Everyone says Zack Morris has done heinous crimes. Now that there is a revival coming to Peacock, I decided to go over the old Saved by The Bell episodes (no Good Morning Miss Bliss and no College Years) and review his crimes, misdemeanors, or just plain unfriendliness.
(order according to this link, not by TV airings or Hulu order)
Season 1 (or by Hulu, Season 2)
"King of the Hill" (2.15)
Original Airing: December 9, 1989
Story: It is the first day of the school year, Slater is the new kid and Zack's rival for Kelly.
Lies: Lies to Slater about Kelly having leprosy, makes Screech lies about choking to make Kelly late for detention.
Deals: Deals with Lisa and Screech to switch lockers and seats.
Creepiness: Has a full poster of Kelly in his room
Authority Defiance: Touches and moves all of Mr. Belding's office belongings.
Bad Friend Meter: 2 out of 10
"Fatal Distraction" (2.4)
Original Airing: September 9, 1989
With the big dance approaching, Zack is determined to get Kelly to go with him. He goes to extreme lengths and bugs Jessie's room while the girls are having a sleepover. Unfortunately, the girls find out and decide to get their revenge by making it appear that Kelly is mentally insane.
Lies: Disguised as a stereotypical middle eastern foreign exchange student
Deals: Gives Cosmo magazines to Lisa to find out who the student body who they think Kelly will go to the big dance with.
Crimes: Invasion of privacy, bugging Jessie's bedroom
Bad Friend Meter: 7 of 10
"Screech's Woman" (2.5)
Original Date: September 16, 1989
Screech is in desperate need of a girlfriend and Zack sets about finding him one. However, when there is not anyone willing, he dresses up as a girl and goes on a date with Screech.
Lies: Lies to Screech about Bambi and dressing in drag as Bambi
School Rules: Skipping class, talking on a phone in the bathroom
Assessment: so-so, lies to Screech but him being a good friend is debatable.
Bad Friend Meter: 5 of 10
"The Gift" (2.3)
Original Airing: September 8, 1989
When Screech is hit by lightning, he suddenly has the ability to see into the future, which Zack and Slater use to their advantage. Zack uses Screech's power to place bets with Slater.
Actions: Gambling, taking advantage of a friend, getting romantic with Kelly instead of studying
Lies: Lies to Mr. Belding and Mr. Testaverdi impersonating each other
Assessment: Takes advantage of Screech and mislead the girls on studying the wrong thing. Slater also bets.
Bad Friend Meter: 4 of 10
"The Lisa Card" (2.2)
Original Airing: August 26, 1989
Lisa's father lets her use his credit card as a reward for doing well in school. However, she goes overboard with the spending, and the gang helps her think of ways to make some money to repay the debt.
Crimes: Prostitution (charges boys to kiss Lisa without her consent)
Creepiness: Sells Lisa's lingerie and other intimates in the hallway
Lies: Lies to the student body to put donations on Belding's car
Bad Friend Meter: 8 of 10
"The Election" (2.13)
Original Date: November 18, 1989
Zack and Jessie are both running for class president, but Zack only wants to run because he found out that the winner gets a trip to Washington, D.C. When the trip is canceled, Zack has to prove he was not running just because of the trip.
Zack and Jessie are both running for class president, but Zack only wants to run because he found out that the winner gets a trip to Washington, D.C. When the trip is canceled, Zack has to prove he was not running just because of the trip.
Lies: Finds out the elected president gets to go to D.C. so he runs for president. He tells Screech who tells Slater who tells Mr. Belding, he then says things he doesn't believe in order to not be president when trip is canceled.
Assessment: He wins but tells Jesse the truth, resigns, and gives the presidency to Jesse.
Bad Friend Meter: 3/10
Original Date: September 23, 1989
When Slater's dad is reassigned to Hawaii, Zack sees it as the perfect opportunity to get Slater to move away so all the attention from the girls comes back to him. Zack ends up making it seem like Slater is dying to the girls, but it backfires when Kelly finds out the truth after Zack steals Slater's trophy.
Actions: Has Screech spy on Slater's dad and Mr. Belding.
Lies: Lies to the girls that Slater is dying, he manipulates the gang to treat Slater like dirt.
Tricks: Makes Slater smell pepper to sneeze and ants down his shirt for him to itch.
Assessment: Slater also goes along with it and the girls aren't happy.
Bad Friend Meter: 7 of 10
"Dancing To The Max" (2.1)
Original Airing: August 20, 1989
Story: A dance contest at The Max hosted by Casey Kasem is set to be televised on NBC. Meanwhile, Jessie is self-conscious of her height.
Lies: Lies to Kelly about going to dance camp.
Actions: Takes flowers from Jesse's front yard
Assessment: Actually a good friend to Jesse.
Bad Friend Meter: 1 of 10
"The Substitute" (2.7)
Original Date: September 30, 1989
When Ms. Simpson injures her back, a substitute teacher named Tony Crane takes over her class at Bayside. However, when all the girls fall for Mr. Crane, Zack and Slater become jealous. They try to make it seem like Crane is married, and Crane plays along after he finds out what the girls were trying to do.
Actions: Hires an actress to be Mr. Crane's girlfriend
Bad Friend Meter: 2 out of 10
"Cream for a Day" (2.8)
Original Date: October 7, 1989
When Kelly is nominated as homecoming queen, her dream is shattered as she faces the prospect of winning after she gets a zit. Zack comes up with a solution, but it does not unfold as he plans.
