The Wicked Stepbrother: Part 1

Plot summary:

In this episode, we find out that Jessie has a mother, who has just remarried in a way that leaves Jessie with a stepbrother (who's surname is Tramer, by the way. I wonder if they creators were trying to say anything about a colleague). While she and her friends are initially excited, they soon find out that he's a diary-reading, blackmailing bastard, not to mention a right creep, and hatch a contrived plan to get back at him for his various crimes against several members of our beloved six student clique using the car Mr Belding stupidly left at Slater's disposal.
Unsurprisingly, the plan backfires...

With the plot out of the way, lets see what the episode is giving us gay-wise.

Conversational clues

Slater seems to be quite familiar with Zack's grandmother, which is not strange in itself, especially if Zack managed to get out of school four times by telling Belding she'd died, but he spoke about her as if he had actually met her, which implies that he's a lot closer than Zack than he shows when in school.

Screech's comments about hiding in the bushes made me think of all the men cruising in parks and deserted rest stops. Good on him, not wanting to hide!
Then again, he does seem to have the outfit for it... A relic of erstwhile habits, perhaps?

Looks

When meeting Eric for the first time, Zack and Slater walk down the stairs into the only bit of hallway we ever see.  While Slater gives Zack some very friendly looks, it's all about the smiles Zack has for Eric once Jessie has dragged Slater away from her bastard step-brother. However, it's a short fling. Next time we see them together, Zack is decidedly snappy towards Eric.  

Touches

Early in the episode, when the girls enter all atwitter and nattering on about weddings, ignore them. It'd dull and you'll  miss an adorable background bit where Slater touches Zack's forearm, then later wipes that hand on that arm. Blink and you'll miss it, but quite sweet.

Whenever Slater is near Jessie, he's all over her. Could be he's a touch possessive, could be that he's posturing like crazy, showing the world he obviously not gay because, lookey now, he has a beardgirlfriend. Also notable that Jessie, our resident pig caller-outer, is totally okay with this. As this could easily be construed as clashing with her loud feminism, her easy acceptance lends weight to the argument that Jessie's MTF transgender and her feminism is as much posturing as Slater's "I've got a girlfriend" routine.
Only one question remains: is Slater aware of this?

Cross-dressing

In the above section I found an argument that supported Jessie as MTF transgender. However, since she has, as much as is necessary in the somewhat limited SbtB-universe, transitioned and is going through life as the woman she is, calling her being a woman cross-dressing like she's merely playing around and having fun would be rather trivialising and insulting. While further clues suggesting Jessie might be transgender are open to discussion, she will not be the default "...and, of course, Jessie" of the cross-dressing section.

Queer gear

In his first scene, Screech can be seen wearing rainbow suspenders. Seeing how they clash rather violently with the rest of his outfit, his commitment to displaying pride-wear is nothing short of admirable.

We also see a rainbow on a boaty poster in Jessie's bedroom, though it look more like it's part of a twee pastel decoration suitable for a young lady's bedroom than something that's supposed to make any kind of statement.  

Quote of the Episode

Zack: I'm Zack Morris. You can say when it comes to scams, I'm top dog.
Eric: Hey, in my school you'd just be a puppy
Slater: :looks at Zack, laughs:
Eric: And who is this, your trainer?
Slater: :suddenly serious: No. 

Why this quote? Because the idea of Puppy!Zack being trained by Trainer!Slater amuses me. Though I do keep thinking of shoes... 

Rating

4/10

Fairly slim pickings, this episode. Few things that stood out, though that bit of Zack and Slater when no one was supposed to be watching them was nice.  The only reason it got as high as 4/10 is Screech's rainbow suspenders. I'm a sucker for Pride gear.