Beta Chi Guy is the fifth episode of the sixth season in this television sitcom on Family Matters, which was aired from ABC on October 21, 1994. It was directed by Richard Correll and written by Jim Geoghan.
Plot[]
Eddie is invited to join a prestigious fraternity, despite the fact that he has to ditch Steve in order to become a member, as the frat leader hates Steve and thinks he's a loser. Laura immediately sets him straight and makes him realize his friendship with Urkel is more important to him. Meanwhile, Carl orders a peanut helmet from a shopping network, where you're allowed to try a product for 30 days without paying a single cent. However, Richie and his friend, Lil' G go overboard when they order toys from the exact channel.
Synopsis[]
Eddie and Richie learn a lesson in being careful in what they're doing.
In Eddie's case, he is invited to join a fraternity by Lyle under one condition, he must end his friendship with Steve at the party they're hosting in his apartment, as Steve's quirks are against everything the frat stands for. So, Eddie tells Urkel he won't be his friend anymore. Urkel's really hurt and retreats away, but not before telling Laura about it. Angered, she calls her brother out for the way he treated Steve and thinks what he did was wrong on his part. When Eddie tries to defend himself claiming that Urkel needs to be with people his own age and not hang out with him all the time, Laura points out he was always there as a friend. She even admits that as annoying as he is, Steve has always been a loyal friend to them and came to their family's aid when they needed him the most. Laura thinks the fraternity that's led by Lyle and which Eddie has joined is a big mistake. She points out that she has seen their behavior before and thinks they are a bunch of elitists and self-absorbed jerks who don't care about the people in it. Laura mentions that the only reason that they accepted Eddie is so they could have a reason to laugh at him when he loses his basketball scholarship and have no qualms to kick him out of the fraternity. It's only then he realized that Laura had paid attention to the fraternity and feels terrible in hurting his friendship with Steve.
Meanwhile, Carl orders a peanut helmet from a shopping network, where you're allowed to try a product for 30 days without paying a single cent. However, Richie and his friend, Lil' G go overboard when they order toys from the same shopping network. After sending Lil' G home, Carl and Rachel has a little talk with Richie and convinces him not to do it again.
Sometime later, Lyle shows up with a green blazer telling Eddie that he's been accepted. Though happy at first, he remembered the warning Laura told him about Lyle and his group. As Urkel appears in the hallway of the apartment complex Eddie lives in to return his stuff, he overhears Eddie's confrontation with Lyle. Lyle tells him that he's part of their fraternity and he shouldn't care about Steve. Eddie points out that Urkel is his best friend and he values their friendship. He mentions if this is how Lyle will treat him and Steve, then he could find another person to follow him. After watching Lyle to leave his apartment, Eddie finds Urkel outside and apologizes for his poor judgment. They rekindle their friendship and goes through the box that Steve kept of their memories as friends.
Cast[]
Main[]
- Reginald VelJohnson as Carl Winslow
- Jo Marie Payton as Harriette Winslow (credited as Jo Marie Payton-Noble)
- Rosetta LeNoire as Estelle Winslow (credit only)
- Darius McCrary as Eddie Winslow
- Kellie Shanygne Williams as Laura Winslow
- Bryton James as Richie Crawford (credited as Bryton McClure)
- Jaleel White as Steve Urkel
- Shawn Harrison as Waldo Geraldo Faldo
Guest[]
Recurring[]
- Telma Hopkins as Rachel Crawford
- Gary LeRoi Gray as Little G
Cameo[]
- Shanga Kyle Parker as Lyle (credited as S. Kyle Parker)
- Tasha Taylor as Girl at Party
- Terri J. Vaughn as Girl #1 at Party
Gallery[]
.jpg "Beta Chi Guy (2).jpg (129 KB)")
Trivia[]
- Telma Hopkins returns in a recurring guest role as Rachel. Rachel's absences from the previous season weren't explained so it's presumed that Rachel still lived with the Winslows during Season 5 she just wasn't around as much as she was the during first four seasons.
- Laura would face issues of her own in Revenge of the Nerd when she learns the truth in how an elite sorority treats Urkel and the other nerds. Unlike Eddie who learned a hard lesson in valuing his friendship with Steve after giving into peer pressure in selfishly ending it to join the fraternity, Laura stands up for him and refuses to join their sorority until they change their policy around Urkel.
- Waldo should've warned Steve not to go to the frat party that Eddie's hosting that night and stay home.
Quotes[]
- Eddie: [at the frat party] Steve, why are you wearing a toga?
- Urkel: Well why aren't you? For that matter... why isn't everybody?
- Laura: You're lucky, you got into a great fraternity... and all it cost you was your best friend.
- Eddie: Steve told you?
- Laura: He didn't need to. I could hear him sobbing in his suspension chamber.
- Richie: We're going to play with these toys for 30 days and return them, like Uncle Carl's going to do with his peanut helmet.
- Carl: Richie, I get the money back if the helmet breaks.
- Richie: I can break all this stuff.