Hi all.

This is a very ironic thread for me because I really do love the Mrs. Garrett character very much, but when I got to talking about the "Like Mother, Like Daughter" episode in season one on another thread just now, I realized there were a few things about this character I really DIDN'T like at all. Believe it or not, there are a few episodes in which I strongly disagree with Mrs. Garrett and her "wonderful" advice and there are actually some qualities about Mrs. Garrett that get on my nerves. This thread is actually dedicated to things we all DON'T like about Mrs. G., and episodes in which she did things that annoyed the hell out of us or even angered us.

I'll start.

Like Mother, Like Daughter: This is one of my biggest Mrs. G. pet peeves of all time! :lol: Okay, Blair catches Monica CLEARLY in the process of setting up an affair with a married man and is understandably devastated. When Blair calls Monica on the way she's acting, Monica actually hits her...then after being hit by Monica, does Mrs. Garrett get on Monica's case about her, to be blunt, LOUSY conduct and about hitting her child? Oh, HELL no! She gets on BLAIR'S case to love and accept her mother the way she is, faults and all...now somebody tell me why the HELL Monica didn't get the damned lecture????? To say Mrs. Garrett ROYALLY screwed up and missed the boat in that episode is a gross understatement. :rolleyes: Shame on you, Mrs. G.!

Front Page: It REALLY ticks me off at Mrs. Garrett that she fusses at Jo, who we all know is already REALLY sensitive inside, for running that front-page story about her journalism teacher getting caught a crack party. Okay, yes, maybe Jo was, to use Mrs. G.'s quote, "dealing with a man's professional life" and maybe she should have used more thought and caution before deciding to print that story, but Mrs. Garrett ABSOLUTELY DID NOT take Jo's side into consideration. I guess she was TOTALLY okay with the fact that the jackass COMPLETELY humiliated her in front of all the other students earlier in the episode. Now yes, Jo should have talked about that with her teacher and worked it out with him before thinking about running that story, but still, nobody, no matter how old or young you are, likes to be publically humiliated in front of a bunch of other people. And Mrs. Garrett could have been more open and understanding to the fact that he flat out knew better, as he himself admitted in the end of the episode, than to stay at a party where he knew there were drugs. It makes me mad at her overall because by the end of the episode, we can all see how crushed Jo is by her mistake, and the LAST thing on earth she needed, I think, was to have it rubbed in by someone as important in her life as Mrs. Garrett was. Mrs. Garrett only made it a million times worse.

A Royal Pain: Other than the fact that when Princess Alex tries to run away from Eastland and Mrs. Garrett ignores the root of the problem, that she's doing it to try and get her oblivious parents' attention and doesn't say how awful and wrong it is that her parents are acting like they don't give a damn about her at all, I basically want to choke Mrs. Garrett in this episode for one reason. In the beginning of the episode, Mrs. Garrett goes into this high-pitched voice that GRATES on my last nerve! "I was visiting Europe when your parents were married! I have their heads on a plate!" I swear when she says that in that ANNOYING, RIDICULOUS high-pitched voice, I want to jump through the TV screen and wrap my fingers around Charlotte Rae's neck and cut off her air supply!

Oldest Living Graduate: It really annoys me when Mrs. Garrett preaches Jo this sermon about "You used her as much as she used you," blah, blah, blah...um, excuse me, but Jo was not "using" Marie the way that other people were. Jo did NOT want Marie's money for herself, as she makes abundantly clear earlier in the episode. She's trying to get it for her mother so she won't have to be cocktail waitress anymore. Mrs. Garrett has no business trying to make Jo feel guilty about wanting to help out her mother. Shame on you again, Mrs. G.! Jo has enough of a guilt complex as it is without your help! :rolleyes: :lol:

These are some really good points. However, I'm not sure I agree with them 100% though. In "Like Mother, Like Daughter", Monica was in the wrong, but I think what Mrs. Garrett was trying to convey to Blair, is that when you love a person you have to take the good and the bad. If we just try to love people who are perfect, we will not have anyone to love, because there is no one who is perfect.

