FAMILY TIES =========== This page contains the short synopses (advertising copies) of Paramount's popular series Family Ties. Synopses for all seven seasons (176 episodes) is available here. This page is also available in HTML (not just plain text) at: http://hem.passagen.se/danielho/FamilyTies/synopses.htm http://FamilyTies.webjump.com/synopses.htm First season 1982-83 # Title/Advertising Copy ======================================== 1 Pilot The smitten Alex is thrilled at the thought of escorting pretty, budding socialite Kimberly Blanton to her country club´s dance, but Steven and Elyse are appalled that their son would set foot in a restricted club and agonize over whether to impose their values on him. Kimberly´s status-conscience, snobbish ways were immediately apparent when she had dinner with the Keatons. Alex is intent on impressing her with fabricated tales of his family´s heritage and wealth. Alex´s "I´m not out to change the world" attitude clashed with that of his parents, who retain the ideals of the Woodstock generation. On the nite of the dance, Steven shows up at the Carleton Country Club in an effort to persuade the horrified Alex to come home. Later, when father and son air their feelings at home, each is able to understand, if not accept, the other´s point of view. 2 Elyse D'Arc In her zeal for good causes Elyse devotes so much energy to committee work that a neglected Steven feels shortchanged. Ecstatic to have won an award for his public television documentary, Steven arrives home eager to celebrate, but every effort is foiled by Elyse´s obligations to her various projects. Finally, the over-extended wife-mother-architect-committee volunteer begins to realize she´s neglecting her most important committee. 3 I Know Jennifer's Boyfriend Peer pressure to shun the opposite sex causes 9-year-old Jennifer to give up her friendship with Justin Perkins, but thanks to her mother Elyse, the kids come together at a jitterbugging "Nifty Fifties" birthday party. Jennifer is upset by threats from little girls who say they won´t be her friend as long as she associates with Justin. Finally she capitulates. In a mother-daughter talk with Jennifer, Elyse explains the importance of developing good friendships with boys. Jennifer´s "Nifty Fifties" birthday party begins with the boys on one side of the room and the girls on the other, but with a little encouragement from Steven and Elyse and a ladies´ choice dance, the kids get into the swing of things. (Guest Star: Jeremy Schoenberg as Justin Perkins) 4 Not With My Sister You Don't As head of the household while his parents are away for the weekend, an overly confident Alex throws a big bash, but when his sister Mallory leaves the party with the school Romeo, he´s filled with guilt and anger. 5 Oops Unable to face her own mother, Mallory´s pregnant friend Cindy Sullivan confides in Elyse, whose advice to the teenager seems to backfire - and causes a rift between Mallory and Elyse. (Guest Star: Christen Kauffman) 6 Have Gun, Will Unravel The Keatons are burglarized, and a terrified Steven and Elyse wrestle with the previosly unthinkable notion of buying a gun for protection. 7 Summer of '82 Seduced by an "older woman" of 21, the hitherto inexperienced Alex is devastated to learn that she thinks of their relationship as casual. (Guest Star: Amy Steel) 8 I Never Killed For My Father Sensitive, liberal Steven and his macho, conservative father, Jake, clash as usual during the elder´s annual visit - until Jake´s startling news leads to a first effort to bridge the gap. (Guest Star: John Randolph as Jake Keaton) 9 No Nukes is Good Nukes To the dismay of the Keaton children and their equally conservative grandparents, Steven and Elyse take time out Thanksgiving Day to attend an anti-nuke rally - and wind up spending the holiday in jail. (Guest Stars: Priscilla Morrill as Kate Donnelly, Dick Sargent as Charlie Douglas, Jack O´Leary as the guard, amongst others) 10 Suzanne Takes You Down Soon after free lance architect Elyse Keaton hires her friend Suzanne Davis to handle cherical chores, she wants to fire the under-qualified, overly aggressive secretary, but Suzanne´s marriage breaks up, making the new job her only salvation. (Guest Star: Brooke Alderson) 11 Death Of A Grocer Though Alex loves working at kindly Mr. Adler´s "Mom and Pop" grocery store, to the old man´s dismay, he quits to "climb the corporate ladder" at an ultramodern supermarket. (Guest Star: Jack Somack as Sy Adler 12 Give Uncle Arthur a Kiss Mallory is horrified and confused when a close family friend and older business associate of her father, Steven, makes a pass at her. 13 Big Brother Is Watching As the new editor of his svhool paper, Alex uncovers a cheating scandal and to everyone´s chagrin prints a list of students who were caught - including his sister Mallory. 14 A Christmas Story When a blizzard forces the Keatons to spend Christmas at home, Elyse´s gift to Steven - an album filled with fascinating old photos - sparks flashbacks to the birth of their three children. 