Not a terrible episode. I finally got to see it on youtube, after years of waiting to see this controversial infamous "Facts of Life" episode. I cannot believe all the years I have watched and loved this show, and up until now I never saw this one episode. I have heard about it and read about it, but now is the first time - no pun intended - I've ever watched the full episode. Well, it wasn't as sappy as I was expecting it to be. One of the better episodes from this particular season. Many accuse this of being the "Jump the Shark" episode of "Facts of Life". What bothered me is that I always thought for some strange reason that the guy who Natalie sleeps with for the first time was the George Clooney character. I always sensed some sexual tension especially between George and Natalie for some reason. The guy playing Snake wasn't terrible, but I remember him from "Fast Times at Rigemont High" where he played the sleezy Damone, who impregnaned Jennifer Jason Leigh's character, then ditches her. So, even though the character of Snake is a little nicer than Damone, just the thought of the same actor who stole Jennifer's virginity in "Fast Times" and in the process knocked her up, being the guy who takes Natalie Green's virginity was a little disturning. Nonetheless, the episode does offer a happy ending, and some nice little life lessons thrown in, without being preachy. I was expecting a high-in-drama episode after the build-up, kind of similar to the episode in one of the earlier seasons where Tuttie becomes overly obsessed with Jermaine Jackson to the point of having a meltdown over not being allowed to go to his concert. But, this was a pretty decent episode about sexuality and the pros and cons, as Jo points out while eating a bowl of Grape Nuts.
Review of The First Time
