TMC
12-07-2021, 05:03 AM
To borrow from Saved by the Bell Reviewed (https://web.archive.org/web/20190124151326/http://www.savedbythebellreviewed.com/category/all-the-new-class-episodes/the-new-class-recaps/):
Season 6, Episode 5: “Cigar Wars” (https://web.archive.org/web/20190124151326/http://www.savedbythebellreviewed.com/2016/08/08/the-new-class-season-6-episode-5-cigar-wars/) We did not need a second anti-smoking episode, especially one centered around Tony. It’s not quite as terrible as Lindsay’s anti-smoking episode from season three, but it’s certainly as preachy, and the reverse peer pressure and Tony smoking on the world’s most open campus are two of the stupidest things of this season.
Season 6, Episode 9: “Mind Games” (https://web.archive.org/web/20190124151326/http://www.savedbythebellreviewed.com/2016/09/05/the-new-class-season-6-episode-9-mind-games/) This is a painful one to watch as the writers are obviously doing their best to try and depict an emotionally abusive relationship, and obviously failing hard at it. I don’t buy for a second Liz would put up with the bull**** in this episode, especially after how quickly she was shown to have the confidence to date again after Ryan’s departure. This episode was complete bull****.
Season 7, Episode 5: “Liz Burns Eric” (https://web.archive.org/web/20190124151326/http://www.savedbythebellreviewed.com/2016/11/07/the-new-class-season-7-episode-5-liz-burns-eric/) All three of the police academy episodes are ridiculously stupid, but this one has a special place in the pits of hell. Liz suddenly acts like an ******* to attract a boy she likes. Is it out of character for her? Does Liz have any character? Who knows. The sudden contrived friendship with Eric and Liz is pretty horrible too, since it comes the **** out of nowhere.
Season 7, Episode 6: “The X-Friends Files” (https://web.archive.org/web/20190124151326/http://www.savedbythebellreviewed.com/2016/11/14/the-new-class-season-7-episode-6-the-x-friends-files/) Another ridiculously over-the-top entry where the writers made a character an ******* for no particular reason other than it was convenient to the plot. How was Nicky the voice of reason for this episode while Katie was the impulsive asshat? I guess we’ll never know, but it made for a horrible episode.
Season 7, Episode 9: “Party Animals” (https://web.archive.org/web/20190124151326/http://www.savedbythebellreviewed.com/2016/12/05/the-new-class-season-7-episode-9-party-animals/) What a terrible, preachy episode. Basically, don’t drink because it’s illegal and you might act like an impulsive *******. I bet Nicky and Katie’s vow to never drink again lasted about two seconds until they got to their first college party. The fact that most of the consequences of the episode happened off-screen didn’t help either, and Mr. Belding and Screech’s subplot was more moronic than usual.
Episode 4: “Football & Physics” (https://web.archive.org/web/20190124151326/http://www.savedbythebellreviewed.com/2016/02/01/the-new-class-season-5-episode-4-football-physics/): The New Class should not have tried to take on racism. What I’m sure they meant as a serious examination of a societal ill just makes it look like the writers have no clue what racism is and they perpetuate the stereotype that African Americans are always pulling the race card for everything. Seriously, after seeing how California Dreams handled racism, it’s even more painful to realize how much of an utter failure this episode is.
Episode 11: “Friends Behaving Badly” (https://web.archive.org/web/20190124151326/http://www.savedbythebellreviewed.com/2016/03/21/the-new-class-season-5-episode-11-friends-behaving-badly/): Everybody acts out of the little character they normally exhibit this episode as everyone acts like a stupid idiot to Nicky but still want to go on yet another trip. These six ****-ups must be the most privileged idiots in the world to get to go on so many worldwide trips every year.
Episode 16: “Screech and the Substitute” (https://web.archive.org/web/20190124151326/http://www.savedbythebellreviewed.com/2016/04/25/the-new-class-season-5-episode-16-screech-and-the-substitute/): Okay, I get it. I’ve been saying it all along: no woman should ever want to have sex with Screech. Yet, after you’ve spent three seasons charcterizing him as a lady’s man, you can’t just randomly have the gang decide to agree with me! Seriously, what the **** were they thinking with this stupid episode!
Episode 23: “Private Peterson” (https://web.archive.org/web/20190124151326/http://www.savedbythebellreviewed.com/2016/06/13/the-new-class-season-5-episode-23-private-peterson/): I will always remember this episode as the MRA episode. Seriously, the guys in this episode are so stereotypically misogynist it’s painful to watch. The conflict shouldn’t even be a conflict, as why the hell would Eric take those *******s’ sides over Katie. To top it off, the writers obviously don’t understand how ROTC works and it shows.
Episode 24: “Into the Woods” (https://web.archive.org/web/20190124151326/http://www.savedbythebellreviewed.com/2016/06/20/the-new-class-season-5-episode-24-into-the-woods/): Yeah, no surprise this episode is on here, right? There is so much wrong with this episode that I couldn’t get it all into the review, so you all kindly commented with the many things I missed. This one is a contender for worst episode of the season. I’d rather watch Lindsay’s anorexia episode, Rachel’s date rape episode, or the smoking episode over this one any day.
