Alex (Micheal J. Fox) is heading up to Princeton by train for an interview with one of the admitting deans. Mallory (Justine Bateman) tags along to see her boyfriend, Jeff (John Dukakis) with unexpected results.

Go Tigers was written by Micheal J. Weithorn and it had an original airdate of 12 January, 1984.

Back at the Keaton household, Steven (Micheal Gross) is tasked with looking after little Kenneth (Joshua John Miller) a young family friend while Elyse (Meredith Baxter) and Jennifer (Tina Yothers) attend a mother-daughter ballet recital.

Alex is prepping and getting ready for his interview and wanders around campus, while Mallory plans to surprise Jeff. They both end up with a surprise, because Jeff has been seeing someone new, and hasn’t told Mallory yet.

Mallory is emotionally destroyed and it all comes down on Alex, in the middle of his interview. They keep getting interrupted by Mallory’s need for compassion and support until Alex realizes he has to do the big brother thing and help her and hopes that his academic record speaks for itself.

On the train journey home, Alex offers her some kind and supportive words that show he really does care for and love his younger sister. She’ll be fine. It hurts now, but something better will happen, right?

I like this episode, it shows family comes first for the Keatons, even Alex, and no matter what they say to one another, how mean they are, they care for one another down deep.

‘M’ is for the Many Things was written by Lisa A. Bannick and originally aired on 19 January, 1984.

While Alex tries to get Steven to invest in the Class of ’84 souvenirs, Elyse has trouble dealing with her mother, Kate (Priscilla Morrill) who has separated from her husband and seems to be rather interested and excited about getting back out into the dating scene.

There’s a nice role reversal as Elyse starts to sound like a mother and makes a lot of comments on the dating, the outfits, and her prospective date. There’s some nice work with Elyse and Kate, and it allows Baxter to not only lean into the comedy, but also the pain of dealing with parents separating and having new lives after.

Alex despite his claims, does not have his pulse on the senior class, and thinks that briquets, windshield wipers and more are the way to go, even monocles! Alex usually seems smarter than this, but this seems to be really played up for the laughs, which is great, but Alex could have been smarter about it.

Tom Hanks is back as Uncle Ned in Say Uncle! Written by Ruth Bennett this episode first debuted on 26 January, 1984.

In a ‘very special episode’ the story explores alcoholism, as Alex realizes his beloved and fun-loving uncle may have an addiction problem. The whole family gets involved as they attempt to confront and deal with Ned’s problem.

Hanks is wonderful and is able to balance the comedy and the drama of the situation, and when he explodes at Alex it’s genuinely terrifying and Hanks goes all in. Alex has a tough time dealing with this reveal, and then he has to tell his mother about it, and convince them of how bad it really is. Elyse is initially willing to turn a blind eye to it, but begins to realize how Ned is really doing, and what he’s doing.

The family confronts him, but it will be up to Ned to make the decision to change his life, and it’s going to take a lot to reach him.

There’s some nice continuity as the family gives the backstory of Ned’s previous appearance, and that he may need a job, something that Steven may be able to help him with.

Jennifer is practicing the clarinet, and no one is happy with it.

It’s a solid episode and Hanks is comfortable with the material bringing it wonderfully to life. Some of it is played a little too loose and for laughs, but overall it’s smart, well-crafted, and fantastically performed.