The third season of The Facts of Life is probably one of the show’s darkest season as far as storylines are concerned. It’s a very heavy and emotionally draining season that I personally had to watch in bits and pieces on the DVD box set. Despite the ultra mature topics of this season, it does include some of the shows most memorable episodes.

Disc 3 features the episode “The Runaway.” Tootie was upset that her parents wouldn’t let her accompany the other girls on a trip to New York so she heads to the city by herself where she befriends a young prostitute and her pimp who try to recruit Tootie. In another episode, Tootie faces expulsion when she feels compelled to cover for Blair and the other girls who brought alcohol into the dorms.

The season opens with the episode “Growing Pains,” this is the episode in which Tootie gets drunk and faces punishment. The very next episode of the season, Natalie is attacked on campus after walking home alone at night. In those same opening season episodes, Blair has to deal with her mother’s cancer scare and the girls also have a situation in which a former student named Allison drops by Eastland and leaves her baby with the girls and they fear she isn’t coming back.

There are some fun episodes in season 3. Tootie gets to meet her celebrity crush Jermaine Jackson and in another episode Tootie writers love letters to herself to make the other girls feel think she has a secret admirer.

The season 3 DVD box set includes 24 episodes from the shows third season. The box design is similar to the seasons 1 & 2 box set. There are no bonus features this set.