Episode 5: “Air Screech” (https://web.archive.org/web/20190124151326/http://www.savedbythebellreviewed.com/2015/02/09/the-new-class-season-3-episode-5-air-screech/): Good lord, this was a shockingly bad episode that assumes your basic view of humans is that they’re gullible morons who will buy anything they think is possible. And, okay, that may be true to a degree, but, come on, people lining up to buy shoes that are horribly spray pained? Ugh! It doesn’t help that it’s a Screech-centric episode, either. What makes it even worse is that it followed the one episode I liked! It also may be the worst episode to this point.
Episode 9: “Boundaries” (https://web.archive.org/web/20190124151326/http://www.savedbythebellreviewed.com/2015/03/09/the-new-class-season-3-episode-9-boundaries/): This one just pisses me the **** off. They basically trivialized a very serious issue, sexual assault, and didn’t even have the guts to follow through on the plot or show any consequences for the perp; he just gets a stern talking to from Mr. Belding! It doesn’t help that the subplot is Screech being sexually assaulted by a pushy woman who doesn’t take no for an answer. Way to include a subplot making light of sexual assault in an episode on sexual assault!
Episode 16: “Screech’s Millions” (https://web.archive.org/web/20190124151326/http://www.savedbythebellreviewed.com/2015/04/27/the-new-class-season-3-episode-16-screechs-millions/): Ugh, another Screech-centric episode. Screech walks around talking in a fake accent that makes Thurston Howell III sound pleasantly working class by comparison! Add to that the fact that Mr. Belding finally fires Screech…but then immediately hires him back, and you have an episode that I’m very bitter about. I almost wished Screech had won a million dollars so I’d never have to look at his stupid face again.
Episode 20: “R.J.’s Handicap” (https://web.archive.org/web/20190124151326/http://www.savedbythebellreviewed.com/2015/05/25/the-new-class-season-3-episode-20-r-j-s-handicap/): Both episodes centering around R.J. are painful, but this is a special kind of stupid that does nothing but make R.J. look like a jackass and make me grateful he left at the end of the season. On top of that, Maria’s subplot where she dates a guy who sounds like Gilbert Gottfried after he inhaled helium might be some of the most painful moments of television I’ve ever heard. To round out the badness, this is the first of the “Semester at Sea” episodes, which was just a bad idea. Bad. And I sure hope that The Suite Life of Zack and Cody didn’t copy this arc…
Episode 23: “No Smoking” (https://web.archive.org/web/20190124151326/http://www.savedbythebellreviewed.com/2015/06/15/the-new-class-season-3-episode-23-no-smoking/): Nobody wanted The New Class to tackle the topic of teen smoking, especially in such a way that it makes everyone look like judgmental ******. This episode does nothing but show how the writers for The New Class don’t understand at all why kids start smoking nor, if I was watching it as a teen smoker, would it give me incentive to give it up. This makes “No Hope with Dope” look successful by comparison.
Episode 15, “A Perfect Lindsay:” (https://web.archive.org/web/20190124151326/http://www.savedbythebellreviewed.com/2014/10/20/the-new-class-season-2-episode-15-a-perfect-lindsay/) This episode is utterly insulting in its portrayal of anorexia, a real issue among the teens this show is trying to target. Lindsay basically goes from normal to anorexic in the span of a few days, showing that anorexia is as easy to catch as the common cold. Bobby and Megan’s stupid subplot about dancing takes up half the episode so there really isn’t time enough to seriously talk about anorexia even if they wanted to.
Episode 16, “Back at the Ranch:” (https://web.archive.org/web/20190124151326/http://www.savedbythebellreviewed.com/2014/10/27/the-new-class-season-2-episode-16-back-at-the-ranch/) I debated between this one and “Wanna Bet?” Considering that half this episode is a fantasy sequence about Screech wanting to be a better cowboy than Clint, I’ll go with this one. This episode is about as believable as an episode of Scooby-Doo, after the added Scrappy. The fact that Screech ends up inexplicably being the hero is such a contrivance I dare say Ed Wood couldn’t have done worse.
Episode 20, “Drinking 101:” (https://web.archive.org/web/20190124151326/http://www.savedbythebellreviewed.com/2014/11/24/the-new-class-season-2-episode-20-drinking-101/) It was between this one and “The D Stands for Dropout.” Both are episodes that throw every cliche in the book at you to convince you how evil their subject matter is. This one would be laughable if it weren’t for the fact that some kid, somewhere watched this episode and believed that alcohol would instantly wreck their life if they even drank it for one night. The fact that they randomly decided to have Tommy D break his leg in the end put this one over the edge. This entire episode made me want to drink copious amounts of alcohol while reviewing it.
Episode 26, “Goodbye Bayside, Part 2:” (https://web.archive.org/web/20190124151326/http://www.savedbythebellreviewed.com/2015/01/05/the-new-class-season-2-episode-26-goodbye-bayside-part-2/) Is it any surprise this one made the list? The first half is almost completely identical to part one and the second half is a flimsy, cheap excuse for the three cast members from Saved by the Bell who couldn’t find work to make cameos while the gang hangs around in the background wondering why they’re even in the episode. It’s a horribly scripted episode and whoever wrote it obviously has no idea how the sale of public property works.
