Busted is the nineteenth episode of the second season of Family Matters, which aired on ABC on February 15, 1991. It was directed by Richard Correll and written both by David W. Duclon and Fred Fox Jr.
Synopsis[]
Both father and son each have a lesson in confessing their mistakes. Eddie dents the family car, and in order to obtain the funds and repair the damage without Carl noticing, he and Urkel visit a local bakery that is the front for an illegal gambling operation. Steve wins $32,000, but as they are about to leave, the police show up and arrest them. Meanwhile, Carl accidentally scatters Harriette and Rachel's great aunt's ashes into a trash can with chimney ashes after mistaking it for a candy tin. He must deal with the consequences of his actions when Harriette finds out, along with disciplining Eddie for wrecking his beloved car with his reckless driving.
Plot[]
The scene begins with Steve reading to a curious Richie about insects and athlete's foot which disgusts Judy completely, after she has come in the kitchen from roller skating with her friends. She tells him that cockroaches are disgusting, and she doesn't want to be around them. However, Urkel tricks her into believing there's a cockroach in the kitchen which horrifies her. Steve says got you and leaves the house while Richie laughs at her.
Laura is underwhelmed by Steve's dancing flower gift with his vocals and demands to know why he give this. Urkel replies because he loves her that's why. A few minutes later, Eddie comes home and knows he's in serious trouble. Laura asks him why he would think that way. Eddie reveals that for the second time in a matter of months, his reckless driving has landed him in a serious bind when he dents his father's car and that he needs only $800 dollars to get it fixed. He asks how he will ever get his hands on that kind of cash. Laura suggests that Eddie should do the right thing by going to their father and confess to his crimes. She mentions that while Carl will be angry at him at first, Eddie would be grounded for a lesser amount of time. He refuses to listen to her and tells her to get real. Laura tells to do what Eddie had always done before, compound the problem and make it worse. She wouldn't be surprised that it ended up being his grave and gives him the dancing flower to put on his headstone, afterwards she goes into the kitchen and is not seen again for the remainder of the episode. Urkel's suggests that they go to Mom's Bakery, using the Urkel family's sixth sense of winning. Eddie takes his advice to head down to Mom's Bakery, which hosts an illegal, underground casino.
Meanwhile, Harriette and Rachel are put in charge with spreading their late Aunt Clotilda's ashes in Lake Michigan. Unfortunately, Carl mistakes the urn for a candy jar and dumps the ashes in the hefty bag as an attempt to clean it out. This would be a mistake he will later regret.
At Mom's Bakery, Eddie and Steve are dressed in tuxedos, wanting to gamble. Urkel recites the code to get in but can't remember how to get out. He reassures Eddie that they'll be fine and they should blend in, while he uses the Urkel Winning Technique. He eventually finds an empty slot and tells Eddie to feed the machine. He does and they're excited that they won some money.
At the house, Carl complains about having to rent a three-hour boat so tells them they'll have to wait another hour to get Aunt Clotilda. Harriette tells him there's no need and he gets confused. He asks them if that gold tin is a candy jar, she said no it isn't. Then Rachel reveals that it's a urn and that their relative is in there. Soon he convinces them to leave it with him because he's coming with them. Then, Carl frantically covers up the situation by putting a mixture of their Aunt Clotilda's ashes with the ashes of a fire log and apologizes for his stupidity.
Back at Mom's Bakery in the underground casino, Eddie and Steve are raking in the cash with all their wins and they can get the dent on Carl's car fixed fast with the $32,000. When Urkel wants to continue on with playing Craps, Eddie decides they had enough and wants to go home. Steve reassures him that there's nothing bad that will happen to them and that they will leave with the money as soon as he finishes his last game of Craps. Unfortunately, the cops raid the party, and they are taken to jail with the other gamblers.
After their trip in Lake Michigan, a weeping Rachel is taken into the kitchen with Mother Winslow, relieved that Aunt Clotilda is at peace. Soon Carl confesses to his crime and angers Harriette. However, her anger won't match his, especially after Eddie calls home and tells them he's in jail because he and Steve were caught gambling during the police raid of Mom's Bakery.