15 Sherry Baby When popular sorority girl Sherry Marshall befriends Mallory to get close to Alex, Mallory brings them together in hopes of joining Pi Nu - but her plan backfires. (Guest Star: Lisa Lucas as Sherry Marshall) 16 The Fugitive (Part 1) Elyse´s younger brother, Ned, a go-getting corporate executive who is Alex´s idol, pays a surprise visit and puzzles everyone with his cloak-and-dagger behavior. (Guest Star: Tom Hanks as Ned Donnelly) 17 The Fugitive (Part 2) With the FBI hot on Ned´s heels for embezzling $4-1/2 million in corporate funds, Elyse´s ethical brother - and Alex´s idol - tells the family why and where he hid the money and flees with Alex, leaving Elyse and Steven in a quandry. (Guest Star: Tom Hanks as Ned Donnelly) 18 Margin of Error Alex amasses a bundle by playing the stock market on paper for his economics class, and courts disaster by secretly investing his father´s money. (Guest Star: Philip Charles MacKenzie as broker Dan Matthews) 19 French Lessons Mallory´s handsome but shy French tutor, Jeff, finally musters up the nerve to ask her out and then courts disaster by enlistening Alex´s advice on how to behave on the date. 20 I Gotta Be Ming As "Big Brother" to a 10-year-old Vietnamese boy, Alex tries to mold Ming into his own image, and he learns an unforgettable lesson when he breaks a promise to the adoring child. (Guest Star: Eugene Akutagawa as Ming) 21 Stage Fright While gearing up to face the TV cameras as captain of his high school´s team on "Quiz-Em", Alex panics at first when a teammate drops out - and then launches a tutoring program a la Eliza Doolittle for his sister Mallory. The highly competitive teenager is thrilled by the challenge of the annual contest hosted by his father, Steven, at the PBS station. Winning is everything to Alex, so when a teammate falls ill, he scours the school for a suitable replacement, but to no avail. Mallory, however, longs to be on TV, and Alex is stuck with her. Intensive tutoring and a few partial male teenage judges have their impact. But Alex´s behavior on the show is the biggest surprise. (Guest Stars, among others: Carlos LaCamara as Petey; Jeff Shelby, Charlie Douglas and John Allogly as the judges and Kerry Noonan, Deborah Foreman and Margaret Fitzgerald as the opponents) 22 Fifth Wheel Alex gets stuck babysitting for his little sister Jennifer, who is fed up with feeling in the way at his poker game and decides to disappear. Second season 1983-84 23 Tender is The Knight When pretty Carrie Newman and her mother Julia come to visit the Keatons, Carrie´s forward behavior sends Alex into a panic. (Guest Star: Talia Balsam as Carrie) 24 To Snatch A Keith Steven and Elyse realize how lucky they are when their friends come over for a visit, but are unaware that it will be for the last time. Divorced "Sunday father" Richard Bailey and his son, Keith, come over to the Keatons before taking off on a secret flight of their own. It seems Keith´s mother is moving to California with her new husband and plans on taking her son with them. When a satisfactory visiting arrangement can´t be reached, Richard decides it´s time to make a move and it´s up to Steven to put a stop to their travel plans. (Guest Stars: James Sutorius as Richard, Donna McKechnie as Cynthia and David Faustino as Keith Bailey) 25 Speed Trap When Alex takes diet pills for a lift during mid-terms, his dependency level increases daily. Alex is studying for several tests and convinces Mallory to obtain diet pills to help him stay awake. At his hyperness and irritability increase, so does his dependency on the pills. When he finally gets so desperate that he threatens Mallory to get more drugs, she becomes worried that he is headed for a "crash landing". 26 The Harder They Fall Alex anxiously awaits a crucial college recommendation fron his English teacher and urges Steven and Elyse to butter Mr. Tedesco up on parents´ night at school - but the obnoxious Tedesco is so insulting that Elyse slugs him, and a horrified Alex entreats Steven to make amends. The usually calm and non-violent Elyse is amazed and ashamed at her uncharacteristic behavior, though Tedesco "asked for it". Steven visits him and after being subjected to disparaging remarks about his wife, winds up repeating her deed. Finally Tedesco, who does recognize Alex´s intellect, accepts an invitation to the Keaton home where he alienates everyone again. Alex must decide whether a glowing recommendation from an influential but disgusting man is worth groveling for. (Guest Star: Edward Edwards as Mr. Tedesco) 27 The Homecoming When Mallory´s boyfriend Jeff arrives home from college and wants to go steady, she´s elated, but it´s soon apparent that he´s a little awed by school and merely grasping at the familiar - and she must decide whether to "let go" and accept the change in their relationship. Mallory is nervous that Jeff may have met someone new, outgrown her or forgotten