Rent-A-Mom is the fifth episode of the first season of the Saved by the Bell (2020), and the fifth episode of the series overall.
Synopsis[]
Slater and Aisha try to toughen up the Bayside football team; Jessie takes Daisy under her wing.
Plot[]
Arriving in school, Daisy is stressed and anxious about her current schedule for the day, which has meant that she did not have time to finish her homework. Mac arrives, and shows her a bottle of pills, explaining that they will help her focus in the interim, but she does not have time to enquire about the pills as Jessie arrives and, labelling the pills "caffeine pills", knocks them out of Mac's hand. Jessie explains that caffeine pills can become dangerous if one becomes too dependent on them and, instead, Daisy should try to relax her timetable instead; Jessie invites her to her office later in the day to discuss how she can better spend her time at Bayside.
Meanwhile, the Bayside football team gears up for another football game. Jamie gives a pep talk before the game, citing that they should be careful of the other team and have fun, given the game isn't about winning, but having fun — a remark that confuses both A.C. Slater and Aisha. Furthermore, a member of the team tells the team to avoid tackling number 10, as it is his birthday and he needs to look good for the party afterwards. This pep talk culminates in a horrific loss for Bayside, which angers Aisha. Aisha confronts Slater about Jamie and his pep talks, but Slater is reluctant to force Jamie to stop the talks given he has already upset him by making him back-up quarterback; Aisha vows to fix the team herself following this.
In Jessie's office, Jessie talks with Daisy about her portfolio and the amount of extra-curricular clubs she is currently part of. She explains that colleges care about the individual, and not the amount of extra-curriculars they are a part of. Jessie advises Daisy to leave the majority of the clubs and instead attend the "Women of Tomorrow" keynotes. Daisy is hesitant, however, as she is reluctant to be away from her family for too long given her mother heavily relies on her for childcare. She agrees to discuss it with her mother, however, after a further talk with Jessie.
In the hallway at Bayside, Aisha confronts Jamie about his speeches, but he fails to get the message, and believes Aisha to be complementing his abilities. Aisha becomes increasingly angry and makes it clear that Jamie's speeches are impacting the team's performance. With this, Jamie becomes loud and agitated and, after throwing his soda at Ronald Toddman, leaves the hallway in anger. Afterwards, Daisy talks with Slater about the conversation, and the two formulate a plan to deal with Jamie and the rest of the Bayside Tigers.
In the changing rooms, Slater and Aisha write embarrassing and rude messages on the walls aimed at the Bayside Tigers in order to anger them and, in turn, motivate them to win the game. The plan works to a degree, and the team try harder to win the game, but unfortunately still lose by 7 points. This angers Aisha, who refuses to get pizza at the Max, remarking that pizza is for winners, not losers.
After Daisy is too scared to ask her mother about the placement, she consults with Lexi and Mac to formulate a plan; they decide to play the "Giraffe's Gambit". The three concoct a plan in which they have a fake version of Daisy's mother meet with Jessie. The plan is successful, but Jessie returns to her office before Daisy has chance to escape. Daisy is forced to hide under the desk and listen to a conversation between Jessie and her partner. After Daisy believes Jessie to have left the room, she emerges, but is surprised to find Jessie still in the room. The two talk, and Jessie convinces Daisy to talk with her mother about the placement, and Jessie agrees to have a heartfelt conversation with her partner.
After school, Slater finds Aisha on the football field practicing for the next game. The two talk, and Slater explains that Aisha has turned the team around more in her short time at Bayside than he has in fifteen years; he is able to convince her to go to the Max and celebrate the teams improvements.
Meanwhile, Daisy finally builds the courage to talk with her mother about the placement, and her mother agrees that she should take it.
Cast[]
Main Cast[]
- Haskiri Velazquez as Daisy Jiménez
- Mitchell Hoog as Mac Morris
- Josie Totah as Lexi Haddad-DeFabrizio
- Alycia Pascual-Peña as Aisha Garcia
- Belmont Cameli as Jamie Spano
- Dexter Darden as DeVante Young
- John Michael Higgins as Ronald Toddman
- Elizabeth Berkley Lauren as Jessie Spano
- Mario López as A.C. Slater
Guest Starring[]
- Selenis Leyva as Ana Jiménez
- Cheyenne Jackson as René
- DeShawn Cavanaugh as Colt Cassidy
Co-Starring[]
- David Miranda as Hector Jiménez
- Abraham Rodriguez as Spencer Buckley
- Christian Weissmann as Nate
- Sabina Chavez as Fake Ana
Gallery[]
Notes and Trivia[]
- This episode shares a very similar name to an episode from the original series Rent-A-Pop.
- Jessie Spano takes the caffeine pills out of Mac's hand and explains how dangerous they are is a reference to an episode from the original series where Jessie gets addicted to caffeine pills.
- Pacific Coast High School, mentioned as an opponent of the Bayside football team in the episode, is the setting of fellow 90s NBC teen sitcom California Dreams, also executive produced by Peter Engel
Sources[]
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