A Blast From The Past: Count Floyd Brings You Whisper Of The Wolf

Posted on October 1, 2026 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Starting last month, I’ve been watching SCTV on Netflix. Probably to the surprise of absolutely no one, Count Floyd (played by the wonderful Joe Flaherty) is my favorite character and Monster Chiller Horror Theatre is my favorite SCTV “show.”

In today’s blast from the past, Count Floyd brings us something “pretty scary!” From 1978, here’s Count Floyd and Ingmar “Burgman’s” Whispers of the Wolf!

Seriously, it takes a special guide of genius to accurately satirize not just cheap horror hosts but also Ingmar Bergman in the same sketch.

I also love the fact that, even though it’s never specifically stated, Count Floyd is obviously meant to be straight-laced newsman Floyd Robertson, doing double duty at the station.

“Wasn’t that scary, kids!?”

Retro Television Review: Blood Ties (dir by Jim McBride)

Posted on October 1, 2026 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Welcome to Retro Television Reviews, a feature where we review some of our favorite and least favorite shows of the past! This Thursday, I will be reviewing Blood Ties, which aired its only episode on Fox in 1991. The pilot film can be found on Tubi!

Episode 1.1 “Blood Ties”

(Directed by Jim McBride, originally aired on May 27th, 1991)

In Long Beach, California, there is a thriving community of Carpathians. Eli Chelarin (Patrick Bauchau) is the patriarch, a businessman who builds skyscrapers, makes deals, and flies into a rage whenever he learns of anti-Carpathian prejudice. Harry Martin (Harley Venton), born Harlevon Martinescu, is the reform-minded journalist who thinks it is time for the Carpathian community to start mingling with the rest of America. Celia (Michelle Johnson) is Eli’s sultry sister. While Eli is making big business deals and Harry is preaching coexistence, Celia and the younger generation are having a good time.

And then there is Cody Puckett (Jason London), who grew up in small-town Texas and was barely even aware of his Carpathian heritage. That all changed when a group of Carpathian hunters (led by Bo Hopkins) killed Cody’s parents and burned down his house. Cody flees Texas and ends up in California, where he hooks up with his distant relatives.

Harry reveals to Cody that the Carpathians are actually vampires, but that does not mean what Cody initially assumes. Yes, the Carpathians are directly descended from Lilith, and yes, they do have a taste for blood. However, they are not immortal (though they do tend to live to be at least 120). They can go out in the sunlight. They cannot turn into bats. They cannot be stopped by a cross. A wooden stake only kills them because it would kill anyone. The Carpathians are stronger than the average human, but they are not super-strong. (Cody nods and then asks if Carpathians are better at sex than average humans.) In short, the Carpathians are vampires who do not actually get to do any of the fun vampire things. To me, that defeats the whole purpose of being a vampire. Harry and his relatives spend so much time scoffing at misconceptions about vampires that they seem to miss the point: vampires are only interesting as long as they are doing vampire stuff. Vampires that turn into bats will always be more entertaining than vampires who just happen to live a long time.

Blood Ties was a made-for-TV movie that also served as a pilot for a potential series. It is easy to see the direction the series would have taken. Blood Ties mixes 90210-style teenage antics with older adults debating the best way to protect their community. Eventually the Carpathian hunters show up in Los Angeles, and the vampires make quick work of them. Presumably Bo Hopkins would not have been a series regular. Jim McBride’s direction is stylish, and the pilot is well acted, especially by Michelle Johnson. That said, it is hard not to feel that the pilot sabotaged itself by focusing on how the Carpathians were different from traditional vampires. The film rather cavalierly dismisses a lot of things that most horror fans love about vampires. Making the characters vampires who are not really vampires just feels kind of pointless.

Perhaps fortunately, Blood Ties did not become a regular series. If nothing else, that left Jason London available for Dazed and Confused. It is a fair trade.

