The Facts of Life

Mrs. Garrett is angry; Jo faces expulsion.

Mrs. Garrett's move causes new problems.

College freshman Blair recommends newly independent businesswoman Mrs. Garrett to cater a rush party for the sorority she's pledging, but then, in a fit of anger, fires her with little regard for either the social or personal consequences.

Jo's in love, but when her 'regular' guy turns out to be a rich kid, resentment sets in, and so does Blair's plan for masking Jo's rough edges.

When Tootie discovers that her boyfriend, a college-bound star athlete, is illiterate, she faces a dilemma: encourage him to learn to read, or help him cheat to pass an important academic test to graduate.

A customer mysteriously vanishes on Halloween.

Natalie feels superior when she is allowed to take a course at Langley College.

Jo and Blair bring Mrs. Garrett to an exotic dance club for her birthday.

Disregarding Jo's instincts and her warning, Mrs. Garrett and the girls befriend Kelly, a fast-talking street punk, and wind up victims of the young vandal's scheme to extort protection money.

The girls resort to espionage to save Edna's Edibles from financial ruin when a competing store lures away all of Mrs. Garrett's customers.

Jo's plan to reunite her divorced parents hits a snag when her father announces he's contemplating marriage to another woman.

Blair fails to trick Jo into accepting a monetary gift that would allow her to spend the holidays with her mother, but she does devise an offer in the true spirit of Christmas that Jo can't refuse.

The girls' haphazard work habits initiate a chain of 'horrors' that could lose them their jobs and lead to Edna's Edibles (Mrs. Garrett's gourmet shop) being closed down by the Board of Health.

Tootie is the only one who may be able to talk a wary 7-year-old 'latchkey kid' out of his apartment when an emergency mandates the evacuation of the entire block.

Natalie and Tootie's relationship is jeopardized when Tootie questions Natalie's reasons for accepting a date with Tootie's cousin Michael.

Jo faces a harsh lesson in political reality when she's elected to the Langley College Board of Regents and then battles the majority to instill what she sees as some common sense into their decisions.

The unexpected death of her father poignantly brings to light the strength of the bonds that link Natalie to her Peekskill family.

Blair can't deal with Jo's increasing popularity.

Blair is forced to compete for boyfriend Cliff's attention when a popular movie star enrolls at Langley.

A startling marriage proposal ignites a dream for the future and forces Blair to re-evaluate her goals.

Tootie and her mother's inability to communicate with each other sparks an explosive confrontation when it becomes obvious that the only one Mrs. Ramsey has trouble talking to is her daughter.

When Blair's overzealous efforts usurp all of cousin Geri's responsibility for organizing a charity auction, the ramifications are disastrous.

Jo's love for her former Brooklyn beau is re-ignited during his unexpected visit, but a sobering secret could extinguish any possibility of a future for them.

The future of Edna's Edibles is unexpectedly jeopardized by the troubled marriage of Mrs. Garrett's son.