Family Ties

Alex heads the household when Elyse and Steven go away for the weekend.

Seduced by an "older woman" of twenty-one, the hitherto inexperienced Alex is devastated to learn that she thinks of their relationship as casual.

Mallory is horrified and confused when a close family friend and older business associate of her fathers makes a pass at her.

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 end up spending the holiday in jail.

The Keatons consider buying a gun for protection after getting burglarized.

Mallory resents Elyse for the advice she gives her pregnant friend.

Elyses younger brother and Alexs idol, Ned, makes a surprise visit. However, everyone is puzzled by the go-getter corporate executives suspicious behavior.

Alex amasses a bundle by playing the stock market on paper for his economics class, and courts disaster by secretly investing his fathers money.

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.

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.

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 Elyses obligations to her various projects. Finally, the over-extended wife-mother-architect-committee volunteer begins to realize shes neglecting her most important committee.

When Mallorys boyfriend Jeff arrives home from college and wants to go steady, shes elated, but its soon apparent that hes 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 hes just a little overwhelmed by college. Whats thrilling to her is self-destructive on Jeffs part.

After Mallory secretly submits a picture of Elyse and herself to an ad agency for a mother-daughter modeling contest, shes 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.

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"".

Steven and Elyse worry that Alex, who is the new coach of Jennifers softball team, is pushing the girls too hard when Jennifer fails to jog all the way home he orders her to do 20 extra pushups. Alex takes his coaching duties seriously and his players are leaving the team in droves. Two days before the championship game they dont even have enough players to qualify as a team unless Alex can convince Jennifer to persuade Skippys klutzy sister Arlene to join the team. Arlene is happier making dresses for her turtles, but desperately wants Jennifers friendship and agrees to play ball with some disastrous consequences.

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 Keiths mother is moving to California with her new husband and plans on taking her son with them. When a satisfactory visiting arrangement cant be reached, Richard decides its time to make a move and its up to Steven to put a stop to their travel plans.

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. Alex is overjoyed at going to Princeton for the interview, but not too keen about taking his sister along so she can visit her boyfriend Jeff at the university. He drops Mallory off at Jeffs and heads for his important interview, only to be humiliated when he has to leave the meeting to comfort his weepy sister.

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.

Mallory turns to Alex for some advice when she begins to fear shell lose her new boyfriend unless she agrees to his pleas for a more ""adult"" romance. Sixteen-year-old Mallory and eighteen-year-old Rick seem to have a special romance, and she fears that shell ruin it unless she gives in to his request to enter a new phase of the relationship. Mallory becomes burdened with the question of what is the ""right time"" for the ""first time"".

Excited at the prospect of reviving her folk-singing career at a local niteclub, Elyse faces the skepticism of Alex and Mallory and an audience unattuned to the songs of the sixties.

Alex is so sure that he will be named valedictorian of his class that he cant 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. The dismayed and shattered Alex, who even memorized his valedictory speech, feels cheated out of an honor he felt was his destiny all thru high school and he precedes to sabotage his relationship with Rachel.

When Elyse lands a job with a top architectural firm, the load begins to get to her at work and at home. Elyse feels the need to expand her horizons. She lands a job at one of the major architectural firms in the city. But twelve years of not working in an office have put her behind the times. When she becomes over-worked, she starts to neglect her family and the major presentation to the president of the company is jeopardized.

The news that their mother is pregnant sends the three Keaton kids into an angry outburst resulting in a family battle. The children react with panic and outrage at the though of having a baby around, and the Keaton household is in turmoil while Elyse tries to make them see the brighter side of the situation.

Little Jennifer is thrilled about a visit from Scott, a former neighborhood pal she hasnt 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 Scotts attention, Jennifer dresses up in a flirtatious outfit and goes to the restaurant where he is having dinner with Mallory.

Mallorys 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 with a proposal that could resolve the situation. Alex has his own reasons for wanting Mallory to keep her job, it keeps her away from the house, so he initiates a plan that will allow her to work and improve her grades at the same time.

While Steven and Elyse are away on vacation, the Keaton house becomes a hotel for the weekend after Mallory accidentally crashes her parents car into a telephone pole and the kids need to raise money for auto repairs. A lot of people are in town for the Leland homecoming game, so Alex decides to take advantage of the situation and rent out rooms but suddenly hes swamped with renters and the house looks like a three-ring circus.