Episode 3, “A Kicking Weasel:” (https://web.archive.org/web/20190124151326/http://www.savedbythebellreviewed.com/2014/04/28/the-new-class-season-1-episode-3-a-kicking-weasel/) Ugh, do I even have to say much about this? You don’t become a football star by being able to do field kicks. It just doesn’t happen. Add to this the fact that nothing is really resolved at the end and the bitchiness of Vicki and Megan towards Lindsay, and you have a painful combination.
Episode 4, “Home Shopping:” (https://web.archive.org/web/20190124151326/http://www.savedbythebellreviewed.com/2014/05/05/the-new-class-season-1-episode-4-home-shopping/) If you’re going to rip off the zit cream episode, at least do it in a believable manner. Seriously, chocolate memory may be the worst excuse of a dumb ass idea I’ve seen in this franchise yet, and I’ve seen “Jessie’s Song.”
Episode 6, “George Washington Kissed Here:” (https://web.archive.org/web/20190124151326/http://www.savedbythebellreviewed.com/2014/05/19/the-new-class-season-1-episode-6-george-washington-kissed-here/) This episode is a mess. There’s so much going on that it’s like the plot is rushing trying to keep up. Scott’s an ******* in this episode, Lindsay’s an *******, Megan’s an *******, and Tommy D, the only one not being an *******, is being told he’s an *******. Oh, and lack of historical fact checking.
Episode 8, “Belding’s Baby:” (https://web.archive.org/web/20190124151326/http://www.savedbythebellreviewed.com/2014/06/02/the-new-class-season-1-episode-8-beldings-baby/) Little Zack was the only good thing about his episode. The fact that not only was Mr. Belding seemingly bringing his infant son to work but that said infant son was also being hauled around Los Angeles by our brain dead characters in an effort to get Scott laid make this one even more painful to sit through.
Episode 10, “Swap Meet:” (https://web.archive.org/web/20190124151326/http://www.savedbythebellreviewed.com/2014/06/16/the-new-class-season-1-episode-10-swap-meet/) If you’re going to do an episode heavily focusing on comic books, you better do your fact checking or geeks like me will call you out in a heartbeat. Tommy D’s geek costume to get into the comic shop was just horribly insulting and Rachel could have been replaced with a vacuum cleaner with no change in the plot.
And now the top ten worst episodes of The New Class according (https://web.archive.org/web/20190124161423/http://www.savedbythebellreviewed.com/2017/01/05/the-new-class-the-ten-worst-episodes/) to the Saved by the Bell Reviewed blog:
Number 10: Season 1, Episode 3: “A Kicking Weasel”
Overall, season one wasn’t terrible, especially compared to what came after, but this one grates on my nerves for some reason. It really feels like the writers don’t understand how football work and that field goals are a relatively minor part of the game, something even I, as a non-football fan, knows. Being able to kick the ball really high, in itself, would not have gotten Weasel on the football team, and it certainly wouldn’t have made him a star player.
That alone wouldn’t have been enough to get this episode on the list, but combine that with the fact the producers didn’t even bother to try to make Weasel look like he could kick the ball. Seriously, watch the attached video clip: he basically kicks the ball across the set, not at the angle shown. A pretty lazy episode from pretty lazy season of the show.
Number 9: Season 2, Episode 20: “Drinking 101”
The New Class was at its worst when it was being preach and ****, and this episode is no exception. Alcohol is the devil’s brew, and don’t you forget it! It might make you brain dead like Tommy D and make you want to drive a snowmobile drunkenly and ****! Combine that with the horrible subplot about Mr. Belding spraining his ankle by tripping over some skis and you’ve got a recipe for a pretty horrible episode.
It certainly doesn’t help that Brian is the voice of reason in this episode. I swear, he makes me want to punch his face with every succeeding scene. The reason this isn’t higher on the list is because, unlike some of the other episodes on the list, this one actually does seem like it’s trying, even if it’s written by people who have probably never taken a drink in their lives.
Number 8: Season 7, Episode 9: “Party Animals”
Speaking of drinking, let’s put another horrible anti-alcohol episode on this list. I swear, this episode is like a caricature of what the producers think teenagers are like drunk. Everyone peer pressures Katie into drinking when she doesn’t want to, and she ends up being an ******* to everyone. But it’s okay because she and Nicky promise they won’t ever drink again, not even when they go off to college, a promise I bet they broke within like five minutes of arrival.
The episode doesn’t even feel like it’s trying, and all consequences are shown off-screen. In the end, the only reasons given for not drinking are that underage drinking is illegal and you might act like a jerk. So I guess if you’re twenty-one and you know you’re not an angry or sarcastic drunk, it’s okay, which I’m sure is not the message Peter Engel was going for, but it is the message that came across. It’s like he has no idea why actual teenagers drink.
