Marc Lawrence pens this two-parter, They Can’t Take That Away From Me, the first installment aired on 2 April, 1989. Lauren (Courtney Cox) has to go away for a conference for a few weeks, and Alex (Michael J. Fox) is teaching an economics class to complete his degree and graduate.

While Jennifer (Tina Yothers) wrestles philosophical questions with her class on existentialism, Alex finds himself having to tutor one of his students who shares a mutual attraction with him. Marty (Jane Adams) is a little odd, and the episode plays way too much towards physical comedy to make her endearing.

While it’s an interesting idea to put any of the main characters in a place where they find themselves tempted and have to struggle with their moral code, this one could have been better.

There are some nice moments, and of course, the episode has to end with a cliffhanger, because Alex needs to figure out what the hell to do, because as the episode reaches its climax, the pair kiss!

Didn’t hate it. Didn’t love it. The physical comedy felt a little forced, but the heart of the story is solid, it’s just played too much for laughs, and while Alex seems to be struggling a little bit, he doesn’t seem to be really wrestling with this dilemma.

They Can’t Take That Away From Me Part 2 aired a week later on 9 April, 1989 and adds a welcome complication to the story, Lauren has come back. So how far has the relationship between Alex and Marty progressed? Will Alex come clean? If he does what’s stopping Lauren from kicking him, deservedly, to the curve?

And surprise! The episode opens with a slightly different version of the theme song, to speed us quickly into the story.

Alex jumps right into it with Lauren, revealing what has happened, and he asks for a little time to figure out what is going on with his heart. Lauren seems a little too understanding until they all meet up in the cafeteria.

While Alex struggles to figure things out, we get to see his internal dialogue, which involves Michael Gross playing Shakespeare, Freud, and Sartre. It’s fun, and let’s Gross shine.

And while Alex comes to his decision, he’s turned into a passive character because the women solve the problems for him. I like the strong performances and choices for the women, but it also doesn’t let Alex make the choices, he just have to live with them.

At the end of the episode, all three of them are single, which of course, sets up the end of the series so Alex can head off to New York.

In fact, this episode sees Alex graduating from university… oh man, the series is almost done!

Rain Forests Keep Fallin’ On My Head was written by Bruce Helford and debuted on 16 April, 1989.

Alex gives Andy (Brian Bonsall) a parakeet for his first pet, but this one lets Jennifer shine again, as it brings in an ecological theme, something that was beginning to find its way to mainstream media for the first time in the 80s.

Jennifer insists that the family change some of their ways to be more eco-friendly, but the more she tries to change the family and get them and the rest of the world to be more aware, she gets increasingly depressed about where we as a species may be going.

Steven (Michael Gross) and Elyse (Meredith Baxter) begin to really worry about Jennifer, and her mental health as she continues to worry about the environment so much that she’s becoming increasingly depressed. They recommend that she go talk to the school counsellor.

But as she lays out the facts, it becomes clear that the Keatons and the rest of the planet need to do something to save ourselves. Sure it’s a message episode, but it’s a solid one nonetheless.

Next time, I finish up this classic 80s sitcom…