"Love Thy Neighbor" is the fourth episode in the third season of the NBC family sitcom Family Ties. It originally aired on October 11, 1984, and is the forty-eighth episode of the series overall.
Synopsis[]
An old friend of Jennifer's, Scott Handley (played by Matthew Berry), comes back for a visit, and now he is much more interested in Mallory than Jennifer. Jennifer plans a baseball outing with Scott, but he makes dinner plans with Mallory instead. (And Jennifer is intent on making sure he notices.) Alex and Steven set out to assemble the baby's crib (quite unsuccessfully).
Plot[]
Jennifer is delighted at the return of Scotty, a neighborhood boy and her garden ball sports friend from a few years ago, who has meanwhile turned into a handsome 17-year-old - according to Mallory, 'grown into his ears' - but unfortunately, Scotty now seems irresistibly drawn to the dumb sister his own age; this leaves Scotty's true friend Jen practically ignored and literally forgotten, but she won't take Alex's word for that just being cruel nature, so she intrudes on the couple's restaurant date. Meanwhile, Elyse is eating like a bear, and Dad is determined to pick and put together a crib - although the blueprints daunt even Alex.
Cast[]
Starring[]
- Meredith Baxter as Elyse Keaton (credit only)
- Michael Gross as Steven Keaton
- Michael J. Fox as Alex P. Keaton
- Justine Bateman as Mallory Keaton
- Tina Yothers as Jennifer Keaton
Guest Starring[]
- Matthew Barry as Scott Handley
- Richard Morof as The Waiter
Co-Starring[]
Quotes[]
- Alex: "You know, they may say things have changed, but basically they're happiest when they're barefoot and pregnant."
- Jennifer: "What has Mallory got that I don't?"
- Alex: "I know I did. It was the best two weeks of my life."
Trivia[]
- This is the first episode that Meredith Baxter does not appear in due to her pregnancy.
- Parts of this episode are used as flashbacks in both "Battle of the Sexes" and "Return of the Native".
- While watching a talking money mobile he used to have as a baby, the voice mentions the stock closing of Syntram Corporation (Uncle Ned's old company, "The Fugitive" and "Say Uncle").
- Jennifer wants to catch a double-header with the Cleveland Indians and Seattle Mariners. The box office tells her there are 35,000 available tickets. (Go figure. The Indians went 75-87 in 1984 and finished 29 games out of the lead in their division).
- Jennifer suggests that Scott get the pizza with bologna. She ordered the same in "French Lessons". (The restaurants appear similar, but are not the same).
- Meredith Baxter does not appear in this episode.
Gallery[]
