Jenny O'Hara was only in four episodes as the uptight and prudish Miss Mahaoney. What was her best episode?

I pick her last episode, "IQ" as her best episode. It was the one she had the biggest role in. The last part of her giving Mr. Bradley and Mrs. Garrett an IQ test was hilarious.

I also voted for "IQ", as it heavily featured her. She was GREAT in that episode. Ironically, it would be her final one.

I think all of us voted for IQ: it was definitely MISS MAHONEY's episode, and she looked most attractive too!!!

Exactly. Not only was she looking her best in "IQ", she was no longer uptight or prudish! She was delightful Miss Mahoney!

Clean sweep so far

Exactly. Not only was she looking her best in "IQ", she was no longer uptight or prudish! She was delightful Miss Mahoney!

It's really a shame she didn't try staying a little longer, to see if her character would continue to loosen up a bit. This version of Miss Mahoney could have genuinely been a confidante to the girls... a friend and mentor. Jenny mentioned the fact that she had little contact with the students was a big drawback to her character. Having her work with Nancy and Sue Ann gave the character much more depth and made her feel more integral to the storyline.

And I even think it's possible that, had she stayed in the role, we might not have lost so many girls in the Cast Purge. With more focus on the staff and faculty, the network might not have worried about the "gaggle of girls" they decided was the main problem.

But I guess we'll never know.

None of them :p

I seriously did not like her character. It always seemed like her character had a stick up her you-know-what and she was made redundant by Mrs. Garrett. I know that's more of the writer's fault than hers, but I didn't find that her character was needed.

None of them :p

I seriously did not like her character. It always seemed like her character had a stick up her you-know-what and she was made redundant by Mrs. Garrett. I know that's more of the writer's fault than hers, but I didn't find that her character was needed.

She definitely had a stick up her keister in the first few episodes, but what about "IQ"?

(Of course, you are very right in some ways, since Jenny herself felt the character was underused, and she exited very quickly after being introduced).

Yes, she's so relaxed in "IQ"--you can feel the change. The actually then current hair and wardrobe was surely a help! lol

Eh, she was ok. She was kind of lighthearted at the beginning, kinda snooty when delivering the news about the IQ scores, and sarcastic to Mr. Bradley during the IQ test. I found her character stone cold, serious, distant, and uptight. Mrs. Garrett had her beat because she could be disciplinary, sarcastic and cutting without being cold. Miss Mohoney reminded me of Nurse Wilson from Return to Oz. If you're not familiar, here's a picture of her.

Ahahahaha! Yes, we know Return to Oz!

(Don't we, '80sSitcoms?)

Oh my gosh

I am with Impressions, none of them. Miss Mahoney was a terrible character who wasn't missed when she left. Even Molly is better than her.

I am with Impressions, none of them. Miss Mahoney was a terrible character who wasn't missed when she left. Even Molly is better than her.

Good to have you weigh in! :wave:

I am with Impressions, none of them. Miss Mahoney was a terrible character who wasn't missed when she left. Even Molly is better than her.

She was worse than Molly, Pippa, Andy and Kelly combined! She was my least favorite character.

She was worse than Molly, Pippa, Andy and Kelly combined! She was my least favorite character.

No-one's worse than Kelly. That girl was a stalker obsessed with Jo. :lol:

No-one's worse than Kelly. That girl was a stalker obsessed with Jo. :lol:

I agree! Even Pippa was better than Kelly:lol:

Without a doubt her best episode was I.Q., since it was the only episode of season 1 where she had a bigger role. The character was not so bad, the problem was that the girls had Mrs. Garrett as their main confidant and mentor and Miss Mahoney would have been redundant

I agree! Even Pippa was better than Kelly:lol:

At least Pippa had a reason for being there, contrived as it was: she was attending Eastland. I never got the feeling that Kelly really would have hung around the shop: what was her motivation in doing so?

After reading all the comments, i have to say that i strongly agree with Retro!

MISS MAHONEY would have definitely made a great confidante and mentor to the girls: she wasn't MRS G of course, but in the episode 'I.Q' she delivered a great performance and was beginning to bond with the girls!

I strongly disagree with Impression though: there is no way that URCHIN ANDY was anywhere better than MISS MAHONEY! (that kid was so annoying i could strangle him!).

In any case: MR BRADLEY and MISS MAHONEY were far better actors than the ones we got during the later seasons (such as URCHIN ANDY, GEORGE and even PIPPA): they simply bonded so well with the main casts, and the latter didn't really!

All the season 1 characters were fantastic, whereas Only a few ones were during the later seasons.

This is my opinion anyway....

PS: i didn't find MISS MAHONEY cold in the least (she simply had a dry sense of humour, and i found her character hilarious!)

Yes i loved all s1 chars too. Even Mr Bradley

Yes i loved all s1 chars too. Even Mr Bradley

Even though Mr. Bradley was too heavy-handed at times, I wish they had brought him back as semi-regular for Season 2. Mr. Harris brought very little to the table, other than wearing a toupee. Mr. Bradley could have easily been worked into that script (and others). Imagine him stewing in "The New Girl" or "Teenage Marriage". Imagine him breaking the sad news in "Breaking Point".