Number 7: Season 3, Episode 16: “Screech’s Millions”
Every Screech-centric episode of the series was bad, but this one is just terrible. Screech thinks he’s won a $2 million lottery and, not knowing the value of money, decides he can afford to retire now in his early twenties. Of course, the predictable result is that Screech only got four out of five of the numbers but, in the meantime, the gang take advantage of him while Mr. Belding finally fires him, only to rehire him before the end because Screech is very sorry!
This episode just makes me question why Screech is trusted with anything, and was one of the early examples of him really abusing his authority and crossing boundaries with students. But the really unfortunate thing is that Mr. Belding set a precedent that, as long as you’re sorry for your incompetence, he’ll hire you back every time. Yeah, administrator of the year right there.
Number 6: Season 3, Episode 23: “No Smoking”
Nobody wanted to see The New Class take on teen smoking, and this episode didn’t disappoint in its incompetence. Lindsay and Tommy D take up smoking and, in the end, the only consequences are their friends act like little *******s, Tommy D can’t play football, and Lindsay sets a dress on fire through her napalm-filled cigarette, getting fired. Apparently cigarettes ruin your life almost instantly.
What this episode taught me is that Peter Engel doesn’t understand why kids get started smoking, and, so, we get a mess of an episode giving reasons for smoking no kid I’ve ever met would give. The only redeeming value of this episode is that, while everyone’s a little ******* to Lindsay for smoking, no one gives a **** about Tommy D, leading me to believe they’d just as soon see him dead as well.
Number 5: Season 2, Episode 15: “A Perfect Lindsay”
Lindsay sure was in some pretty bad very special episodes. In this one, she becomes anorexic in a matter of days to the point that she has to be checked into a treatment facility. What pissed me off about this one when I reviewed it was that they took a very serious issue that many teenagers in the show’s demographic actually face and turned it into a caricature.
Really, you don’t become anorexic in a week. It’s a long-term problem that calls for long-term solutions, and doesn’t happen just from skipping some meals for a few days. This one could have been good in the hands of a good writer, but, alas, the writers on this show aren’t good so they weren’t ever going to produce the sort of treatment of eating disorders teenagers need to see.
Number 4: Season 3, Episode 9: “Boundaries”
When I reviewed “A Perfect Lindsay,” I was convinced that no other very special episode would piss me off more than it did. I was wrong. “Boundaries” is an episode that wants to talk about the very real problem of sexual assault on college campuses, but doesn’t have the guts to get beyond forced kissing. While forced kissing is technically sexual assault, there are much worse issues that could have been tackled in this episode and weren’t.
But that’s not why this episode pisses me off so. Forced kissing is often used as a comedic device within Peter Engel’s shows. But to use it as a comedic device within an episode about how forced kissing is sexual assault is hypocritical beyond believe. I just can’t believe that no one in the writers, cast, director, or producers spoke up and said, “Hey, aren’t we being just a little hypocritical here?” It just angers me beyond belief.
Number 3: Season 4, Episode 26: “Fire at the Max, Part 2”
Most of the time, clip show episodes don’t qualify for these lists, but this one is a very special exception. See, they burned down The Max, an iconic symbol of the Saved by the Bell franchise, in the first episode, set up a conflict with Ryan feeling responsible and with the owner deciding not to rebuild, and then concluded it with a god damned clip show episode centered on memories of The Max. Ryan’s conflict only gets a couple minutes of screen time and The Max is saved because everyone loves it so.
Even worse, they wasted a cameo from Slater, the last time an original series cast member other than Mr. Belding or Screech would appear, by having him show up just to introduce more clips. The writers of this episode just don’t seem to get that, while burning down The Max is not necessarily a bad idea for an episode, you have to conclude the story with the respect it deserves and not just end on a god damned clip show episode.
Number 2: Season 2, Episode 26: “Goodbye Bayside, Part 2”
Perhaps the most pointless episode of the series, there’s really no reason for its existence other than to give a reason for Zack Morris, Slater, and Lisa to make cameos. The entire first half is almost a scene-by-scene rerun of the first part except that, because Mr. Belding is present this time, they figure out who the big bad capitalist was horny for. The second part is basically a lame excuse for the cameos except to establish that the woman the capitalist was horny for is Zack Morris’s aunt.
This episode could have easily been concluded in one part and, at the time, I thought it was the worst episode of the series. While it may have been up to that point, unfortunately, there was one episode that ended up being worse. Much, much worse.
Number 1: Season 5, Episode 24: “Into the Woods”
I knew from the first time watching this episode it was going to make this list. I also knew that it was going to go down as the worst episode unless there was a particularly bad episode in the final two seasons. Fortunately, there was not, but I still have the memory of this ****** episode stuck in my brain.
The entire wilderness survival arc was a bad idea from the beginning, but this episode just drug on and on and on. On top of it, Maria is completely insufferable this episode as she whines and complains about the outdoors and, for once, Screech is not the most annoying character of the episode, although his subplot about looking for a bird with Mr. Belding was pretty damned bad in itself.
In the end, I have no sympathy for anyone in this episode, and the events would have lead to a major lawsuit for Bayside as both Ryan and Maria’s parents sued the **** out of them for letting two teenagers journey through the outdoors without adult supervision. Between that and the amount of money Screech has to be costing the school, it’s a wonder they can even afford to keep the lights on.