In "Front Page", Jo destroyed a man's reputation and maybe even his career. Yeah, he did humiliate Jo, but she got carried away in trying to get revenge and went to the extreme. I love "Front Page" and have watched it quite a few times and at the end even though I feel bad for Jo, I feel far worse for Mr. Gideon (spell?). Jo should have handled that situation is a more mature fashion, and I think that Mrs. Garrett sided with Gideon because he really was the injured party in that incident.

My biggie is in the episoe "Jo's Secret" those of you reading my fic "True Friends" have probably read mine and LoveMrsG's discussion on this ep. But I myself and my biological father are pretty distant and having that experience and seeing them have Jo and Charlie make up so quickly and Mrs. G even urge Jo to forgive him seemed off. Yeah I get that Mrs. G was trying to give Jo good advice because generally kids and their parents are close, but it doesnt happen like that in every situation.

The only thing I truly dislike about Mrs. Garrett is her singing! :lol:

Although I do agree that she wasn't ALWAYS right in every episode. I guess that is what makes her human (or as human as a make-believe character can be ;))

These are some really good points. However, I'm not sure I agree with them 100% though. In "Like Mother, Like Daughter", Monica was in the wrong, but I think what Mrs. Garrett was trying to convey to Blair, is that when you love a person you have to take the good and the bad. If we just try to love people who are perfect, we will not have anyone to love, because there is no one who is perfect.

In "Front Page", Jo destroyed a man's reputation and maybe even his career. Yeah, he did humiliate Jo, but she got carried away in trying to get revenge and went to the extreme. I love "Front Page" and have watched it quite a few times and at the end even though I feel bad for Jo, I feel far worse for Mr. Gideon (spell?). Jo should have handled that situation is a more mature fashion, and I think that Mrs. Garrett sided with Gideon because he really was the injured party in that incident.

Well yes Mike, Jo did go to the extreme in wanting revenge, but it was clear I think that he had no business being a teacher at all. He definitely could (and I think SHOULD) have acted with more humanity and consideration towards Jo. Sure, he was trying to push her to be her best, but he could have let her know that and not let her think that he was just dogging her and putting her down. Personally, I think she did him a favor. And Jo cannot be blamed 100%. He was a complete fool for not leaving that party immediately when he saw what was going down, as he himself admits. Besides, somebody likely would have found out anyway, as small of a town as Peekskill is. It was clearly just as much his fault for his own bad/stupid choice as it was Jo's. And also in Jo's defense, of course she could have handled the situation with more maturity, but you've got to remember, she was how old in this ep? 16? 17? She was a teenager and all kids and teenagers make immature mistakes at some point in their lives. Yes, she should have handled the situation in a more mature fashion as you said, but how mature was it of Mr. Jerk--I mean, Mr. Gideon, to stay at a crack party? All of this, case in point, is my way of saying that while I couldn't like you any more if I tried Mike, LOL, I fervently (and respectfully) disagree with you on this ep. LOL, I HATE it! :rolleyes: I hate any ep where people come down too hard on Jo.

As for Like Mother, Like Daughter, I do see your point. I understand that Mrs. Garrett was just trying to get Blair to love and accept her mother the way she was, faults and all, but it still angers me that Blair kind of got lectured from Mrs. Garrett after Monica hit her. It also enormously bothers me that Mrs. Garrett made absolutely no attempt to relate to Blair and her feelings at all. She said nothing to validate how Blair was feeling. She could have, at the very least, told her that she understood why Blair was angry and that it was right that she'd be so upset towards her mother and agree with her that her mother was in the wrong for wanting to date a married man. But the way she approached it, it's almost like she totally took the attitude that Blair was completely wrong. And that makes me want to go upside Mrs. Garrett's head with a car! :lol: j/k Maybe not a car. :lol:

