MovieChat Forums > Family Ties (1982) Discussion > A, My Name is Alex

A, My Name is Alex

posted 11 years ago by OldFriendOfTheChristys
12 replies | jump to latest

I’ve been DVR-ing the show just so it will record this episode, and finally, this morning, it did. Part 1 anyway. What an amazing piece of work. Of all the episodes in the series, I remember this one the best.

[–] gpicto 11 years ago

Yea, I remember watching that when it was first shown, with part 2 uncut and without commercials. I think they take out the Brother Timothy scene now?

But it's cool watching Fox emulate young Alex.

Marriage is between one man and one woman, to the exclusion of all others.

[–] ObsessedWithNCIS 11 years ago

OMG what a powerful episode.

Kate: What do you need 2 Bs for?
Gibbs: Second ones for bastard

[–] megafauna005 11 years ago

That's the episode where his friend dies?

Jesus NEVER existed! He is Judeo Christian MYTH!

[–] shoegal421 11 years ago

Yeah, his friend Greg, right? Such an amazing episode and the one that cemented what a fantastic actor MJF is.

[–] 11 years ago

[deleted]

[–] shoegal421 11 years ago

There's more to a show than just acting. You have your opinion and I have mine.

[–] MichaelMovieLoft 9 years ago

I remember when it premiered. It was given lots of publicity and the fact that NBC was not airing any commercials in the second half of the episode. It doesn't play as well in syndication because the editing and the commercials. Good thing it was shown in its entirety when Netflix brought it back (Which has since left the service, but it is on Amazon Prime). We learn a lot about Alex and that underneath the pompous exterior, he is scared and full of fault. I mark this episode as the reason why Michael J. Fox won the Emmy.

MM

[–] sjbradford 9 years ago

It's so dramatically lazy. Alex's best friend, whom we've never seen before in the prior five seasons, dies and we're supposed to care? The whole thing plays like a bad after school special. It's laughable.

[–] beatlenut8 9 years ago

Yeah it is a bit pretentious, though Fox does manage the double episode virtually single-handed and pulls it off.

[–] beatlenut8 9 years ago

Another episode ( Season 6 | Episode 23 Spring Reminds Me) deals with a former neighbor who's daughter commits suicide and Mallory has to deal with the fallout. Mallory and her were close friends as well. Like the title thread, we never saw this person in all the episodes, or heard mention if her, but she returns to the Keaton household in this crucial moment. It seemed like they gave MJ Fox a vehicle to showcase his acting chops, so this was Batemen's. The sub plot involved Stephen's magic tricks. Enough said...

[–] wylierichardson-966-922691 9 years ago

The point was to show the effect of a bad life experience on Alex, and how it made him question life itself. You're right in hinting that this episode would have had more impact if the departed friend had been seen in previous episodes, tho.

[–] claude_z 9 years ago

This 2 part episode is airing right now on Antenna TV. It is just as powerful today as it was when it first aired almost 30 years ago.