her. When the opposite appears true, and he announces plans to quit school, she refuses at first to see the obvious; that he´s just a little overwhelmed by college. What´s thrilling to her is self-destructive on Jeff´s part. (Guest Star: John Dukakis as Jeff) 28 Batter Up Alex plays hardball with Jennifer´s softball team. 29 Not An Affair To Remember Steven´s assistant at the station is bright, talented, funny, witty...and in love with him. And it looks like Steven may be returning her affections. It becomes obvious that Steven´s assistant, Stacey Hughes, is very much attracted to him. And after a rough evening at home, as brief fling begins to look better and better to him. (Guest Stars: Judith Light as Stacey Hughes and John Hancock as co-worker Gus Thompson) 30 Working At It When Elyse lands a job with a top architectural firm, the load begins to get to her - at work and at home. 31 Sweet Lorraine While working as a DJ at the school radio station, Alex strikes up a telephone friendship with caller Lorraine Ferrar, who shares his love of swing music, and he and the attractive 40-year-old meet and develop a special relationship. (Guest Star: Carolyn Seymour as Lorraine Ferrar) 32 This Year's Model After Mallory secretly submits a picture of Elyse and herself to ad agency for for a mother-daughter modeling contest, she´s ecstatic to have won - but dismayed and jealous when the reluctant Elyse becomes the star model. Mallory is thrilled at the prospect of entering the glamorous world of modeling, but Elyse must be coaxed into participating. At the photo session, Elyse is showered with attention, while Mallory is shunted to the sidelines. To the chagrin of the teenager, her mother who is becoming seduced by the glamour, is offered a TV commercial for TV dinners - to be filmed in the Keaton home. The filming ensues, but Mallory is determined to create a few stumbling blocks. (Guest Stars: Sarah Abrell as Heather, Frank Dent as Ed, Eve Roberts as Mrs. Marin, Nick Meele as Phillip, Robert Schanche as Slate and John McCook from the CBS soap "The Bold and the Beautiful" as the Tuxedo Man in the commercial shots) 33 Birthday Boy On his 18th birthday, Alex defies his mother and goes off with some of his buddies to celebrate at an out-of-town niteclub, and to his dismay, the irate Elyse shows up and confronts him. 34 Diary Of A Young Girl In the hospital awaiting a tonsillectomy , Jennifer fears she may never see her family again and, while writing in her diary, she flashes back to regrettable incidents with ech family member. 35 Anniversary Waltz While plans are in full swing for the Keaton´s 20th anniversary party, Steven and Elyse are fighting and it looks like they may not make it that far. 36 Go Tigers Alex is both amazed and furious when a critical admissions interview at Princeton University is shattered by his hysterical sister Mallory, who feels her anger over discovering her boyfriend kissing another girl is more important than his college education. 37 A Keaton Christmas Carol A cynical Alex finds the spirit of Christmas in a dream, when he´s shown shocking visions of the past and future by ghosts of Mallory and Jennifer. 38 "M" Is For The Many Things Elyse is chocked by her soon-to-be-divorced mother´s quick and free-spirited plunge into the singles world, and sparks fly between the two women when Elyse can´t help but interfere. (Guest Star: Priscilla Morrill as Kate Donnelly and James Karen as Harold) 39 Say Uncle Alex discovers that his idol, young Uncle Ned, has a serious drinking problem when the bright, but ill-fated corporate whiz kid returns for a visit after losing another job. (Guest Star: Tom Hanks as Ned Donnelly) 40 Ladies' Man Alex pretends to support the Equal Rights Amendment to impress a pretty feminist and winds up behind bars after championing the cause at a debate that turns into a riot. (Guest Star: Tracy Nelson, as Deena Marx) 41 Ready Or Not Mallory turns to Alex for some advice when she begins to fear she´ll lose her new boyfriend unless she agrees to his pleas for a more "adult" romance. (Guest Star: Tom Byrd as Rick Harmon) 42 Lady Sings The Blues Excited at the prospect of reviving her folk-singing career at a local nightclub, Elyse faces the skepticism of Alex and Mallory and an audience unattuned to the songs of the sixties. 43 Double Date Alex courts disaster when he invites two dates to the senior prom and devises an elaborate scheme for escorting each of the unknowing girls on a nite to remember. (Guest Star: Daphne Zuniga as Rachel Miller, and Jami Gertz as Jocelyn Clark) 44 The Graduate Alex is so sure that he will be named valedictorian of his class that he can´t cope with the thought of being defeated by a girl - especially his girl - so his budding romance with Rachel is threatened when she wins the honor. (Guest Star: Daphne Zuniga) 45 Baby Boy Doe When Alex´s pal Skippy discovers he´s adopted, Alex helps him cope with the shocking news and accompanies the nervous teenager on a memorable meeting with his real mother. (Guest Star: Garn Stephens as Elizabeth Davidson, Skippy´s birth mother) 46 The Gambler Elyse´s gambling with her future in Atlantic City. Third season 1984-85 47 Here We Go Again The family flips when Elyse reveals she´s pregnant. 