The Season 1 Episode Discussion Thread

['80sSitcoms]

Hey guys, there's this great show called The Facts of Life! And I've started watching it!

First time in a long time I've watched my DVDs!

So, some thoughts on "Rough Housing":

Eastland was founded in 1925!

We've all been wrong around here! It's not the Harvest Ball, it's the Harvest Fair!

Not only was Cindy Corn Maiden of the Harvest, she was also Captain of the Games Committee---she sure had some titles in this first episode!

With Cindy pitted against Blair in a "race" here, and then with Sue Ann in the spring, the episodes could have been "Queening" and "Running".

Cindy interacts with both Willis and Arnold. This puts Cindy in an exclusive club: thanks to"The Slumber Party" and "Bought and Sold", the only girls to interact with all three Drummond children, Kimberly, Willis, and Arnold Jackson are Blair, Cindy, Natalie, Molly, and Tootie (unless you want to count Sue Ann acknowledging Mrs. Garrett in "The Girls' School" when Kimberly introduces the girls, though not's them speaking directly...but if you do want to count that, then that leaves Nancy as the only girl who did not interact with all three Drummond children, and she will go put a flower in her hair...again).

Molly was already liberated about gender relations from the beginning. When Cindy is worried what to say to a boy at the dance, Molly pipes up eagerly with: "Don't say anything! Just grab him!" Molly!

Natalie still makes me laugh with her "burgeons" line!

It's neat how Miss Mahoney speaks maternally to Natalie, then branches out to include all the girls (don't count on that to last long with Garrett around, Mahoney---I guess that's why she did it while Mrs. Garrett was out of the room, haha).

I always thought it was so odd that Mr. Bradley changes the curfew first to an hour and a half later, but then after that he only increases it by 10 minutes each time---he went way overboard the first time, lol.

['80sSitcoms]

I also forgot that in these first couple of episodes, Mr. Bradley was goofier by getting his words all wrong and getting flustered when trying to talk, lol.

Oh, and it's important to note that this is the only episode of 9 seasons that has an "extended opening" theme! I always forget that the Drummonds are introduced as well over the opening credits, forcing the song to last longer (which none of us complain about! haha)

Not only that, but this extended version of the theme song doesn't have the musical part that accompanies the "accordion fold-out" of Molly, Cindy, and Natalie in the 1980 shows. But starting with LMLD, that musical part is in the opening song.

And like in "I.Q." where Sue Ann and Nancy are the only girls in the latter part of this show, Blair and Cindy are the only girls in "Rough Housing" in over half the show! Fascinating...

I kind of wish they hadn't resolved Cindy's sexuality by the end of the episode. I'm sure if some gay or confused girls saw this in August of 1979, it was probably really reassuring to them to see they weren't alone. But by the end it's confirmed Cindy likes boys after all. It would have been interesting to see it stretched out to where Cindy might have still seemed "questionable" over several episodes.

When the end credit clips start, the first girls who fade in with the credits are my Cindy and Molly! How cool!

"Plump Rump" reference count: 2

['80sSitcoms]

"Like Mother, Like Daughter"

The most awkwardly taped show of the whole series! What with the underwhelming reaction of the audience. That's what always stands out to me the most about this episode.

I think I may have found an excuse for Cindy not getting the cheese dip! Right after Mrs. Garrett tells her to bring in the cheese dip and leaves for the kitchen, Mr. Bradley immediately comes in and gives the girls their "Hello" badges. And then, after he and Mahoney speak to the girls, he orders them upstairs, and up they go. So, when pressed about this issue, Cindy may say she was completely distracted by Mr. Bradley's sudden entrance and his dispensing of the "Hello" badges to them, and then scurrying them off upstairs.

Now, mind you, I am not saying this will definitely clear the issue with Mrs. Garrett, I'm just saying it's a possible excuse for her misbehavior.

['80sSitcoms]

Oh wow, Natalie got judgmental on Blair's mother! "If she were any more inviting, she'd be the welcome wagon!" She kinda "Sue Ann-ish" there! Mrs. Garrett called her out that: "Natalie!"

