"Best Man" is the ninth episode in the third season of the NBC family sitcom Family Ties. It originally aired on November 15, 1984, and is the fifty-third episode of the series overall.
Synopsis[]
Alex is irritated when his friend Doug starts spending more time with his new girlfriend, and is stunned at their sudden engagement, even refusing to attend the wedding. Ultimately, Alex has to decide what the friendship means to him.
Plot[]
Alex's friend Doug has met a girl, Eleanor Lee (played by Lily Mariye) and is foregoing activities with Alex to be with her. And if Doug and Alex are together, he brings Eleanor along. And to mess with Alex's plans even more, Doug announces that he and Eleanor are getting married, and he wants Alex to be the best man. Alex is, however, heartily opposed to the marriage. Eleanor tries to get Alex to reconsider coming to the wedding. Alex shows up, but the ceremony turns out quite unconventional.
Cast[]
Starring[]
- Meredith Baxter as Elyse Keaton
- Michael Gross as Steven Keaton
- Michael J. Fox as Alex P. Keaton
- Justine Bateman as Mallory Keaton
- Tina Yothers as Jennifer Keaton
Guest Starring[]
- Timothy Busfield as Doug
- Michael Zorek as Flaum
- Tate Donovan as Clancy
- Billy Campbell as Lyle
- Toni Gerry as Doug's Mother
- Ernest Harada as Pastor
- Lily Mariye as Eleanor Lee
Co-Starring[]
Quotes[]
Trivia[]
- Alex's friend Doug is played by a young Timothy Busfield, an Emmy-winning actor.
- Alex mentions the "Third Annual Milton Friedman Lecture" Presumably it was the "First Annual" event that Alex attended with Stephanie Brooks in "Summer of '82" (during Season 1)
- Elyse isn't as pregnant as one might expect. However, according to the order in which the episodes were shot, it is probably about right.
- There are several movies mentioned in the episode:
- Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) - Alex wants to watch this with Doug
- Bambi (1942) - Doug and Eleanor see this together
- True Grit (1969) - Once Doug's favorite movie
- Yentl (1983) - Doug's new favorite movie
- Doug says he's going to earn extra money recycling aluminum cans (so 1980s).
- Lily Mariye guest stars in this episode as Eleanor, to whom Doug (Timothy Busfield) wants to wed. Also Tate Donovan appears as 'Clancy' one of Alex & Doug's poker friends.
- Flaum (played by Michael Zorek), who appears here and in "Starting Over", is wearing a Kenyon College t-shirt (a college in Ohio). Interestingly, Zorek also played in Teen Wolf Too (the sequel that starred Jason Bateman, Justine's brother, rather than Michael J. Fox, who starred in the original Teen Wolf).
Gallery[]
