The Facts of Life - Season 6, Episode 15

"Now that you're a grown woman, our heart-to-hearts are going to have to be far less condescending on my part."

"Working it Out"
Original airdate: 1/9/1985

Episode summary: After dumping Cliff, Blair goes on a dating frenzy and acts rude and bitchy towards Mrs. Garrett and the rest of the Facts gals.

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Recap: Mrs. Garrett is eating dinner with Tootie (the only Facts gal who showed up for dinner), and is railing about the lack of courtesy that everyone (but Tootie) demonstrated in not bothering to call and let her know they wouldn't be home for dinner - especially after she prepared a Chinese food feast for five. Jo bursts in and explains that she got held up at the library and couldn't get to a phone...and a few seconds later, Natalie arrives and sheepishly admits to Tootie that she totally forgot about their plans to go see a movie. Tootie sassily declares that she's off to see Karate Kid by herself - but Mrs. Garrett's like, "Uh, nope" and forbids her to ride the bus alone at night.

Blair arrives home with a blonde hottie named Chaz, prompting Tootie to remark to Natalie that ever since breaking up with Cliff, Blair has been on a dating frenzy. When Blair's watch alarm suddenly goes off, she gives Chaz the bum's rush out the door, then tells Mrs. Garrett and the Facts gals that she's off to change for her next date. Mrs. Garrett tut tuts her for not letting her know she wasn't going to be home for dinner - and then Natalie piles on and tells Blair she was a whole lot nicer when she was engaged to Cliff. Blair snappishly retorts that since she never actually got a ring, she never considered it an official engagement, then storms upstairs to change her outfit.

In the communal bedroom, Blair excitedly gabbles to Jo about her busy dating schedule, then asks Jo to share her notes for the economics class they're both taking. Jo chides her 1) for bugging her while she's trying to decide on a major, and 2) for skipping so many classes lately. She asks Blair what she's planning to major in - dating? - And Blair chuckles and says that that sounds like a perfect idea, considering her gorgeously overfluffed '80s hair.

Natalie tells Tootie that since she's now a senior - unlike Tootie, who's somehow only a junior - that she's very stressed about how her permanent file at Eastland is going to affect her future. [My guess, Natalie, would be: not in the slightest.] Tootie makes a face and tells her she's being way too paranoid - just as Blair's date #2, a blonde hottie named Ron, arrives to pick her up. Mrs. Garrett gently reminds Blair not to stay out too late 'cause it's a school night, and Blair condescendingly chortles and calls that "so high school". When Tootie gets offended and asks her what the hell that's supposed to mean, Blair smugly explains, "In college, every night is like Saturday night."

"I expect you home at a reasonable hour."

"In that case, I'll be home by sunrise."

The next morning at breakfast, Jo is making tiny cuts to her sausage and explains that she's doing this 'cause she's contemplating becoming a surgeon and figured 'why not get a jump start on practicing my slicing skills?' Mrs. Garrett scrunches her face concernedly and says she's worried about Blair 'cause she still hasn't returned home from her date with Ron - just as Tootie totters into the room wearing high heels and bright yellow tights as part of her school uniform ensemble, which...yikes. Mrs. Garrett's all, "Holy fucking eye sore" and orders her to go back upstairs and change into her regular socks and shoes.

Blair finally returns home and says that she and her group of friends decided 'why not drive all the way to Boston for coffee?' Mrs. Garrett shrieks that her behavior isn't acceptable, then orders her to come straight home after class...and when Blair's like, "No can do" 'cause she has another date, Mrs. Garrett snaps, "Oh no you don't!" ... and Blair counter-snaps, "Oh yes I do!" LOL. Mrs. Garrett glares at her before shrieking, "You're grounded!" and Blair reminds her that she's her landlady, not her mother or guardian...and that she'll be home whenever the hell she feels like returning home. So there.

Tootie tells Natalie that she's still miffed at her for bailing on their movie plans the other night, but then immediately back pedals and says she's now over it and offers to steal her permanent file from Eastland. Natalie declines the offer and says that committing theft isn't the answer and that she needs to let go of this 'barely functioning as a subplot' subplot. Mrs. Garrett enters the bedroom to hand out the new work schedule, and laments how quickly the four of them are changing. A few seconds later, Blair and her latest squeeze George enter the room with Blair swept into his arms...and Blair gigglingly explains that they're playing Gone With the Wind. Mrs. Garrett puts on her most serious stink-eyed expression and sternly reminds her about the strict 'no men upstairs' rule. Blair rolls her eyes and points out that everyone's fully dressed...but this only incenses Mrs. Garrett more, and she asks Natalie to please escort George back downstairs so she can give this hussy the what for.

"Say hello to my new boyfriend, Rhett."

"You, miss, are no lady."

Once George is out of earshot, Blair bitchily tells Mrs. Garrett that she expects to be lectured on house rules, and Mrs. Garrett's like, "Ya think?" and chides her for being rude, inconsiderate, and downright nasty. She adds, "It's not the Blair I know" - but Blair sourly replies, "Sure it is" and says that Jo's always telling her what a self-centered turd she is. Jo's like, "Well duh" and asks her if she's been so upset lately 'cause Cliff dumped her...and Blair stares sadly into space and clarifies that she was the one who dumped Cliff, and that she feels like a horrible person for falling out of love with such an intelligent, adorable man. She says she didn't want to hurt him, then mournfully asks, "What kind of person could doooooo that?" ... and Mrs. Garrett nods approvingly and says, "An honest person" and points out that it's better to dump him now, instead of divorcing him ten years and several children from now. 

Tootie bursts into the room and urges Mrs. Garrett to punish Blair appropriately - and Blair concurs and says that, indeed, she deserves some kind of punishment. Mrs. Garrett admits that she was wrong to try to ground her, given that she's an adult woman now...and when Blair looks alarmed and asks what this means in terms of who's going to take responsibility for her mishaps, Mrs. Garrett gives her a sober looking 'you got this, girl' type nod says that from now on she's going to have to stand on her own two feet, given that she's an adult woman now. After that, she half-heartedly promises to be around if she ever needs to talk.

As Blair and Jo head downstairs to work in the store, Tootie asks Mrs. Garrett what would happen if she were to pull the same stunts Blair's been pulling this episode. Mrs. Garrett says she'd definitely be grounded, and concedes that, yep, there are two sets of rules given that she (Tootie) is a high school teenager, while Blair is a twenty year old college student. Tootie whines about that being unfair, blah blah, and Mrs. Garrett sighs wearily as the two amble across the room and out the door.

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