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Posted in: NBC, Review, streaming, TV | Tagged: Elizabeth Berkley, John Michael Higgins, mario lopez, peacock, Review, Saved by the Bell, season 2
Saved by the Bell Season 2 Episode 9 Review: Dancing with Myself
When we last left the Bayside High crew, we discover there's a mole from within that sabotaged their spirit points and entry into the contest on Saved by the Bell. That mole obviously came from their rival at Valley. We shift to the school where the mole devised the scheme with his/her friends at the Min since the school is supposed to be the polar opposite of everything Bayside including their own version of the opening theme going the extra mile for the ninth episode of the second season "Dancing at the Max". My hat's off to showrunner Tracey Wigfield for blending in those extras that make a world of difference.
As the result of the saboteur's actions, Bayside has to regain all their spirit points in a short amount of time and Principal Toddman (John Michael Higgins) conceives a Dance-a-thon that allows the student body to combine their points at the 12-hour event to qualify with an auditor to log participation. After a less-than-cordial encounter with Valley principal (Wigfield), Jessie (Elizabeth Berkley Lauren) and Slater (Mario Lopez) decide to do their own infiltrating of their rival school and try to dig dirt on her.
The episode doesn't really do much to splinter off its subarcs as it's the penultimate episode set-up before the season two finale. We do see the self-conscious Daisy (Haskiri Velazquez) still conflicted about her love of Gil (Matt Sato). "Dancing at the Max" also explores Mac's (Mitchell Hoog) motivations in the process and how invaluable he's become to the school. While it's a cliché of "character x discovers something he/she never had before and comes to regret it", we see Belmont Cameli's Jamie fire on all cylinders even closing out his surge with a one-liner nod to fans of the classic NBC Saturday morning series.
Directed by Jamie Sheridan and written by Beth Coyle & Erin Fischer, the episode utilizes all involved from the ensemble. Berkley and Lopez's "will-they won't-they" dynamic on the Peacock series adds another layer to their relationship that breathes life into their characters beyond their original run on NBC. I also want to credit how the series has handled Alycia Pascual-Pena's Aisha and Ariela Barer's Chloe, building their relationship gradually & realistically without having to rely on the usual LGBTQ clichés other sitcoms find it a bit too easy to lean on.
Saved by the Bell Season 2 Episode 9 "Dancing to the Max"
8.5/10
Another strong outing from its sophomore season, Peacock's Saved by the Bell revisited the classic "Dance-a-thon" scenario where all parties play their essential parts to help accomplish "The Big Thing." Standout performances by Ariela Barer, Alycia Pascual-Pena, Haskiri Velazquez, Matt Sato, Mario Lopez, and Elizabeth Berkley help keep this season going strong.
Credits
Director
Jamie Sheridan
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