Later on, Carl has brought Eddie home from the police station after dropping Steve off at the Urkel house. He orders Eddie to stop looking for Steve who is going to have the same discipline with his father, Dr. Herb Urkel. Carl disciplines him for not coming to him about the truth on the dent on his beloved car and ground him for three weeks. Plus, he's to stay away from his car until it learns self-defense. Eddie leaves to sleep it off but the matter is far from over as Harriette disciplines Carl for trying to cover up his mistake by having them spread half of the ashes of a log in Lake Michigan and dumping the rest of her aunt's ashes into a hefty bag. She punishes him by taking her to Chez Josephine's for dinner and tells him to hit the sack.
Cast[]
Main[]
- Reginald VelJohnson as Carl Winslow
- Jo Marie Payton as Harriette Winslow (credited as Jo Marie Payton-France)
- Rosetta LeNoire as Estelle Winslow
- Darius McCrary as Eddie Winslow
- Kellie Shanygne Williams as Laura Winslow
- Jaimee Foxworth as Judy Winslow
- Bryton James as Richie Crawford (credited as Bryton McClure)
- Jaleel White as Steve Urkel
- Telma Hopkins as Rachel Crawford
Guest[]
- Felicia M. Bell as Woman
- John Mariano as Stickman
- Ken Kerman as Cop
- Tom Milanovich as Guard
- Georgy Paul
Trivia[]
- Carl's lecture "When you make a mistake, you 'fess up to it" is repeated in "Money Out the Window", after learning from Urkel about Eddie gambling again and his selling of a prized stamp.
- After this episode, Steve learned from his mistakes in gambling and now warns Eddie against it.
- Laura only appears in one scene.
Goofs[]
- After the woman kisses Urkel at the craps table, the lipstick stain disappears from his mouth between shots.
Quotes[]
- Eddie: I dented the car.
- Urkel: Oh, land sakes alive, man. A few months ago you rammed the car through the living room. And now this. How in Sam Hill did you ever get your license?
- Carl: [after bringing Eddie home from jail] Now Edward, stop looking around for Steve. He's having the same discussion with his father. Now let me get this straight, you dented the car then instead of admitting to it, you got yourself involved in gambling. Does that about cover it?
- Eddie: Yes, sir.
- Carl: [pulls up a chair] Sit down, Edward.
- [Eddie sits down and Carl grabs his hair]
- Carl: Edward Arthur Winslow, son, I'm ashamed of you. Don't you know when you make a mistake, you fess up to it? Trying to cover it up only makes things worse.
- Eddie: Yes, sir.
- Carl: But, apparently you seem want to learn it the hard way. Well, so be it. You're grounded for three weeks and you are to stay away from my car until it learns self-defense. Okay hit the sack. Well that's taken care of.
- [Carl turns to face Harriette who's ready to scold him the same way as he did to Eddie.]
- Harriette: Now let me get this straight. You dumped one of my relatives in a Hefty bag. Then instead of admitting it, you let us spread a log in Lake Michigan. Does that about cover it?
- Carl: Yes, ma'am.
- Harriette: [pulls up a chair] Sit down, Carl.
- [Carl sits down]
- Harriette: [grabbing Carl's hair] Carl...
- [Takes her hand away, looking at it before placing it on top of his head instead]
- Harriette: Carl Otis Winslow, I'm ashamed of you. When you make a mistake, fess up to it! Trying to cover it up only makes things worse.
- Carl: Yes ma'am.
- Harriette: But, apparently, you seem to want to learn these things the hard way. So be it. You're taking me to dinner at Chez Josephine's.
- Carl: Yes, ma'am.
- Harriette: Okay, let's hit the sack.
- Carl: [excitedly] Yes, ma'am!
- Carl: Edward. Sure, I got a moment. You're WHERE?!
- Harriette: Carl, what's wrong?
- Carl: Edward is in jail.
- Harriette: What happened?
- Carl: He and Steve got busted for gambling!