Lisa Marie Takes A Look At The Amazing Race 39.1 “Sorry, Guys, We Used Our Express Pass”

Posted on October 1, 2026 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Of all the reality shows that we watched together, The Amazing Race was always my mom’s favorite. She enjoyed watching the racers as they traveled to different countries and struggled to make their way through new cities without getting eliminated. I’ve always enjoyed it too. If Big Brother is about getting production on your side and Survivor is about strategy, The Amazing Race is often about the importance of just being nice to the people that you meet on your travels. It doesn’t matter how athletic or clever you are. If you tick off your taxi driver by yelling at him, there’s a chance you won’t make it to the next Pit Stop in time to avoid being eliminated.

My mom also always liked Phil Keoghan, the Race’s longtime host. Just as Jeff Probst was once the perfect host for Survivor, Phil is the perfect host for The Amazing Race. Phil is earnest and enthusiastic and, unlike both Probst and Julie Chen Moonves, he seems to actually have a sincere investment in each team of racers. When a team does their best and still gets eliminated, Phil is there to offer comfort. When a team does something sneaky to get to the Pit Stop, Phil is there with a look of disappointment to let them know that they’ve failed to live up to the mission of The Amazing Race.

I think my mom would have enjoyed last night’s season premiere. I know I did. At a time when every long-running reality show is piling on twist after twist, The Amazing Race has thrived by keeping things simple. Even when a twist is introduced, it’s usually a fairly straightforward one. This season, every team is starting out with an Express Pass. The Express Pass can be used only once, and it can only be used through the sixth leg. Also, only one team can use an Express Pass per challenge. So, if the team ahead of you uses their Express Pass to get out of doing a Roadblock, you can’t then use your Express Pass to catch up with them. It’s not a bad idea and, by giving all 13 teams a pass, the show keeps things fair. (That’s the sort of thing that Big Brother has still not figured out how to do.)

The first leg took place entirely in Vancouver and, by the end of it, three teams had already used their Express Pass. Erin and Javi used their Express Pass to get out of the season’s first Roadblock. (Personally, I think they’re going to regret using it that early in the season, especially when they probably could have done the Roadblock fairly easily.) Because the Detour featured two tasks to choose from, two teams were able to use their Express Passes. Dylan and Doug used their pass because Doug was exhausted after the Roadblock. Dafina and Saran used their pass because they realized they were running behind.

Here are my thoughts on each team, in the order in which they arrived at the Pit Stop.

Coming in first were Erin and Javi. Erin and Javi are newlyweds. Erin is the self-described “breadwinner” and Javi… well, who knows? Javi seems kind of useless. This team came on strong during this leg, but they’ve already wasted their Express Pass, and they seem like a couple that’s going to end up fighting as soon as they find themselves running behind.

In second place, we’ve got Conner and Garrett. They’re childhood friends! They both seem kind of obnoxious, but they still came in second without wasting an Express Pass, so I think they’re going to be around for a while.

In third place, it was Michelle and Matthew! Michelle owns an auto parts store, and Matthew says that he’s a former R&B singer. I actually think these two are going to do well in the Race. They both seem to be athletic, they worked well together, and they don’t seem to secretly hate each other like Erin and Javi do.

In fourth place, it was Doug and Dylan! Doug is 72 and his grandson Dylan is 18. I liked Doug from the minute he said, “Oh heck yeah,” during the Roadblock. That said, Doug was moving pretty slowly after that Roadblock, and they had to use their Express Pass to come in fourth. I’m hoping for the best for this wholesome team, but I’m not optimistic.

In fifth place, it was the sisters, Katie and Charlotte. I always support the sister teams because Erin Nicole and I often joked about trying out for The Amazing Race. Otherwise, they didn’t make a huge impression this episode. They seem like a middle-of-the-road team.

In sixth place, it was Anaur and his daughter, Andrea. This is another team that just seemed like they were kind of there. They finished right in the middle of the pack, so it’ll be interesting to see if they move up or if they start moving down.

In seventh place, Anne-Marie and Riley! Anne-Marie and Riley are the mother-daughter team. A mother-daughter team has never won The Amazing Race before, and I have a feeling that it’s not going to happen this season either.

In eighth place, Jody and Jenn! They’re best friends and they’re both moms. They didn’t make much of an impression otherwise. I don’t really see them sticking around for too long.

