The Keaton household is burglarized and Steven (Micheal Gross) and Elyse (Meredith Baxter) have to find a way to reconcile their beliefs with the need to protect their family. Have Gun, Will Travel was written by Ruth Bennett and originally aired on 8 December, 1982.

I did like the fact that the movie the family went to see was A Hard Day’s Night, and not one of the kids liked it. The Beatles were awesome, and I remember the first time I was actually introduced to them. Oh well, Alex (Micheal J. Fox), Mallory (Justine Bateman) and Jennifer (Tina Yothers) can’t be perfect.

The entire family is shaken and scared by the incident and contemplates purchasing a gun. When they end up buying one they are unsure if they feel safer with it in the house or not. It’s an interesting episode, and honestly, you have to wonder if an episode like this would be made today considering where it’s set.

But like the other episodes so far this season it combines humour with an important subject to talk about, and hopefully, it can be done calmly.

In the end, the family decides it’s best to not have a gun at all, and that their beliefs in a better society and peace are more important. Alex isn’t so sure, but he understands the intention. This is a smart, well-crafted episode that once again attempts to wrap up an important subject in an easy twenty-three minutes, but it’s definitely good for starting a conversation.

A Christmas Story was written by Joanne Pagliaro and first aired on 15 December, 1982. A holiday ski trip is cancelled when a snowstorm keeps the family housebound. So while they wait the storm out, they open a family gift, a photo album filled with memories that let the family recount how each of the kids were born.

Steven and a pregnant Elyse were with the Peace Corps, serving in Africa in the middle of a drought which led to Alex being born there, just as the drought broke. We leap forward to Berkley where Mallory was born with a bizarre doctor, Larry Waxman (Charles Levin) who apparently went to camp with Steven when they were young.

More presents get opened, and more memories are discussed as the snow comes down even harder. And then we get the story about how Jennifer came along. She was born in Columbus and caused Steven and Elyse to miss voting for McGovern against Nixon, and they wonder if they had voted first they may have kept Nixon out of office for a second term.

It’s not one of the big message episodes that have been the heart of the series so far, it’s more just a sentimental exploration of family and some backstory for the characters. It’s fun, and enjoyable, and lets the viewer celebrate the holidays with a family that has already come to mean so much to the audience.

We’re only eleven episodes in, and this series is garnering attention and affection. What’s not to love about this show?

Oops puts us right back into the message and discussion angle of the sitcom when one of Mallory’s friends learns she’s pregnant. Written by Pagliaro, this episode was first broadcast on 22 December, 1982.

Cindy (Cristen Kauffman) reveals to Mallory that she’s missed her period and is pregnant. She comes to Mallory and Elyse for advice and help as she’s terrified of what her mother (Lynn Sullivan) will think and do.

Alex is a bit of a real Republican in this episode complaining about the fact that there’s a book like Our Bodies, Our Selves in the house, and such things should not be talked about or discussed by women. Ugh, Alex. I know he’s written that way to show how ridiculous those beliefs are, but wow.

Mallory is worried and anxious about what is going to happen to her friend, and Elyse is a wonderfully supportive character not only for Mallory, her family, and Cindy. There’s a wonderful discussion between Steven and Elyse about dating, teenage pregnancy, and wondering what they can do to be good parents despite the changes happening around them. and the importance of open communication.

As the Keaton household hosts Cindy and her mother, Elyse and Mallory try to find a way to help them communicate with one another and find a way to connect more completely themselves.

It’s an important discussion episode, in a season filled so far with important discussion episodes, Alex is a little too Republican in this episode, but the rest of it is really solid, though he does read some of the book by the end of the episode and maybe learns something.