Season 6, Episode 5: “Cigar Wars” (https://web.archive.org/web/20190124151326/http://www.savedbythebellreviewed.com/2016/08/08/the-new-class-season-6-episode-5-cigar-wars/) We did not need a second anti-smoking episode, especially one centered around Tony. It’s not quite as terrible as Lindsay’s anti-smoking episode from season three, but it’s certainly as preachy, and the reverse peer pressure and Tony smoking on the world’s most open campus are two of the stupidest things of this season.
Season 6, Episode 9: “Mind Games” (https://web.archive.org/web/20190124151326/http://www.savedbythebellreviewed.com/2016/09/05/the-new-class-season-6-episode-9-mind-games/) This is a painful one to watch as the writers are obviously doing their best to try and depict an emotionally abusive relationship, and obviously failing hard at it. I don’t buy for a second Liz would put up with the bull**** in this episode, especially after how quickly she was shown to have the confidence to date again after Ryan’s departure. This episode was complete bull****.
Season 7, Episode 5: “Liz Burns Eric” (https://web.archive.org/web/20190124151326/http://www.savedbythebellreviewed.com/2016/11/07/the-new-class-season-7-episode-5-liz-burns-eric/) All three of the police academy episodes are ridiculously stupid, but this one has a special place in the pits of hell. Liz suddenly acts like an ******* to attract a boy she likes. Is it out of character for her? Does Liz have any character? Who knows. The sudden contrived friendship with Eric and Liz is pretty horrible too, since it comes the **** out of nowhere.
Season 7, Episode 6: “The X-Friends Files” (https://web.archive.org/web/20190124151326/http://www.savedbythebellreviewed.com/2016/11/14/the-new-class-season-7-episode-6-the-x-friends-files/) Another ridiculously over-the-top entry where the writers made a character an ******* for no particular reason other than it was convenient to the plot. How was Nicky the voice of reason for this episode while Katie was the impulsive asshat? I guess we’ll never know, but it made for a horrible episode.
Season 7, Episode 9: “Party Animals” (https://web.archive.org/web/20190124151326/http://www.savedbythebellreviewed.com/2016/12/05/the-new-class-season-7-episode-9-party-animals/) What a terrible, preachy episode. Basically, don’t drink because it’s illegal and you might act like an impulsive *******. I bet Nicky and Katie’s vow to never drink again lasted about two seconds until they got to their first college party. The fact that most of the consequences of the episode happened off-screen didn’t help either, and Mr. Belding and Screech’s subplot was more moronic than usual.
Episode 4: “Football & Physics” (https://web.archive.org/web/20190124151326/http://www.savedbythebellreviewed.com/2016/02/01/the-new-class-season-5-episode-4-football-physics/): The New Class should not have tried to take on racism. What I’m sure they meant as a serious examination of a societal ill just makes it look like the writers have no clue what racism is and they perpetuate the stereotype that African Americans are always pulling the race card for everything. Seriously, after seeing how California Dreams handled racism, it’s even more painful to realize how much of an utter failure this episode is.
Episode 11: “Friends Behaving Badly” (https://web.archive.org/web/20190124151326/http://www.savedbythebellreviewed.com/2016/03/21/the-new-class-season-5-episode-11-friends-behaving-badly/): Everybody acts out of the little character they normally exhibit this episode as everyone acts like a stupid idiot to Nicky but still want to go on yet another trip. These six ****-ups must be the most privileged idiots in the world to get to go on so many worldwide trips every year.
Episode 16: “Screech and the Substitute” (https://web.archive.org/web/20190124151326/http://www.savedbythebellreviewed.com/2016/04/25/the-new-class-season-5-episode-16-screech-and-the-substitute/): Okay, I get it. I’ve been saying it all along: no woman should ever want to have sex with Screech. Yet, after you’ve spent three seasons charcterizing him as a lady’s man, you can’t just randomly have the gang decide to agree with me! Seriously, what the **** were they thinking with this stupid episode!
Episode 23: “Private Peterson” (https://web.archive.org/web/20190124151326/http://www.savedbythebellreviewed.com/2016/06/13/the-new-class-season-5-episode-23-private-peterson/): I will always remember this episode as the MRA episode. Seriously, the guys in this episode are so stereotypically misogynist it’s painful to watch. The conflict shouldn’t even be a conflict, as why the hell would Eric take those *******s’ sides over Katie. To top it off, the writers obviously don’t understand how ROTC works and it shows.
Episode 24: “Into the Woods” (https://web.archive.org/web/20190124151326/http://www.savedbythebellreviewed.com/2016/06/20/the-new-class-season-5-episode-24-into-the-woods/): Yeah, no surprise this episode is on here, right? There is so much wrong with this episode that I couldn’t get it all into the review, so you all kindly commented with the many things I missed. This one is a contender for worst episode of the season. I’d rather watch Lindsay’s anorexia episode, Rachel’s date rape episode, or the smoking episode over this one any day.