48 Fabric Smarts Mallory´s enthusiasm for her part-time job at a boutique causes her school grades to slip even lower than usual and Steven and Elyse agree that she must quit work, but Alex comes up ith a proposal that could resolve the situation. 49 Lost Weekend The kids aren´t interested in a family weekend 50 Little Man On Campus Alex is thrilled to be taking a college course taught by one of his personal heroes, Professor Ephraim Bronski, but in his eagerness to impress the teacher he gets off to a bad start and is humiliated by his idol when he fails the first class assignment. (Guest Star: Michael McGuire) 51 Best Man When his best friend, Doug, meets and falls in love with Eleanor, and decides to marry her, Alex resents the fact that someone has come between their friendship and refuses to be in the wedding. Alex cannot accept the fact that he and everyone around him are growing up, and desperately clings to his old ways. (Guest Star: Tim Busfield as Doug and Lily Mariye as Eleanor, Doug´s fiancée) 52 Keaton And Son Alex reluctantly works with Steven at the station. 53 Don't Kiss Me, I'm Only The Messenger Skippy think´s Alex is after his girl. 54 Love Thy Neighbor Little Jennifer is thrilled about a visit from Scott, a former neighborhood pal she hasn´t seen in five years, but her happiness at the reunion is shattered when he ignores her in favor of her older sister, Mallory. To win Scott´s attention, Jennifer dresses up in a flirtatious outfit and goes to the restaurant where he is having dinner with Mallory. (Guest Star: Matthew Barry as Scott) 55 Hotline Fever Alex is teamed with long-time rival James Jarrett and assigned to work at a "hotline" crisis center to fulfill a course requirement, and the two end up in a crisis of their own when they get a call from a suicidal student. (Guest Star: Jeff Joseph as James) 56 Help Wanted The new housekeeper is a real homewrecker. (Guest Star: Geena Davis) 57 4 Rms Ocn Vu The Keaton kids turns the house into a hotel. 58 Karen II, Alex 0 Alex´s chances or acceptance into a smug college fraternity are dependent upon his having a knockout date for the pledge dance and when the girl cancels he pleads with Karen, the housekeeper, to accompany him - but his problems are far from resolved when they arrive at the dance. (Guest Star: Geena Davis) 59 Auntie Up Mallory is crushed when her favorite aunt dies suddenly, but her feelings of sadness turns to anger when family and friends at the funeral seem to be taking Aunt Trudy´s death too lightly. Mallory feels that she has lost her best friend, and is shocked that no one else seems to share her grief. (Guest Starring: Edith Atwater as Aunt Trudy) 60 Oh Donna Alex becomes involved with Donna, a young, unwed expectant mother from Elyse´s natural-childbirth class - but his interest in her becomes an obsession when he starts planning for her child´s future and acting as if they were a real family. Donna is flattered by Alex´s concern for her and her unborn baby, but soon begins to realize that he is becoming a little bit too helpful. (Guest Star: Isabelle Walker as Donna Barrows) 61 Philadelphia Story Alex has a revolutionary dream about freedom. 62 Birth Of A Keaton (Part 1) Elyse goes into labor... on live television. 63 Birth Of A Keaton (Part 2) Elyse is snowed in - and about to give birth. 64 Cry Baby Jennifer´s jealous of the new baby Keaton. 65 Don't Know Much About History... Alex and his good friend James go into business together as tutors for their fellow students at Leland. However, their competitiveness threatens to undermine their business - let alone their friendship - particularly when one of their students turns out to be a very attractive young lady. (Guest Stars: Jeff Joseph as James Jarrett, and Nancy Everhard as Robin) 66 Cold Storage Mallory´s looked in the basement...with Skippy! 67 Bringing Up Baby Three kids and one baby make for two exhausted parents. 68 Remembrances Of Things Past (Part 1) The family helps Steven deal with his father´s death. 69 Remembrances Of Things Past (Part 2) The death of his dad helps Steven put his past to rest. (note: Part 1 and 2 were originally screened as one 50-minute-episode) 70 Designated Hitter Jennifer defends her boyfriend...but bruises his ego. 71 Return Of The Native Cousin June returns to the Keaton household for a visit after a three year stay in London. All of the Keatons are eager to hear her tales of England, but they just can´t seem to let her get a word in edgewise. 72 Matchmaker Alex puts himself in charge of Mallory´s love life. Fourth season 1985-86 00-1 Family Ties Vacation (Parts 1 to 4) 00-2 In a special four-part adventure, the Keaton family visits historic 00-3 London, England for a vacation that is sure to be remembered. 