Season three of Family Ties ended with an hour-long episode that was broadcast on 28 March, 1985 and was written by series creator Gary David Goldberg and Alan Uger.

Steven (Michael Gross) gathers the family up to head to his family home to help his mother, May (Anne Seymour) sell the house. It also forces him to confront the ghosts of his past as he deals with the contentious relationship he has with his brother, Rob (Norman Parker) and the problems Steven had in dealing with his father (Micheal Alldredge).

Spread over an hour’s runtime the episode is allowed to stretch its legs and breathe, especially Micheal Gross as Steven. He brings the angst and loss of losing his father to life vividly, as he struggles to reconcile the arguments and tensions between him and his father (and brother) with his own loss and missed opportunities.

Alex (Micheal J. Fox) and Elyse (Meredith Baxter) have the most to do after Steven in the episode, while Mallory (Justine Bateman) and Jennifer (Tina Yothers) have little more than extended cameos. That being said, this is very much Gross’ episode.

We are given flashbacks to younger versions of Steven and his brother, and the things children say in the heat of a moment that haunt them when they are discovered.

Despite never having seen or been introduced to Steven’s brother and mother before, the story attempts to ground the emotions and tensions in a sense of history and family. And for the most part, it works really well. We see that Steven really struggles with what has passed between him and his father, and what is happening between he and and his brother.

Alex and Elyse both help to guide Steven, making him realize that his father lives on in his own actions and those of his children.

It’s an interesting way to choose to end the season, an hour-long episode that delves into some heavier material and shifts the spotlight onto Micheal Gross to carry the bulk of it. It works wonderfully, and it’s nice to see that the series knows how to make full use of the characters and the actors who bring them to life.

The season ends and the show seems to be rolling along quite nicely. Fox is on the cusp of becoming a huge star, between seasons three and four Back to the Future would hit theatres, and the show appealed to a broad market.

It’s a huge success, but mistakes still happen. And the season four opener, as we’ll see next week was definitely made in error. Season four opens with the television movie, Family Ties Vacation which sees the Keatons heading to England. How does it play out today? We’ll find out!