Steven and Elyse plan a nostalgic weekend with the kids before the baby arrives, and are crushed to discover that the children are not at all interested in reminiscing about old times, theyd rather be with their friends. Elyses camping trip with Mallory and Jennifer is cut short when she realizes that the girls are bored to death, while Stevens plans to spend time with Alex at home are crushed when his son leaves on a date.

Because of Elyses pregnancy, the family decides to get a housekeeper, so Alex hires the lovely Karen Nicholson, a totally incompetent young lady whom the family immediately adores but Steven insists she must be fired. Despite the fact that Karen has no domestic skills and is rapidly destroying every appliance in the house, the kids love her and Steven has a difficult time trying to fire her.

Alex becomes involved with Donna, a young, unwed expectant mother from Elyses natural-childbirth class but his interest in her becomes an obsession when he starts planning for her childs future and acting as if they were a real family. Donna is flattered by Alexs concern for her and her unborn baby, but soon begins to realize that he is becoming a little bit too helpful.

The Keaton family is transported back in time when Alex dreams he is at the Constitutional Convention at 1776, but history is off track. Steven Keaton is Thomas Jefferson and has just turned down John Adams request to write the Declaration of Independence, so its up to Alex to convince him to do it. Alex falls asleep while working on a college term paper on Thomas Jefferson and dreams that his family and friends are living 200 years ago.

Still trapped at the television station, Elyse realizes she cannot make it thru the snowstorm to the hospital and prepares to gibe birth in Stevens office. Meanwhile, stuck at home by the same storm, Steven enlists the help of Bud the plumber and his truck, and heads for the hospital, thinking Elyse will be there. Elyse makes a plea on camera to Steven, wherever he is, to come to the station, so Steven, the doctor, the plumber and Skippy all frantically head for WKS, hoping they arrive in time for the birth.

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.

With the rest of the family away for the weekend, Mallory is excited about having the house to herself until she is accidentally locked in the basement with the person shed least like to be with her adoring neighbor, Skippy. The mismatched pair do, however, come up with a unique way to keep warm and share some tender moments while waiting for their rescue.

Steven takes a nostalgic trip to his hometown following the death of his father and, with the support of Elyse and the children, tries to prepare his mother for her new life in a special two-part episode. Good and bad memories of Stevens childhood (including flashbacks to his boyhood) are stirred up as he sorts thru family photos and heirlooms. But an on-going rivalry with his older brother Robert, and the unsettled feelings he has about his dad make it a difficult period of adjustment for everyone.

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.

Jennifer takes on the class bully to defend her boyfriend and unwittingly humiliates him by undermining his masculinity and Alex is devastated when Mallory scores higher than him on an IQ test. Jennifer tries to apologize to Adam, but discovers that all the boys are making fun of him and he wont speak to her.

When Mallory informs her parents that she has no intention of going to college after graduation, they are sure she is being influenced by her boyfriend, Nick, a high school dropout. Elyse is crushed by Mallorys decision to forego a college education, and Mallory turns to Nick for support.

Mallorys boyfriend, environmental artist Nick Moore, swaps his T-shirt, camouflage pants, combat boots and earrings for a three-piece suit and a haircut to impress Mallorys parents, but while Steven and Elyse love the new Nick, Mallory is ready to leave him.

Alex, who prides himself on being in control of his life, is embarrassed to admit that he is having a problem with insomnia, which is creating stress in his personal life as well as in school. Although Alex refuses to discuss his sleeping problems with anyone, his restlessness is disrupting the whole family.

Steven gets the promotion he has been waiting years for, but as the new regional manager of the station, he is required to put in long hours at the office, and soon realizes he has no time for his family. Although Elyse and the kids are happy about Stevens new position, they begin to miss the days where he would come home for dinner every nite and have time to take part in day-to-day activities.

Alex secretly invites Ellens dad to Parents Day Weekend at Leland College, thinking that she will be pleasantly surprised to see him, but what he doesnt know is that Ellen has no desire to see her father. Ellen cant forgive her father for not spending time with her when she was growing up, and although he wants to make amends she refuses to forgive and forget.

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.

The Keaton family fills in his girlfriend, Ellen, on some of the more humorous events in Alexs life before they met in this special one-hour episode. Flashbacks to previous episodes include some highlights from the series past shows. Alex and Ellen celebrate their six-month anniversary as boyfriend and girlfriend, and the family think its time for Ellen to know the truth about Alex.

