Since the girls caused Edna's Edibles to get a $500 fine for Health Violations, when

[TVFactFan]

she hired them back they should have been working for free until they paid for that fine Why pay them and she still needed to pay that fine?

Or is that what happened and Antenna TV cut it out?

[TV Guy]

I don’t think they discussed it, but you’re right.

I think it would have been a funny in-joke in the final scene if the girls tried to get their jobs back, but Edna had already hired their replacements: Nancy, Sue Ann, Cindy, and Molly. The lost girls could have made cameo appearances, and the final freeze frame shows the core four with their mouths hanging open.

[TVFactFan]

Originally Posted by TV Guy

I don’t think they discussed it, but you’re right.

I think it would have been a funny in-joke in the final scene if the girls tried to get their jobs back, but Edna had already hired their replacements: Nancy, Sue Ann, Cindy, and Molly. The lost girls could have made cameo appearances, and the final freeze frame shows the core four with their mouths hanging open.

The way Mrs Garrett was talking and looking when she said........"Im making a business decision" I was expecting to see "TO BE CONTINUED" any sec


I never seen her look that upset

['80sSitcoms]

Originally Posted by TV Guy

I think it would have been a funny in-joke in the final scene if the girls tried to get their jobs back, but Edna had already hired their replacements: Nancy, Sue Ann, Cindy, and Molly. The lost girls could have made cameo appearances, and the final freeze frame shows the core four with their mouths hanging open.

That would have been great!!

"Tune into 'The Facts of Life' next fall---when the cast doubles with some familiar faces!"

Originally Posted by TVFactFan

The way Mrs Garrett was talking and looking when she said........"Im making a business decision" I was expecting to see "TO BE CONTINUED" any sec


I never seen her look that upset

Oh man, I wouldn't have put it past 'em---those '80s dramedies and their "TO BE CONTINUED..."s!! It was THE WORST!

In syndication, you had to wait 24 WHOLE HOURS to see it resolve!

Or if part 1 aired on a Friday---you had to wait THREE WHOLE DAYS!!!

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by TV Guy

I don’t think they discussed it, but you’re right.

I think it would have been a funny in-joke in the final scene if the girls tried to get their jobs back, but Edna had already hired their replacements: Nancy, Sue Ann, Cindy, and Molly. The lost girls could have made cameo appearances, and the final freeze frame shows the core four with their mouths hanging open.

AHAHAHAHAHHHHH!!!!!



That would have been hilarious!

[hch]

In the episode "The Chain Letter" (Season 5, Episode 13), the girls' negligence leads to a disastrous health inspection and a $500 fine for Edna's Edibles. While it seems logically sound that they should have worked for free to pay it off, the show handled it through "sitcom grace" rather than a strict financial plan.

Here is the breakdown of why Mrs. G didn't make them work for free:

Ultimate Responsibility: The health inspector, Klaus, explicitly reminds Mrs. Garrett that as the owner, she is ultimately responsible for the violations, regardless of her employees' "ineptitude".

The Emotional Reset: Mrs. Garrett actually did fire the girls in a fit of rage. However, she rehired them the very next day after they made an emotional plea and promised to be more responsible.

A "Family" Dynamic: By this point in the series, the girls were no longer just students; they were Mrs. Garrett's "found family". Forcing them into unpaid labor might have crossed the line from a "lesson learned" to a hostile work environment, which didn't fit the show's sentimental tone.

Future Financial Sacrifice: While they didn't work for free for this specific fine, the girls eventually made a much larger financial sacrifice. When Edna's Edibles burned down in Season 7, the girls used their own insurance claim checks to help rebuild it, effectively becoming equal partners in the business.

In retrospect, Mrs. Garrett probably viewed the $500 fine as an expensive "tuition fee" for teaching the girls how to run a business—a lesson they clearly took to heart when they eventually became her business partners!