9 Unforgettable Lessons 'Saved By The Bell' Taught Us About Love

The Saturday morning teen soap still holds a place in our hearts.

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Almost 25 years after Saved by the Bell premiered, the Bayside gang finally reunited last night. Zack, Kelly, Jessie, Mr. Belding and their new friend Jimmy got back together on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon—and it was awesome.

After all, Saved by the Bell isn't just an iconic '90s TV show; it spoke to a generation. How could a Lifetime movie live up to that?

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Zack, Kelly, Slater, Jessie, Lisa, and yes, even Screech. Our favorite high school gang taught us countless lessons about friendships, hardships, and the most confusing of all — love.

The show dealt with real teen issues (I'm so excited, I'm so excited ... I'm so scared, Zack!) and matters of the heart. From Zack and Kelly's breakups and makeups to Slater and Jessie's whole 'opposites attract' M.O., look back at all the love lessons they taught us back in '93. You'll be surprised how wise these kids were — Mr. Belding would be so proud!

Lesson 1: Time Outs Are Awesome
When a disagreement turns heated (whether it be with friends or romantic partners), taking a break from each other is sometimes the smartest thing to do. Thanks for that, Zack.

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Lesson 2: Keep Your Love & Work Lives Separate
Remember when Kelly left Zack hanging at the school dance because she was falling for Jeff, her sexy-yet-sleazy boss at The Max? Ugh, it was gut-wrenching! Lesson learned? It's (almost) never a good idea to date someone at work, let alone your boss. 

Love Lessons from 'Saved by the Bell'

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Lesson 3: You Better Learn How To Compromise
Let's examine Jessie and Slater's relationship. He was the hot jock who had his choice of any girl in school. Jessie was the book-smart, sassy feminist who took crap from no one. So when these two got together, it was a true tale of opposites attract. They challenged each other, and even when they disagreed, they still managed to claw their way back to mutual grounds. Oink, oink, baby. 

Love Lessons from 'Saved by the Bell'

Lesson 4: Ignore Your Parents' Snotty Remarks About Your New Beau
Screech finally found love with Violet (a nerdy Tori Spelling!). Too bad her parents weren't on board the Screech love boat. Violet struggles to make a decision on whether she should listen to her parents and dump Screech or follow her heart and stand by her man. Spoiler alert! She picks Screech.

Love Lessons from 'Saved by the Bell'

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Lesson 5: Sometimes You Do Marry Your High School Sweetheart
How many breakups does it take for Zack and Kelly to realize they're meant to be together? 712. Just kidding. We don't actually have time to count, but the number is up there! When it's right, it's right. And after years of their roller-coaster relationship, these two lovebirds finally tied the knot in the cheesiest Vegas wedding ever seen on TV!

Love Lessons from 'Saved by the Bell'

Lesson 6: Know When To Let Go
There's nothing worse than unrequited love. Screech never got Lisa. But he should have realized early on that it was never going to happen. Instead, he opened himself up time after time, hoping he'd win her heart. She was honest from the get-go, but he never listened. And all it resulted in was heartache after heartache. Lesson learned? Know when it's time to count your love lessons and move on. 

Love Lessons from 'Saved by the Bell'

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Lesson 7: You Don't Know What You Want Until You Know What You Don't Want
Sometimes, the only right thing to do is date Mr. Wrong. Right, Kelly? Ms. Popular had a bit of a wandering eye when she dated Zack. Like we said, she dumped him for her boss! Plus, she had that never-ending flirtation with Slater (even though he was dating Jessie!). And remember when she almost got it on with celebrity hunk Johnny Dakota? But all these bad boys helped Kel understand what she wanted from a relationship. Plus, the competition kept Zack on his toes as he chased Kelly for years. Well played, Kapowski.

Love Lessons from 'Saved by the Bell'

Lesson 8: Be Happy With What You Had 
"Better to have been dumped by the best looking girl than never to have been dumped at all." Wise words, Mr. Samuel Powers. Screech dropped this doozy on his best buddy Zack when Kelly dumped him — once again. Those words helped Zack snap out of his slump and appreciate the good times (like Zack and Kelly's Prom. Swoon). Little did Zackie know then that producers would give him a lifetime with his lady. 

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Love Lessons from 'Saved by the Bell'

Lesson 9: Being Single Is Awesome
Lisa knew she didn't want to waste her time on silly, immature high school boys. For the majority of the series, she was almost always single! Sure, she had one-episode flings with Zack and with Eric, Jessie's bad-boy step-brother. But she was never really tied down to anyone—and she was one of the happiest in the group. Being single is fun and stress-free. Preach it, Lisa!

Love Lessons from 'Saved by the Bell'

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