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The Top 5 Most Non-Sequitor Aspects of Saved by the Bell By: PoisonRamune, the Apathetic Lizardman After doing commentary on some of the more notable episodes of Saved by the Bell, I’ve decided to put together an “RwN top 5 list” based on the show. As I mentioned in another Saved by the Bell commentary, part of enjoying the show is being able to put reality and logic aside for those 30 minutes and just roll with it. Because of this need for the suspension of disbelief, I choose to note the most outlandish and non-sequitor aspects of the show. 5) Screech becomes the Valedictorian: Screech cannot be the top ranked student in his class. It's just not feasible. Screech was originally portrayed as a smart kid that acted a bit goofy (however, in the junior high episodes he was more of the class weakling and at average intelligence). As time went by the writers moved him from a misunderstood genius to an socially inept eccentric that lacked foresight and common sense. Screech is seemingly an living oxymoron in this show as he's supposedly the best student in his grade, yet lacks the critical thinking skills and cognitive reasoning to see past Zack's schemes. 4) Zack Morris’ Time-Out: A common staple of many Saved by the Bell episodes is Zack calling a “time-out” in order to freeze time. Even though this really is a major plot device in some episodes like the Glee Club one, there's no explanation why Zack Morris has this Warner Bros./godlike power. I can buy the fact that Screech could read minds because he was struck by lighting or that he receives AM radio waves from a cavity filling. But to say Zack Morris can stop time just because he's Zack is ludicrous and outright insane. In the words of Will Farrell from Zoolander, “I feel like I'm taking crazy pills!” 3) The move from Junior High to High School: In case you don’t know your Saved by the Bell history (and shame on you if that’s true), the show actually started as one of those sitcoms for kids on the Disney Channel. Its original title was called Good Morning Miss Bliss focused more on Hayley Mills’ titular character, Carrie Bliss. The show is sort of a forced prequel to Saved by the Bell and it shows. While there are many logical non-sequitors from doing this, I’ll only be pointing out the obvious ones; such as the gang claiming to know Jessie and Kelly since elementary school, when they were in fact living in different states (Indiana in Good Morning Miss Bliss and California in Saved by the Bell). Another obvious continuity error is the change in the characters’ families. In Good Morning Miss Bliss Screech has a brother and Zack’s father is a divorcee. However, in Saved by the Bell Screech is an only child and Zack comes from a more traditional family setting. 2) Slater's Sister: This is both a reference to the person and the episode with the same title. In the episode we're introduced to Slater's younger sister who's just returned from some far off land (seriously, they give no explanation as to where she's been this whole time). The fact that everyone seems to have known Slater's sister before she's introduced to the audience is totally baffling. Since Slater is seemingly the newest member of the group, I find it strange that anyone would know about his family's past. However, the gang acts as if they've known her and Slater since infancy. While this may be explained away as Slater just spilling his guts to everyone in some sort of emo tell all, Slater's sister's mysterious disappearance from the show cannot. Unless the Slaters are like Josh's or my family (which I doubt because our families are just freaking weird), I find it really hard to believe that Slater's sister was going to a different high school all this time. I find it even harder to believe that Slater's sister was only going to Bayside for a week. I mean, doesn't their family believe in stability? Why would you let your kid bounce around from school to school like that? The entire incident with Slater's sister is either the result of poor parenting or the writers not checking their backstories (I'm siding with the latter). 1) Tori: In the fourth season of Saved by the Bell a new female character was drafted to replace Kelly and Jessie after they moved on to better (or worse, in the case of Showgirls) projects. Tori was supposed written as a character who could seemingly out Zack, Zack. In fact, Zack even comes to appreciate Tori's cavalier attitude and style and eventually dates Tori. However, her entire existence fails to make any sense whatsoever. During the original run of the show NBC was airing a Tori episode followed by a Jessie and Kelly episode. Chuck Klosterman explains this as simply Zack, Slater, Screech and Lisa hanging out with 2 different sets of friends. This would work except for one major flaw, Kelly would never be cool with the fact that Zack is dating her and another girl at the same time. This is evidenced by the way that Kelly freaked out over the fact that Zack and Jessie had to do a realistic on stage kiss for a play and therefore had to practice it. If things were really going on as Mr. Klosterman explains, then surely Kelly would have had to confront Tori or Zack about the matter (or at the very least, sulk to Lisa). Add the fact that no one mentions Kelly or Jessie to Tori or vice versa makes me believe that Tori is just a very vivid recurring fantasy that plays out in Zack's mind or a bizarre dream of some alternate reality in an autistic Screech's mind. Either way, it doesn't enough sense to be seriously considered as canonical.
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