In ninth place, Dafina and Saran. They’re sisters and they seem nice. They had to use their Express Pass to come in ninth. That’s not really a reason for optimism, but it does seem like, every season, there’s a team that surprises the viewers by surviving a bad first leg and then becoming one of the stronger teams. It wouldn’t surprise me if that happened with Dafina and Saran.

In tenth place, Ali and Joanna. Phil introduced them as being “soccer royalty.” Sorry, Phil. The World Cup is over and I’m back to not caring about soccer. Ali was one of the players who took a knee during the national anthem, so I’m actively rooting for this team to be eliminated.

In eleventh place, we’ve got Cody and Jaime. They are a brother/sister team, and I don’t think they’re going to be around that much longer.

In twelfth place, we’ve got Daisha and Dalton, this season’s dating couple. Again, coming in next-to-last is never a good sign as far as the early legs of the Race are concerned. On the plus side, they’ve still got their Express Pass.

And finally, brothers Zack and Nate were the last to reach the Pit Stop, and they were the first to be eliminated. It’s a shame because they did seem nice, but they were also struggling from the start of the leg to the end of it. As soon as they got a lengthy profile about their lives back in Dallas, I knew Zack and Nate were probably going to be eliminated.

I’m happy The Amazing Race is back! Hearing Phil shout, “Go!” was exactly what I needed to hear. Tomorrow, the Race heads to Spain!

Lisa Marie Takes A Look At Survivor 51.2 “Weaponized Honesty”

Posted on October 1, 2026 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Who doesn’t enjoy a chaotic Tribal Council?

Of course, the interesting thing about last night’s Tribal Council was that it didn’t start out particularly chaotic. It was Savu’s first experience with Tribal, and Jeff Probst guided them through the usual discussion about what was happening at camp. Everyone agreed that the tribe felt like a family. Some people mentioned that they were annoyed with a certain person at camp. (That person was Eric.) Some people mentioned that they weren’t sure they could trust one of their tribemates. (That tribemate was Ana.) We, the viewers, knew that the vote was going to come down to either Eric or Ana, and we knew it would probably be a close one.

Rob, however, did not know that.

Rob, who is a force of chaos if nothing else, went through a remarkable and somewhat implausible transformation this episode. He went from being obsessed with voting Eric out to being obsessed with keeping Eric in the game. Rob told the producers that he felt it was his duty to give someone a second chance at life. (Rob is a bit self-important.) Before Tribal, Rob approached Eric and told him that he couldn’t explain what he was going to do or why, but that Eric had to trust him.

So, what did Rob do? Right before it was time to vote, Rob suddenly asked Probst if he could take Eric to the side and talk to him. As the entire tribe watched, Rob whispered to Eric that everyone was going to vote Eric out and that Eric needed to play his Shot in the Dark. If the Shot in the Dark failed, Rob would use his immunity idol to save Eric. Rob then told the rest of the tribe that he was asking Eric a question to determine whether or not he would vote for him.

When it came time to vote, Rob decided to vote for himself. Presumably, Rob did this so he wouldn’t get on anyone’s bad side during the vote. Production told him that he wasn’t allowed to do that. So Rob instead voted for Eric, the guy he was trying to save.

When it came time to tally the votes, Eric did not play his Shot in the Dark. Rob rolled his eyes and did not play his idol. It turned out, however, that Eric knew more about the vote than Rob did. By a vote of 6-4, Ana was the one voted off the island. Ana looked shocked, despite the fact that she basically spent this entire episode alienating her tribemates by talking about randomly targeting people. Ana was so distrusted that the tribe decided to keep Eric, one of the most socially awkward people to ever play the game, over her.

(In the end, Alexis, Christian, Eric, Kirstin, Linnea, and Sharonda all voted for Ana. Rob, Ana, Ori, and Carter voted for Eric.)

This week’s episode definitely left me smiling. After weeks of unanimous Big Brother votes, it’s always nice to be reminded that anything can happen at a good Tribal Council. Eric, who seemed like a goner, lived to laugh another day. And Rob basically just sabotaged his game for no good reason, because now the most talkative guy on the tribe knows that Rob has an idol.

