Saved by the Bell Season 2 Exceeds Expectations While Leaning Heavy on Nostalgia

Many of us approached the first season of the new Saved by the Bell with caution and were then pleasantly, and overwhelmingly, surprised.

So for Saved by the Bell Season 2, the expectations were much higher. And yet again, they were exceeded.

Saved by the Bell Season 2 continues to offer a story that has real substance and heart, all while poking fun of its former self in the best of ways.

But this time, the characters are more fleshed out, and the callbacks to the original series run even deeper — speaking to that certain generation who watched episodes on repeat every weekday after school and has many of the details memorized. 

That balance is what makes the series really special. This series should be just as entertaining for a young audience as it is for the older generation who can identify all of those detailed callbacks and throwaway jokes. 

But make no mistake, it’s the new generation of students at Bayside High that remain at the heart of the series in Season 2. All of these young actors are extraordinarily talented and funny. Josie Totah is a standout, in particular, as is Dexter Darden.

All of their characters get to tell stories that the original series could barely scratch the surface of. Yet it’s all done without being too heavy-handed. Season 2 tackles inequality, prejudice, transphobia, and toxic masculinity in thoughtful ways that feel natural for the characters and the stories being told. 

But the smaller types of conflict are there too. Relationship drama, friendship drama, and school pressures are all just as integral to the storytelling. A career fair, for example, means a bit of unexpected conflict between Daisy and Devante. And a change in the football season creates something of an identity crisis for Aisha. 

The season begins as the students are all returning to school after a year of remote learning and coping with Coronavirus. We’re told they haven’t seen each other at all during this time, and there’s a weight to the heartache of the past year. 

Returning to school means addressing everything they’ve missed. Mac, much like his father would do, insists on making up for lost time when it comes to parties and girls. Daisy, on the other hand, wants another crack at being Study Body President, since her first term was essentially cut short. 

And for Lexi, there’s the pressure of having the perfect second kiss with Jamie after a year of being apart. 

From there, though, the season mostly moves on from COVID, which feels like the right choice. It addresses it but then shows a world where it’s ultimately already in the past — which is a bit unrealistic considering the there’s no transition that includes mask-wearing and social distancing, but this is ultimately a wild and unrealistic world to begin with, and it’s more fun to watch them exist in this way. 

As the students settle in for the new year, they get a new focus — beating Valley at a “Spirit Competition” that will be hosted by Bayside this year. That’s the ultimate conflict that carries the season, and it allows for a lot of fun storytelling. 

The rivalry with Valley was always over-the-top, and this just takes it a step further, exaggerating how villainous everyone at Valley is. 

The Spirit Competition is also so broad that it allows each character to participate in their own unique ways, and ends in an obstacle course that sure looks familiar. 

While the stories do largely revolve around the teenagers, as they should, the second season does a much better job with its original cast members than it did with the first.

Jessie and Slater are the ones we see the most, of course, and they each get a chance to shine in some new ways and further develop their characters from so many years ago.

One of the things that makes the season so great is that it shows some growth for both of them — especially Slater, who winds up taking a really important, mature step to better himself.

And because they weren’t introduced as a couple when the new series opened, there’s an opportunity to once again root for them to wind up together, and more so than we ever could have with the original series.

It’s deeply satisfying to see how these characters interact with each other as adults and to watch them grow closer once again. (There’s also a great music detail in one of their scenes together that hearkens back to their high school days the perfect way.)

As for Zack and Kelly, one of my pet peeves from Saved by the Bell Season 1 was that they were really more like caricatures of themselves and that the way they were presented disregarded the complexities they had in the original series. 

That’s less the case in Season 2, maybe because there’s more time to spend exploring who they are now. Each of them has a more significant role this season, allowing some corrections to be made in how they were portrayed in Season 1. Kelly is more reflective, and Zack is a little more connected to the world. 

Granted, in the new season, he is no longer the governor, and he’s spending more time on his relationship with his son. That relationship, in fact, becomes one of the more interesting driving forces of the season. Mac loves spending time with his dad, but he also struggles to get out from under the shadow of Zack Morris. 

It’s exactly right that Zack’s reputation at Bayside would cause that kind of conflict for his child, and it’s even more fitting that his character wouldn’t understand it at first. 

Season 2 also brings in Lisa more, which makes for some fun moments between her, Jessie, and Kelly. It also allows all of the gang to be together — well, almost.

I never expected this show to make me cry, but Saved by the Bell Season 2 Episode 1 does exactly that. It’s alluded to throughout the episode, and if you know what happened in real life, you have an idea of what’s coming. Dustin Diamond passed away earlier this year, and we’re to understand that his character has recently died on the series. 

Everyone deals with grief in their own way, with Slater trying to avoid it, but ultimately, they all come together to honor him at the Max. The details they remember about him make it extra special, and even Kevin makes an appearance.

It’s a small scene that’s followed by flashbacks of Screech from, with Mr. Belding singing the Miss Bayside song in the background. It’s not something that overtakes the episode or even the season, but it’s enough to pay tribute properly. 

Overall, Saved by the Bell Season 2 is somehow funnier, smarter, and even more delightful this go around.

It is completely aware of itself, holds nothing back, and its willingness to poke fun at the original in the wildest ways makes it a true joy.

—

What did you think of Saved by the Bell Season 2? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Critic Rating:

User Rating:

 

Saved by the Bell Season 2 is currently streaming on Peacock.

 Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram!

Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!

18 Throwback TV Shows For You To Comfort Binge