00-4 Note: The four "Family Ties Vacation" episodes has on some channels been screened as a feature film. These episodes were filmed on location in London. 73 Mr. Wrong Yo! Nick meets the Keatons. 74 The Real Thing (Part 1) Alex implements a fail-proof, and extremely unromantic, method of meeting the girl of his dreams: He picks her from pictures in the freshman directory. His selection, Tricia, seems to fit his requirements perfectly, but his plan goes off-track when he is strongly attracted to her roommate, Ellen. Ellen and Alex dislike each other instantly, and though he can´t figure out why, he finds himself thinking about her constantly. (This is the first episode with Ellen Reed, played by Tracy Pollan) 75 The Real Thing (Part 2) Alex realizes he must make Ellen aware of his feelings, but she is on a train on her way to marry another man, so he takes drastic measures to stop the wedding. The usually cool Alex decides he must let down his defenses or lose the girl he loves. 76 The Old College Try Mallory announces her plans to skip college. 77 It's My Party (Part 1) In her quest to become one of the popular kids, Jennifer invites her trendy classmates to her thirteenth birthday party. When they become bored and begin grumbling at her "lame" party (which includes a traditional puppet show by her father), Jennifer takes drastic action. With Mallory´s guidance, she becomes a "valley girl", who then deserts her own party. 78 It's My Party (Part 2) Jennifer learns the high cost of being cool. 79 Don't Go Changing Alex does some fancy footwork on the dance floor to impress Ellen when he thinks he is losing her because of their divergent interests. Alex feels he has to compete with Ellen´s artsy friends for her attention and attempts to change himself to fit into her world. 80 My Tutor Alex hires a tutor to help him with math, but his "teacher" turns out to be a 13-year-old genius who suddenly becomes more interested in Jennifer that in helping Alex. (Guest Star: River Phoenix) 81 Mr. Right Alex does a complete makeover of Nick. 82 Just One Look Some old news about Elyse has Steven playing the jealous husband. 83 How Do You Sleep Everyone´s losing sleep over Alex´s insomnia. 84 The Big Fix Elyse plays Cupid for two friends...but her arrow misfires! 85 You've Got A Friend Mallory tries to help a little girl in big trouble. 86 Nothing But A Man Steven´s new job gives him no time at home. 87 A Word To The Wise (Part 1) The Keaton family fills in his girlfriend, Ellen, on some of the more humorous events in Alex´s life before they met. 88 A Word To The Wise (Part 2) Alex and Ellen celebrate their six-month anniversary as boyfriend and girlfriend, and the family thinks it´s time for Ellen to know the truth about Alex. (note: Part 1 and 2 were originally screened as one 50-minute episode) 89 The Disciple Alex gets in hot water for helping Jennifer on a speech. 90 Where's Poppa? Can Alex play peacemaker between Ellen and her dad? 91 Fool For Love Skippy refuses to believe that Mallory loves Nick. 92 Checkmate A chess tournament between Leland College students and a visiting Soviet team turns into a wrestling match when Alex and his opponent, Ivan Rozmirovich, match wits and "fight" for their countries. Alex considers it his patriotic duty to beat the Russian, but as the game progresses he realizes his opponent is not really the enemy he had envisioned him to be. (Guest Star: Albert Macklin) 93 Engine Trouble Elyse takes an auto repair class to prove Alex wrong. 94 Art Lover Does Nick´s sponsor have an eye for art...or for him? 95 Teacher's Pet Alex lands a teaching-assistant position and runs into big trouble when he has to grade a student who also happens to be his girlfriend, Ellen. When Ellen is assigned to Alex´s economics class, he has trouble treating her as just another student, and ends up causing a strain on their relationship. 96 My Buddy Steven can´t accept the fact that Jennifer´s growing up. 97 Once In Love With Elyse A young co-worker confesses his love for Elyse. 98 Paper Chase Mallory discovers that her high school graduation is in jeopardy unless she can pass a very tough history exam. Fifth season 1986-87 99 My Back Pages Steven makes a surprising discovery about his radical past. Steven learns he´s not such a radical after all. 100 Be True To your Preschool Alex shocks his parents when he visits his 3-year-old brother Andrew´s very special preschool class, decides the wrong values are being stressed and withdraws him from the school. 101 Mrs. Wrong (Part 1) Nick and Mallory make sudden plans to elope when Steven and Elyse vehemently oppose their marriage plans and threaten to ground their teenaged daughter. 102 Mrs. Wrong (Part 2) Alex sees Mallory and Nick leaving the Keaton residence in the predawn hours to elope, and unable to stop them, follows them to New Jersey where he finds the young couple taking a hard look at their decision. 