A few other notes:

“There’s my thumb.” Thanks for sharing, Brady! Actually, for all the hype that Brady’s injury received, hitting his thumb with the axe didn’t seem to slow Brady down at either of last night’s challenges. It was interesting to compare Brady’s reaction to hurting his thumb to Kirstin’s more stoic reaction to spraining her ankle.

The immunity challenge was brutal for the Savu tribe. Jeff Probst loves to say, “You’re still in this!” but it became pretty clear, early on, that Savu was not in it. Savu also lost the reward challenge during this episode. For now, at least, the Toka tribe appears to be working better as a team.

I loved the sight of Probst ranting and yelling at everyone to keep fighting during the immunity challenge. Soaked by the rain, Jeff Probst went from being Survivor’s somewhat goofy host to being an Ahab-like figure, yelling as the tribe tried to move a fake whale through the water. (You probably had to be there.)

Lewis returned from Exile and joined the Toka tribe. Lewis immediately told everyone every single detail about his trip to Exile, including the fact that there’s an immunity idol sitting atop a mast. Lewis — what are you thinking!? Lewis is just trying to be honest, but I could tell that most of the tribe didn’t believe him when he said that he didn’t get the idol. Now he’s got Kilby, of all people, talking about targeting him.

Speaking of idols, Jelly found Toka’s idol. So, as of now, there are three idols in play. Rob has Savu’s idol and, last night, he revealed that fact to Eric. Jelly has Toka’s idol and, so far, only Patt knows that she has it. And the third idol is currently sitting atop a mast on Exile Island.

Finally, the cringiest moment of last night’s episode had to be Eric trying to teach everyone on Savu how to do improv. I kept expecting him to yell, “Michael Scarn — FBI!” To be honest, that was probably enough to justify voting him off the island. I’m actually surprised he survived.

Six Things That I’m Looking Forward To In October

Posted on October 1, 2026 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Welcome to October! October is a big month here at the Shattered Lens. It’s the month when we devote the majority of our time to the horror genre. It’s time for our annual Horrorthon! Last year, we had a record number of Horrorthon posts. I’d love to break that record this year! A thousand posts? Hey, why not? Mostly, though, I just want this year’s Horrothon to be fun for both our writers and our readers!

Here’s what I’m looking forward to this October!

Halloween — This one should really go without saying but I’m going to say it anyway. Halloween is my favorite time of year! The movies, the costumes, the decorations, I love all of it! I remember when I was a kid, I cried when I realized that I was too old to keep trick or treating. But now that I’m adult, I love watching horror movies on the 31st (Night of the Living Dead, baby!) I love the parties. I love how much my sister enjoys giving out candy. The past two years have been tough for us. This year, we’re just looking forward to enjoying the holiday season.
Digger — I’m not really expecting Digger to be that good. Alejandro Inarritu is one of those directors who tends to be way too pleased with himself. But I have to admit that I am kind of hoping that I’ll be proven wrong. Tom Cruise is one of the last true movie stars and I’m interested to see how he’ll do in this film. We’ll find out soon!
Carrie — Do we really need a new version of Carrie? Probably not. But, hey, I look forward debating it with everyone!
The Horror Movies On TCM — TCM never lets me down in October. I can’t wait to binge all of the classic horror that will be aired this month. The truth of the matter is that movies used to be a lot better. Horror movies used to be fun and unapologetic. Elevated horror? Who needs it?
Wicker — Actually, I’m not so much looking forward to Wicker as much as I’m looking forward to other people watching Wicker and reacting to it. As I mentioned in my review of The Roses, I’ve recently realized that Olivia Colman is kind of annoying. But still, how often do you see a film about wicker coming to life? Actually, did anyone ask for this? Eh. We’ll see.
Sense and Sensibility — Jane Austen in October? Call it counterprogramming! I’m actually a big fan of counterprogramming. Releasing this in the middle of horror month is a brilliant move.

October’s going to be a great month and those of us at TSL can’t wait to celebrate it with you! What are you looking forward to in October?

