‘Saved by the bell’ renewal: Jessie’s husband, son, caffeine pills

When Elizabeth Berkley Lauren signed for Peacock’s Saved by the Bell renewal, it was important for her that Jessie Spano not be defined only by this iconic scene. (You know that one.)

“It was something that really excited me and protected me,” Berkley Lauren told TVLine. “I was invested in who she became as a woman.”

While the sequel to the series doesn’t lack references to Jessie’s caffeine pill bender, the character isn’t defined by her former demons. In the new series, the former Bayside student (and former Hot Sundae member) returned to Pacific Palisades-based high school as a guidance counselor, having already achieved great success in her professional life.

“I really needed to know what she had accomplished,” says Berkley Lauren. “[Jessie] was so ahead of her time, and had such a singular vision for herself … [Executive producer] Tracey Wigfield and I wanted to make sure we knew what was actually manifesting [between the original series finale and now]. She has her doctorate, she is a New York Times Best-selling author of books on parenting, she has lectured at TEDs and been involved in politics – and, of course, met someone, married them, and had a child.

Viewers will eventually meet Jessie’s husband Renee (played by american horror story‘s Cheyenne Jackson), another writer who goes on a spiritual journey for much of the first season of Revival. The first episodes indicate that the couple broke up over time.

“His personal life is a little complicated,” Berkley Lauren says with a laugh. “You know that at one point in life, [Jessie and Renee] connected and probably shared the same passions, which brought them together. They’re progressive, they’re smart, but something has happened. Now they’re at a point in their relationship that takes them in different directions, and I think Jessie realizes that she … maybe just doesn’t know how to fix this anymore.

With Renee for the most part absent, Jessie is essentially a single mother to teenage son Jamie (played by Empire‘s Belmont Cameli), who performs in his parenting style. “She’s overprotective as a mother,” Berkley Lauren warns. “She wants to get involved in her son’s life and help usher in this generation… [and] it all really resonated with me. Jessie, for the most part, will deliver what people hoped she would become.

Saved by the Bell premieres Wednesday, November 25, with all 10 episodes being released at the same time. Leave a comment with your hopes for revival below.