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[Analysis] Saved by the Bell: Zack and Lisa the Romance We Were Denied



Back in the day, I used to watch Saved by the Bell reruns before I went to school from time to time. Recently, I decided to binge-watch the show in its entirety and I couldn't help thinking why Zack and Lisa affectionately dubbed "Zisa" by shippers/supporters of the pairing wasn't explored more during the show's run. 

Zack and Lisa's Relationship Throughout the Series


It pretty much has been established that Lisa has a crush on Zack, thinks he's cute, and they're childhood friends. Even from time to time, she would join or aid Zack with his shenanigans. For example, the teen hotline episode "1-900-Crushed" where she anonymously gave students advice for a profit nonetheless.  

Untapped Potential


The chemistry between the two of them is undeniable and palpable. Not to mention, they share multiple subtle intimate and ship teasing moments throughout the show. During the "Operation Zack" episode  Zack displayed rare vulnerability and opened up to her about his fears. 

The two of them balanced each other out and Lisa wouldn't be afraid to tell Zack like it is. At different points during the show, they were encouraging and supportive of one another. 

The romantic potential for their relationship culminated in "The Bayside Triangle" episode where their burgeoning feelings for each other came to center stage. The tone surrounding their relationship writing-wise was serious. It wasn't played for laughs or comical in nature. The writers opened the door for their romance to play out on-screen only to dump a bucket of cold water on the audience later. They didn't finish what they started, didn't give Zack and Lisa's romantic relationship proper closure, and left the relationship on an ambiguous note. And thus, acted as if it never happened in the first place that is until it was mentioned briefly in the Saved by the Bell: The New Class episode "Fire at the Max: Part 2".

Why Their Romance Was Cut Short


There has been a lot of speculation surrounding why their romantic relationship was dropped: from fan mail of fans who were vehemently against ZackxLisa, to NBC not being supportive of an unambiguous interracial romance at the time, etc. 

I believe their on-screen romance was brought to a sudden halt due to these factors: contracts and branding. 

Tiffani and Elizabeth didn't extend their contracts and left the show, so the showrunners brought in a new female character, Tori, to fill the void and essentially become Zack's new love interest. It kind of makes you wonder how differently the show would have turned out if NBC ordered more episodes earlier and Tiffani and Elizabeth had extended their contracts. I feel if they had Zack and Lisa's relationship would have played out in one of these two scenarios:

Scenario A: Zack and Lisa continued to date with Kelly's full support and the pair became endgame. 

Scenario B: Zack and Lisa dated for a while, but ultimately they broke up. However, they still remained friends, and Zack and Kelly reconnected romantically.

I feel given the two scenarios, the latter scenario is more likely what would've played out than the former. Here's why: given the show's branding and the way the romantic pairings were set up at the end of the day the show sold audiences on Zack and Kelly becoming an item and ultimately an endgame couple. 

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