So, I found out at the end of January that Shout had finally released all nine seasons of FOL on DVD so I snatched it up. I just finished the box set, including the pathetic trivia game and the amazing Paley Center interview and I feel the void I do when I finish any rewatch.


I started watching FOL around 2002 if I remember correctly, at the age of 12, now I am closing in on 28 with a college degree, a husband, and two children. I must admit the show subconsciously came into my life in ways I never expected or even realized until this show.

I have always had a deep passion for writing, if you go back far enough on the Fan Fiction board you will find several of mine, so in my rewatch I came to a new appreciation of Natalie, and Jo given her small stint on the Eastland paper.

Jo has always been my favorite and still is, but I found a new appreciation for the later seasons that I lacked at a young age but also finding myself not "shipping" the same relationships I did as a child and I finally understood why they did nit work. Sam, for example in "Taking a Chance on Love" I remember loving them as a child and not realizing why they broke up, but now I get it and support the writers. The only thing I wish would've happened differently is that I wish that David from The Facts of Life Goes to Paris would have been featured in an episode to give more closure.

I also wish Scott Bryce, who played Jo's husband, Rick, would have had a bigger role in season 9, more than 4 total episodes at least! I was intrigued by their relationship as an adult and would have liked to see more of it.

Finally I have a bigger issue than I feel I use to with the final 3 episodes. Why on earth are the final 3 spinoff attempts?!! I understand how Big Apple Blues was essential to Natalie's closing story as is Beginning of the End/Beginning of the Beginning to Blair's but couldnt they have condensed them and had more of the 4 girls??? I get Till Marriage Do Us Part was Jo's closer and Tootie had a line about going to London in The Beginning but I feel very cheated on a real finale.

So, now that you've read my rambling, did you view of the show change as you matured?

You’re definitely not the only one who felt cheated of a proper finale.

I have to say, I thoroughly enjoyed and relate to every ounce of your post. I started watching the show in 2000 on nick at night as a freshman in high school. I have continually loved FOL and go back to my dvd’s Every now and then. I too have my degree, career, husband, and two children. I too have finally learned to appreciate those college years too! Season 2 and 3 were my favorite when I was younger. I think it was partly the friendships and mother figure that were shining so brightly in those seasons. As a teenager I longed for that immensely. Now having lived on my own thru my college years and appreciating those friendships and the most fun times I had, I now appreciate season 5 and 6 most. I love the episodes when it’s just the girls and mrs g isn’t really involved. Funny how things change and you grow. And as you pointed out, funny how I understand things differently now when I watch reruns on MeTV! Anyways, I just wanted to say I feel exactly how you do and yes, the series ending was a joke. Jo’s wedding being condensed like that (even mrs g got a two-parter) and the quick last scene of goodbye’s. I honestly think they thought they’d be renewed and then found out they didn’t so they quickly threw that one scene in there. Not a great way to end after 9 years. That’s why, like you, I used to write a lot of fan fics back in the day, pretty sure I wrote a “proper finale”. Now that would be a trip down memory lane to go dig those up!

They knew early in 1988 that the show, as-is, was not going to be renewed. Nancy McKeon wasn’t willing to continue and the ratings had fallen. That’s when the producers and NBC came up with the “Next Generation” concept. They originally offered it to Nancy, with Jo returning to Eastland as a teacher, but she declined. And that would have made sense, with Jo as an education major.

But then they shoehorned Blair into the concept, with Blair buying Eastland and becoming headmistress. How dumb. They could have done their crappy spinoff attempts prior to the final episode and have done a real finale. But like “Three’s Company”, the producers made the last episode lead directly into the spinoff.

The whole 8th and 9th seasons are pretty terrible.

I have to say, I thoroughly enjoyed and relate to every ounce of your post. I started watching the show in 2000 on nick at night as a freshman in high school. I have continually loved FOL and go back to my dvd’s Every now and then. I too have my degree, career, husband, and two children. I too have finally learned to appreciate those college years too! Season 2 and 3 were my favorite when I was younger. I think it was partly the friendships and mother figure that were shining so brightly in those seasons. As a teenager I longed for that immensely. Now having lived on my own thru my college years and appreciating those friendships and the most fun times I had, I now appreciate season 5 and 6 most. I love the episodes when it’s just the girls and mrs g isn’t really involved. Funny how things change and you grow. And as you pointed out, funny how I understand things differently now when I watch reruns on MeTV! Anyways, I just wanted to say I feel exactly how you do and yes, the series ending was a joke. Jo’s wedding being condensed like that (even mrs g got a two-parter) and the quick last scene of goodbye’s. I honestly think they thought they’d be renewed and then found out they didn’t so they quickly threw that one scene in there. Not a great way to end after 9 years. That’s why, like you, I used to write a lot of fan fics back in the day, pretty sure I wrote a “proper finale”. Now that would be a trip down memory lane to go dig those up!
Not sure if you remember but you and I use to talk a lot back in the day. I hope your doing well! I actually recently dug through the fan fiction board a couple months ago and thoroughly enjoyed the stroll down memory lane with our old stories.

Thank you for sharing your opinion :heart: