Family Matters

1989 • ABC
4.7
787 reviews
TV-UNRATED
Rating
Eligible
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Season 9 episodes (22)

1 Out With The Old
9/19/97
When Laura asks Eddie and Stefan to participate in her sorority's kissing auction for charity, Steve feels rejected. He deliberately changes his persona, wearing clothes that are less weird and lowering the nasal pitch of his voice. At the auction, Laura bids for Steve out of pity--and he kisses her.

Meanwhile, Harriette is promoted to the position of buyer at the store. She receives a better salary than Carl, which causes tension. When Carl takes a temporary job at night as a parking attendant, an unhealthy competition ensues between the two.
2 They Shoot Ducks, Don't They?
9/26/97
After Carl forgets Steve's birthday, Carl promises to be available for Steve on the weekend. However, Commissioner Geiss, Carl's boss at the police station, invites Carl to go hunting with him. In order to ingratiate himself with Commissioner Geiss, Carl cancels his plans with Steve. But to Carl's chagrin, Steve comes along on the hunting trip and expresses his dismay at the slaughter of innocent fowl.

Laura borrows Harriette's diamond earrings without asking--then loses one while dancing.
3 Dumb Belle Of The Ball
10/3/97
Steve's Southern belle cousin, Myrtle Urkel, desperately wants Eddie to escort her to her debutante ball. After Myrtle jumps in front of an oncoming car, risking her life to save his, Eddie reluctantly agrees to accompany her to the dance.

Meanwhile, when Laura and Carl argue about Laura's choice of clothing, Laura learns that she must act like an adult in order to be treated like one.
4 Drinking And Jiving
10/10/97
In an effort to change her reputation as an overly responsible person, Laura goes wild at a fraternity party and gets very drunk. When Steve drives her home that night, she kisses him. To her amazement, she likes the kiss--but later she pretends not to remember it.

Carl secretly plans a special wedding anniversary event for Harriette, while Harriette plans a surprise anniversary event for Carl, scheduled for the same night.
5 Who's Afraid Of The Big Black Book?
10/17/97
As Steve plans a surprise 21st birthday party for Eddie, Laura schemes to get revenge on Eddie for embarrassing her. She provides the unwitting Steve with Eddie's private list of his former girlfriends, and Steve innocently invites them all to the party.

Carl's boss, Commissioner Geiss, promotes his own son instead of the more qualified Carl.
6 A Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Read
10/24/97
When one of Steve's laboratory experiments goes awry, he gains the ability to read people's minds. Initially, he is thrilled, but he soon becomes overwhelmed by everyone's thoughts.

A reluctant Carl is persuaded to volunteer as a troop leader for the club that Richie and 3J want to join.
7 Stevil II: This Time He's Not Alone
10/31/97
Last year on Halloween, Steve created a small, evil ventriloquist's dummy in his image that came to life and wreaked havoc. Now, the dummy, dubbed Stevil, returns with a nightmarish sidekick named Carlsbad, who looks like a little version of Carl.

Together, they cause chaos in the Winslow household. They attempt to take over the souls of Steve and Carl and form an entertainment act bound for the stages of Las Vegas, Nevada.
8 Trading Places
11/7/97
Distraught because Laura has been aloof lately, Stefan confides his relationship woes to Steve--and learns that Laura might be interested in dating Steve instead! Skeptical, Stefan challenges Steve to switch identities with him for one night.

For a school project, Eddie films a documentary about the police, following Carl on his patrol.
9 A Pain In Harassment
11/14/97
Harriette expects her new boss at the store to be tough. However, he is worse than she imagined, verbally abusing the entire staff. When Harriette defends her coworkers, she almost gets terminated from her job.