It's funny that Molly was in that fireplace armchair the whole time Monica and Justin were schmoozing. And she must have felt so awkward for Blair watching her mom manipulate her (Blair) into kissing Mr. Branch on the cheek. Kinda creepy she would force/manipulate her daughter into kissing a grown man, especially right after said daughter protested it!

It seems really clear that Nina lives in this dorm, the way Mrs. Garrett is so familiar with Mr. Branch. She speaks to him like she's supposed to know who he is, and is familiar with him.

Man, what was with the audience?? Some of these jokes completely BOMB and fall on the floor in such awkwardness...Mr. Bradley: "Blair's mother has a good head on her shoulders!"...Tootie: "You wanna study Miss Mahoney's body? I think you're gonna have to read between the lines..."---uncomfortable silence, not "studio audience laughter"---and that's just two times right there!

Miss Mahoney referenced her lab animals! Wow! I forgot she did so outside of "I.Q."...interesting!

And her hair is full on PERM in this episode! I think she let Gail do it!

[Lorimar Television]

Originally Posted by '80sSitcoms

I also forgot that in these first couple of episodes, Mr. Bradley was goofier by getting his words all wrong and getting flustered when trying to talk, lol.

Oh, and it's important to note that this is the only episode of 9 seasons that has an "extended opening" theme! I always forget that the Drummonds are introduced as well over the opening credits, forcing the song to last longer (which none of us complain about! haha)

Not only that, but this extended version of the theme song doesn't have the musical part that accompanies the "accordion fold-out" of Molly, Cindy, and Natalie in the 1980 shows. But starting with LMLD, that musical part is in the opening song.

And like in "I.Q." where Sue Ann and Nancy are the only girls in the latter part of this show, Blair and Cindy are the only girls in "Rough Housing" in over half the show! Fascinating...

I kind of wish they hadn't resolved Cindy's sexuality by the end of the episode. I'm sure if some gay or confused girls saw this in August of 1979, it was probably really reassuring to them to see they weren't alone. But by the end it's confirmed Cindy likes boys after all. It would have been interesting to see it stretched out to where Cindy might have still seemed "questionable" over several episodes.

When the end credit clips start, the first girls who fade in with the credits are my Cindy and Molly! How cool!

"Plump Rump" reference count: 2

Great idea Eights! Ironically the “extended theme” is only 2-4 seconds longer than the regular theme!

Facts of facts addressed how they mishandled the storyline. Mrs G never thought it was a possibility Cindy was gay, just that she’ll like boys soon enough.

['80sSitcoms]

Originally Posted by Lorimar Television

Great idea Eights! Ironically the “extended theme” is only 2-4 seconds longer than the regular theme!

What?? Wow! Well, yeah, I guess without those climactic soaring notes to accompany Molly/Cind/Natalie (in "staged action" first, then their "accordion fold-out" later), that it could indeed be close. Still though, only 2-4 seconds difference, wow...

Originally Posted by Lorimar Television

Facts of facts addressed how they mishandled the storyline. Mrs G never thought it was a possibility Cindy was gay, just that she’ll like boys soon enough.

Ahh...which is funny, because Blair was pointing to Cindy being gay without saying the word. Mrs. Garrett saw it from a different angle (and, in this case, the truth).

(P.S. Happy New Year! My first post of 2019! )

[Lorimar Television]

Originally Posted by '80sSitcoms

What?? Wow! Well, yeah, I guess without those climactic soaring notes to accompany Molly/Cind/Natalie (in "staged action" first, then their "accordion fold-out" later), that it could indeed be close. Still though, only 2-4 seconds difference, wow...




Ahh...which is funny, because Blair was pointing to Cindy being gay without saying the word. Mrs. Garrett saw it from a different angle (and, in this case, the truth).

(P.S. Happy New Year! My first post of 2019! )

Happy new year to you and everyone on SO!

['80sSitcoms]

(thanks!)

