The AIDS episode.....very emotional - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

88survivor · 10-24-2006, 11:48 AM

That was quite a sad episode for Rich's sad demise. He was David's best friend and this was possibly the saddest episode I have ever seen. Creating a documentary about Rich's last months was almost too much.....very sad episode.

JRR4 · 10-24-2006, 04:21 PM

Which was Rich's last episode prior to this one. He seemed to get very sick very fast, even in TV time.

88survivor · 10-24-2006, 06:02 PM

I know, the sickness was not realistic.....including the 30 minute T.V time. But it was sad....

Smokin' Sods · 10-24-2006, 10:41 PM

They never explained how he got it either. That was frustrating. They just said "Rich has AIDS." Nobody ever asked how it happened.

88survivor · 10-25-2006, 12:47 AM

I was only seven at that time.......but I have not seen it since the reruns, though. How would I know?

fullhousefan91619 · 10-25-2006, 07:31 PM

Does he die? I'm a new fan of this show.

MikeLutton · 10-25-2006, 08:40 PM

does he die in real life or just in the show this very confusing thanks

88survivor · 10-25-2006, 11:52 PM

Just in the show. He is still alive and kicking. He was in Heavy Weights. Not to mention he was the jock in Lucas(1986).

Sophie Treadmill · 07-28-2007, 06:32 PM

Just bumping this thread because I just thought of this episode the other day. I think it was one of the most well-done eps of a sitcom ever (as was the fire episode) as were the fire I really wish I could see it again. It was heartwrenching.

It was especially endearing and moving that they didn't tell us how Rich contracted AIDS. That's what made the episode stand out even more, in a critical sense. The writers knew what they were doing and made a conscious choice for a reason.

The whole point was that it doesn't matter how he got it. He had his whole life ahead of him and David was losing his best friend to a disease with no cure. It was devastating and, at the time, there was less understanding and tolerance for those with AIDS than there is today.

*Oh, and I just watched Lucas last night. He was really good in that role. So obnoxious and mean and perfect at it.

RetroJessica · 04-10-2008, 08:15 AM

I remember seeing this episode when I was about 12 when it first came on TV. There was alot of talk going on before it aired and after seeing the promo, I had to watch it. It was truly one of the most touching and thought provoking episodes dealing with such sensitive subject matter on episodic television. I remember tearing up when David learned of Rich having AIDS and then thinking back to all their times together. But I lost it at the end when David was talking about him and they started showing clips of Rich's last days where he started getting really sick and David had to help him with a glass of water, then they cut back to David during the school essembly and he says, with the tears streaming down, "Rich died last night", and he started talking about him. I was crying really hard. Jason Bateman was so good in that scene and the entire episode. You could tell that he was really touched and moved because he really was crying. I think Sandy Duncan was crying also as were the two young actors who played his younger brothers. I really wish they would air this show in reruns again, but then again we are living in a world where '70s and '80s shows are poisonous. When you think of all the shows on TV in the past two decades, like "Seinfeld", "Friends", "Frasier", "How I Met Your Mother" and "Two and a Half Men" where everybody is so careless about having sex, and the writers seem to be advocating promiscuity, you watch this episode of "The Hogan Family" and get kind of ticked off because it seems all these newer shows are being so cavalier about unsafe sex. I really wish they'd air this show again. I hate all these crappy '90s reruns they seem to be rerunning ad nauseum.

chris jacob · 01-10-2009, 10:05 PM

not onlly was it a teriblepiode but it was rule wasto endthe series

chris jacob · 01-10-2009, 10:05 PM

not onlly was it a teriblepiode but it was rule wasto endthe series

Rambo Stallone · 07-18-2009, 06:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sophie Treadmill

Just bumping this thread because I just thought of this episode the other day. I think it was one of the most well-done eps of a sitcom ever (as was the fire episode) as were the fire I really wish I could see it again. It was heartwrenching.

It was especially endearing and moving that they didn't tell us how Rich contracted AIDS. That's what made the episode stand out even more, in a critical sense. The writers knew what they were doing and made a conscious choice for a reason.

The whole point was that it doesn't matter how he got it. He had his whole life ahead of him and David was losing his best friend to a disease with no cure. It was devastating and, at the time, there was less understanding and tolerance for those with AIDS than there is today.

*Oh, and I just watched Lucas last night. He was really good in that role. So obnoxious and mean and perfect at it.

This is what i hate about sit coms when they start becoming sappy. I like this show when it was called Valerie then called this.

Their were many of those shows like Step By Step,Family Matters that did serious episodes and i didn't like it. I watch Comedy for laughter not sadness.

This is why even thou i liked this show a lot as a kid,shows like this,Growing Pains,Family Ties,Step By Step don't hold up as much for me like shows at the same era like Sledgehammer,Night Court and Cheers.

I think i would prefer Hogan Family more then Charles in Charge back then but probably would get Charles in Charge on DVD before this now.

ssudioTVgirl · 01-07-2010, 09:41 AM

Yeah this was a very sad episode. I also wish they'd air this again in reruns.