Mallory suspects theres more involved than ""art appreciation"" when a wealthy and beautiful older woman takes a special interest in Nicks creations. Promising to help launch his career, art patron Victoria Hurstenberg takes Nick under her wing, occupying nearly all of his time and interfering with his relationship with Mallory, who insists that the older woman has her eye on more than Nicks art.

Steven has a very difficult time accepting that his youngest daughter, Jennifer,is growing up and no longer wants to ""pal around"" with him. As Jennifer grows and finds new interests, Steven feels rejected because she no longer spends time with him. The situation comes to a head when Steven insists on accompanying Jennifer on her girls-club outing, and she is mortified when he is the only male there.

Mallory discovers that her high school graduation is in jeopardy unless she can pass a very tough history exam. Never an avid student, Mallory faces the possibility of failing her senior year in high school because of her poor grades. As the school term rapidly draws to a close, her only hope is to score extremely well on a tough final exam.

Alex shocks his parents when he visits his 3-year-old brother Andrews very special preschool class, decides the wrong values are being stressed and withdraws him from the school. Steven and Elyse had pulled strings to get Andrew into the special preschool. They are shocked when Alex announces that the school teaches ""anti-competitive"" values, and argues that his brother should be taught in a more aggressive manner.

Mallory is teamed with 66-year-old Margaret Hollings on a college sociology project and fins that she has a lot to learn about honesty, sensitivity and older people when she almost causes the woman to quit the class. As Mallory facves the fact that te widowed senior citizen has her own special problems as a college freshman, Alex takes a special interest in the terms of the last wills and testaments of his parents.

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 hes growing more romantically interested in her each day. The Keaton family delights in Alexs taking orders from Ms. Ryan, but their playfulness wanes when they discover his attitude toward her is taking a toll on his career and ego.

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. After Nick bumbles around the outside of the house with a 16-foot ladder, Alex makes a desperate attempt to keep his younger sister Mallory from marrying Nick. But they are too much in love to listen. It takes Erin and Mike, another couple, to give them perspective on their maturity.

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. Skippy is desperate to become a member of a fraternity, but in his zealousness he fails to recognize that he is the ""Big Stooge"" of the semester.

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 mentors conclusions are not supported by the facts. On the threshold of winning the coveted Wilson Award for his work with economics professor Rhodes, Alex is dismayed to discover that a major error in Rhodes computations invalidates the professors theory.

Its bad news for the Keatons when Uncle Rob arrives for a visit and announces that he and his wife, Maureen, have split up. News of Robert and Maureens separation throws the whole Keaton family into an emotional tailspin, despite Roberts insistence that the decision was a mutual one and long overdue. Having always looked up to his responsible and successful older brother as a role model, Steven refuses to believe that Robs 25-year marriage is really over. Rob, in turn, is dismayed about upsetting the family, but also disappointed by their lack of support.

Mallorys relationship with Nick is put to the test when she joins a poetry reading group and becomes infatuated with its handsome and sophisticated leader, English grad student Colin Spenser. Newly exposed to poetry and enormously flattered by Colins persistent attentions, Mallory begins to question the wisdom of being ""tied down"" to Nick. Despite a stern warning about Colins sincerity from one of his former conquests, fellow group member Joyce, Mallory is swept off her feet by his gift of roses and poetry, and agrees to join him for a special tete-a-tete following an evenings reading. Her perspective, however, is shaken up quite a bit when she realizes that she is, in fact, just the ""next girl in line"" for the all-too-smooth Colin.

The Keatons are a house divided over a ""major"" domestic issue whether to redecorate their old-fashioned, but cozy kitchen. Elyse, Mallory and Jennifer think the time has come to leave the familiar behind and opt for a new, more modern look. Steven loves the kitchens history, and doesnt want to change a tile. Alex only half-heartedly joins the fray. His thoughts are elsewhere, in Chicago to be exact. His employer, Leland Trust, is sending two representatives to the 15th Annual Midwest Banking and Financial Planning Seminar, and Alex is already packing his bags. But hes in for a rude awakening when his boss, Rebecca Ryan, chooses the shy and retiring Matthews over Alex to accompany her to the conference. When Matthews becomes ill, however, Alex is pressed into action. This could turn out to be the professional highlight of his young career. It could also turn out to be the end of his brief career, as he is obliged to ""room"" with his boss for the duration of the conference.