After reading all the comments, i have to say that i strongly agree with Retro!

MISS MAHONEY would have definitely made a great confidante and mentor to the girls: she wasn't MRS G of course, but in the episode 'I.Q' she delivered a great performance and was beginning to bond with the girls!

I strongly disagree with Impression though: there is no way that URCHIN ANDY was anywhere better than MISS MAHONEY! (that kid was so annoying i could strangle him!).

In any case: MR BRADLEY and MISS MAHONEY were far better actors than the ones we got during the later seasons (such as URCHIN ANDY, GEORGE and even PIPPA): they simply bonded so well with the main casts, and the latter didn't really!

All the season 1 characters were fantastic, whereas Only a few ones were during the later seasons.

This is my opinion anyway....

PS: i didn't find MISS MAHONEY cold in the least (she simply had a dry sense of humour, and i found her character hilarious!)

With a little loosening up, Miss Mahoney could have been GREAT. I don't think she was redundant to Mrs. Garrett; in fact, having her be a confidante to Mrs. Garrett could have kept the show focused on Garrett a little more, and not so much on her charges.

Even though Mr. Bradley was too heavy-handed at times, I wish they had brought him back as semi-regular for Season 2. Mr. Harris brought very little to the table, other than wearing a toupee. Mr. Bradley could have easily been worked into that script (and others). Imagine him stewing in "The New Girl" or "Teenage Marriage". Imagine him breaking the sad news in "Breaking Point".

He certainly would’ve added a lot more

With a little loosening up, Miss Mahoney could have been GREAT. I don't think she was redundant to Mrs. Garrett; in fact, having her be a confidante to Mrs. Garrett could have kept the show focused on Garrett a little more, and not so much on her charges.




I find myself agreeing more and more with you Retro!

There is no way MISS MAHONEY was redundant to MRS G:
In fact, i remember in the very first episode 'Rough housing' they had a moment, when 'our feisty red haired' tells her she should go out with MR BRADLEY as a date (they seemed to bond then!).
Unfortunately they never developed that bond, and after the episode 'I'Q', she was history....
And yes, given the chance, MISS MAHONEY as a close friend to MRS G and an extra confidante to the girls could have added more substance to the show!

I have started watching season 2 again, and i have to say that it's no way as good as season 1! (i know we're only a minority unfortunately)
For once, i got so used to having chubby/dynamic MRS G in contrast to the skinny nutritionist, (but still 'feisty red haired' at least!): MRS G was so homey and looked more maternal when surrounded by her 7 girls!
I also liked MRS G best in the 'pilot', when she had the greatest dynamic with [I]rebellious golden haired BLAIR!

:bighug::bighug::bighug::bighug::bighug::bighug::bighug::bighug::bighug::bighug::bighug::bighug::bighug::bighug:

I find myself agreeing more and more with you Retro!

There is no way MISS MAHONEY was redundant to MRS G:
In fact, i remember in the very first episode 'Rough housing' they had a moment, when 'our feisty red haired' tells her she should go out with MR BRADLEY as a date (they seemed to bond then!).
Unfortunately they never developed that bond, and after the episode 'I'Q', she was history....

Yeah, it did seem like Mrs. G and "Miss M" shared a nice bonding moment. It also would have been interesting to see Mr. Bradley and Miss Mahoney out on a date; maybe we could have seen a will-they-won't-they back and forth budding romance between the two of them for the rest of the season. Alas, it wasn't meant to be.


And yes, given the chance, MISS MAHONEY as a close friend to MRS G and an extra confidante to the girls could have added more substance to the show!

Mrs. G definitely needed a confidante in episodes like "Overachieving", where she ends up confiding Mr. Ramsey's problem with her to the girls, instead of to a trusted staff member. Had she confided in Miss Mahoney, with the girls merely overhearing the conversation, it would have made Mrs. Garrett seem more like a professional than a woman running to her girls with all her problems.

Similarly, "Give and Take", "The Marriage Brokers", "September Song", and "Under Pressure" could have used a female confidante for Mrs. Garrett.

And think, too, of the classroom scenes we might have had, if there had been a regular teacher at Eastland. Instead, Mr. Bradley was forced to do triple duty as headmaster, coach, and teacher in "Adoption", "Emily Dickinson", "Running", and "The Facts of Love". If Miss Mahoney had been in more classroom scenes, it wouldn't have been necessary to keep Mr. Bradley in scenes where he was otherwise wedged in.


I have started watching season 2 again, and i have to say that it's no way as good as season 1!

No, the larger cast made it feel more like a school. When they artificially limited the show to a handful of students, it lost something. That feeling of a gaggle of girls learning the facts of life at a girls' school, with actual desks and teachers and blackboards and other students. When Natalie makes grapefruit for the students in the cafeteria, I roll my eyes: she prepares a total of six halves! :lol: As if three grapefruits are enough to feed the entire school!