Episode 5: “Air Screech” (https://web.archive.org/web/20190124151326/http://www.savedbythebellreviewed.com/2015/02/09/the-new-class-season-3-episode-5-air-screech/): Good lord, this was a shockingly bad episode that assumes your basic view of humans is that they’re gullible morons who will buy anything they think is possible. And, okay, that may be true to a degree, but, come on, people lining up to buy shoes that are horribly spray pained? Ugh! It doesn’t help that it’s a Screech-centric episode, either. What makes it even worse is that it followed the one episode I liked! It also may be the worst episode to this point.
Episode 9: “Boundaries” (https://web.archive.org/web/20190124151326/http://www.savedbythebellreviewed.com/2015/03/09/the-new-class-season-3-episode-9-boundaries/): This one just pisses me the **** off. They basically trivialized a very serious issue, sexual assault, and didn’t even have the guts to follow through on the plot or show any consequences for the perp; he just gets a stern talking to from Mr. Belding! It doesn’t help that the subplot is Screech being sexually assaulted by a pushy woman who doesn’t take no for an answer. Way to include a subplot making light of sexual assault in an episode on sexual assault!
Episode 16: “Screech’s Millions” (https://web.archive.org/web/20190124151326/http://www.savedbythebellreviewed.com/2015/04/27/the-new-class-season-3-episode-16-screechs-millions/): Ugh, another Screech-centric episode. Screech walks around talking in a fake accent that makes Thurston Howell III sound pleasantly working class by comparison! Add to that the fact that Mr. Belding finally fires Screech…but then immediately hires him back, and you have an episode that I’m very bitter about. I almost wished Screech had won a million dollars so I’d never have to look at his stupid face again.
Episode 20: “R.J.’s Handicap” (https://web.archive.org/web/20190124151326/http://www.savedbythebellreviewed.com/2015/05/25/the-new-class-season-3-episode-20-r-j-s-handicap/): Both episodes centering around R.J. are painful, but this is a special kind of stupid that does nothing but make R.J. look like a jackass and make me grateful he left at the end of the season. On top of that, Maria’s subplot where she dates a guy who sounds like Gilbert Gottfried after he inhaled helium might be some of the most painful moments of television I’ve ever heard. To round out the badness, this is the first of the “Semester at Sea” episodes, which was just a bad idea. Bad. And I sure hope that The Suite Life of Zack and Cody didn’t copy this arc…
Episode 23: “No Smoking” (https://web.archive.org/web/20190124151326/http://www.savedbythebellreviewed.com/2015/06/15/the-new-class-season-3-episode-23-no-smoking/): Nobody wanted The New Class to tackle the topic of teen smoking, especially in such a way that it makes everyone look like judgmental ******. This episode does nothing but show how the writers for The New Class don’t understand at all why kids start smoking nor, if I was watching it as a teen smoker, would it give me incentive to give it up. This makes “No Hope with Dope” look successful by comparison.
Episode 15, “A Perfect Lindsay:” (https://web.archive.org/web/20190124151326/http://www.savedbythebellreviewed.com/2014/10/20/the-new-class-season-2-episode-15-a-perfect-lindsay/) This episode is utterly insulting in its portrayal of anorexia, a real issue among the teens this show is trying to target. Lindsay basically goes from normal to anorexic in the span of a few days, showing that anorexia is as easy to catch as the common cold. Bobby and Megan’s stupid subplot about dancing takes up half the episode so there really isn’t time enough to seriously talk about anorexia even if they wanted to.
Episode 16, “Back at the Ranch:” (https://web.archive.org/web/20190124151326/http://www.savedbythebellreviewed.com/2014/10/27/the-new-class-season-2-episode-16-back-at-the-ranch/) I debated between this one and “Wanna Bet?” Considering that half this episode is a fantasy sequence about Screech wanting to be a better cowboy than Clint, I’ll go with this one. This episode is about as believable as an episode of Scooby-Doo, after the added Scrappy. The fact that Screech ends up inexplicably being the hero is such a contrivance I dare say Ed Wood couldn’t have done worse.
Episode 20, “Drinking 101:” (https://web.archive.org/web/20190124151326/http://www.savedbythebellreviewed.com/2014/11/24/the-new-class-season-2-episode-20-drinking-101/) It was between this one and “The D Stands for Dropout.” Both are episodes that throw every cliche in the book at you to convince you how evil their subject matter is. This one would be laughable if it weren’t for the fact that some kid, somewhere watched this episode and believed that alcohol would instantly wreck their life if they even drank it for one night. The fact that they randomly decided to have Tommy D break his leg in the end put this one over the edge. This entire episode made me want to drink copious amounts of alcohol while reviewing it.
Episode 26, “Goodbye Bayside, Part 2:” (https://web.archive.org/web/20190124151326/http://www.savedbythebellreviewed.com/2015/01/05/the-new-class-season-2-episode-26-goodbye-bayside-part-2/) Is it any surprise this one made the list? The first half is almost completely identical to part one and the second half is a flimsy, cheap excuse for the three cast members from Saved by the Bell who couldn’t find work to make cameos while the gang hangs around in the background wondering why they’re even in the episode. It’s a horribly scripted episode and whoever wrote it obviously has no idea how the sale of public property works.