Meanwhile, Steve wins a candy bar promotional competition, which gives him the opportunity to win a million dollars in a basketball-shooting contest.
10 Original Gangsta Dawg
12/5/97
Right before Steve goes out of town for the weekend, his cousin, O.G.D. (Original Gangsta Dawg) (also played by JALEEL WHITE) arrives. O.G.D. is the complete opposite of Steve, with a bad reputation and a worse attitude. He proves to be a poor influence on 3J and bothers Laura by flirting aggressively. With his complete disregard for the police and all authority figures, O.G.D. clashes with Carl.
11 Deck The Malls
12/19/97
Myra gets Steve a job in the local mall working in the gift-wrapping department, while Carl and Laura portray Santa Claus and Santa's helper.

Meanwhile, Richie's excitement over the impending holiday visit of his mother is squelched when her flight is canceled due to a blizzard. But Eddie secretly drives all the way to Detroit to get Rachel so Richie can be with his mother on Christmas morning.
12 Grill Of My Dreams
1/9/98
Steve convinces Mr. Tanaka (PAT MORITA), the owner of a Japanese restaurant, to teach him how to cook Japanese food.

Feathers fly when Carl cares for his boss' beloved, but stubborn, parrot.
13 Breaking Up Is Hard To Do
1/16/98
Eddie tells Carl that he wants to quit school and become a policeman. Carl explains that police work is extremely stressful and dangerous; it's not an easy career choice. But when Eddie insists that he is making an informed decision, Carl proudly salutes him in front of his colleagues.

Steve finally prepares to end his relationship with Myra. She threatens to sue Steve for alienation of affection and introduces her lawyer, JOHNNIE COCHRAN.
14 Crazy For You
1/23/98
Spurned by Steve, Myra devises an elaborate scheme to sabotage the relationship between Steve and Laura. But her plan fails, and Laura ends up kissing Steve.

During Eddie's police training, Carl warns his son that using good judgment is as important as knowing how to shoot a gun. However, impressed by his own shooting ability, Eddie fails to heed Carl's advice--until Carl teaches him a valuable lesson.
15 Crazier For You
1/30/98
When Steve and Laura finally go on their first official date together, Myra interrupts it--dressed exactly like Laura.

Carl gets into trouble when Harriette finds out that the engagement ring he gave her was originally intended for someone else.
16 Whose Man Is It Anyway?
6/5/98
The Winslow's foster child, 3J, yearns to know his biological parents. 3J's mother is an unmarried waitress recovering from drug addiction, but she doesn't want 3J to reunite with her yet. Rather than upset 3J, Carl promises to search for his mother when 3J is older. After bringing the unknowing 3J to the diner where his mother works so she can see him, Carl informs the elated boy that the Winslows will adopt him.

Meanwhile, Myrtle Urkel returns to town after learning how much Eddie loves Greta, and Laura suggests that the feuding girls compete in a boxing match to determine who should date Eddie.
17 Polkapalooza
6/12/98
Laura refuses to attend a polka festival with Steve, but when she sees how important it is to him, she dons a silly dress and accompanies him. At the dance, she meets a man whom Steve saved from choking, a woman whose baby Steve helped deliver and the director of a series of inner-city clinics that Steve founded. Laura is amazed. While Laura dances and--to her surprise--enjoys herself, Steve tells her that he loves her, and Laura says that she loves him.

Eddie gets his own apartment; however, Carl becomes a frequent visitor, disrupting Eddie's romantic evenings with Greta.

Aspiring cosmetologist Maxine accidentally turns Laura's hair green.
18 Throw Steve From The Train
6/18/98
Laura is suspicious of Maxine's wealthy new boyfriend, D'Andre Moore. After D'Andre asks Maxine to deliver an unmarked package for him, police cadet Eddie and his supervisor arrest D'Andre for dealing drugs, and Maxine apologizes to Laura.

Steve accidentally goes to Washington, DC, on a train with Carl. En route he must share Carl's puny cabin for the entire trip from Chicago.
19 Don't Make Me Over
6/26/98
Determined to force Eddie to love her, Myrtle goes shopping with Laura and Maxine. But Eddie fends off her aggressive advances.

