This episode is undermined by the inclusion of "political correctness." First, the female gang that harassed Laura was racially mixed. Not realistic. Then, we have the gang leader, Toni Decopio. This character was played by a black actress. Why was the character given a name that sounded Italian? Political correctness at work. Totally unnecessary, and only compromised the "message" that the episode was supposedly sending. Toni was played by Tracey Cherrele Jones. She looked enough like a female thug, but her performance wasn't convincing. You could tell that she was "only acting." The episode pushes the obvious buttons. However, as in many other episodes, it's basically Jaleel and Kellie that make everything work. In fact, Kellie's performance was a little better. As Laura Winslow, she was always real. Never a false note. Jo Marie Payton also gave a very good performance.
Review of The Gun