When Alex plays ""gentleman"" to his mother and two sisters and orders for them at a restaurant without even asking them what they want, the battle begins with Elyse, Mallory and Jennifer on one side, and Steven, Alex and Andrew on the other. Using clips from previous shows, each side tries to prove its points on male bonding, female bonding, Nick Moores special case and Alexs one time support of the Equal Rights Amendment.

As chairman of the entertainment committee for the Leland College 10th reunion, Alex has big plans, which include hiring some great bands to impress attending alumni in the music business. Jennifer finally talks a very skeptical Alex into letting her new all-girl band, The Permanent Waves, audition for the affair. At the audition, Alex is thrilled with the unexciting Polka Boys, but his fellow committee members are left cold until they hear The Permanent Waves. They are so good, in fact, that even Alex is impressed and not only books the group but convinces them to sign with him as manager. Once in charge, Alex decides to completely revamp the look and style of the band. For the reunion performance, he has the girls dress in evening gowns and changes the groups name to The Swinging Corporate Raiders, persuading them to sing such golden oldies as ""Mr. Sandman"". After being completely ignored, the girls finally break into one of their own tunes and immediately win the crowd over. Unfort

When Alexs 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 wasnt convenient, he is overcome by guilt. He tries to fathom why he was spared in the face of such selfishness, and begins to have encounters with Gregs ghost. His family urges him to get help.

Jennifer develops her first major crush on science lab partner Tim Higgins, the handsome star pitcher of the school baseball team. When Tim comes over to work on their science project, Jennifer is thrilled, but also embarrassed by his open admiration of her academic talents. Believing the adage that boys never like girls who are smarter than they are, she decided the way to keep Tim interested is to play dumb.

When Elyses sister Michele and her family arrives for their annual visit, Elyse is overjoyed, while the rest of the Keaton clan brace themselves for a long hard week of togetherness. With the exception of Elyse, who loves spending time with her sister, each of the Keatons is hard pressed to be gracious about the situation. Steven is constantly being needled by Micheles husband Marv; Micheles daughter Monica becomes the resident prophet of doom and gloom; and Monicas brother Marv Jr. begins appropriating Alexs clothes. Oblivious to the Keatons hospitality, insomniac Marv serenades the household with bagpipe tunes late at night, accepts collect calls from his business associates on the Keatons phone, and generally drives everyone crazy. It is only after he demolishes the back end of the Keatons car, however, that the usually tolerant Steven jumps up to defend hearth and home.

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 Mallorys guidance, she becomes a ""valley girl"", who then deserts her own party. Yet, its only a matter of time before Jennifer realizes she isnt having any fun and she rebels against her new friends.

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 shes about to enter, and preps Andrew on the most efficient kindergarten take-over tactics, 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 Alexs monetary demands and Laurens increasingly heated allusions to the emotionally-bankrupt, materialistic attitudes of overachievers like him.

Mallory is thrilled to follow in ""Dear Abbys"" footsteps when shes tapped to write the personal advice column in the Columbus Shoppers Guide. She manages to involve the entire family, even Alex, in reading and answering the growing stack of mail, while searching for the perfect letter to launch her career in psycho-journalism. Mallory finally settles on a note from a lovesick teen who signs her correspondence ""First Love"". When Mallorys first column is published, Steven and Elyse are dismayed to discover that shes printed the familys phone number and address in her article. Explaining that she has to be warm and accessible to her readers, she becomes personally involved in ""First Loves"" relationship, while answering hundreds of letters and phone calls. Despite her exhaustion, she remains exhilarated by the idea that shes helping so many people, and plans an open house for many of those to whom she has given advice. When her ""fans"" begin arriving, Mallory learns that for every g

Jennifer is appalled when nerdy sophomore Simon Wickerson falls head over heels in love with her. Although Jennifer rejects his advances, Simon is undaunted. He follows her home and tries to shower her with expensive gifts, but Jennifer only has eyes for Roger, a sophomore ""hunk"" who doesnt even know shes alive. Simon pleads with Jennifer to attend the sophomore dance with him and at first, she refuses. She finally relents, however, when she realizes that Simon is her only chance to attend the dance, thereby giving her the opportunity to run into Roger. Although she is reluctant to use Simon no less be seen with him Alex reassures her that manipulation is the way of the world. Despite Elyses warnings that shes doing the wrong thing, Jennifer has made up her mind. At the dance, she scans the room for Roger and Ignores Simon, who is deliriously happy to be with her. When she finally approaches her idol, he is rude and insensitive and obviously has no desire to get to know her. Then,

