"The Real Thing, Pt. 1" is the first episode in the fourth season of the NBC family sitcom Family Ties. It originally aired on September 26, 1985, and is the sixty-ninth episode of the series overall.
Synopsis[]
Alex starts his sophomore year looking for a girlfriend in the freshman directory. He meets Tricia, who seems to be everything he wants. However, after a spat with Tricia's roommate Ellen, Alex finds that despite having nothing in common with Ellen, he is developing feelings for her.
Plot[]
Alex poses as a member of the "Sophomore Hospitality Committee" in order to meet the prettiest new female students at Leland. While trying to meet Tricia Armstrong (played by Suzanne Snyder), he instead meets her roommate Ellen Reed (played by Tracy Pollan, Michael J. Fox's wife in real life.) and is inexplicably attracted to her. She is, however, engaged to be married (to a senior at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, PA). There is clearly an attraction between them, and then Ellen announces that she is going to Lancaster to get married.
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[]
- Tracy Pollan as Ellen Reed
- Suzanne Snyder as Tricia Armstrong
- Judson Allen as Jack
Co-Starring[]
Quotes[]
- Alex: "And you know what type I am. You've got me all figured out."
Ellen: "Let me take a shot. You're an Economics major. You voted for Reagan. You're in the Debating and Young Executives Club. And you wear a jacket and tie everywhere you go."
Alex: "Ha! That just shows what you know. I quit the Debating Club last spring." - Alex: "I wear a jacket and tie everywhere I go. Except train stations at three in the morning, in which case I wear a tuxedo."
Trivia[]
- The train station scene (when Alex tells Ellen he loves her) at the end of this episode is used as a flashback scene in "Wrap Around the Clock".
- Starting with this episode, Family Ties introduced a new opening sequence, which remained in use until the show's ending on May 14, 1989. The intro starts with the Family Ties logo appearing over a picture frame shot of the Keaton family, as well as interacting with clips from various episodes. The cast's names appear onscreen over headshots of the Keaton family, and ending with the same picture frame shot of the Keaton family from the beginning of the intro, as the text "Created by Gary David Goldberg" appear.
- "Love is a Many-Splendored Thing" (sung by Steven, with Alex pantomiming)
- "At This Moment" by Billy Vera & The Beaters (the song became very popular after these episodes)
Gallery[]
