Not even Arya Stark can fend off a Zack Attack. Game of Thrones actress Maisie Williams sat down with the Fine Brothers recently for a special video honoring the 25th anniversary of the classic ’90s sitcom Saved by the Bell. In it, 17-year-old Williams and other modern teens watch clips of Zack, Kelly, Screech, and the rest of the Bayside gang, and then share their thoughts on the show’s most memorable scenes. (And yes, Jessie’s caffeine pills breakdown is among them!)
Reacting to SBTB‘s colorful opening credits and catchy theme song, Williams couldn’t help poking fun at series stars Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Dustin Diamond. “Oh my god, the chair spin. No, he didn’t!” she quipped when Zack appeared on screen. Later, seeing Screech in a pineapple bra, she covered her head and exclaimed, “No, it’s so embarrassing!”
“I love how they had the title at the beginning of the titles and at the end of the titles, just in case you forgot what you were watching,” the British star joked afterward. “You’re watching Saved by the Bell!”
Having never seen Saved by the Bell before, Williams was appalled at some of the story lines —particularly the one about Kelly (Tiffani Thiessen) using a zit cream that turned her face maroon before the big homecoming game.
“Everyone is horrible, and no one would vote [for] her if she had a maroon face,” the HBO star said bluntly. “I’m sorry, Kelly, but your dreams are crushed in the real world.”
She also took issue with the show’s stereotypical portrayal of jocks and nerds. “They make them seem so dumb. That’s so mean!” she remarked of a clip featuring some spaced-out surfers. “If this was, like, being fed to teenagers, that’s not great.”
As for Saved by the Bell‘s most infamous scene, in which Jessie (Elizabeth Berkley) admits to being hooked on caffeine pills? Williams was moved — though not by the acting. “Aw, that’s horrible,” she said sympathetically. Afterward, she added, “Watching it was kind of over the top. But it grabbed your attention.”
Williams also answered the most pressing question of all, a.k.a. the only question that really matters in Saved by the Bell fandom: Zack or Slater?
Watch the video above to see which guy she chose, plus see what other teens think of Saved by the Bell! (Prepare to feel old!)
