Welcome Back, Kotter Episode Rating Graph

Freddie becomes addicted to drugs after taking prescribed pain killers. Despite the other Sweathogs' best efforts, the only thing that can bring Freddie around is Arnold's faith in him...and in his ""vitamin pills.""

Gabe's overly-critical father comes for a visit and, unconvinced that his son has chosen a worthwhile career, goes with Gabe to school in order to watch him in action with his Sweathogs.

Rosalie ""Hotsy"" Totsy has grown up ... a little too fast. The Sweathogs go to a local strip club on a dare, and learn that Hotsy has gotten a job performing there (yup, she bares all, unknowingly in front of her former classmates). Vinnie, Freddie and Epstein all ride Hotsy's case, but Arnold is sensitive to her plight. Seems that, during a coversation with her former teacher Gabe, Rosalie really lived up to her nickname one night and got pregnant. And getting a job at a strip joint is the only way for this single mother (the baby's father had left Hotsy) to support her child. Gabe and Arnold convince the others to give Hotsy Totsy moral support, and they also refer her to a social agency which can help her finish school and find a more meaningful job.

Julie goes into labor.

Tired of the way the school newspaper is always putting them down, the Sweathogs join the staff in order to redeem themselves; and the crack investigative team of ""Vinstein"" (Vinnie and Juan) are hot on the trail of the culprit behind the recent break-in of Principal Lazarus's office.

It seems that Freddie has a future in radio, but he may also risk losing his friends for fame.

A flashback recalls Gabe's first meeting with his class. The Sweathogs Out Debate A Superior Class.

Juan, with the help of his uncle, hooks the Kotters up with a new apartment.

Gabe is forced to take final exams when it's revealed by Mr. Woodman that he wasn't really qualified to graduate when he did.

The art teacher falls in love with Gabe.

Vinnie's grandmother's dying wish is for him to become a priest, and he takes the request seriously, until the strain of being holy becomes too much for him.

Gabe announces that he is now the vice-principal and Mr. Woodman is the principal. The Sweathogs are pleased, until Gabe gets strict. After Vinnie visits the school to tell the gang he's dropped out, the other Sweathogs decide to follow in his footsteps.

Kotter has a dream about life when the Sweathogs are old.

Julie's parents come to see the babies.

The Sweathogs and administrators at James Buchanan High reminisce about Gabe's past two years at the school. Past episodes are recalled through flashbacks.

Arnold is promoted to a regular class, but is less than happy about the forced transition.

On career day, an inventor who is treated poorly by the Sweathogs offers a well-paying job to Gabe.

After losing a fight with Todd Ludlow, Juan is made fun of by his fellow Sweathogs. His feelings and his pride hurt, he runs away -- to the Kotters' bathroom.

Mr. Woodman's niece Kelly is babysitting for the Kotters when Juan drops by the apartment. The two abruptly fall in love and decide to move in together, but the romance begins to crumble when it seems that they can't respect one another's interests.

After performing mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on a female student who has passed out in the classroom, Gabe is accused of molestation, and is in danger of losing his job.

Juan buys four term papers - one for each Sweathog - from Carvelli, only to end up with an essay that Gabe had turned in eleven years earlier.

At Christmas time, the gang reminisces over past episodes.

Julie gives birth to twin girls.

When Arnold finally shows back up at school, it's discovered that his absence was due to the recent death of his fifth father. A feeling of responsibility within him, Arnold sets out to find a job to help support his siblings and his mother, who's only priority lies in finding a replacement father for her kids.

Gabe, in need of money for a root canal, takes a second job as a restaurant mascot.

At Christmas time, the Sweathogs are all too eager to tease resident bum Angie. But after Angie tells his life story to the class, they have a change of heart, and decide to help him get back up on his feet.

The sweathogs go bananas over Bambi, a pretty blonde girl from California. We get some very funny scenes of the guys in various costumes: Epstein as a guru, Freddy in a colorful shirt, Horshack as a movie producer, and Vinnie as a surfer. When Mr. Kotter gets fed-up with them disrupting the class, it's revealed that Bambi was just pretending to be from California in order to get attention.

Freddie, class treasurer, is accused of stealing funds, and an impromptue trial is held in the classroom.

A younger student begins to imitate Freddie, not much to Freddie's liking.

Vinnie is saddened when his new coat is stolen.

The Sweathogs, diverged from a food-fight, hold a sit-in to protest the school cafetieria's Wednesday liver.

Beau plays a number or pranks on Mr. Woodman.

Vinnie throws the Sweathogs out of his new apartment.

While Horshack adjusts the married life, Epstein sets up an interview for a job. Washington gets the job before Epstein, unaware that it's the same job. The two get into a fight and end up in a gym ready to box.

A new girl joins the Sweathogs.

Arnold's relationship with Mary gets serious. Then he finds out he has to move and leave the school. Upset, Arnold decides to propose marriage to Mary. She accepts.

Arnold gets upset when the other Sweathogs tease him about not being able to provide for Mary, and he vanishes. Mary finds him and convinces him not to worry, and the two get married.

Gabe must choose between the comedy life, or his life at Buchanan.

Mr. Kripps, the shop teacher, has a heart attack and dies while yelling at Vinnie, who blames himself for the man's death.

Arnold, saddened by the rejection he keeps recieving from the opposite sex, gets advice and comfort from Julie before quickly falling in love with her.

The Sweathogs remember how they tried to buy a used car from Vinnie's uncle.

Vinnie becomes depressed when it seems that he has lost his way with women.

After Horshack refuses to disect a frog in class, his grade is in jeopardy.

The Sweathogs opt to change Mr. Woodman's tired old school song.

To get up his nerve with Mary, Carvelli offers Arnold liquor. He doesn't like the idea at first, but as time goes on, he becomes addicted to drinking; developing a scary and unlikable new personality that only turns Mary away.

Freddie and Juan plan to do an act together for the upcoming talent contest, while Carvelli has some bribed judges up his sleeves. Arnold and Beau take over as judges, leaving Murray in the third spot.

Vinnie's goofing off in gym gets him in trouble with the teacher, Mr. Caruso, who's reprimending after class gets out of hand when he hits Vinnie in front of the girls' locker room.

When the opportunity to fight Carvelli in a boxing match arises, Arnold wants to be the one to do it; and when the other Sweathogs put down his manhood, he is even more determined to prove himself by getting in the ring.

When Juan's sister Carmen joines the Sweathogs, she catches the eye of Arnold, but Carmen is only interested in Vinnie. Juan, meanwhile, is displeased with the entire situation, and is ready to kill anybody who dares to lay a hand on his baby sister.

After returning to his roots by taking over the Sweathogs' history class for a day, Mr. Woodman turns into a nice guy; and Kotter turns into the new Mr. Woodman.

In order to bring up Vinnie's grades, Judy Borden, highly unpopular with the Sweathogs, is called in to tutor him. But when the two start liking one another, problems arise.

Everybody helps Vinnie cram for a make-up test.

When Julie goes away on a ski trip with a friend, stories from the Sweathogs and Mr. Woodman lead Gabe to be worried about the possibility of Julie cheating on him while she is away.

The Sweathogs form a gang, but won't let Arnold in until the night of their first rumble, and Arnold, against the idea of being killed, brings along Gabe and Mr. Woodman in order to prevent the fight.

Gabe and Julie find out that they are going to have a baby.

The characters in Mr. Woodman's new novel seem to have an awful lot in common with the Sweathogs...