When Steven arrives home with news of a job opening at his station, an internship position he feels would be perfect for Mallory, he finds his family deeply engrossed in a contest to locate the missing ""Colonel Crackle"" from clues found in Crackle cereal boxes. An excited Alex happily spearheads the search, which offers the winner a 5,000 dollar prize. Steven is equally enthused about the idea of having Mallory come to work at WKS. Although Mallory tries to squirm out of giving him an immediate answer, Steven dismisses her objections and pressures her into accepting his offer.

The Keatons are surprised, but delighted, when Elyses Aunt Rosemary shows up for a visit. Although Rosemary claims to have sent a letter and spoken with Mallory about her arrival, the mix-up is quickly forgotten as the family warmly welcomes their loving and favorite aunt. Rosemary charms the Keatons with her wit, humor and wonderful family stories. But soon, she begins to act strangely to simple questions, and Elyse starts to worry when Rosemary begins repeating things that have just been discussed. Finally, Rosemary admits that she has been having trouble with her memory and has no idea how she even got to the Keaton home. A trip to the doctor confirms beyond any doubt that Rosemary has Alzheimers disease, which will get progressively worse and ultimately, render her helpless. Stunned by this tragic news, Rosemary nevertheless refuses to despair, determined to make the most of the time she has left. Both she and the Keatons rise to the challenge courageously, as she passes the f

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 Mallorys behalf. Alex, who considers Mallory the ideal candidate (""attractive and generally non-offensive"") begins to take over the entire campaign. He makes up buttons and posters that include his picture with Mallorys and starts advising her about the kind of campaign promises she should make to get herself elected. As voting time nears, Mallory becomes exhausted by the heavy schedule that Alex has set for her, and is also somewhat nervous about the promises shes made, which have escalated from new drapes and a diet soda machine to Alexs suggestion of free trips to Hawaii. Finally, despite the concerted efforts of the whole family, Mallory

When Uncle Robs daughter Marilyn stays out all nite with a Marine she meets while visiting the Keatons, the family becomes painfully aware of her deep-seated anger with her father over her parents divorce. Rob is left feeling stunned and hurt, as the Keatons begin to realize that communications between their beloved relatives have completely broken down. The following morning, when Marilyn comes home and flatly refuses to talk to her father, the Keatons jump in to try and help. While Elyse shepherds everyone out for ""a walk"", Steven stays behind with Rob to discuss Robs feelings about his guilt over the divorce and his fears about confronting his daughter. Things dont improve when Marilyn tries to leave a day early for her mothers house and ends up in a screaming match with her father. Deeply troubled, Rob finally forces himself to corner Marilyn and press for an honest talk. And as he opens his heart to her, she finds herself unable to resist the power of his love.

When Lauren is required to write a paper on the typical American family, she chooses the Keatons. Focusing first on Steven and Elyse, she asks about their history together and the growth of the family, prompting Elyse to reminisce about her pregnancy with Andy. Steven recalls what a thrill Andys arrival was to everyone, especially Alex, who was delighted to finally have a brother. As the family discusses the ways in which little Andy changed their lives, they recall just how protective and involved Alex became in the upbringing of the baby. While on the subject, Jennifer remembers the time that Steven decided he wasnt spending enough time with her and tried to become her ""pal"". Mallory illustrates the depth of the familys closeness when she recalls the day she had to tell her parents that she might not graduate from high school. Skippy chimes in about the time Alex helped him cope with when he first learned he was adopted, and Jennifer recalls turning to Alex for guidance when she

The Christmas spirit has come to the Keaton house, where the family is busy baking Christmas cookies when Skippy stops by to ask a favor. He wants Alex to pinch-hit for him as Santa at the mall, and Alex agrees after hearing about the excellent hourly wage. With Mallory and Jennifer along as his wall-paid elves, ""Santa"" Alex dispenses stock tips and financial advice to long lines of children. Besieged by kids with elaborate Christmas lists, Alex is surprised when hes approached by a sad-looking little girl who insists she doesnt want anything for Christmas and doesnt believe in Santa Claus. Her mother explains that seven-year-old Michelle is very depressed that her father, a traveling salesman who is struggling to make a living, wont be home for the holiday. As Christmas draws near, Alex becomes more and more concerned with Michelles situation. After inviting the girl and her mother to join the Keations for some Christmas Eve cheer, Alex gets an unexpected visit from a kindly whi