Crimes: Soliciting and selling in public school
Hustle: Selling pimple cream that later causes a rash
Assessment: He just caused blemishes for a day, which he had no control of.
Bad Friend Meter: 3/10
"The Mamas & the Papas" (2.12)
Original Date: November 11, 1989
Original Date: November 11, 1989
For a class assignment everyone is put into pairs to act out married life so they are prepared when they grow up: Zack and Kelly, Jessie and Slater, Screech, and Lisa. However, Slater sets out to ruin Zack and Kelly's marriage with Screech's aid, because he wanted to be married to Kelly.
Assessment: Zack isn't that nice to Screech
Bad Friend Meter: 2/10
"The Babysitters" (3.14)
Original Date: December 1, 1990
Kelly leaves her infant brother Billy in the care of the gang while she gets her school picture taken. However, while they are babysitting, Kelly injures her arm, and the gang is left to care for baby Billy throughout the school day.
Child endangerment: The entire gang, starting with Kelly.
Stealing: Steals Slater's shirt for Baby Billy's diaper
Bad Friend Meter: To Slater, 8/10 but to Kelly 0/10
"Pined to the Mat" (2.9)
Original Date: October 14, 1989
Zack bets against a Valley wrestler named Marvin Niedick that Slater will win his wrestling match against Niedick. However, things go wrong when Slater decides to quit wrestling. Screech stands in for him; but since he is not as built for wrestling as Slater is.
Actions: Tries to manipulate Slater (who has quit Wrestling) into Baking, thinking he won't like it but excels it.
Gambling: Gambles with Niedick and gets it trouble with Belding.
Bad Friend Meter: 2/10
"Beauty and the Screech" (2.10)
Original Date: October 21, 1989
In order for Kelly to go to a George Michael concert, she has to pass her science test. Zack persuades Screech to tutor Kelly, a ploy which is more for his benefit than for Kelly's. When Kelly and Screech's friendship becomes closer, as a result, Zack and Slater become jealous.
Lies: Lies to Mr. Belding, making him think Screech and Kelly are to marry.
Assessment: Out of the bad things he could've said about Screech, them getting married wasn't that bad.
Bad Friend Meter: 1/10
"The Zack Tapes" (2.14)
Original Date: December 2, 1989
During class, Zack learns about subliminal advertising and realizes that it could be used to trick Kelly into going to the dance with him. However, Kelly catches on to his scheme and the girls decide to teach Zack a lesson, which leaves him humiliated.
Show Lies: Subliminal advertising doesn't quite happen like this.
Lies: Has Screech crossdress to switch Kelly and Lisa's tapes
Actions: He puts subliminal messages in tapes for Belding and Bayside girls
Assessment: Zack pretty much wants to control and brainwash people.
Bad Friend Meter: 6/10
"The Friendship Business" (2.11)
Original Date: November 4, 1989
Zack and his friends form a "company" selling friendship bracelets for a business class project. He names himself as "boss," but Kelly, Jessie, and Slater feel he is treating them poorly, leading them to break away and form a rival company selling a similar product.
Actions: Usurps Jessie's President-ship and becomes president of the friendship bracelets. This causes Jesse, Slater, and Kelly to split up from the group. When he abuses (workload wise) Lisa and Screech, they leave. He puts the gang out of business by having Mr. Belding wear of their products.
Bad Friend Meter: 6/10
"Close Encounters of the Nerd Kind" (3.12)
Original Date: November 23, 1990
Zack and Slater break the school's professional camera and hatch a plan to make quick money to pay for a replacement before Belding finds out. A tabloid is offering money for photos of real aliens, so they dress Screech up as an alien in order to fool the tabloid. A special agent with the government is more than convinced that Screech is an alien.
Lies: Lies to a lieutenant who he thinks is a magazine guy that Screech is an alien. Makes a whole show in the school for the lieutenant there is an alien,
Assessment: Endangers Screech with the government.
Bad Friend Meter: 5/10
"Slater's Friend" (4.23)
Original date: November 28, 1992
Screech is left to look after Slater's chameleon when he goes away, but things soon go awry.
Creepiness: Keeps a cardboard cutout of Kelly under his bed.
Negligent Animal Care: Takes care of Slater's chameleon but it dies because of negligence. Kelly, Screech, and Jesse are also culpable.
Lies: Zack lies that the chameleon Artie is still alive.
Bad Friend Meter: 6/10
"Save that Tiger" (2.16)
Original Date: December 16, 1989
Zack and Slater are involved in the annual prank war against Valley, which takes place at the same time as the big cheerleading competition between the schools. Screech is the Bayside mascot and has an important part in Bayside's routine. However, after Zack and Slater kidnap Valley's mascot, two students from Valley kidnap Screech.
Crimes: Trespassing, Vandalism, Dognapping, Insect endangerment, other assorted pranks
Assessment: Screech did get kidnapped but it wasn't Zack's fault
Bad Friend Meter: 1 of 10
Season Score: 70 of 100
Zack is not as bad as he is in later seasons, he is a bad friend and liar but his crimes are bugging a bedroom, gambling, pimping off Lisa, impersonation of teachers, selling items on the school campus, and soliciting.
