The Facts of Life | Mrs. Garrett's Son Comes To Visit | The Norman Lear Effect

Mrs. Garrett's (Charlotte Rae) free-spirited son Alex (Tom Fitzsimmons) shows up for a surprise visit and Natalie (Mindy Cohn) is immediately smitten.
From Season 2, Episode 15 'Free Spirit': Mrs. Garrett's son Alex visits her at Eastland. Natalie is impressed by his claims of having played on several recording sessions for popular musicians, but Blair doesn't trust him.
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About The Facts of Life: At the Eastland School in Peekskill, New York, Edna Garrett (Charlotte Rae) oversees the day-to-day lives of students who come from all walks of life. Under the care of this slightly nutty but always caring housemother is the beautiful, rich and spoiled Blair Warner (Lisa Whelchel); the witty, plump and impressionable Natalie Green (Mindy Cohn); Dorothy “Tootie” Ramsey (Kim Fields), the young and persistent campus gossip; and Joanna “Jo” Polniaczek (Nancy McKeon), a Bronx-born and bred streetwise kid whose tough exterior masks the brains and compassion she's hiding underneath. Whether it's the challenges posed by Eastland's academic and social scenes, the rise, fall and rebirth of the businesses they start and run together, or the comings and goings of new faces in school and town, including Edna's replacement (and sister) Beverly Ann Stickle (Cloris Leachman), the girls are always ready for a new challenge, and perceptive enough to learn from each new situation.
#TheFactsofLife #MrsGarrett #BestMoments
The Facts of Life | Mrs. Garrett's Son Comes To Visit | The Norman Lear Effect
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[@suestabile1262]

Another iconic show... Mrs. G.!👍

[@gaywizard2000]

The pinnacle of the show probably! The son is so handsome in a 70s Greg Brady way! I'd kill to have one of those vending machines!

[@ethelhoose7624]

Mrs Garrett was the best

[@frankieclayton9303]

I'm so grateful for these TV shows

[@bleuskye8124]

Mrs. Garret was so funny.

[@frankieclayton9303]

These TV shows talk morals values lessons they were enjoyable find laughable and they brought so many wonderful moments

[@frankieclayton9303]

Love watching

[@bfpierce]

Comes in of the road reeking of the blunt he just finished, eyeballing Tootie like there’s no tomorrow.

[@robertdubs9466]

Alex was never seen again after this episode, but he was briefly mentioned, in Brave New World, when Mrs. Garrett said to her other son, Raymond (Joel Brooks) that sit-down news was his brother's department, presumably talking about Alex. Shame we never could see Alex and Raymond together.

[@robinorlowski9045]

they should have been added when Edna left. That would have been the better addition instead of Beverly. Oh and when they were trying to rebuild the shop---they could have just brought in Alex and had Edna exit then. He had the experience with building. Have him come and live in. It would have been much better. And then they could say "Mr Garrett"

[@liana_jae_media9905]

Such a bummer. Not one episode had put both Edna’s son’s appear together or even after Beverly Ann adopted Andy in the Garrett family. Raymond on the other hand appeared in 2 episodes and the reunion movie; but no Alex.

[@Deephouse_Gent66]

"Blair Warner is a rich WASP nerd." The studio audience couldn't decide whether to laugh or be shocked after that one.

[@heidimountain606]

This was the only time we saw Alex Garrett on the show, we saw his brother, Raymond Garrett on a couple of episodes plus The Facts of Life Reunion Movie in 2002.

[@Asukenick]

He was on twice and in the 2001 reunion movie.

[@bradcrandall5086]

I don't remember him at all. Raymond yes but Alex? Not so much

[@Asukenick]

@@bradcrandall5086 Alex only appeared one, Raymond appeared twice.

[@felix121984]

​@@AsukenickMrs Garret should have one daughter and actress Barrie Youngfellow could play her.

[@samsticka]

What if Mrs. Garrett had a daughter and she was played by Gloria Loring who sang the show's theme song?

[@stacyn.]

Cool Show.

[@samsticka]

0:23 - Natalie takes Blair's Coke and has a sip of it. I bet if Jo had done that, she would've let out a loud belch.

[@travisjames3517]

That’s how cheap Eastland was. Can’t even afford a replacement table.

[@Royelsworth]

how many children does Mrs Garrett have

[@Asukenick]

2

[@travisjames3517]

Two, however, in the first episode of “Different Strokes” she made it clear that “she didn’t like boys.”

[@jackilynpyzocha662]

Tom Fitzsimmons "The Paper Chase"

[@frozengamer3030]

Sad that she passed away

[@samsticka]

He recorded with James Taylor?

[@gaywizard2000]

What happened with the table?

[@tysonyates4147]

At the end it is revealed that Alex fixed the coffee table.

[@domigriffin340]

Was it her son that bought that boutique for her or brother ??

[@Asukenick]

Her other son.

[@rodikalicharan7596]

Why was he never in Different Strokes?

[@travisjames3517]

In that show Mrs. Garrett didn’t have sons.

[@aepacker]

Wowers

[@thenormanleareffect]

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