Welcome to Retro Television Reviews, a feature where we review some of our favorite and least favorite shows of the past!  On Saturdays, I will be reviewing Baywatch, which ran on NBC and then in syndication from 1989 to 2001.  The entire show can be viewed on Tubi.

This week, Hobie and Summer learn an important lesson about hanging out with the wrong people.

Episode 3.5 “Pier Pressure”

(Dir by Gus Trikonis, originally aired on October 12th, 1992)

This week’s episode is called — wait for it — “Pier Pressure.” Ha! Get it?!

Both Hobie and Summer find themselves dealing with peer pressure on the beach. Summer meets two popular girls from Malibu Beach High, where she’ll soon be taking classes. Courtney Brimmer (Elizabeth Berkley) is rich and spoiled and probably addicted to pep pills. When Summer catches Courtney and her friend drinking on the beach, Summer tells them to stay out of the water. Technically, she could have had them arrested for underage drinking, but that would have made high school a little rough. Anyway, Courtney ignores Summer and nearly drowns. Summer saves Courtney’s life and tells Mitch that Courtney was drinking. Courtney accuses Summer of being a liar. Courtney brings up the fact that, earlier in the episode, Summer thought she had a date with Slade, but it turned out Slade just invited her to his surfing competition so she could see him compete. Slade pops up and says that Courtney was drinking and that he did have a date with Summer but “I blew it.” Courtney is humiliated, and I’m sure she will not take her anger out on Summer once school begins. Should high school students be working as lifeguards? Probably not.

Meanwhile, Hobie witnesses a fight between Tony Valentino (Jason Marsden) and Andy Van Pelt (Mike Simmrin), two slightly older kids. Unfortunately, Hobie doesn’t see who actually started the fight. Also, the fight took place outside the liquor store that Mitch specifically told him to stay away from. Both Tony and Andy pressure Hobie to tell the police that the other boy started the fight. This is yet another episode that features Hobie running for his life. Hobie is barely 12 and I’ve lost track of the number of times he’s nearly gotten killed on this show. He’s got to be the most traumatized kid ever.

This episode felt like it was made for the kids, in that it had a pretty simple message about not giving in to peer pressure, and Pamela Anderson, Alexandra Paul, and David Charvet were nowhere to be seen. The episode itself felt a bit off, but Saved By The Bell fans will be excited — so excited! — to see Elizabeth Berkley playing a bitchy mean girl. Courtney thought she was going to get Jimmy Slade to lie for her, but that’s not the Jimmy Slade way.

Next week: Summer starts high school with Matt Brody.