20. Goodbye

Complete story — includes the ending

When Kevin asks his beloved algebra teacher Mr. Collins how he is doing overall in math, he doesn't get the response he needed to hear back. Instead, Mr. Collins gives Kevin private tutoring to raise his grades of C's on quizzes into A's on tests. Mr. Collins then suddenly canceled a scheduled session several days before the mid-term exam. He also announced he'd be off the next few days off but would be back to give the exam or leave it at the end of the week, leaving Kevin to fend for himself. Kevin thought Mr. Collins was helping him because he believed in him, and feels betrayed. On the day of the exam, Collins does show up with the exam that Friday, so Kevin decides to get a "respectable F" and botch the answers on purpose, much to Mr. Collins' dismay. The following Monday, Kevin regrets what he's done, and goes to Mr. Collins to apologize, only for Mr. Diperna ( Raye Birk ) to inform Kevin that Mr. Collins died over the weekend from heart failure. It seemed the teacher knew his end was very near (he likely knew this for some time) and at home that weekend he "misplaced" his test before passing away. Mr. Diperna asks Kevin to stay after school, but only to do a fresh test, which Kevin applies himself to. It seems that Arthur Collins believed in Kevin Arnold after all, and Kevin hands it into Mr. Diperna confident that he scored an A. Recurring guests: Raye Birk as Mr. Diperna; Steven Gilborn in his final appearance as Mr. Collins. Absent: Alley Mills as Norma Arnold; Olivia d'Abo as Karen Arnold.