Late Night Retro Television Review: 1st & Ten 5.5 “Love and Marriage”

Posted on September 30, 2026 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Welcome to Late Night Retro Television Reviews, a feature where we review some of our favorite and least favorite shows of the past! On Wednesdays, I will be reviewing 1st and Ten, which aired in syndication from 1984 to 1991. The entire series is streaming on Tubi.

This week, OJ Simpson falls for a blonde. Uh-oh.

Episode 5.5 “Love and Marriage”

(Dir by Stan Lathan, originally aired on November 8th, 1989)

TD Parker (OJ Simpson) and Kristy Fullbright (Shannon Tweed) end up working closely together while searching for a new punter. Kristy is in the process of getting a divorce from her husband. TD is already divorced and has been chasing after almost every woman that he sees. Still, TD doesn’t know if he should get involved with someone with whom he works. Kristy, meanwhile, isn’t sure that she isn’t still in love with her husband….

Meanwhile, Zagreb goes on a dating show but is humiliated when his date, Colleen (Mitzi Kapture), says that he was a terrible date whose breath smelled like garlic. The entire team watches the show and starts to chant, “Colleen! Colleen!” Ha hah, everyone hates Zagreb. Later, Colleen approaches Zagreb at the bar and tells him that the show told her to say a lot of negative stuff about Zagreb but, actually, she wants to date him again. Isn’t Zagreb married? I remember that there was a huge storyline about him getting married during the third season.

Finally, Bubba and Jethro are taken to small claims court over an incident that happened at the bar. Jethro decides that he would like to get together with the plaintiff.

But let’s get back to OJ Simpson and Shannon Tweed. I don’t know if I can express just how boring it is to watch two mid actors with zero screen presence fall for each other. Because it’s impossible to look at TD Parker and not see OJ Simpson, I found myself getting very worried as I watched TD obsess on an emotionally fragile blonde. At the end of the episode, it looks like TD and Kristy are finally going to hook up but then Kristy’s husband calls and says he’s not sure if he wants a divorce. Kristy says she’s not sure either. TD leaves Kristy’s house, looking regretful.

As I’ve mentioned before, the presence of OJ Simpson add a subtext to every scene that undoubtedly was not there when this show first aired. OJ is supposed to look wistful as he leaves the house. Instead, I found myself hoping that Kristy would remember to lock all the doors that night and definitely not go out to dinner at Mezzaluna.

I guess the important thing, though, is that Bulls got a new punter.

Retro Television Review: The Love Boat 8.14 “Country Blues/A Matter of Taste/Frat Brothers Forever”

Posted on September 30, 2026 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Welcome to Retro Television Reviews, a feature where we review some of our favorite and least favorite shows of the past! On Wednesdays, I will be reviewing the original Love Boat, which aired on ABC from 1977 to 1986! The series can be streamed on Paramount Plus!

This week, Adam’s old fraternity brother takes a cruise. He’s got a secret!

Episode 8.14 “Country Blues/A Matter of Taste/Frat Brothers Forever”

(Dir by Jerome Courtland, originally aired on December 8th, 1984)

Simon (Farley Granger) and Valerie (Terry Moore) used to be lovers but now, they’re rival interior designers. They are competing for the chance to redesign that ship’s cabins and, of course, they both end up sabotaging each other. The Captain grows so frustrated that he decides that the cabins are fine just the way they are and I agree. The cabins are functional and bland and they encourage the passengers to spend most of their time in either the lounge or at the pool. As for Simon and Valerie, they realize that they’re still in love. It’s a win-win-win for everyone.

Country singer Billy Bodine (Matt McCoy) falls in love with Arlene Cort (Leah Ayres), little realizing that she’s been bribed by his manager, Cappy (Claude Akins), to break his heart. Billy writes his most popular songs when he’s depressed. After she lies to him about having another lover, Arlene feels terrible, especially after she learns that she’s inspired Billy to write not just one but two songs about how heartbroken he is. Arlene wants to come lean but, if Arlene confesses, she’ll lose her chance to be on the big Kenny Rogers television special. Of course, Arlene does confesse. Love is more important than Kenny. Billy fires Cappy. Cappy doesn’t care. Cappy announces that he’s going to go into the pickle-selling business and make a million dollars. Arlene finds love but she does lose her chance to be a big TV star. So, this one is a win-lose-win.

