Episode Discussion - "Say Uncle" - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

ftfan · 01-08-2002, 05:55 PM

Hey! Did anyone see that episode, "Say Uncle" last night? My mom taped most of it for me.

It had a really good message. Boy, alcohol is nothing to play with. Tom Hanks did a great job. He was acting like he was really drunk! Man! I couldn't believe he hit Alex like that... hard too! He went flying!!!!! Poor Alex!

That must have hurt! Well, gatta go.
Katie

MJFfan · 01-08-2002, 09:10 PM

Yes, I really liked it. For some reason I enjoy the episodes with serious endings when people have to face up like that. I think it is a good the way they made him get together after he realized that he hit Alex. (Poor Alex, though!)
I also enjoyed the one where Alex takes the pills, and he starts searching throught the Garbage can.... he looks so pathetic, which makes it more serious.

ftfan · 01-08-2002, 10:07 PM

yeah, I like shows that have serious endings too. That is one of my favorite things about Family Ties. Along with it being really funny, it also always has a good message in it. That was good that they had him pull himself together after he hit Alex. (still must have hurt though!)

I never saw the one with the pills. I have missed it twice already, and I really wanna see it! Maybe I will see it the next time they start the series! I did find a script for the episode though, and read it a long time ago. It sounds like it must have been pathetic when he was digging around in the garbage looking for the pills.

It would be terrable to be addicted to something, and not even be able to control what you are doing! Especially Alex, he seems like the type that would never do a thing like that. I think it is good that they had him be the one who did it though, in order to show that a thing like that could happen to anyone.
Well, gatta go. I hope to see the one tonight. It is something about Alex helping a women's rights group because he likes some girl in it. Imagine that, conservative Alex! I read he gets locked in jail and everything. I'll let you know if I see it or not tomorrow.
TTYL!
Katie

FamilyTiesFan · 01-08-2002, 10:09 PM

Usually, I don't like the episodes that deal with serious issues, but I really liked the "Say Uncle" episode. Partly because Tom Hanks did such a good job playing Ned Donnelly.

Mcfly · 01-09-2002, 02:47 PM

Katie, too bad, they played the "pills" ep. the other night. I turned it off as I know the lines by now, hehe. But for those who've seen it, the sifting thru the garbage was crazy, but even more was when Fox slammed his head against the metal desk drawer. First time I saw that I was like "Woah!" No special effect there. He really just flung his head backward into the drawer. Bang! That part always still gets me. Whenever I'm watching with someone who's never seen I say "ok, get ready, watch what he does to his head".

As for "Say, Uncle", that was one of their best. Too bad Hanks never did another one. Especially some kind of follow up ep. It was much better than his earlier one where he was on the run from the law. I was 7 or 8 when "Uncle" originally aired and it freaked me out when Fox went flying past the coffee table. Years later I ran it in slow-mo and no contact was ever made, but the "slap!" sound was really effective.

MJFfan · 01-09-2002, 02:55 PM

Yeah, I try not to look because sometimes it can ruin it, but that's interesting.
I also like the way the Dad yells "You get get help, or you get the **** out of here!" because he's so mad about Alex getting slapped.

ftfan · 01-09-2002, 09:43 PM

Yeah, I read that part in the script about him slamming his head against the medel desk drawer. Did he really hit it hard??? That must have hurt!!! Thats neat that u played him getting hit in slow motion. I did the same thing last night. His hand didn't even come near him. It did sound very real though, and he looked like he got hit the way he went flying! Just the fall would have hurt bad enough!!! Well, gatta go. BTW, I didn't see the show last night. Did you?
TTYL!
Katie

Mcfly · 01-10-2002, 01:56 AM

Me neither, Katie. I gave you that advice of taping which is what I did...and I set it up for 1pm instead of am!! I was pissed! Missed "Ties" and "3s Company".

Paula · 01-10-2002, 02:11 AM

That reminds me- there's an ep of FT in which an uncle comes to visit the family (can't remember if it was Tom Hanks or not), and makes a pass at Mallory. Did N@N air that ep yet? I've seen it back in the 80's. Who was the uncle?

Mcfly · 01-10-2002, 01:21 PM

They did air that one a couple weeks ago, but it was handled a lot more poorly than the Hanks one. They called the guy Uncle Arthur, but he was actually a family friend. They had so many silly jokes going on, that the episode came off jumbled. Steven didn't even really get that mad. The Hanks one was great because he's the kind of actor who can handle a comic scene and a dramatic one at the same time. They had some good laughs at the expense of his problem, but knew when to quit in the living room scene, not going for cheap jokes but getting real emotional.

MJFfan · 01-10-2002, 02:25 PM

Quote:

They had some good laughs at the expense of his problem, but knew when to quit in the living room scene, not going for cheap jokes but getting real emotional.

That's true. At first when he's shown drunk it's funny- like at the interveiw I couldn't stop laughing

. But once they got to the big discussion in the Living Room, it showed how serious it was, especcialy after he slapped Alex like that. After that it wasn't funny when he made a joke while calling Alchoholics Ananymous. I think it was a really good ending.

Paula · 01-10-2002, 04:45 PM

Thanks McFly. It's been such a long time since I've seen it that I can only remember so much of it.

