Was it too "unrealistic" to have the girls continue to live together

[TMC]

Come the time that they were now young adults, college graduates, and running their own novelty shop with Beverly Ann? Weren't they already kind of pushing it by having the girls not just work for Mrs. Garrett in her gourmet food shop but also live above it? Don't you think that people outside the sitcom world, especially Blair and Jo's ages at the time, would've inevitably drifted apart in both their personal and professional lives.

[80s Dude]

Yes. Mindy has even publicly complained about this.

[Christopher]

Was it unrealistic for Laverne & Shirley to be roommates in their late 20's? Was it unrealistic for Chandler & Joey to be roommates on Friends along with Monica & Rachel? How about when Lucy and Vivian are living together the first 3 seasons of The Lucy Show because of finances? What about the Golden Girls sharing a house? I think people forget how much things cost when it comes to living on their own. I don't live in a big city but I know one bedroom apartments range from 900 to 1,400 a month where I live. 2 bedroom apartments are 1,800 to 2,100. It's not unrealistic the girls continued living together in the later years. In fact, they showed a realistic reality of what kind of apartment you can have if you live on your own with the income you make in the season 7 finale. Cost of living is way too high to be doing it by yourself. You need either a second or third income or roommates because jobs don't pay that well for single people to make it on their own. The jobs Natalie had in the later years were most likely paying minimum wage. You also have to add the fact in that women are paid less than men so it would have been very unrealistic if Jo, Tootie, or Natalie were living in these fancy apartments or houses by themselves. I have done similar work that Jo did in season 9 at that shelter. You do not make much working to help people. You don't even make much working in education.

[80s Dude]

Originally Posted by Christopher

Was it unrealistic for Laverne & Shirley to be roommates in their late 20's? Was it unrealistic for Chandler & Joey to be roommates on Friends along with Monica & Rachel? How about when Lucy and Vivian are living together the first 3 seasons of The Lucy Show because of finances? What about the Golden Girls sharing a house? I think people forget how much things cost when it comes to living on their own. I don't live in a big city but I know one bedroom apartments range from 900 to 1,400 a month where I live. 2 bedroom apartments are 1,800 to 2,100. It's not unrealistic the girls continued living together in the later years. In fact, they showed a realistic reality of what kind of apartment you can have if you live on your own with the income you make in the season 7 finale. Cost of living is way too high to be doing it by yourself. You need either a second or third income or roommates because jobs don't pay that well for single people to make it on their own. The jobs Natalie had in the later years were most likely paying minimum wage. You also have to add the fact in that women are paid less than men so it would have been very unrealistic if Jo, Tootie, or Natalie were living in these fancy apartments or houses by themselves. I have done similar work that Jo did in season 9 at that shelter. You do not make much working to help people. You don't even make much working in education.

For as good of schools that Eastland and Langley were said to be, you would think their graduates would have a higher income than the jobs that they were earning. Why did Jo return to live with the other girls after she got married to Rick and became Rick's beard?

[Christopher]

Originally Posted by 80s Dude

For as good of schools that Eastland and Langley were said to be, you would think their graduates would have a higher income than the jobs that they were earning. Why did Jo return to live with the other girls after she got married to Rick and became Rick's beard?

That's not how it happened with Jo after she married Rick. He left for work after they married. While he was gone, Jo was spending the time looking for a place. We saw that in the opening of Beginning of The End. She wasn't choosing to live with the girls while being married. Was she supposed to live on the street or in the shelter just because she was married?

Also, it doesn't matter what kind of schools you attend. It matters what kind of job you take after college. Jo chose to work in the shelter helping others because that was the type of character she is. She could have taken a different job making more money like we saw in Teacher, Teacher but it wasn't what she wanted to do.

[PracTz]

I could see the cash poor Jo, Natalie and Tootie pooling together their limited funds to keep rooming together even past everyone's graduations but it was unreal for the well-heeled BLAIR to keep doing so!

Also, there seemed to be more than two bedrooms there (since Beverly Ann and Andy both seemed to have had their own rooms) so why did the Four need to keep staying in the same room?

[80s Dude]

Originally Posted by Christopher

That's not how it happened with Jo after she married Rick. He left for work after they married. While he was gone, Jo was spending the time looking for a place. We saw that in the opening of Beginning of The End. She wasn't choosing to live with the girls while being married. Was she supposed to live on the street or in the shelter just because she was married?

Also, it doesn't matter what kind of schools you attend. It matters what kind of job you take after college. Jo chose to work in the shelter helping others because that was the type of character she is. She could have taken a different job making more money like we saw in Teacher, Teacher but it wasn't what she wanted to do.

People getting married without even a place to live? Not a wise decision.

[Christopher]

Originally Posted by PracTz

I could see the cash poor Jo, Natalie and Tootie pooling together their limited funds to keep rooming together even past everyone's graduations but it was unreal for the well-heeled BLAIR to keep doing so!

Blair chose to live with them. She could have stayed in the dorms, but she wanted to be with Mrs. Garrett and the girls because they were her family. Gamma Gamma or Bust covers that story of Blair deciding where she wanted to live.

Originally Posted by PracTz

Also, there seemed to be more than two bedrooms there (since Beverly Ann and Andy both seemed to have had their own rooms) so why did the Four need to keep staying in the same room?