Alex is more than a little sceptical when Nick enters his sculpture ""Spirit of Columbus"", priced at $200, in an art show at the mall. but when Nick returns with the money and the news that he had several buyers vying for the piece, Alex decides that Nick is completely unaware of the marketability of his work. Appalled that Nick let potential buyers go away empty-handed, he insists that Nick increase the supply to meet the demand and steps in as Nicks manager for a hefty commission. At first, both Nick and Mallory are opposed to the commercialization of Nicks artistic work, but they become seduced by the idea of building a substantial ""nest egg"" for their future, and give in to Alexs pressure. However, Nick quickly becomes disenchanted as he fights to keep pace with Alexs intense production demands. When he tries to explain that the work has ""lost its beauty"" and become impersonal, Alex is too preoccupied with filling orders to listen. But when customers begin asking for his sculptu

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 boards list of banned books. Although her favorite English teacher, Mr. Flaherty, disagrees with the decision, he informs Jennifer that he must uphold the boards ruling about the book. Jennifer decides to disregard the schools edicts and goes ahead with her report, which she insists of reading aloud in class. Flaherty is forced to summon the principal, who 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.

While Andy is inspired by his parents old love letters to try his hand at writing one to a kindergarten sweetheart, Lauren finds herself less and less able to spend time with Alex. She is struggling with her psychology thesis and is becoming increasingly depressed by her lack of significant progress. She confesses to the Keatons that she sometimes has the urge to quit, but Steven and Elyse encourage her to hang in there and keep working on it, much to Alexs chagrin. The day after she has broken yet another date with Alex to work on her thesis, Lauren complains to him that the project which once thrilled her has become incredibly boring. Having received a lukewarm response from her professor on what she has accomplished so far, Lauren finds the temptation to quit and spend more time with Alex too strong to resist. Alex happily assures her that she is making the right decision.

As Elyse prepares for her high school reunion, she is contacted by her old buddy, Roger ""Eggy"" Erdman, a klutzy class nerd turned millionaire. Never a romantic couple, Elyse and ""Eggy"" made a bizarre team even as friends, since Elyse was the most popular girl in class. She explains to the family that Roger needed someone to keep the bullies away and to save him from his own clumsiness. Like an older version of Skippy, the ungainly Roger comes over for a visit. While Alex is enamored of ""Eggys"" wealth, Roger is still clearly in love with Elyse, who always helped him stand up for himself. Steven, who would do anything to avoid attending Elyses reunion, urges Roger to take her. Roger wants to resurrect the ""Doo-Wop Twins"" number they used to do in school, but when Elyse refuses, saying that those days are over, a hurt Roger rushes out. Reluctantly, Steven ends up accompanying Elyse and Roger to the reunion, where he is immediately mistaken for Danny Wasserman, the class clown. Rogers w

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 cant seem to let her get a word in edgewise.

A family camping trip turns into a comedy of errors. While the Keaton kids and Lauren argue about politics, Steven and Elyse decide its time to get away from such serious concerns. They eagerly suggest that the whole family go on a camping trip, like they used to do. The kids dont share their parents enthusiasm, however, and quickly come up with reasons why they cant go. As a result, little Andy is the only Keaton willing to go along with Steven and Elyse. When their parents leave for the campground with Andy, the older kids try not to feel guilty for disappointing them. At first, they all agree that they dont feel the urge for the great outdoors that they did in the old days, but soon remember that camping with the family was always a lot of fun. Before long, they decide to drive up and surprise Steven, Elyse and Andy at the campsite. With Nick in tow, Mallory, Alex and Jennifer pack up their sleeping bags and take off. Unfortunately, their good intentions are dashed when the car

