Welcome Back, Kotter: The Bread Winners

Welcome Back, Kotter: The Bread Winners
ABC
June 8, 1979
Sitcom
DVD
B-

Epstein hopes to get a job through Woodman's niece Kelly (Georganne LaPiere again).  However, Washington unknowingly wins over the owner of the antique store, Mrs. Gladstone Trevors-Smythe (Priscilla Morrill, who among other things played Chrissy Snow's mother).  And of course that's where the job is.  Mr. Kotter shows up to try to make peace between the two fighting friends, but they end up leaving the Horshacks' dinner party to go settle things at the gym.  Again, this episode, written by Morris & Rauseo, is better than I expected.  I really didn't think the season would end on a relatively good streak.

Welcome Back, Kotter in its final season ranges from C- to B-, averaging out to the C+/B- border, so I can't say it totally jumps the shark, although there are definitely lows it never hit before.  I think it could've actually gone to a fifth season, if, one, Kaplan had become a real part of things again (and the backstage drama had died down), and two, there hadn't been yet another year in high school.  The characters were edging into adulthood and it would've been interesting to follow up on that.  On the other hand, the energy and joy of the first season or two, like the dance below, were long gone.  This isn't a perfect moment to end it, but it'll do.