Episode 3, “A Kicking Weasel:” (https://web.archive.org/web/20190124151326/http://www.savedbythebellreviewed.com/2014/04/28/the-new-class-season-1-episode-3-a-kicking-weasel/) Ugh, do I even have to say much about this? You don’t become a football star by being able to do field kicks. It just doesn’t happen. Add to this the fact that nothing is really resolved at the end and the bitchiness of Vicki and Megan towards Lindsay, and you have a painful combination.
Episode 4, “Home Shopping:” (https://web.archive.org/web/20190124151326/http://www.savedbythebellreviewed.com/2014/05/05/the-new-class-season-1-episode-4-home-shopping/) If you’re going to rip off the zit cream episode, at least do it in a believable manner. Seriously, chocolate memory may be the worst excuse of a dumb ass idea I’ve seen in this franchise yet, and I’ve seen “Jessie’s Song.”
Episode 6, “George Washington Kissed Here:” (https://web.archive.org/web/20190124151326/http://www.savedbythebellreviewed.com/2014/05/19/the-new-class-season-1-episode-6-george-washington-kissed-here/) This episode is a mess. There’s so much going on that it’s like the plot is rushing trying to keep up. Scott’s an ******* in this episode, Lindsay’s an *******, Megan’s an *******, and Tommy D, the only one not being an *******, is being told he’s an *******. Oh, and lack of historical fact checking.
Episode 8, “Belding’s Baby:” (https://web.archive.org/web/20190124151326/http://www.savedbythebellreviewed.com/2014/06/02/the-new-class-season-1-episode-8-beldings-baby/) Little Zack was the only good thing about his episode. The fact that not only was Mr. Belding seemingly bringing his infant son to work but that said infant son was also being hauled around Los Angeles by our brain dead characters in an effort to get Scott laid make this one even more painful to sit through.
Episode 10, “Swap Meet:” (https://web.archive.org/web/20190124151326/http://www.savedbythebellreviewed.com/2014/06/16/the-new-class-season-1-episode-10-swap-meet/) If you’re going to do an episode heavily focusing on comic books, you better do your fact checking or geeks like me will call you out in a heartbeat. Tommy D’s geek costume to get into the comic shop was just horribly insulting and Rachel could have been replaced with a vacuum cleaner with no change in the plot.
And now the top ten worst episodes of The New Class according (https://web.archive.org/web/20190124161423/http://www.savedbythebellreviewed.com/2017/01/05/the-new-class-the-ten-worst-episodes/) to the Saved by the Bell Reviewed blog:
Number 10: Season 1, Episode 3: “A Kicking Weasel”
Overall, season one wasn’t terrible, especially compared to what came after, but this one grates on my nerves for some reason. It really feels like the writers don’t understand how football work and that field goals are a relatively minor part of the game, something even I, as a non-football fan, knows. Being able to kick the ball really high, in itself, would not have gotten Weasel on the football team, and it certainly wouldn’t have made him a star player.
That alone wouldn’t have been enough to get this episode on the list, but combine that with the fact the producers didn’t even bother to try to make Weasel look like he could kick the ball. Seriously, watch the attached video clip: he basically kicks the ball across the set, not at the angle shown. A pretty lazy episode from pretty lazy season of the show.
Number 9: Season 2, Episode 20: “Drinking 101”
The New Class was at its worst when it was being preach and ****, and this episode is no exception. Alcohol is the devil’s brew, and don’t you forget it! It might make you brain dead like Tommy D and make you want to drive a snowmobile drunkenly and ****! Combine that with the horrible subplot about Mr. Belding spraining his ankle by tripping over some skis and you’ve got a recipe for a pretty horrible episode.
It certainly doesn’t help that Brian is the voice of reason in this episode. I swear, he makes me want to punch his face with every succeeding scene. The reason this isn’t higher on the list is because, unlike some of the other episodes on the list, this one actually does seem like it’s trying, even if it’s written by people who have probably never taken a drink in their lives.
Number 8: Season 7, Episode 9: “Party Animals”
Speaking of drinking, let’s put another horrible anti-alcohol episode on this list. I swear, this episode is like a caricature of what the producers think teenagers are like drunk. Everyone peer pressures Katie into drinking when she doesn’t want to, and she ends up being an ******* to everyone. But it’s okay because she and Nicky promise they won’t ever drink again, not even when they go off to college, a promise I bet they broke within like five minutes of arrival.
The episode doesn’t even feel like it’s trying, and all consequences are shown off-screen. In the end, the only reasons given for not drinking are that underage drinking is illegal and you might act like a jerk. So I guess if you’re twenty-one and you know you’re not an angry or sarcastic drunk, it’s okay, which I’m sure is not the message Peter Engel was going for, but it is the message that came across. It’s like he has no idea why actual teenagers drink.
Number 7: Season 3, Episode 16: “Screech’s Millions”
Every Screech-centric episode of the series was bad, but this one is just terrible. Screech thinks he’s won a $2 million lottery and, not knowing the value of money, decides he can afford to retire now in his early twenties. Of course, the predictable result is that Screech only got four out of five of the numbers but, in the meantime, the gang take advantage of him while Mr. Belding finally fires him, only to rehire him before the end because Screech is very sorry!