Alex feels left out when Andy begins spending less time with him and more time with Nicks streetwise nephew Rocco. While Steven rages about the household bills, Alex worries about something else: Andrews budding friendship with Rocco, Nicks visiting eight-year-old nephew. Andy quickly becomes enchanted with the boy, whos a pint-sized version of Nick and thus not exactly Alexs idea of a positive role model for his little brother. As Andy and Rocco begin spending time playing with trucks and going to the mall with Nick and Mallory, Alex feels increasingly neglected, especially when Andy misses their weekly viewing of ""Wall Street Week"". Finally, much to Alexs chagrin, an excited Andy announces that hes going to the auto races with Rocco and Nick. When, in a last-minute change of heart, Andy decides to forego the races to be with his big brother, Alex finds himself learning a lesson from Andy for once. He realizes that Andys interest in meeting new people is a natural stage of hi

The Keaton family unites in crisis when Steven suffers a serious heart attack. While Alex and Andy discuss the upcoming Presidential race, Mallory and Jennifer prepare for another legendary shopping expedition. Moments later, Elyse returns home from jogging, but Steven lags behind, explaining that his run was slowed by a burning pain in his side. Steven dismisses the pain, assuming it was due to something he ate, while Alex kids him that the pain was caused by the guilt of being a Democrat. Feeling much better the next day, Steven goes on a long bicycle ride. But when he returns home, he has difficulty breathing and collapses on the floor. After rushing Steven to the hospital, the family is stunned when Dr. Harrison tells them that Steven has suffered a heart attack and needs bypass surgery immediately. In the waiting room, the Keatons befriend Ruth Hobart, the kind and encouraging wife of another heart patient, and the jocular Mr. Meyers. Before Steven is wheeled into surgery, he and

Steven battles the physical and psychological aftershocks of his heart surgery. As the hours drag on during Stevens quadruple bypass operation, the Keaton crew grows exhausted in the hospital waiting room. Awakened by Skippys typically goofy entrance, they all snap to attention when Dr. Harrison appears. He assures them that the surgery has gone well, but Steven must still be observed closely for the next few hours. When the family members are at last allowed to see Steven, he joyfully looks from one relieved face from the next. But when he is well enough to come home, the kids are nervous and overly solicitious, while Steven seems edgy and testily insists that they all go about their usual business. Sensing that her husband needs to talk, Elyse gently questions him and Steven confesses that he is terrified. He tells her that his living room now reminds him of his collapse and admits that he cant stop thinking about a colleague, who, after a similar experience, became a depressed sh

Sisterly sparks fly when Jennifer decides to date the younger brother of Mallorys former high school heartthrob. As the Keatons try to persuade Steven that he needs a relaxing hobby, Jennifer nervously awaits the arrival of her new friend, Josh Wakefield, who has agreed to work with her on a project for the French Club. When Mallory realizes that Josh is the younger brother of Jeff Wakefield, her former high school boyfriend, she becomes overprotective and reminds Jennifer how Jeff jilted her when he went to college. Mallory just assumes that Josh will do the same to Jennifer. Mallorys distrust of Josh increases when she learns that he intends to attend Jeffs alma mater, Princeton. After sharing her misgivings with Elyse and learning that Josh has asked Jennifer to the prom, Mallory decides she must confront her sister. Jennifer, who is very excited about her new relationship, resents Mallorys assumptions about Josh and the sisters begin to argue. Finally, Nick suggests to Mallory

When Andy befriends two senior citizens, Steven decides to make them the focus of his new documentary. After Andy announces that hes invited a couple of friends over, the Keatons are surprised when two people in their seventies walk in! Andy introduces Joseph Simmons and Eva Martin to the family, explaining that they are from the retirement center which Andys class visits each week as a school project. As Steven listens to Joseph and Eva talk about their lives and friendship with Andy, he gets an idea. Having been searching for a subject for his new documentary, Steven sees a story about Andy, Joseph and Eva as the perfect solution. A few days later, Steven and his cameraman visit the center and videotape Andy asking Joseph and Eva how they met, at which point Joseph suddenly pops the question to Eva, who agrees to marry him. Problems develop, however, when Josephs son David strongly objects to the marriage and Steven is asked to try and reason with him. After an emotional scene tha

When the first building Elyse designed faces the wrecking ball, the entire family rallies behind her attempts to block the demolition. Elyse is heartbroken when she learns that her very first professional design project, the Cavanaugh Building, is about to be torn down to make way for a mini-mall. Disconcerted by the news, Elyse becomes more and more upset as she starts reminiscing about her early career and how much the Cavanaugh Building meant to her. In a strong show of support, Steven rallies the Keaton clan and, together, they resolve to fight the demolition. When they arrive at the building carrying picket signs of protest, Elyse points out an inscription on one of the bricks, her own dedication of the building to her family. The touching moment is interrupted, however, when the head of the demolition crew shows up with the proper permits in hand, and warns the Keatons that they have very little time to act. Confronting the owner of the property, mini-mall ""king"" John Willis, E

