The Facts of Life/Less Than Perfect

Less Than Perfect
Season 9, Episode 18
Airdate	February 20, 1988
Written by	Martha Williamson
Directed by	Valentine Mayer
← 9x17 Let's Face the Music	9x19 → Till Marriage Do Us Part
The Facts of Life — Season Nine

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Less Than Perfect is the eighteenth episode of the ninth season of The Facts of Life, and the one hundred ninety-fifth episode overall.

Starring: Cloris Leachman (Beverly Ann Stickle), Lisa Whelchel (Blair Warner), Kim Fields (Tootie Ramsey), Mindy Cohn (Natalie Green), Mackenzie Astin (Andy Stickle), Sherrie Krenn (Pippa McKenna)

and Nancy McKeon (Jo Polniaczek)

Additional Cast: Paul Provenza (Casey Clark), Ron Fassler (Dr. Nichols), Catherine Paolone (The Nurse)

Plot Overview

After bringing Casey home despite being tired from too much studying, Blair is injured in an automobile accident when she falls asleep at the wheel and her car hits a tree, leaving her with a nasty gash across the forehead. When she wakes up in the hospital later, she finds Jo standing at the foot of her bed. When she asks Jo to fill the water pitcher beside her, Blair takes the tray the pitcher was on and checks herself in its reflection, then discovers the scar left by the accident after she removes the bandage on her forehead. When Jo returns with the pitcher, she sees Blair despairing over what she saw, fearing that her beauty has now been marred because of the accident. She then tells Jo to promise not to say anything to the rest of the gang about the forehead scar, saying that she wants to tell them when she is ready to. After Jo makes the promise and then leaves to go home, Blair looks at her reflection once more, then she throws the tray aside and begins to cry.

The next morning, Blair's hospital room is filled with bouquets of flowers and cards from well-wishers brought in by Beverly Ann, Tootie and Natalie while Blair is on the phone with her mother. Casey drops by to visit and brings her a card as well, then jokes with her to lighten the mood, but Blair surprises him by telling him they should break up, causing an offended Casey to misunderstand her intentions and then walk out. He then arrives at the house and tells Jo what happened at the hospital, thinking that Blair blames him for the accident, which stuns Jo (who initially though Casey was talking about Blair's forehead scar). Jo then turns to Natalie and Tootie for advice about keeping promises, wondering if she should break the one she made to Blair in order to help her. When Casey returns to the hospital and confronts Blair about the scar, telling her that he loves her in spite of her flaws, she realizes she must come to grips with her vanity.