Saved by the Bell paid tribute to Dustin Diamond during today’s season premiere (Wednesday, November 24).
Samuel “Screech” Powers’ former friends joined forces at The Max to honor their late friend.
Diamond died in February of lung cancer at 44 years old.
Screech was not a part of the freshman season of the reboot, but the series teased that he moved to the International Space Station with his robot companion Kevin.
The episode picks up with Zack and Slater talking in the Bayside High School’s parking lot, and we learn that Morris lost his re-election bid for governor of California to Prince Harry.
“Anyways, it doesn’t matter. Worst things happened this year,” Zack tells his friend before asking:
“Are you going to the thing at The Max?”
“I don’t know. I’ll have to see,” Slater responds.
Zack, Slater, Jessie Spano (Elizabeth Berkley Lauren), Lisa Turtle (Lark Voorhies), and Kelly Morris (Tiffani Thiessen) were all supposed to be a part of the “thing at The Max” to pay tribute to their friend.
Jessie tells Slater that therapy might help him come to terms with the loss of his friend.
“This generation is just more emotionally mature than we were,” she says.
“They get that there’s value in processing difficult things with other people. Doesn’t have to be a therapist, it can be a friend.”
Slater also finds himself listening to Daisy, who speaks about how the pandemic affect her and her classmates.
“Last year did happen,” she said.
“And we lost a bunch of stuff we’re never going to get back. We’re never going to have another sophomore year.”
“And there are people we are never going to see again. And everybody can’t just instantly be OK.”
When everyone does wind up at The Max, Kevin the Robot returns to deliver the food.
The newest item on the menu was named Screech’s spaghetti burger, and Slater had some thoughts.
“It’s a little weird, but great,” he says.
“Kinda like Screech,” said Lisa.
The gang also reminisced some of Screech’s best moments, such as the time he got struck by lightning and was psychic for a week, using his powers to cheat on a midterm.
You get the drift.
The episode did manage to include some of Screech’s best scenes, which was pretty cool.
All episodes of Saved by the Bell Season 2 are available to stream on Peacock.
Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.