Mallorys plans to buy a car are stalled when Steven refuses to co-sign her loan. As Jennifer labors over a play shes writing on the final days of the Nixon presidency, Steven anxiously waits for Mallory to return home with his car. When she arrives late and is chided by her impatient dad, Mallory suggests that perhaps its time she bought a car of her own. Several days later, Mallory, Nick and Steven pay a visit to a car dealership run by Nicks dad, Joe Moore. When she ends up falling in love with a little convertible thats a bit too pricey for her, Steven graciously volunteers to co-sign her loan. But the deal begins to sour when Joe shows up with the final loan documents and Mallory begins talking about the cross-country trip she is planning with Nick. Steven balks at Mallorys plans and backs out as her co-signer. Angry and disappointed, Mallory resolves to buy a car she can afford on her own. She and Nick return to Joes showroom, but not before Steven collars Joe and convinces

The Keatons are shocked to realize that racism is alive and well when their black friends move into a house across the street. During dinner with Stevens colleague Gus Thompson and his wife Maya, the Keatons learn that the couple is having trouble finding a house to buy. When Elyse informs them that the house across the street is up for sale, Gus and Maya (who are black) gently raise the subject of race. Although Steven admits that there are no black families in the neighborhood, he believes race to be a non-issue. The Keatons face a rude awakening, however, when they accompany the Thompsons on a tour of the house. The realtor, Christine Chadway, is barely able to conceal her shock when she realizes that the Thompsons are black. Completely reversing the sales pitch she had earlier given the Keatons, Christine is sternly reminded by Gus that housing discrimination is illegal and she must present his full-price offer to her clients. To Steven and Elyses dismay, the Thompsons begin rece

Alexs relationship with Lauren is tested when he becomes infatuated with a young music student. While Laurens out of town attending a psychology conference. Alex begins teaching a freshman seminar in economics at Leland College. As he begins his first lecture, he is interrupted by a late arrival, music major Marty Brodie, a rather scattered young woman. When she disrupts his class twice more, first with a blast of classical music from her tape player and then with a muffled sob, Alex dismisses the class early and awkwardly attempts to determine whats wrong. Admitting that shes had a terrible week, during which she broke up with her boyfriend. Marty also confesses that shes terrible in economics and convinces Alex to tutor her for $15 an hour. When Alex arrives at Martys dorm room for their first lesson. he tries to divert her attention away from her piano. Unable to get excited about the concept of supply and demand. Marty soon teaches an enthusiastic Alex the basic melody line t

Jennifer becomes obsessed with the environment after she begins studying the earths ecological evils. As Alex presents Andrew with a pet parakeet, Jennifer arrives home with news that her science class has begun studying global ecology to explore how the earth is endangered by mans interference. Upset that the world is being destroyed for profit, Jennifer begins trying to make the family more ecologically aware as she laments the destruction of rain forests in Brazil and the ozone layer over the South Pole. While Mallory teaches the parakeet anti-Republican phrases, Jennifer becomes more and more obsessed. When she realizes how many toxic chemicals are in the Keaton home alone, she demands that the family throw out a bunch of household products and shop for safe alternatives. Not stopping there, however, she begins dwelling on the enormity of the worlds environmental problems and becomes psychologically overwhelmed. Fixating on such evils as acid rain and radon gas, Jennifer sinks i

As Andys time capsule fills to overflowing with family mementos, the Keaton clan looks back and laughs at their funniest moments. Although Andy protests that his time capsule has too many items in it, Alex continues to add things from his personal archives, including his collection of report cards from nursery school to first grade. Munching on popcorn as they reflect on their lives, the Keatons continue to share memories of Andys first day at school, Stevens terrible magic tricks, Nicks reunion with his long-lost father and Nick and Mallorys aborted elopement. Even after Andy falls asleep and goes to bed, the family remembers the time Alex and Lauren met, and also when the girl of Skippys dreams fell for Alex instead. Filled with warm memories of times past, Elyse persuades the entire gang to join her in a sing along.

When Alex lands his dream job in New York, everyones 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 hes been hired by one of Wall Streets 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 get ready, Elyse becomes 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 sp