The Facts of Life (TV Series) Jo's Cousin (1982) User Reviews

Another spinoff epsisode attempt. It was awful. Skip it.

[reb-warrior · 2/10 · 31 October 2021]

Jo goes to see her cousins. The writers of the show are trying to set up a spinoff with them.

There's next to nothing of the girls in this episode, except Jo who was more like a bystander to everything at her cousins' household.

The whole Italian family values and accents were so awful and very badly clichéd. I had to laugh seeing Megan Follows there. Anne of Green Gables herself, a Canadian actress, playing an Italian New Yorker, Brooklyn, character. Another canuck actor, Donnelly Rhodes, was there doing the same.

There was some sort of plot of Megan Follows' character, Terry, wanting to become more feminine and grown-up, and socializing with boys. Her brothers and father have a hard time with that.

Anyway, this was kind of cringeworthy. I can see why it didn't get a series. Thank gawd! 2/10.

Bad...BUT.... I Can't Stop Watching.

[bucs-24001 · 9/10 · 4 March 2019]

The over acting(Italian New Yorkers) is unbearable, but it is a great episode! NBC was trying a "spin-off" here, but it never took off.

Failed FACTS OF LIFE spin off based on Jo's cousins

[mamamiasweetpeaches · 2/10 · 24 May 2024]

This always struck me as a very odd episode of FACTS OF LIFE. Even as a kid watching it I figured out it was a potential spin off idea.

Jo goes to visit her tomboy cousin Terry on her 14th birthday. Terry works in her fathers garage with her two older brothers. Everyone sees Terry as "one of the guys" ....including her brother's friend Tony who Terry secretly has a crush on.

Terry asks Jo to help give her a make over so she can look more feminine. They even call Blaire for advice. Well, I wish Blaire had given them better advice because Terry 's make over ends up with her looking like shes going to church in a frilly dress and white hosiery. Not exactly what teen girls were wearing in the 80s.

Tony ( who is at least 17 or 18 and some kind of make out king) makes the mistake of telling Terry she looks nice and the men in the family go ape acting like the guy did something wrong. They pretty much make the guy so uncomfortable he leaves!

Terry tells the family she wants to be treated more like a lady so Pops says she can take Home Ec so she can cook and clean. Brilliant. Thanks, Dad.

I remember that as terrible as this episode is that me and my friend would love when it would rerun cuz the guys in it were cute. Even THE FATHER was good looking! Terry is played by actress Megan Follows who would go on to be Anne in ANNE OF GREEN GABLES and Jane in the Horror movie SILVER BULLET. It's nice to see her in an early role.

FACTS OF LIFE was usually a very entertaining show .... but this episode was a mis-step in my opinion.