"The Return of Mr. Garrett"

Ouija board, poker---man, this episode is filled with the girls hiding things from the adults! lol

Mr. Garrett is Mrs. Garrett's ex-husband, the father of her two sons...it would've been nice if we could've seen him appear again sometime during the series---or at least mentioned again! lol (maybe he is, but I can't recall any mention at the moment)

When Mr. Garrett is coming back, why does Tootie skate around to the back door where Molly left? Why doesn't she just follow Sue Ann and Natalie toward the kitchen since she was going with them anyway?? And it's interesting hearing Tootie reach out to Sue Ann as one of the older girls, looking to her for guidance ("Sue Ann, what'll we do if they get married, and he moves in here?" [or something to that effect] ).

Hahaha, Molly sure has Mr. Bradley trained well! When he catches them all playing poker, he addresses them as "girls" but then looks at the back of Molly's head and instead says, "women"---and she's not even looking at him! I never noticed that! (I guess when there are "10, 12 girls" on a show there will be lots of new things to notice )

The handwriting is already on the wall for Nancy...in the gambling bust scene, once Mrs. Garrett comes in and the girls get up and surround her, every girl has lines---except Nancy!

Speaking of Nancy, when the girls defend their learning of poker, Molly says it's educational, Cindy says it's a "sport" you can really from (poker practice after school at 3:30? haha), and Nancy backs that up with, "Everything from psychology to arithmetic!" Arithmetic? Who the hell says "arithmetic", even in 1979? So funny!

Hey guys, let's bring back "arithmetic"!

And I'm wondering if Nancy was the spokesgirl for Folgers or Brim coffee---get a load of that brown-colors-with-red-accents outfit she's got in the first part of the show! (holy embarrassing knee socks, Batman! )

[Lorimar Television]

Well Mr G is referenced in the Ep where they smell gas at the shop. “Jo Ive only reacted combatively twice, once when my ex husband mortgaged our house to pay off a gambling debt, and now; GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE BEFORE I HIT YOU WITH MY FRYING PAN!!!!

['80sSitcoms]

"I.Q."

Nancy asks Sue Ann if she could please help her study for her history test, then after Blair's cattiness, Sue Ann goes up with Nancy and says, "C'mon Nancy, let's study together. What subject should we start with first?" Um, history, Sue Ann, like Nancy just said! lol

Interesting to see Blair and Nancy interact a bit here in this little "older girl scene" between Blair, Nancy, and Sue Ann (the only "older girl scene" we have besides Blair's dress scene in LMLD). "Nancy, what are you gonna do when your boyfriend proposes? Call Sue Ann for the answer?" lol...we can pretend that's Roger if we like, although he wasn't "invented" yet (and what if, years later, when Roger proposed, Nancy did call her friend Sue Ann for the answer? lol, how awesome that would be!)

Miss Mahoney says "Tootie" in this episode! The only time she ever does! Actually, this may be the only episode she says any student names: Tootie, Nancy, and Sue Ann. Oh wait, she also said "Natalie" in RH, and TRoMG.

"Sure didn't know she was the smartest...or she was the dumbest!" Gets me every time!

Speaking of Miss Mahoney, she's got that perm, but she looks the best in this episode out of any of her others (all 3, lol). The first episode is like a weird combo of styles, LMLD and TRoMG have the finger-in-light-socket perm, but it's calmed down in this one and looks halfway decent, for a '79 perm, lol.

I LOVE how Molly GRABS the IQ list and is SO utterly tactless when she calls out with unbelieving astonishment, "I don't believe it, Sue Ann has the lowest score on the list!" and then, of course, her dog catcher "reassurance" story!

And Natalie was catty to Sue Ann again! Wow! I never caught this before---she says, with a little digging smile on her face, "If you need help, Tootie and I will be glad to tutor you!" Oooo, burn! Not as catty as her "Running" remark, but I was still surprised.

"Make it a round trip, Tootie" is such a classic line---works great to have those skates! lol

I love it when Miss Mahoney makes Mr. Bradley move back a seat away from Mrs. Garrett: "An open seat prevents temptation! " Haha, my favorite Miss Mahoney line! I also love "Do we have wandering lines, Mr. Bradley? " haha! Just when Miss Mahoney hits her stride, *POOF*---she's gone!