Finally, Adam’s old frat brother, Buzz (Roy Thinnes), boards the ship with Jim Dolan (Michael McGrady). Buzz says that Jim is his cousin. Adam promises to find dates for both Buzz and Jim. Uhmm, Adam, I don’t think Buzz and Jim are interested in the same dates that you are.

This was the first and only episode of The Love Boat to feature a gay couple and, to my surprise, their story was actually handled with a good deal of sensitivity. Buzz fears that Adam won’t accept that he’s gay but he also doesn’t want to spend the entire cruise living a lie. (Adam keeps trying to set Buzz and Jim up with every single woman on the cruise.) When Buzz does come out to Adam, Adam is surprised but accepting. I appreciated that this episode allowed Adam to have a realistic reaction to Buzz coming out as opposed to turning Adam into some sort of idealized perfect best friend. Instead, Adam has the reaction that you would expect a good-hearted but old-fashioned boomer to have. He’s surprised and, briefly, at a loss for words. The fact that Adam does then accept Buzz for who he is and apologizes for his earlier surprise shows that people can continue to grow and learn, regardless of how old they may be.

Two of the stories were silly but the third one made up for them. This wasn’t a bad cruise.

Late Night Retro Television Review: Pacific Blue 4.21 “Lucky 13”

Posted on September 29, 2026 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Welcome to Late Night Retro Television Reviews, a feature where we review some of our favorite and least favorite shows of the past! On Tuesdays, I will be reviewing Pacific Blue, a cop show that aired from 1996 to 2000 on the USA Network! It’s currently streaming everywhere, though I’m watching it on Tubi.

This week, Pacific Blue explores the dark side!

Episode 4.21 “Lucky 13”

(Dir by Emily Skopov, originally aired on April 18th, 1999)

A murder at an occult shop leaves two witches dead. Another witch is found barely alive on the beach, her body branded with alchemical signs. The bike cops are dumbfounded. I’m confused as to why there aren’t any Homicide detectives around. And Granger …. well, Granger’s freaking out because he’s been having nightmares about his dead friend, Tim.

In this episode, Granger reveals that he knows a lot about occult symbols. When TC demands to know why Granger knows so much (as if it’s any of TC’s business), Granger explains that he used to be into Satanism. Obviously, this means that Granger can’t go undercover in this case. As Cory puts it, it would be like sending a junkie into a drug den. So, Jamie is the one who gets a job working at the occult shop and pretending to be into Satanism.

How bad is Jamie at working undercover? Well, let’s ignore the fact that there’s no way in Hell anyone would ever believe that bland, boring, mild-mannered Jamie is into the occult. Instead, let’s talk about the fact that, at one point, Jamie stands in the middle of an aisle of the occult store, where anyone could hear her, and she calls Granger to tell him everything that she’s overheard. Seriously, she couldn’t step outside to do that? Later, when Granger unexpectedly show’s up at the Witch’s Brew coffeehouse, Jamie confront him by loudly asking, “Are you trying to take my case!?” despite the fact that they’re surrounded by the people that Jamie is supposed to be secretly investigating.

This really is a terrible episode for Jamie. When Granger is feeling guilty over the death of Tim (who died shortly after Granger convinced him to give his soul to the Devil), Jamie tells him to stop it with the “self-pity.” Uhmm, Jamie …. didn’t we just spend two episodes listening to you going on and on about growing up in the foster system? Jamie’s not in a position to talk. Jamie then ends up sleeping with Granger, though the show suggests that Jamie’s actions were largely due to the influence of being around magic.

Anyway, it turns out the Satanists are planning on sacrificing a virgin witch on “Lucifer’s birthday.” Granger knows that he has to stop this sacrifice on his own so he gives his superiors a fake address to go to. Then Granger goes to the real sacrifice. Fortunately, Bobby Cruz follows him and shows up in time to help Granger shoot the bad Satanists and save the virgin’s life.