Scoobiedoo30 · 01-07-2010, 12:40 PM

it was a very sad episode

10-24-2006, 11:48 AM	#1
88survivor Member Senior Member Join Date: Mar 03, 2006 Location: NY Posts: 1,849	The AIDS episode.....very emotional That was quite a sad episode for Rich's sad demise. He was David's best friend and this was possibly the saddest episode I have ever seen. Creating a documentary about Rich's last months was almost too much.....very sad episode.

10-24-2006, 10:41 PM	#4
Smokin' Sods Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Jul 27, 2001 Posts: 133	They never explained how he got it either. That was frustrating. They just said "Rich has AIDS." Nobody ever asked how it happened.
	Last edited by Smokin' Sods; 10-25-2006 at 01:03 AM.

07-28-2007, 06:32 PM	#9
Sophie Treadmill Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Jul 19, 2007 Location: Stars Hollow, CT Posts: 162	Just bumping this thread because I just thought of this episode the other day. I think it was one of the most well-done eps of a sitcom ever (as was the fire episode) as were the fire I really wish I could see it again. It was heartwrenching. It was especially endearing and moving that they didn't tell us how Rich contracted AIDS. That's what made the episode stand out even more, in a critical sense. The writers knew what they were doing and made a conscious choice for a reason. The whole point was that it doesn't matter how he got it. He had his whole life ahead of him and David was losing his best friend to a disease with no cure. It was devastating and, at the time, there was less understanding and tolerance for those with AIDS than there is today. *Oh, and I just watched Lucas last night. He was really good in that role. So obnoxious and mean and perfect at it.
	Last edited by Sophie Treadmill; 07-28-2007 at 08:38 PM.

01-10-2009, 10:05 PM	#11
chris jacob Member Forum Regular Join Date: Jun 06, 2000 Location: Hartford Posts: 754	not onlly was it a teriblepiode but it was rule wasto endthe series
	__________________ chris jacob

10-24-2006, 04:21 PM	#2
JRR4 Member Forum Cub Join Date: Oct 17, 2006 Posts: 2	Which was Rich's last episode prior to this one. He seemed to get very sick very fast, even in TV time.

10-24-2006, 06:02 PM	#3
88survivor Member Senior Member Join Date: Mar 03, 2006 Location: NY Posts: 1,849	I know, the sickness was not realistic.....including the 30 minute T.V time. But it was sad....

10-25-2006, 12:47 AM	#5
88survivor Member Senior Member Join Date: Mar 03, 2006 Location: NY Posts: 1,849	I was only seven at that time.......but I have not seen it since the reruns, though. How would I know?

10-25-2006, 07:31 PM	#6
fullhousefan91619 Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Dec 11, 2005 Posts: 329	Does he die? I'm a new fan of this show.

10-25-2006, 08:40 PM	#7
MikeLutton Mike Lutton DVD Legend! Forum Veteran Join Date: Jan 05, 2005 Location: usa pennsyvania Posts: 6,888	does he die in real life or just in the show this very confusing thanks

10-25-2006, 11:52 PM	#8
88survivor Member Senior Member Join Date: Mar 03, 2006 Location: NY Posts: 1,849	Just in the show. He is still alive and kicking. He was in Heavy Weights. Not to mention he was the jock in Lucas(1986).

04-10-2008, 08:15 AM	#10
RetroJessica Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Mar 28, 2008 Location: Manhattan Posts: 71	I remember seeing this episode when I was about 12 when it first came on TV. There was alot of talk going on before it aired and after seeing the promo, I had to watch it. It was truly one of the most touching and thought provoking episodes dealing with such sensitive subject matter on episodic television. I remember tearing up when David learned of Rich having AIDS and then thinking back to all their times together. But I lost it at the end when David was talking about him and they started showing clips of Rich's last days where he started getting really sick and David had to help him with a glass of water, then they cut back to David during the school essembly and he says, with the tears streaming down, "Rich died last night", and he started talking about him. I was crying really hard. Jason Bateman was so good in that scene and the entire episode. You could tell that he was really touched and moved because he really was crying. I think Sandy Duncan was crying also as were the two young actors who played his younger brothers. I really wish they would air this show in reruns again, but then again we are living in a world where '70s and '80s shows are poisonous. When you think of all the shows on TV in the past two decades, like "Seinfeld", "Friends", "Frasier", "How I Met Your Mother" and "Two and a Half Men" where everybody is so careless about having sex, and the writers seem to be advocating promiscuity, you watch this episode of "The Hogan Family" and get kind of ticked off because it seems all these newer shows are being so cavalier about unsafe sex. I really wish they'd air this show again. I hate all these crappy '90s reruns they seem to be rerunning ad nauseum.

01-07-2010, 09:41 AM	#14
ssudioTVgirl Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Oct 01, 2009 Location: New York Posts: 41	Yeah this was a very sad episode. I also wish they'd air this again in reruns.

01-07-2010, 12:40 PM	#15
Scoobiedoo30 Member Forum Superstar Join Date: Jun 27, 2002 Location: KENNER, LOUISIANA Posts: 27,654	it was a very sad episode