Well yes Mike, Jo did go to the extreme in wanting revenge, but it was clear I think that he had no business being a teacher at all. He definitely could (and I think SHOULD) have acted with more humanity and consideration towards Jo. Sure, he was trying to push her to be her best, but he could have let her know that and not let her think that he was just dogging her and putting her down. Personally, I think she did him a favor. And Jo cannot be blamed 100%. He was a complete fool for not leaving that party immediately when he saw what was going down, as he himself admits. Besides, somebody likely would have found out anyway, as small of a town as Peekskill is. It was clearly just as much his fault for his own bad/stupid choice as it was Jo's. And also in Jo's defense, of course she could have handled the situation with more maturity, but you've got to remember, she was how old in this ep? 16? 17? She was a teenager and all kids and teenagers make immature mistakes at some point in their lives. Yes, she should have handled the situation in a more mature fashion as you said, but how mature was it of Mr. Jerk--I mean, Mr. Gideon, to stay at a crack party? All of this, case in point, is my way of saying that while I couldn't like you any more if I tried Mike, LOL, I fervently (and respectfully) disagree with you on this ep. LOL, I HATE it! :rolleyes: I hate any ep where people come down too hard on Jo.

As for Like Mother, Like Daughter, I do see your point. I understand that Mrs. Garrett was just trying to get Blair to love and accept her mother the way she was, faults and all, but it still angers me that Blair kind of got lectured from Mrs. Garrett after Monica hit her. It also enormously bothers me that Mrs. Garrett made absolutely no attempt to relate to Blair and her feelings at all. She said nothing to validate how Blair was feeling. She could have, at the very least, told her that she understood why Blair was angry and that it was right that she'd be so upset towards her mother and agree with her that her mother was in the wrong for wanting to date a married man. But the way she approached it, it's almost like she totally took the attitude that Blair was completely wrong. And that makes me want to go upside Mrs. Garrett's head with a car! :lol: j/k Maybe not a car. :lol:

Well, I have to admit that you have made quite a good argument here. :)

Well, I have to admit that you have made quite a good argument here. :)
Thank you very much, Mike. :) You made some good points too.

The only thing I truly dislike about Mrs. Garrett is her singing! :lol:


What is really sad is that she still has a better singing voice than me. :lol:

What is really sad is that she still has a better singing voice than me. :lol:

Maybe that's true...I don't know. I'll have to ask you to sing for me sometime. But no matter how bad your voice is, I'd bet you don't go around singing solos in holiday variety shows, hanging out at piano bars belting out your favorite showtune, or singing an entire theme song all by yourself??? ;)

One thing I can say for Mrs. G...she is not modest or embarrassed by her lack of singing talent. My singing voice is a disgrace so I'd never have the guts to sing like that!

I'm a terrible singer as well and the only time anyone ever hears it is in the car or on karaoke night. Even though I'm one of the worst out of my friends its too much fun to pass up

Maybe that's true...I don't know. I'll have to ask you to sing for me sometime. But no matter how bad your voice is, I'd bet you don't go around singing solos in holiday variety shows, hanging out at piano bars belting out your favorite showtune, or singing an entire theme song all by yourself??? ;)

One thing I can say for Mrs. G...she is not modest or embarrassed by her lack of singing talent. My singing voice is a disgrace so I'd never have the guts to sing like that!

You don't want me to song, trust me. :lol: I did like Mrs. Garrett's "Silent Night" skit in "Christmas in the Bighouse"

You don't want me to song, trust me. :lol: I did like Mrs. Garrett's "Silent Night" skit in "Christmas in the Bighouse"

I love that episode, just never understood why they made it seem like Mrs. G was so talented when she sang Oh Holy Night. It's probably just me though...her singing voice seems to really bother me. I think it's funny, just bugs me that I think we're supposed to think it's good. Oh well...

I guess if you don't want to sing me a song I'll survive. ;)

Thank you very much, Mike. :) You made some good points too.

I'm afraid i'm gonna have to disagree with you:
the episode 'like mother, like daughter' is one of my favourite of season 1: it's the one that breaks the ice between MRS G and BLAIR, and from that moment on there is a strong bond between them. Besides, MRS G doesn't lecture BLAIR (it's on 'rough housing' that she lectures her severely by teaching her a lesson when she upsets CINDY) on the contrary she makes her feel better after they had their first heart to heart talk, and at the end of the episode BLAIR even looses her hair, puts her dress on and she and her mother make up!:happyface

In the episode “Give and Take”, we found out that she didn’t like dog food. She was afraid she would wind up eating it when she got old, because she didn’t have enough money.