Saved by the Bell

[swanflake]

I vaguely remember watching an episode many years ago where Jessie took some kind of pill and damn near went on a rampage. You're now telling me that what she took were CAFFEINE PILLS?!!!?

Wanting to see this again, I checked YouTube and found this.

I was so obsessed with this show when I was in first grade. I remember being really upset that we didn't have school dances in elementary school, and I told my mom to call the Principal and ask if we could have one, and she got all mad at me and wanted me to stop watching this show.

[susyhomewrecker]

"I gotta wash my hair! There's no time! THERE'S NEVER ANY TIME!"

How that Emmy escaped Elizabeth Berkeley, I'll never know.

[Shanmac]

Yes, indeed, they were mere caffeine pills. Even at age 10, I knew that was over the top.

But the real anti-drug episode was ... well, let me put it this way, it changed my life. Without it, I would never have known there's no hope with dope.

I love the PSA they film. All these dramatic shots of the SBtB kids turning to the camera saying "Dumb!" "Stupid!"

God, I miss this show.

[mrpancake]

Brandon Tartikoff taught me a great lesson that episode. I think it's funny, in retrospect, that they even bothered to put him on an episode. For the kids watching, it may have well been some random extra. Did kids know who Brandon Tartikoff was? Why did they put him on? I know it was easy, but was it necessary?

[Deleted]

i thought the caffeine pills episode was SO. DEEP. when I was a kid.

When I catch the reruns now I think of how much it sucks, but also how, despite the suckitude, you know what? Mark-Paul Gosselar was a really good actor.

[susyhomewrecker]

You know, I noticed that when I watched the clip SwanFlake linked! Elizabeth Berkeley chews the scenery as if it were slathered in barbecue sauce, but Mark-Paul actually does what he can with a shitty script. I gotta give that guy credit man...that's not easy.

[Deleted]

I think Mark-Paul was good, and so was Lark Can't-Remember-Her-Last-Name. aka Lisa. I think she was the most talented actress of the cast, and I always thought it was a shame they never gave her more A storylines.

[carrier76]

I'm sure the sales of Vivarin went down the day that episode debuted. College kids across America threw away their Vivarin in the trash and only relied on their Jolt instead.

Not me! I had my own "I'm so excited!" day when I was a freshman in college. I was popping Vivarin every three hours and stayed up 'til 4:30 working on a speech. I got up and was in class at 7:30 (this is when I lived at home and went to comm. college so this was no easy feat) and delivered an A+ speech on the death penalty...then went outside and crashed on a bench and made my guy friend take me to Hardees where I scarfed down biscuits and gravy...good times. I had many "dramatic" moments with Vivarin, as that's as far as I went with drugs. I then switched to NoDoz because they were easier to swallow and break in half.

Topic? Yeah, um....Mark-Paul is still f***ing hot and I'd get on that in a second.

[Mutagen]

larisa said:

That's funny, because he came to do stand-up at my university a couple years back, and he was absolutely vile. He seemed pretty bitter about the show, the actors, everything. And he made really bad bigoted and sexist jokes, and bad poo jokes. It could've been all an act, but he started out with a packed crowd, and nearly everyone left because they were so disgusted. And he wasn't funny either.

ETA: I meant Dustin Diamond, not Belding.

Ouch... that's too bad. Well, I guess I can consign him right back to the "door, ass, way, out" category.

Belding asked people their favorite episode, and the entire audience of probably close to 1,000 shouted caffeine pills. It's true, that's one of the most amazing episodes of anything ever.

That? Is so awesome!

[Deleted]

I think I first noticed Mark-Paul was good when he did an episode of Law & Order: SVU which is one of the best ones they ever did: he and his wife (played by the chick from Seabiscuit) were husband and wife porn stars trying to do good for their sick daughter, only they got involved with a nasty Mob-like dude. He had to portray a victim of homosexual rape and he was really good: sensitive and nuanced.