Oh, wow! Mr. Bradley offered Mrs. Garrett to post his IQ test on her bulletin board! Just like in the original script! Whoa! (it's been ages since I watched my DVDs, and this part was cut from syndication, so I totally forgot it was there)

"Plump Rump" count: 1

['80sSitcoms]

Originally Posted by Lorimar Television

Well Mr G is referenced in the Ep where they smell gas at the shop. “Jo Ive only reacted combatively twice, once when my ex husband mortgaged our house to pay off a gambling debt, and now; GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE BEFORE I HIT YOU WITH MY FRYING PAN!!!!

Ahhhhhh,hahahahahaha! That's so great! And terrific character continuity!! I was thinking there was maybe one other reference---thanks!

[Lorimar Television]

Haha IQ was my fav Ep, the first one I remember watching and the moment Sue Ann took my heart. Loved the girls getting the iq scores and Mrs G and Bradley taking the test. IQ really was epic. And a ha! Sue Ann is VINDICTED! She paid Nat back for being so catty by referring to her as easy. That WOULD be awesome if Nancy called Sue Ann after roger proposed! I’d think they’re still friends. Obviously Cindy and Sue Ann were but I like to think all the lost girls were friends like the core four, Even Molly.

[Lorimar Television]

Originally Posted by '80sSitcoms

Ahhhhhh,hahahahahaha! That's so great! And terrific character continuity!! I was thinking there was maybe one other reference---thanks!

It was such a shock to 10 year old me seeing Mrs G react like that. The closest I saw her to yelling before that was at Molly when she wouldn’t answer the phone!

[RetroGuy2000]

So many gems here, I don't even know where to start!

Originally Posted by '80sSitcoms

It seems really clear that Nina lives in this dorm, the way Mrs. Garrett is so familiar with Mr. Branch. She speaks to him like she's supposed to know who he is, and is familiar with him.

I think so, too. But I wish we'd been given some lines that make it more clear that there were other girls in the dorm. Some throwaway lines like, "Sue Ann, go upstairs and bring the other 16 girls down here, so can all start sandbagging. We're going to save this building from the flood!" or "Molly, it's not fair of you to be so disobedient when I've got 22 other girls to take care of. Now go pack so you can see your father!"

Man, what was with the audience?? Some of these jokes completely BOMB and fall on the floor in such awkwardness...Mr. Bradley: "Blair's mother has a good head on her shoulders!"...Tootie: "You wanna study Miss Mahoney's body? I think you're gonna have to read between the lines..."---uncomfortable silence, not "studio audience laughter"---and that's just two times right there!

I suspect what may have happened is the microphones that are used to capture the studio audience's reactions malfunctioned. Maybe the sound mixing machine broke. For whatever reason, we may be only hearing the studio audience's reactions through the stage microphones. But NBC was in such dire straights that they didn't re-tape, and just went with it.

And her hair is full on PERM in this episode! I think she let Gail do it!

I think she let Emily do it, but I can't decide if that's Emily the Stoner or Emily the infant.

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by Lorimar Television

Haha IQ was my fav Ep, the first one I remember watching and the moment Sue Ann took my heart.

Awww! Yeah, I can see why this would be a favorite. Sue Ann shines, here!

Loved the girls getting the iq scores and Mrs G and Bradley taking the test. IQ really was epic. And a ha! Sue Ann is VINDICTED! She paid Nat back for being so catty by referring to her as easy. That WOULD be awesome if Nancy called Sue Ann after roger proposed! I’d think they’re still friends. Obviously Cindy and Sue Ann were but I like to think all the lost girls were friends like the core four, Even Molly.

Since Sue Ann, Cindy, and Nancy in "The Little Chill" all arrived at the house behind the shop at the same time, I suspect they drove up together. Otherwise, they would have arrived separately. This indicates, to me, that they have remained friends all these years.

Another thing that makes me think this is that they don't hug each other, as if they already had their reunion between the three of them.

We have no evidence for a continued friendship with Molly, but I like to think she stayed close with Nancy, Cindy, and Sue Ann, too.