103 Starting Over Distraught that his girlfriend Ellen has gone to Paris on a dance scholarship, Alex desperately tries to find someone to take her place, but finally realizes that falling in love again will take time. Alex mopes around the Keaton house pining for Ellen until Sharon, a pretty waitress, attracts his attention. Once on a date with her however, Alex tries to transform her into another Ellen, with disastrous results. 104 The Freshman And The Senior Mallory´s teamed with a 66 year old classmate! 105 Beauty And The Bank Alex is emotionally torn when he goes to work in a bank and finds that the vice president to whom he reports is Ms. Ryan, a beautiful, smart and self-confident woman - and that he´s growing more romantically interested in her each day. 106 Paper Lion While assisting his economics professor in the final stages of an important research paper, Alex faces a serious moral dilemma when he finds that his mentor´s conclusions are not supported by the facts. 107 My Brother's Keeper Alex must choose between his friendship with Skippy and allegiance to his college fraternity when Theta Pi Sigma pledges Skippy with the idea of making him the object of a cruel prank. 108 O'Brother (Part 1) It´s bad news for the Keatons when Uncle Rob arrives for a visit and announces that he and his wife, Maureen, have split up. 109 O'Brother (Part 2) The emotional roller-coaster continues at the Keaton household with the arrival of Aunt Maureen, Uncle Rob´s estranged wife. 110 Battle Of The Sexes (Part 1) The Keaton men and women square off! 111 Battle Of The Sexes (Part 2) The Keatons give Andy a hilarious family history. 112 High School Confidential Nick needs Alex´s help to get his diploma. 113 My Mother, My Friend Mallory´s friend is spending all her time with Elyse. 114 A Tale Of Two Cities (Part 1) Alex and his pretty boss end up as "roomies". 115 A Tale of Two Cities (Part 2) Alex´s boss gets tipsy...and puts a merger in jeopardy. 116 Higher Love Will Mallory drop Nick for a dashing Don Juan? 117 Architect's Apprentice Nick enters an art competition at Steven´s station. 118 Band On The Run Jennifer´s band hits low notes with Alex as manager. (Guest Star: Christina Applegate) 119 My Name is Alex (Part 1) When Alex´s friend Greg dies in a car accident, Alex is thrown into a state of shock and begins to seriously question the meaning and purpose of his own life. Having been asked to accompany his friend on the fatal trip and refusing because it wasn´t convenient, he is overcome by guilt. 120 My Name is Alex (Part 2) Alex looks for answers after losing a friend. 121 Love Me Do When Skippy falls head-over-heels in love with Mallory´s new college friend, Amy Sussman, he´s both startled and overjoyed to find himself in his first real romantic relationship. 122 "D" Is For Date Jennifer hides her smarts to win a boy´s heart. 123 Keaton Vs. Keaton Can Mallory beat Alex in a scholarship competition? 124 The Visit Elyse´s sister and her obnoxious family come to visit. 125 Dear Mallory Mallory´s taking on an advice column in the local paper. Sixth Season 1987-88 126 Last of the Red Hot Psychologists, Part 1 127 Last of the Red Hot Psychologists, Part 2 As the Keaton household gets ready for the first day of the new school year, Alex reminds Jennifer of how incredibly successful he was at the high school she´s about to enter, before leaving for the Leland campus to participate in a psychology research project on overachievers. Having responded to an ad soliciting paid subjects, Alex shows up for his first interview and is greeted by the author of the study, pretty senior Psychology major, Lauren Miller. They clash almost immediately over Alex´s monetary demands and Lauren´s increasingly heated allusions to the emotionally-bankrupt, materialistic attitudes of overachievers like him. At dinner that evening, Alex is preoccupied with Lauren and their tense confrontation. He finally confides in his family, observing that no one has annoyed him that much since his former girlfriend, Ellen. While the rest of the family members exchange meaningful glances, Alexn insists that he is too busy to fall in love again, especially with someone like Lauren. At Alex and Lauren´s next appointment, apologies are exchanged and before long, the two students are really warming up to each other. But when the conversation turns to dating habits, Lauren is quick to side-step the issue in an effort to keep their relationship strictly professional. (note: Originally screened as one 50-minute episode) 128 The Way We Were Elyse´s aunt faces a tragic illness. 129 Dream Date Jennifer´s the object of a nerd´s affections! 130 The Other Woman Andy´s blue because Alex only has time for Lauren! 131 Walking On Air Steven pushes Mallory into a job at his station. 132 Super Mom Will Elyse quit her job to spend more time with her family? 133 Invasion Of The Psychologist Snatchers Alex and Lauren face the first real test of their budding romance when one of Lauren´s former loves comes for a visit and Alex finds himself feeling uncharacteristically insecure. (Guest Star: Campbell Scott) 134 Mister Sister Nick becomes the mascot of Mallory´s sorority! 