Carl tells Harriette that his masseuse is fat and ugly. But the sexy masseuse comes to the house to return Carl's credit card, and Harriette berates Carl for lying. Chastened, Carl hires a fat, ugly massage therapist.
20 Pop Goes The Question
7/3/98
Laura's ex-boyfriend, Stefan, reminds her that she promised to consider his marriage proposal someday. He gives her a beautiful diamond ring and asks her again. When Stefan leaves the room, Steve enters with 144 red roses and also proposes to Laura.

When Laura remains undecided the next day, Steve packs his suitcases and prepares to travel to Russia to live with his parents. He claims that his love for her is so great that he will allow her to be with Stefan if she wants. But she tells Steve that she loves him and wants to marry him.
21 Lost In Space, Part One
7/10/98
Eddie graduates from the police academy but is assigned to parking enforcement. Harriette spoke to the wife of Eddie's supervisor and arranged for Eddie to have a safe job. But when Eddie is shot at by a robber while writing parking tickets and heroically arrests the criminal, Harriette realizes that no police job is without danger and she should allow Eddie to do what he was trained to do.

Meanwhile, as Steve and Laura prepare for their wedding, Steve is suddenly summoned for a mission aboard a U.S. space shuttle. However, his gravity machine unexpectedly causes a satellite to crash into the shuttle, injuring the astronauts and forcing Steve to walk in space to remove the satellite. As the terrified Laura and her family watch the television news, Steve drifts away, but he rewires the satellite to carry him back to the shuttle.
22 Lost In Space, Part Two
7/10/98
Eddie graduates from the police academy but is assigned to parking enforcement. Harriette spoke to the wife of Eddie's supervisor and arranged for Eddie to have a safe job. But when Eddie is shot at by a robber while writing parking tickets and heroically arrests the criminal, Harriette realizes that no police job is without danger and she should allow Eddie to do what he was trained to do.

Meanwhile, as Steve and Laura prepare for their wedding, Steve is suddenly summoned for a mission aboard a U.S. space shuttle. However, his gravity machine unexpectedly causes a satellite to crash into the shuttle, injuring the astronauts and forcing Steve to walk in space to remove the satellite. As the terrified Laura and her family watch the television news, Steve drifts away, but he rewires the satellite to carry him back to the shuttle.

About this show

What matters most? Family, of course! Over its nine hit seasons, Family Matters brings us a hilarious slice of middle-class Americana — along with one of TV's wackiest characters, nerdy genius Steve Urkel. The extended Winslow family redefines the word "togetherness" as their home splits at the seams with chaos, confusion and laughter.

Ratings and reviews

4.7
787 reviews
Bailey Spencer
July 7, 2015
I have to be honest... FULL HOUSE IS LIKE 10 TIMES BETTER! I mean, I love the show, but it's always the same thing. Steve breaks something or tries to win Laura's love, Carl eats junk food, and Laura tries to push Steve away... All while Eddie brags about his good looks and charm. But I do love Harriette's sassy attitude and Mother Winslow's stories about how she was such a "Party animal" back in her day.
96 people found this review helpful
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Princess Magical
August 8, 2020
It's so amazing and beautiful how Steve knew all along that he & Laura belonged together from kindergarten. He told Laura in season 2 he would wait forever for her. It took Laura 15 years to finally realize Steve is the one for her after getting the double proposal & no man would ever love & adore Laura more than Steve, more than life itself. You clearly see it after watching the series that Steve's heart always belonged to Laura & they end up getting married even though it's not shown onscreen.
11 people found this review helpful
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Brittany Schettino
November 5, 2017
I loooovee looove love this show I grew up with this show!!!! I remember sitting in my family room watching it everyday. Its really such a crying shame that they can't and don't have shows like this anymore nowadays... It covered every important issue that everyone sweeps under the rug. Subjects that are so taboo today when really something should be done about these subjects. Amazing actors and actresses funny af has u peeing yourself because that's how funny they are.
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