Saved By The Bell Season 2 Showgirls Reference Explained By Writer

Saved By The Bell season 2 writer, Tracey Wigfield, explains the Showgirls reference in one of the episodes. Elizabeth Berkley Lauren is back as Jessie Spano in the revival series for Peacock, joining fellow alums Mario Lopez, Tiffani Thiessen, Lark Voorhies, and Mark-Paul Gosselaar, as well as a whole new generation of kids at Bayside High. The revival series just debuted its second season, which is now streaming on Peacock.

Showgirls is one of the most infamous cult movies, which has continued to grow in popularity since its debut in 1995. Paul Verhoeven directed the film, which was written by Basic Instinct‘s Joe Eszterhas and starred Berkley Lauren, Gina Gerson, and Kyle MacLachlan. The film centered on a mysterious woman named Nomi, who goes from stripper to showgirl in Vegas, encountering the more shady sides of the industry at every turn. It was the first big role for Berkley Lauren after Saved By The Bell ended its initial run. It was one of the first films to hit theaters with an NC-17 rating, and despite the negative reviews, has become a cult favorite akin to something like The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

With the popularity of Showgirls well-known to writers of Saved By The Bell and with Berkley Lauren game to make some references, Wigfield explains, via Variety, that an organic opportunity presented itself to reference the film. Saved By The Bell episode 6, titled “Wrestling With The Future” has Jessie being pressured to get back into the dating scene, deciding to use a fireman pole at a career fair to do a little dance for a fireman she’s attracted to. Wigfield says the opportunity was an “exciting” one, but that she had to call Berkley Lauren and ask if she’d be willing to do it. The actress agreed, saying:

“There was a very clear intention of tone and also clear communication. I made some tweaks and incorporated some lines — some Easter eggs. If it wasn’t enough to be in full Nomi regalia, I knew the lines that people love and I didn’t want to disappoint.”

Berkley Lauren goes on to explain that revisiting the role played into Jessie’s struggle to get back into the dating scene, saying, “It’s a moment where Jessie is actually saying, ‘What would Nomi do?’ in a moment where she’s trying to reclaim her fierceness, her strength, her sense of sensuality.” The episode also has Berkley Lauren donning her classic costume of floral vest, high-waisted jeans and hair bow from the original Saved By The Bell series (not to mention her famed Showgirls jacket for the pole-dancing scene), which she calls a “full circle” moment.

Showgirls was a box-office bomb and critically lambasted when released, but with time and distance from the initial release, it’s become a cultural milestone, now beloved for its flaws. Berkley Lauren has said in the past that she felt like a “pariah” after the release of the film, which altered her career forever. Now that the film has found the audience it couldn’t get in 1995, it’s good to see Berkley Lauren get some respect for the role, which she can now embrace in a way that pokes fun and pays homage at once, bridging her Saved By The Bell career with her most notable and controversial feature film role.

Source: Variety

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