135 Citizen Keaton When Mallory decides to run for student body president of Grant College, her family is surprised at her uncharacteristic interest in politics. She explains that "it just sounded like a good idea", and introduces Skippy as the manager of this rather unfocused campaign. Still her most ardent admirer, Skippy encourages the whole family to work on Mallory´s behalf. 136 Father Time, Part 1 The Keatons get involved in Uncle Rob´s divorce! 137 Father Time, Part 2 Uncle Rob´s daughter can´t cope with his divorce. 138 The American Family, Part 1 139 The American Family, Part 2 When Lauren is required to write a paper on the typical American family, she chooses the Keatons. (flashback episode 140 The Play's The Thing Steven´s jealous of Elyse´s leading man in a local play. 141 Miracle In Columbus A bearded visitor turns Alex into a believer! 142 The Blues Brother Alex tries to help a struggling musician regain his fame. 143 The Spirit of Columbus Alex turns Nick into an assembly line artist! 144 Read it and Weep, Part 1 Jennifer comes home from school feeling blue because after choosing the American classic "Huckleberry Finn" as the subject of her book report, she learns that the novel has been put on the school board´s list of banned books. Although her favorite English teacher, Mr. Flaherty, disagrees with the decision, he informs Jennifer that he must uphold the board´s ruling about the book. Jennifer decides to disregard the school´s edicts and goes ahead with her report, which she insists of reading aloud in class. Flaherty is forced to summon the principal, whi confiscates the paper. Later, Flaherty tells Jennifer and her family that even though he personally admires her courage and commitment, he must fail her on her report. Even worse, she must face the wrath of the principal and possible suspension. 145 Read it and Weep, Part 2 Jennifer pays dearly for reading a banned book! 146 Spring Reminds Me Mallory deals with a friend´s tragic suicide. 147 Quittin' Time When Lauren drops her college thesis, Alex lives to regret it. 148 The Boys Next Door Elyse´s high school friend seems trapped in the past. 149 Father, Can You Spare A Dime Nick dreads asking his long lost dad for a loan. 150 A Sign Of The Times Andy takes drastic measures to help a deaf friend. Seventh Season 1988-89 151 Heartstrings, Part One The Keaton family unites in crisis when Steven suffers a serious heart attack. 152 Heartstrings, Part Two While Steven fights for his life in surgery, the family fights to remain optimistic about his condition. 153 Heartstrings, Part Three Steven battles the physical - and psychological - aftershocks of his heart surgery. (note: These three episodes were originally screened as one very long episode) 154 It Happened One Night A family trip turns into a comedy of errors. 155 Designing Woman Mallory´s enthusiasm for her job at a prestigious fashion firm quickly fades when she discovers that her design ideas are being stolen by another employee. 156 Truckers Alex feels left out when Andy begins spending less time with him - and more time with Nick´s streetwise nephew Rocco. 157 Basic Training Skippy´s decision to join the Army soon becomes a losing battle. 158 Beyond Therapy In an attempt to get Alex to open up emotionally, Lauren persuades him to join a therapy group. 159 Nick's Best Friend Nick gets back together with his best childhood friend: his dog Scrapper. When Nick´s mother moves into a new apartment complex that doesn´t allow animals, he is given custody of his boyhood dog Scrapper. Although the lovable pooch is quite old, he´s still playful and manages to completely charm the Keatons. However, a short time later, Scrapper is hit by a car. After rushing the dog to the vet, Nick tries to be very positive about his condition, stating that this sort of thing has happened before and Scrapper is sure to be okay. But Dr. Austin informs a stunned Nick that Scrapper is severely injured and suggests that the dog be put to sleep. Nick won´t hear of it - instead, he insists that the vet operate on Scrapper and do anything he can to save him. Meanwhile, Steven tries to arrange an elaborate birthday party for Andy, but the family is too worried about Scrapper to pay attention. Finally, even the birthday boy himself announces that he´d rather not have a party. Everyone waits for news from the vet, who finishes operating on Scrapper and tells Nick that keeping the suffering animal alive any longer would be unfair. Accepting Dr. Austin´s advice, Nick bids a tearful farewell to his old friend, accompanied by Mallory and an unusually emotional Alex. Later, at Andy´s birthday party, everyone sits around glumly until Andy gets what he really wants - the chance to give Nick a gift that will cheer him up. 160 Deja Vu Sisterly sparks fly when Jennifer decides to date the younger brother of Mallory´s former high school heartthrob, Jeff. 161 Get Me to The Living Room on Time When Andy befriends two senior citizens, Steven decides to make them the focus of his new documentary. 