Were Blair and Jo "held back a year" in school? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

'80sSitcoms · 03-09-2020, 12:26 PM

I'm kind of surprised this hasn't come up on this board yet.

In season 1, Blair, Sue Ann, and Nancy are 15 years old. Blair even tells Steve in his van in "The Facts of Love a.k.a. Sex Education", "I have 2 more years at Eastland", indicating she is a sophomore in season 1.

Yet after this year, she has 3 more years of high school. That would make her:

a 16-year-old junior in season 2
a 17-year-old senior in season 3
and an 18-year-old senior in season 4

Now usually I associate 16 with sophomore, 17 with junior, and 18 with senior.

And Blair and Jo are the same age. Blair tells the motel owner in "Teenage Marriage", "She's 16 years old like me but much less sophisticated looking!" (lol), cementing that the two of them are indeed the same age.

Was Jo held back in middle school when she was in with "the bad crowd" after her dad "split"? (to use a Bronx word, lol) Was Blair held back in high school? Was her failure of English Lit in "Emily Dickinson" enough to put her a year behind Nancy and Sue Ann?

This could also be a good fan-boy explanation of why we don't see Nancy and Sue Ann in "Graduation" in 1983, nor at all in season 4 (1982-1983)---they had already graduated a year earlier in 1982! Since they were bright girls who didn't fail or get held back, they graduated on time, with Blair and Jo trailing a year behind.

Now, have coffee and pastries and discuss, lol.

RetroGuy2000 · 03-09-2020, 01:05 PM

It's also possible, too, that two seasons represent a single academic year, as they did on Degrassi Junior High. This would explain why Blair has only two years left at Eastland, and then appears for three more seasons.

'80sSitcoms · 03-09-2020, 01:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

It's also possible, too, that two seasons represent a single academic year, as they did on Degrassi Junior High. This would explain why Blair has only two years left at Eastland, and then appears for three more seasons.

Oh, whoa. That is really toying too much with the viewer's mind!

For me, I really don't take to that. I mean I suppose someone can if they want to, but it just doesn't seem realistic to me (as "real" as a TV show is anyway, lol). Season 2's first episode is the girls returning to campus fresh from summer vacation. Season 3's first episode is also the girls returning to campus fresh from summer vacation. Season 4's last episode is graduation. And I think season 4's first episode deals with the fact that it's "the new school year" and "this year" the scholarships will now be cut off.

That's one thing that was so special about the show, we went through each school year with them.

If only season 1 hadn't had Blair saying she has 2 years left at Eastland, this wouldn't be an issue, lol.

RetroGuy2000 · 03-09-2020, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by '80sSitcoms

If only season 1 hadn't had Blair saying she has 2 years left at Eastland, this wouldn't be an issue, lol.

Well, then, maybe Blair lied about her age (grade). We know she later did it the following season, at the Chug a Lug.

'80sSitcoms · 03-09-2020, 01:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Well, then, maybe Blair lied about her age (grade). We know she later did it the following season, at the Chug a Lug.

Well to get into a bar underage, you have to lie. But in season 1 she was putting off long-range plans with SSS - "Slightly Slow Steve" (I looked up the clip earlier and he says, "Hey, I may be a little slow, but" lol). So here you'd think that if she'd lie about how much longer she has left at school, she'd lie that she has more years of school left, not less.

But, I don't think she lied. If anything, I would subscribe to the theory that her hormones were in such control of her body that she couldn't think straight and just accidentally said "2" instead of "3", lol.

(though in reality, I guess Linda and Margie just took over for season 2 and established that Blair and Jo would be sophomores in season 2. But I kinda like this new theory that Blair and Jo were held back at different times in school, because that totally gives a fan-boy explanation of why you never see Nancy and Sue Ann in season 4, having already graduated a year earlier on time).

80s Dude · 03-09-2020, 02:34 PM

This is the FOL universe where some people age differently than others. Look at Tootie who was 12 years old from 1979 to 1981. It's like the Twilight Zone.

In the first season, Blair pretty much Lisa's age (15 vs. 16), but to get more girls in the same graduation class, they have to enhance the age of some and slow down the age of others.

valentina warner · 03-09-2020, 04:53 PM

This is what i think: because they ended up retooling FOL after season 1, the writers lost the plot and got confused with the girls age (they had TOOTIE as a 12 year old kid for almost 3 season) or
BLAIR did actually lie about her grade/age on STEVEN's van (saying she had only 2 years left when she had really 3, and saying she was 16 instead of 15 to appear older) or
TOOTIE was only 11 in the first season (if you follow season 2 rules).
Get it?