01-08-2002, 05:55 PM	#1
ftfan A young Republican!! Occasional Poster Join Date: Jan 04, 2002 Location: DE Posts: 69	Episode Discussion - "Say Uncle" Hey! Did anyone see that episode, "Say Uncle" last night? My mom taped most of it for me. It had a really good message. Boy, alcohol is nothing to play with. Tom Hanks did a great job. He was acting like he was really drunk! Man! I couldn't believe he hit Alex like that... hard too! He went flying!!!!! Poor Alex! That must have hurt! Well, gatta go. Katie
	__________________ A big fan of Alex P. Keaton!

01-08-2002, 09:10 PM	#2
MJFfan I love Family Ties! Frequent Poster Join Date: Jan 01, 2002 Location: U.S.A. Posts: 324	Yes, I really liked it. For some reason I enjoy the episodes with serious endings when people have to face up like that. I think it is a good the way they made him get together after he realized that he hit Alex. (Poor Alex, though!) I also enjoyed the one where Alex takes the pills, and he starts searching throught the Garbage can.... he looks so pathetic, which makes it more serious.

01-08-2002, 10:07 PM	#3
ftfan A young Republican!! Occasional Poster Join Date: Jan 04, 2002 Location: DE Posts: 69	yeah, I like shows that have serious endings too. That is one of my favorite things about Family Ties. Along with it being really funny, it also always has a good message in it. That was good that they had him pull himself together after he hit Alex. (still must have hurt though!) I never saw the one with the pills. I have missed it twice already, and I really wanna see it! Maybe I will see it the next time they start the series! I did find a script for the episode though, and read it a long time ago. It sounds like it must have been pathetic when he was digging around in the garbage looking for the pills. It would be terrable to be addicted to something, and not even be able to control what you are doing! Especially Alex, he seems like the type that would never do a thing like that. I think it is good that they had him be the one who did it though, in order to show that a thing like that could happen to anyone. Well, gatta go. I hope to see the one tonight. It is something about Alex helping a women's rights group because he likes some girl in it. Imagine that, conservative Alex! I read he gets locked in jail and everything. I'll let you know if I see it or not tomorrow. TTYL! Katie

01-08-2002, 10:09 PM	#4
FamilyTiesFan Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Nov 21, 2001 Location: WA Posts: 142	Usually, I don't like the episodes that deal with serious issues, but I really liked the "Say Uncle" episode. Partly because Tom Hanks did such a good job playing Ned Donnelly.

01-09-2002, 02:47 PM	#5
Mcfly Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Aug 06, 2001 Location: ca Posts: 374	Katie, too bad, they played the "pills" ep. the other night. I turned it off as I know the lines by now, hehe. But for those who've seen it, the sifting thru the garbage was crazy, but even more was when Fox slammed his head against the metal desk drawer. First time I saw that I was like "Woah!" No special effect there. He really just flung his head backward into the drawer. Bang! That part always still gets me. Whenever I'm watching with someone who's never seen I say "ok, get ready, watch what he does to his head". As for "Say, Uncle", that was one of their best. Too bad Hanks never did another one. Especially some kind of follow up ep. It was much better than his earlier one where he was on the run from the law. I was 7 or 8 when "Uncle" originally aired and it freaked me out when Fox went flying past the coffee table. Years later I ran it in slow-mo and no contact was ever made, but the "slap!" sound was really effective.

01-09-2002, 02:55 PM	#6
MJFfan I love Family Ties! Frequent Poster Join Date: Jan 01, 2002 Location: U.S.A. Posts: 324	Yeah, I try not to look because sometimes it can ruin it, but that's interesting. I also like the way the Dad yells "You get get help, or you get the **** out of here!" because he's so mad about Alex getting slapped.

01-09-2002, 09:43 PM	#7
ftfan A young Republican!! Occasional Poster Join Date: Jan 04, 2002 Location: DE Posts: 69	Yeah, I read that part in the script about him slamming his head against the medel desk drawer. Did he really hit it hard??? That must have hurt!!! Thats neat that u played him getting hit in slow motion. I did the same thing last night. His hand didn't even come near him. It did sound very real though, and he looked like he got hit the way he went flying! Just the fall would have hurt bad enough!!! Well, gatta go. BTW, I didn't see the show last night. Did you? TTYL! Katie

01-10-2002, 01:56 AM	#8
Mcfly Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Aug 06, 2001 Location: ca Posts: 374	Me neither, Katie. I gave you that advice of taping which is what I did...and I set it up for 1pm instead of am!! I was pissed! Missed "Ties" and "3s Company".

01-10-2002, 02:11 AM	#9
Paula Little Rascals Fan Frequent Poster Join Date: Mar 11, 2001 Location: Northern California Posts: 309	That reminds me- there's an ep of FT in which an uncle comes to visit the family (can't remember if it was Tom Hanks or not), and makes a pass at Mallory. Did N@N air that ep yet? I've seen it back in the 80's. Who was the uncle?

01-10-2002, 01:21 PM	#10
Mcfly Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Aug 06, 2001 Location: ca Posts: 374	They did air that one a couple weeks ago, but it was handled a lot more poorly than the Hanks one. They called the guy Uncle Arthur, but he was actually a family friend. They had so many silly jokes going on, that the episode came off jumbled. Steven didn't even really get that mad. The Hanks one was great because he's the kind of actor who can handle a comic scene and a dramatic one at the same time. They had some good laughs at the expense of his problem, but knew when to quit in the living room scene, not going for cheap jokes but getting real emotional.

01-10-2002, 04:45 PM	#12
Paula Little Rascals Fan Frequent Poster Join Date: Mar 11, 2001 Location: Northern California Posts: 309	Thanks McFly. It's been such a long time since I've seen it that I can only remember so much of it.