(For all the slut-shaming that goes on in this country, it’s not the sluts who end up getting sacrificed in stupid occult rituals. Promiscuity can save your life.)

With Bobby’s encouragement, Granger goes to Confession. “It’s been seven years since my last confession….” Uh-oh, this could take a while!

This episode deserves some credit for finally giving Granger a backstory. That said, this episode featured some of the least convincing occultists that I’ve ever seen and some of the lamest metaphysical dialogue this side of Baywatch Nights. Actually, if this had been an episode of Baywatch Nights, it would have been a lot more fun. As it is, it’s hard to buy into the idea that the forces of darkness could be defeated by a bunch of bicycle cops.

At one point, Bobby says that too many people have died because of pentagrams. Monica points at his crucifix and asks, “What about the Crusades?” I always find it funny how people seem to think that bringing up something that happened during the Middle Ages is some sort of flex. Bobby could have just as easily replied, “What about Baal worship, you heathen!?” I’m a little upset that he didn’t. That would have been fun.

Oh well. At least this episode had a horror theme. October is just a day away!

Retro Television Review: Saved By The Bell: The New Class 2.20 “Drinking 101”

Posted on September 29, 2026 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Welcome to Retro Television Reviews, a feature where we review some of our favorite and least favorite shows of the past! On Tuesdays, I will be reviewing Saved By The Bell: The New Class, which ran on NBC from 1993 to 2o00. The show is currently on Prime.

It’s time for the Bayside Gang to learn a lesson!

Episode 2.20 “Drinking 101”

(Dir by Don Barnhart, originally aired on November 19th, 1994)

It’s school trip time! Mr. Belding, Screech, the Gang, and a bunch of anonymous Bayside students are spending a week at a ski lodge!

Rachel thinks the ski lodge is romantic but Brian doesn’t care about any of that. He just wants to ski. (“I have not skied since I lived in Switzerland,” he says and, for not the first time, I find myself wondering if the show is ever going to explain why he no longer lives in Switzerland.) Lindsay wants to go to a frat party, even if it means lying and saying that she’s a college student. And Mr. Belding …. he just wants to survive.

It won’t be easy because Belding sprains his ankle as soon as he arrives at the ski lodge. “My chief!” Screech yells in an early use of the falsetto that will define his character in later seasons. Belding is supposed to stay off his ankle so, of course, Screech keeps tripping over him and dragging him up the slopes. As a dancer, I more than know the pain of a sprained ankle and the scenes of Screech reinjuring Belding’s ankle did not make me smile.

While Screech throws a party for Mr. Belding, Lindsay, Rachel, and Megan sneak into a frat party so they can meet some boys. (Yes, Rachel is dating Brian but she’s mad because all he wants to do is ski.) Tommy, Bobby, and Brian soon end up at the same party. Lindsay gets drunk. Tommy gets drunk. Tommy rides off on a skimobile and later has an accident.

Lesson learned!

Tommy has a broken leg. His parents could totally sue the school district for not keeping an eye on him during a school trip. Screech trips over Tommy’s cast, causing Tommy incredible pain. Belding tells Lindsay and Tommy that they shouldn’t have been drinking and then he tells Rachel, Brian, Megan, and Bobby that they shouldn’t have let Lindsay and Tommy drink. Hey, Belding, maybe you should have brought along more adults so they could keep an eye on the students.

Myself, I rarely drink because my tolerance for alcohol is pathetically low. Still, I have to say that I found it funny that Lindsay woke up with the “worst hangover ever!” even though she only had two beers. Even with my low tolerance, I’ve never had a hang over. From my experience, it would have been more realistic for Lindsay to throw up and then fall asleep on a yoga mat.

Anyway, this episode ends with Belding and Tommy recovering from their injuries, the rest of the Gang “grounded for the weekend,” and Screech skiing. I was kind of hoping the episode would end with the ski lodge being revealed to be the one that Lorena’s father owned on California Dreams. That would have been a cross-over to remember!

The big problem with this episode — and really, this is something that seem to happen in every Peter Engel-produced teen sitcom — is that the actors were obviously having way too much fun pretending to be drunk. I mean, hangover or not, Lindsay seemed to be having a good time.