TMC
12-09-2021, 01:22 AM
https://jacksonupperco.com/2021/12/08/the-ten-best-family-ties-episodes-of-season-three/
https://i0.wp.com/jacksonupperco.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Family-Ties-1985-Tv-Guide.jpg?resize=248%2C300&ssl=1
After a formative pair of opening seasons, Family Ties’ third year really steps into the identity with which we’ll associate the series for the rest of its run. And, interestingly enough, this self-actualization is primarily sparked by Meredith Baxter’s real-life pregnancy, which the writers choose to incorporate into the scripts, adding a baby arc and eventual new member of the Keaton family — a storyline that also invites the usual clichéd milestone episodes (the announcement, the big event birth show, the jealous sibling story, etc.), all of which emphasize the innate shortcomings with these types of family comedies, as there’s a decided lack of originality due to a lack of strong characterizations. Now, we don’t need to re-litigate the value of the family sitcom — check out my introduction to this series (https://jacksonupperco.com/2021/12/01/the-ten-best-family-ties-episodes-of-season-one/) for more — but because we’re tracking the ways in which Family Ties embodies its subgenre, this arc is important because it helps further cement the show as being capable of standing as an ambassador for this entire trend. For in addition to merely existing as a hook for story, the baby continues to strip the adults of their uniqueness, rendering them even more blandly typical, as now, more than ever, they’re simply “the parents.” And, what’s more, with the pregnancy forcing the minimized use of Elyse (as Baxter went on maternity leave), the parents are also less often utilized collectively within episodic story as well, meaning that last year’s issue of reducing their politics but still trying to assert their narrative centricity is gone and the show has even more space to commit more profusely to Michael J. Fox’s Alex P. Keaton. Accordingly, this year increases its spotlight on the show’s primary asset — the one characterization well-defined enough to drive comic story — and as a result, the season indeed becomes funnier, yielding more classic episodes (by this series’ own standards) than ever before. Meanwhile, although Alex’s elevated presence is certainly an engine for this uptick in quality, I also have to cite The Cosby Show, which premiered this season and rocketed Family Ties to new heights by being its popular lead-in.
https://i0.wp.com/jacksonupperco.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Family-Ties-1985-Tv-Guide.jpg?resize=248%2C300&ssl=1
After a formative pair of opening seasons, Family Ties’ third year really steps into the identity with which we’ll associate the series for the rest of its run. And, interestingly enough, this self-actualization is primarily sparked by Meredith Baxter’s real-life pregnancy, which the writers choose to incorporate into the scripts, adding a baby arc and eventual new member of the Keaton family — a storyline that also invites the usual clichéd milestone episodes (the announcement, the big event birth show, the jealous sibling story, etc.), all of which emphasize the innate shortcomings with these types of family comedies, as there’s a decided lack of originality due to a lack of strong characterizations. Now, we don’t need to re-litigate the value of the family sitcom — check out my introduction to this series (https://jacksonupperco.com/2021/12/01/the-ten-best-family-ties-episodes-of-season-one/) for more — but because we’re tracking the ways in which Family Ties embodies its subgenre, this arc is important because it helps further cement the show as being capable of standing as an ambassador for this entire trend. For in addition to merely existing as a hook for story, the baby continues to strip the adults of their uniqueness, rendering them even more blandly typical, as now, more than ever, they’re simply “the parents.” And, what’s more, with the pregnancy forcing the minimized use of Elyse (as Baxter went on maternity leave), the parents are also less often utilized collectively within episodic story as well, meaning that last year’s issue of reducing their politics but still trying to assert their narrative centricity is gone and the show has even more space to commit more profusely to Michael J. Fox’s Alex P. Keaton. Accordingly, this year increases its spotlight on the show’s primary asset — the one characterization well-defined enough to drive comic story — and as a result, the season indeed becomes funnier, yielding more classic episodes (by this series’ own standards) than ever before. Meanwhile, although Alex’s elevated presence is certainly an engine for this uptick in quality, I also have to cite The Cosby Show, which premiered this season and rocketed Family Ties to new heights by being its popular lead-in.