Small Wonder: S3E5: Its Ok To Say No

Looking Back On My Wonder Years: A Wonder Years Podcast

Hey Everyone, Angela Bowen here, the host of She's A Small Wonder: A Small Wonder Podcast. Today, I covered S3E5: It's Ok To Say No, which aired on October 10, 1987. In this episode Jamie and Vicki help the police catch a drug dealer. I thought this was a good episode, but not great. The Season 2 Chewed Out Episode worked a lot better, because it showed the after effects a drug can have on the body if used over a long period of time. Plus Jamie and Reggie were more affected because it happened to someone they knew. With this episode though, it showed a high school dealer hanging around the junior high trying to get kids to buy his Zip-Loc bag of assorted drugs, probably so he could support his habit or pay his dealer or both. This dude was as corny as a after school special about saying no to drugs in the 80's as you can get. His line delivery was so cringeworthy. He looked more like a 26 year old, then someone playing 17. But honestly, everyone looked older back then. Jamie so overly infatuated with Jessica (AGAIN?!) He sends Vicki to sit at the farthest lunch table in that outside cafeteria (apparently Ted programed her so she can eat now). The writer's made Jessica a Pod Person in this episode, she's actually nice to Jamie instead of instantly telling him to F- Off as soon as he sits down next to her. Jamie will never learn. A Nice girl could come along and he'd always wind up with a girl who treats him like $hit because of her looks. Vicki pockets the drugs and puts them in a flower pot where Joan finds them and assumes they're Jamie's. The principal of Jamie's school and a cop use Jamie and Vicki to catch the shady dealer. This scene is so bonkers. Jamie couldn't be more obvious that he's wearing a wire or ear piece and telling the guy to talk directly in his ear or shoulder. All I'm saying is Punky Brewster did this type of episode, better. Join me next month when I cover, hopefully, a better episode in S3E6: Read My Lips, which aired on October 7, 1987. In this episode Jamie befriends a deaf boy for the wrong reasons. Have a great week everyone and I hope you enjoy the episode.