Season 8 had the girls splitting up. Natalie and Tootie had the attic as a bedroom and Blair and Jo had the regular room. I think it was always assumed the house was two bedrooms. In Brave New World, Mrs. Garrett tells Jo she has an extra room. I took that as it's only a two bedroom home. Andy slept in the basement I believe. He didn't get his own room until they closed Over Our Heads and turned it into bedrooms for Andy and Pippa.

Originally Posted by 80s Dude

People getting married without even a place to live? Not a wise decision.

It's not that uncommon for newlyweds to stay at one of the person's place of residence until they find their dream home.

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by Christopher

Andy slept in the basement I believe.

Weirdly, in "Boy About the House", he goes upstairs to his room. In other episodes, he's sleeping in a room next to the boiler, which one would naturally assume is in the basement.

[ChrisW]

The premise that made the show work was 'four high school girls being punished so they're stuck with each other.' Once they grow out of that, there's less and less reason for them to be close to each other.

Jo's a good enough student to go anywhere, Natalie wants to travel and that can be done on the cheap, Blair has no reason not to get her own apartment*, Tootie's still in high school and she'd be hanging out with theater people anyway. They may love Mrs. Garrett but they've also grown up and "Over Our Heads" was just very 1980s in a bad way, like Jo and Blair's haircuts and outfits.

They may still be friends but they'd have other friends, those who are closer to what they're doing now.

* If Blair's always shopping, where does she put the stuff she buys? Not counting the Eastland uniform, Lisa wore the same outfits over and over. What is Blair buying?

[Christopher]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Weirdly, in "Boy About the House", he goes upstairs to his room. In other episodes, he's sleeping in a room next to the boiler, which one would naturally assume is in the basement.

I remember those too. I assume basement because in Up From Down Under he comes out of an entrance near the stairs in the kitchen. The house had a weird layout. Ever notice in the Beverly Ann episodes she goes to that entry way midway up the stairs on the left? I guess her bedroom was on a different floor than the girls room. In Gamma Gamma or Bust, we see Mrs. Garrett go up all the stairs when she storms off from her talk with Tootie. I guess her bedroom started out on the same floor as the girls and moved when they remodeled since that's the room Beverly Ann took.

[TMC]

I was reading comments elsewhere, and the comments are the opinion that by the time Beverly Ann showed up and Tootie was officially out of Eastland, they were, really, really stretching the credibility regarding their living arrangements. Not only did they not in theory, need adult supervision anymore, but in real life, Blair, Jo, Tootie, and Natalie would've been living their own lives at that point.

[FOL-FAN-ITA]

As much as I love Facts, the show starts to lose credibility by the time Blair and Jo graduate. Mrs. Garrett opens her own shop the following season and all four girls are stuck again in the same room. I don't consider Blair and Jo since they are out of Eastland but what about Tootie and Natalie?? I don't think their parents are happy that they are living with a former school employee. But the problem was when Mrs. Garrett moves out and Beverly Ann moves in. By the time of the final season, the girls are in their 20s and they are still together. I'm happy the show continued for two more seasons without Edna but Mrs. Garrett's wedding or the last episode of season 8 would have been a great series finale.

['80sSitcoms]

Originally Posted by TMC

Not only did they not in theory, need adult supervision anymore

I used to think that too, until I came to realize that it's not as much about them "needing supervision" from a substitute adult so much as it's about needing an older adult to manage the store while the girls are having their own lives.

Originally Posted by FOL-FAN-ITA

As much as I love Facts, the show starts to lose credibility by the time Blair and Jo graduate. Mrs. Garrett opens her own shop the following season and all four girls are stuck again in the same room.

There was nice addressing of that with Blair though, as at first she flat out said no, she did not want to move back in with the others after graduating.

Originally Posted by FOL-FAN-ITA

what about Tootie and Natalie?? I don't think their parents are happy that they are living with a former school employee.

I think their parents would be happy. They know Mrs. Garrett. They trust her implicitly. They know it's safe and "sheltered" for them. And they know their daughters would still be getting to live with their best friends. They probably figure they hadn't been living in community dorms for a few years anyway, so why not just "go with Garrett"? lol

Originally Posted by FOL-FAN-ITA

By the time of the final season, the girls are in their 20s and they are still together.

Well, if you consider Tootie being newly 16 in season 7, December ("Tootie Drives"), then she would be 18 when season 9 ends, with Natalie 20. That would leave Blair and Jo to be 22. But we know the ages don't always agree throughout the series.

Originally Posted by FOL-FAN-ITA

I'm happy the show continued for two more seasons without Edna but Mrs. Garrett's wedding or the last episode of season 8 would have been a great series finale.

Agreed!

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by Christopher

I remember those too. I assume basement because in Up From Down Under he comes out of an entrance near the stairs in the kitchen. The house had a weird layout. Ever notice in the Beverly Ann episodes she goes to that entry way midway up the stairs on the left? I guess her bedroom was on a different floor than the girls room. In Gamma Gamma or Bust, we see Mrs. Garrett go up all the stairs when she storms off from her talk with Tootie. I guess her bedroom started out on the same floor as the girls and moved when they remodeled since that's the room Beverly Ann took.

Yes. I always believed Mrs. Garrett's room was on the left, and that Beverly Ann took over that room later on. It's possible the "Gamma Gamma" scene wasn't Mrs. Garrett going to her bedroom, but instead the bathroom or another room: she doesn't say she's going to her room.

I, too, believed Andy's bedroom must be "back there, somewhere" by the kitchen or below the stairs (in a basement), and was surprised that he was going upstairs to change clothes in "Boy About the House", because that just doesn't make sense. There's no way the boiler is upstairs.