162 The Job Not Taken Alex must choose between friendship and his career after a friend recommends him for a job at a big investment firm. 163 The Wrecker's Ball When the first building Elyse designed faces the wrecking ball, the entire family rallies behind her attempts to block the demolition. 164 Simon Says Jennifer is caught in the middle when she begins working with her friend Simon. 165 My Best Friend's Girl Lauren gets more than she bargained for when she begins counseling Skippy - and he falls in love with her... 166 Til Her Daddy Takes Her T-Bird Away Mallory´s plans to buy a car are stalled when Steven refuses to co-sign her loan. 167 All in The Neighborhood, Part One The Keatons are shocked to realize that racism is alive and well when their black friends move into a house across the street. 168 Wrap Around The Clock, Part One When Andy asks the family to contribute to his time capsule, the Keaton clan recalls some of their best-loved stories. 169 Wrap Around The Clock, Part Two As Andy´s time capsule fills to overflowing with family mementos, the Keaton clan looks back and laughs at their funniest moments. 170 All in The Neighborhood, Part Two The Keaton rally behind their black friends when the issue of racial discrimination hits home. 171 They Can't Take That Away From Me, Part One Alex´s relationship with Lauren is tested when he becomes infatuated with a young music student. (Guest Star: Jane Adams) 172 They Can't Take That Away From Me, Part Two Alex fins himself on an emotional rollercoaster when he´s forced to choose between Lauren and Marty. (Guest Star: Jane Adams) 173 Rain Forests Keep Fallin' On My Head Jennifer becomes obsessed with the environment after she begins studying the earth´s ecological evils. 174 Mr. Keaton Takes A Vacation Steven must confront his true feelings about Mallory´s boyfriend when Nick moves in with the family for a week. 175 Alex Doesn't Live Here Anymore, Part One When Alex lands his dream job in New York, everyone´s delighted for him, except Elyse. As Steven helps Andy rehearse for his school play on dental hygiene, Alex bursts into the Keaton kitchen with a rousing chorus of "New York, New York", and the news that he´s been hired by one of Wall Street´s biggest investment firms. The family is thrilled, but Elyse is somewhat taken aback when she learns that Alex is expected to move immediately. While everyone pitches in to help Alex gets ready, Elyse become´s miffed over a family photo that he packed without her permission and a palpable tension begins to develop between them. In the course of packing, Alex battles wits with Jennifer, accepts fashion tips from Mallory, receives fatherly advice from Steven and shares some final moments with Nick, Skippy and Lauren. All the while, Elyse continues to withdraw from him. She becomes even more upset when the family plans to go out to dinner together and Alex begs off, claiming he is just too busy to spare the time. Elyse finally explodes, accusing Alex of being arrogant, self-centered and ungrateful. Stunned by her outburst, Alex angrily defends himself, hurt by what he feels is her singular lack of support and understanding. 176 Alex Doesn't Live Here Anymore, Part Two While Alex packs for New York, Elyse struggles to deal with her feelings of loss. After Elyse´s blow-up with Alex, Steven is finally able to get her to admit that much of what she´s suffering is classic separation anxiety. But she is still unable to put her anger aside, telling Steven that Alex is too self-centered to appreciate all the things they´ve done for him. That nite at Andy´s school play, Steven asks Alex to talk with his mother about what she´s feeling. Later, when the family decides to go out for ice cream, Elyse excuses herself and goes home alone. Standing in Alex´s room, a melancholy Elyse is surprised when her son walks in and apologies for fighting. Elyse confesses that his leaving reminds her that a part of her life is ending, while Alex tells her that bravado aside, he´s scared about leaving the security of the family. Their love for each other reaffirmed, Alex and Elyse embrace. Early the next morning, the sleepy family gathers for breakfast before taking Alex to the airport. However, Alex insists that he doesn´t want an emotional airport goodbye and calls a cab. When the cabbie arrives, Alex shakes hands with his family members and leaves, only to return moments later to hug them and bid them a tearful goodbye. Note: Episode 175/176 was originally screened as one very long episode. The total length is over an hour. Thanks to: PARAMOUNT PICTURES who contributed with the information and the synopses Corrections and additions for the titles from: LORA COLVER, Michael J. Fox Official Fan Club Written and compiled by: Daniel Hofverberg Last updated: 07-11-1999 (MM-DD-YYYY)