans on tv react like that to the New Kids on the Block and The Spice Girls. :lol: Jo was the best though in her dramatic roles, they always were believable and made you feel for her.

I like the one where Eddie comes back and Jo thinks they're getting back together and Eddie plays along. And then Tootie sees that wedding picture in Eddie's wallet and confronts Jo. Jo pretty much tells Tootie to shut up, that she's a liar. And then at the end, when Jo learns the truth, Eddie says to her, "I'm sorry". And Jo is crying and she says, "So am I" and the episode ends. I was crying right along with Jo. They had great endings on that show. I like too when Jo's father says, "Jo, we ARE close, and I do love you and your mother. Very much. But Jo, we'll never be a family again." And Jo is crying and the show ends. Man, Jo sure did a lot of crying on this show!


Jo did do a lot of crying on the show. I think that was because despite or "tough guy" persona, she was a person that had a lot of pain in her heart. Her parents were divorced, her father spent time in jail, she had a friend who commited suicide, and in "Teacher's Pet" her teacher friend died. That is a lot for such a young girl do have delt with in her life. Besides, Nancy was such a terrific dramatic actress. I think when it came to drama, Nancy was the best among the FOL cast just as Lisa was the best when it came to comedy.

I missed the episode where Jo's best friend commits suicide. What happened? I thought I had seen every single Facts episodes (sans season 9), but I don't recall this one at all. Was it one of her friends back home?

I missed the episode where Jo's best friend commits suicide. What happened? I thought I had seen every single Facts episodes (sans season 9), but I don't recall this one at all. Was it one of her friends back home?


There wasn't actually an episode about Jo's friend commiting suicide. It was something that happened before she even came to Eastland. Jo mentions it during the second season episode "Breaking Point" in which a fellow Eastland student takes her own life.

Oh thanks. I know they're not real people or anything, but I always sort of got the idea that Jo didn't have a very pleasant past. I always thought worse things hapened to her than she ever let on. Many of the victims of abuse or assault that I work with act very similarly to how Jo did during the first couple of seasons. I always had the feeling there was much more to Jo that wasn't revealed. I mean, not involving the parents. They seemed decent. But she had such a sadness in her eyes that I see much too frequently in my line of work. Maybe Nancy herself had the baggage and it was coming out in her acting, that could be. But that sad and pained look is very hard to mistake when you've been working with mistreaten teens and children every day. Something was wrong with her. And although a great actress, maybe NM wouldn't be able to portray such a complex emotion at age 14, 15. Which leads me to think that that sad look was something from her own life. I can just spot it in someone's eyes right away and it makes me tear-up even after all these years of working with them. Something just wasn't right with her.

I like the one where Eddie comes back and Jo thinks they're getting back together and Eddie plays along. And then Tootie sees that wedding picture in Eddie's wallet and confronts Jo. Jo pretty much tells Tootie to shut up, that she's a liar. And then at the end, when Jo learns the truth, Eddie says to her, "I'm sorry". And Jo is crying and she says, "So am I" and the episode ends. I was crying right along with Jo. They had great endings on that show. I like too when Jo's father says, "Jo, we ARE close, and I do love you and your mother. Very much. But Jo, we'll never be a family again." And Jo is crying and the show ends.


Man, Jo sure did a lot of crying on this show!

:rofl: NOT THAT I MEAN TO LAUGH, BUT THE WAY YOU PUT THAT WAS FUNNY.

ALSO, I HAD THOUGHT THE SAME THING. NO ONE CRIED AS MUCH AS JO, OR GOT AS EMOTIONAL AS HER. SHE WAS A VERY PASSIONATE, EMOTIONAL PERSON ON ONE HAND, AND A WALL OF BRICKS ON THE OTHER.

I LOVE HER COMPLEX CHARACTER. JO IS LIKE A BOX OF CHOCOLATES...YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GONNA GET:D

YOU KNOW, ONE SUBJECT I THOUGHT THIS SHOW SHOULD'VE TACKLED FOR SURE, WAS SEXUAL ABUSE. I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT RAPE OR ATTEMPTED RAPE LIKE IN THE EPISODES OF "FEAR STRIKES BACK" OR "DOUBLE STANDARD". ALTHOUGH IN "DOUBLE STANDARD" BLAIR DOES KNOW THE PERSON.

THE WRITERS MISSED A GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY TO GET THIS MESSAGE OUT THERE, AND I THINK IT WOULD HAVE BEEN MOST EFFECTIVE IF JO WAS THE ONE WHO WAS ABUSED. IT WOULD MAKE PERFECT SENSE AS TO HER CHARACTER AS WELL, AND I HAD WONDERED IF THAT MIGHT'VE BEEN THE CASE; BUT THEN I DISMISSED IT, THINKING THAT IF IT WERE, THE WRITERS WOULD HAVE WRITTEN IT IN.

JO COULD'VE HAD NIGHTMARES, OR PEOPLE AROUND HER COULD NOTICE SHE WAS ACTING DIFFERENT. ALSO, SHE COULD'VE WALKED INTO MRS. G'S ROOM AND SHE COULD HAVE CONFIDED WHAT A RELATIVE DID TO HER. THEY COULD HAVE HAD THE BEST CONVERSATION OF THE ENTIRE SERIES, DEALING WITH THIS VERY REAL PROBLEM.

I TRULY BELIEVE AN EPISODE LIKE THIS WOULD HAVE HELPED MANY GIRLS COME FORWARD WITH THEIR ABUSE, AND IT WOULD HAVE HELPED IN THE HEALING PROCESS. AFTERALL, JUST LOOK AT ALL THE MAIL THEY RECEIVED ABOUT THE EPISODE ON SUICIDE.

I ALMOST THINK IT'S BORDERLINE IRRESPONSIBLE FOR THEM NOT TO DO SO. WITH A HOUSEHOLD FULL OF YOUNG WOMEN, AND A VIEWING AUDIENCE OF SUCH, THEY REALLY BLEW IT ON THIS ONE.

AND HOW DO I KNOW? WELL...IT WOULD HAVE HELPED ME. AND THAT'S A FACT OF LIFE.

WHO KNOWS, MAYBE JO jr WILL BE THE ONE THAT HELPS. SEND ME A PRIVATE MESS IF YOU'D LIKE:)

I don t understand why does everyone think JO is the only "drama queen" of the show: what about BLAIR (i know she s a comedian too, but so are all the girls in their own way), i mean have you forgotten the episode "WORKING IT OUT", when she s upset of the way she dumps CLIFF, how heartbroken she is that MRS. G has to comfort her? Or the episode "LESS THAN PERFECT" when she s all alone in that hospital + luckily JO is at her side, how hurt BLAIR was at how unfair it was for destiny to let her fall asleep in the car (when all she wanted to do was spend some extra time with CASEY).
What about it anyone?

It's was Lisa's comedic acting that got me hooked on FOL last year. (anyone remember the yo-yo scene?) But I agree, she has some excellent dramatic scenes as well. I think her best dramatic acting was in "Less Than Perfect" but the next best is "I'm Dancing as Fast as I Can".

I disagree. Kim Fields was good at drama, especially during her conservation with Geri in the "Sound of Silence", a tear even fell down her face. She made you feel that she was actually going deaf.