'80sSitcoms · 03-09-2020, 04:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by valentina warner

This is what i think: because they ended up retooling FOL after season 1, the writers lost the plot and got confused with the girls age (they had TOOTIE as a 12 year old kid for almost 3 season)

Just 2 seasons: 1 and 2. At the start of season 3 she had already turned 13 years old.

Quote:

Originally Posted by valentina warner

BLAIR did actually lie about her grade/age on STEVEN's van (saying she had only 2 years left when she had really 3, and saying she was 16 instead of 15 to appear older)

We can't say it's a fact she lied, that was just someone's theory. And she never said she was 16. But it is interesting to speculate that Blair lied to Steve. After all---and I hadn't thought of this until just now---she is obviously insecure and threatened when Sue Ann tells her that Steve dates college girls.

But still, IF she lied, why lie when it's going to obvious you lied?

Quote:

Originally Posted by valentina warner

TOOTIE was only 11 in the first season (if you follow season 2 rules).

But Mrs. Garrett already said Tootie was 12 years old in episode 4, "Overachieving".

I know when you get down to it it's just detailed not followed through as set in stone because of the show's change from season 1 to 2. But it is fun to think about! lol

03-09-2020, 12:26 PM	#1
'80sSitcoms Member Forum Star Join Date: Jan 30, 2013 Posts: 12,474	Were Blair and Jo "held back a year" in school? I'm kind of surprised this hasn't come up on this board yet. In season 1, Blair, Sue Ann, and Nancy are 15 years old. Blair even tells Steve in his van in "The Facts of Love a.k.a. Sex Education", "I have 2 more years at Eastland", indicating she is a sophomore in season 1. Yet after this year, she has 3 more years of high school. That would make her: a 16-year-old junior in season 2 a 17-year-old senior in season 3 and an 18-year-old senior in season 4 Now usually I associate 16 with sophomore, 17 with junior, and 18 with senior. And Blair and Jo are the same age. Blair tells the motel owner in "Teenage Marriage", "She's 16 years old like me but much less sophisticated looking!" (lol), cementing that the two of them are indeed the same age. Was Jo held back in middle school when she was in with "the bad crowd" after her dad "split"? (to use a Bronx word, lol) Was Blair held back in high school? Was her failure of English Lit in "Emily Dickinson" enough to put her a year behind Nancy and Sue Ann? This could also be a good fan-boy explanation of why we don't see Nancy and Sue Ann in "Graduation" in 1983, nor at all in season 4 (1982-1983)---they had already graduated a year earlier in 1982! Since they were bright girls who didn't fail or get held back, they graduated on time, with Blair and Jo trailing a year behind. Now, have coffee and pastries and discuss, lol.
	__________________ "The Facts of Life" - re-imagined episode guide with all 8 girls in all 9 seasons

03-09-2020, 01:05 PM	#2
RetroGuy2000 Julie,Julie Anne,&Felice 4Ever Forum Star Join Date: Dec 27, 2013 Posts: 16,914	It's also possible, too, that two seasons represent a single academic year, as they did on Degrassi Junior High. This would explain why Blair has only two years left at Eastland, and then appears for three more seasons.
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03-09-2020, 02:34 PM	#6
80s Dude Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Dec 24, 2019 Location: Toronto Posts: 3,811	This is the FOL universe where some people age differently than others. Look at Tootie who was 12 years old from 1979 to 1981. It's like the Twilight Zone. In the first season, Blair pretty much Lisa's age (15 vs. 16), but to get more girls in the same graduation class, they have to enhance the age of some and slow down the age of others.

03-09-2020, 04:53 PM	#7
valentina warner Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Jan 31, 2020 Location: The Uk Posts: 3,154	This is what i think: because they ended up retooling FOL after season 1, the writers lost the plot and got confused with the girls age (they had TOOTIE as a 12 year old kid for almost 3 season) or BLAIR did actually lie about her grade/age on STEVEN's van (saying she had only 2 years left when she had really 3, and saying she was 16 instead of 15 to appear older) or TOOTIE was only 11 in the first season (if you follow season 2 rules). Get it?