This episode just makes me question why Screech is trusted with anything, and was one of the early examples of him really abusing his authority and crossing boundaries with students. But the really unfortunate thing is that Mr. Belding set a precedent that, as long as you’re sorry for your incompetence, he’ll hire you back every time. Yeah, administrator of the year right there.
Number 6: Season 3, Episode 23: “No Smoking”
Nobody wanted to see The New Class take on teen smoking, and this episode didn’t disappoint in its incompetence. Lindsay and Tommy D take up smoking and, in the end, the only consequences are their friends act like little *******s, Tommy D can’t play football, and Lindsay sets a dress on fire through her napalm-filled cigarette, getting fired. Apparently cigarettes ruin your life almost instantly.
What this episode taught me is that Peter Engel doesn’t understand why kids get started smoking, and, so, we get a mess of an episode giving reasons for smoking no kid I’ve ever met would give. The only redeeming value of this episode is that, while everyone’s a little ******* to Lindsay for smoking, no one gives a **** about Tommy D, leading me to believe they’d just as soon see him dead as well.
Number 5: Season 2, Episode 15: “A Perfect Lindsay”
Lindsay sure was in some pretty bad very special episodes. In this one, she becomes anorexic in a matter of days to the point that she has to be checked into a treatment facility. What pissed me off about this one when I reviewed it was that they took a very serious issue that many teenagers in the show’s demographic actually face and turned it into a caricature.
Really, you don’t become anorexic in a week. It’s a long-term problem that calls for long-term solutions, and doesn’t happen just from skipping some meals for a few days. This one could have been good in the hands of a good writer, but, alas, the writers on this show aren’t good so they weren’t ever going to produce the sort of treatment of eating disorders teenagers need to see.
Number 4: Season 3, Episode 9: “Boundaries”
When I reviewed “A Perfect Lindsay,” I was convinced that no other very special episode would piss me off more than it did. I was wrong. “Boundaries” is an episode that wants to talk about the very real problem of sexual assault on college campuses, but doesn’t have the guts to get beyond forced kissing. While forced kissing is technically sexual assault, there are much worse issues that could have been tackled in this episode and weren’t.
But that’s not why this episode pisses me off so. Forced kissing is often used as a comedic device within Peter Engel’s shows. But to use it as a comedic device within an episode about how forced kissing is sexual assault is hypocritical beyond believe. I just can’t believe that no one in the writers, cast, director, or producers spoke up and said, “Hey, aren’t we being just a little hypocritical here?” It just angers me beyond belief.
Number 3: Season 4, Episode 26: “Fire at the Max, Part 2”
Most of the time, clip show episodes don’t qualify for these lists, but this one is a very special exception. See, they burned down The Max, an iconic symbol of the Saved by the Bell franchise, in the first episode, set up a conflict with Ryan feeling responsible and with the owner deciding not to rebuild, and then concluded it with a god damned clip show episode centered on memories of The Max. Ryan’s conflict only gets a couple minutes of screen time and The Max is saved because everyone loves it so.
Even worse, they wasted a cameo from Slater, the last time an original series cast member other than Mr. Belding or Screech would appear, by having him show up just to introduce more clips. The writers of this episode just don’t seem to get that, while burning down The Max is not necessarily a bad idea for an episode, you have to conclude the story with the respect it deserves and not just end on a god damned clip show episode.
Number 2: Season 2, Episode 26: “Goodbye Bayside, Part 2”
Perhaps the most pointless episode of the series, there’s really no reason for its existence other than to give a reason for Zack Morris, Slater, and Lisa to make cameos. The entire first half is almost a scene-by-scene rerun of the first part except that, because Mr. Belding is present this time, they figure out who the big bad capitalist was horny for. The second part is basically a lame excuse for the cameos except to establish that the woman the capitalist was horny for is Zack Morris’s aunt.
This episode could have easily been concluded in one part and, at the time, I thought it was the worst episode of the series. While it may have been up to that point, unfortunately, there was one episode that ended up being worse. Much, much worse.
Number 1: Season 5, Episode 24: “Into the Woods”
I knew from the first time watching this episode it was going to make this list. I also knew that it was going to go down as the worst episode unless there was a particularly bad episode in the final two seasons. Fortunately, there was not, but I still have the memory of this ****** episode stuck in my brain.
The entire wilderness survival arc was a bad idea from the beginning, but this episode just drug on and on and on. On top of it, Maria is completely insufferable this episode as she whines and complains about the outdoors and, for once, Screech is not the most annoying character of the episode, although his subplot about looking for a bird with Mr. Belding was pretty damned bad in itself.
In the end, I have no sympathy for anyone in this episode, and the events would have lead to a major lawsuit for Bayside as both Ryan and Maria’s parents sued the **** out of them for letting two teenagers journey through the outdoors without adult supervision. Between that and the amount of money Screech has to be costing the school, it’s a wonder they can even afford to keep the lights on.