Food, Lies and Videotape is the seventeenth episode of the third season of Family Matters, which aired on ABC on February 7, 1992. It was directed by John Tracy and written by Stephen Langford.
Synopsis[]
Urkel enrolls in a home economics course (just because Laura is in the same class) but he soon learns that he's simply not cut out to cook right now. Waldo discovers he has a hidden culinary talent. Richie accidentally breaks Carl's video camera.
Plot[]
In the B-Story, Laura tells Steve over the telephone that he isn't invited for breakfast with her family. She asks him not to make an exception for him because his phone call is distracting her from her surprise breakfast meal she's making for them. Laura freaks out when she notices the oven burning from the distraction and Steve rushes in to extinguish the fire with the fire extinguisher.
Harriette comes downstairs and asks what happened. Laura explains she was trying to surprise the family by cooking breakfast for them. Steve's call distracted her so much that she didn't notice the stove burning. Harriette turns off the oven and points out she put it on 550 degrees. Laura explains she wanted to make a quick breakfast to surprise the family with. She just wanted to start cooking because when she goes to college she will be gone for four years and wants to be independent so she doesn't have to call for pizza. Harriette offers to teach Laura but she refuses and decides to enroll in a Home Economics class. When she asks about the reasons, Laura points out she is an abrasive and impatient teacher. She reminds Harriette about the last time she tried to learn sewing. She got Laura so nervous, she pricked her finger with the needle and got her finger stuck on the thimble that they ended up in the hospital for a few hours getting it removed. Harriette is finally convinced to let her sign up to the class.
Meanwhile, Carl has just purchased a video camera for him to record his family. He tells Mother Winslow that he plans to use it to record them during family trips and special occasions. Carl mentions that no one except him is allowed to use this video camera. Unfortunately, Richie gets his hand on it and with Judy, they catch Eddie kissing his girlfriend, Vonda, in the living room, when he is supposed to study. When they are caught, he asks the two about what they are doing. Richie intends to send the tape to America's Yuckiest Home Videos. Humiliated, Vonda leaves Eddie as he tries to chase after her. Soon Richie accidentally breaks the video camera.
Laura, Steve and Waldo are three of the students that have enrolled in the Home Economics classroom. Laura's trying to learn how to cook, Steve's trying to get close to her and Waldo believes it'll be a surefire "D". Miss Steuben, who is teaching the class, tells Waldo she overheard him and expects him to try his best. She freaks out upon seeing Urkel because she had been his teacher in another class and he had promised her that he wouldn't enroll into a class she taught in.
The first assignment is to bake a loaf of bread. Laura learns from Miss Steuben that she has to time things and organize after she has some trouble and cooks her watch into the loaf. Cassie Lynn is in the class because she thinks it's an easy trip back into being on the cheerleading squad. She refuses to accept that she can't rely on her looks and be a cover girl all the time. She tries to cheat her way into a good grade by buying already made bread, pretending to bake it and wearing plastic gloves to keep her hands clean. Miss Steuben isn't fooled by this, notices this attitude and admonishes Cassie Lynn for not trying at all. She points out that Home Economics isn't an easy course and tells Cassie Lynn that passing means that she must learn to cook like everyone else by getting her hands dirty. She proves her point by putting uncooked dough in Cassie Lynn's hand, to the latter's disgust.
Miss Steuben mentions that if Cassie Lynn keeps up her current behavior, she will flunk. Waldo surprises Miss Steuben with a fully cooked Turkey and she asks him about the loaf of bread she assigned him to do. He then uncovers it and since he was done early, he decided to make stuffing, then he needed something to put the stuffing in, so he got the turkey. She is so amazed at how good a cook he is. Over the next few days Miss Steuben even has Waldo cater a special party at her house and pays him. When it came time for Steve to present his bread, Miss Steuben notices it's flat and his pep talk isn't helping matters. She gives him a C for his effort. Steve is so upset at how he didn't do well. Miss Steuben tells him to get a hold of himself and it's not the end of the world. Steve points out to him that it's because he has never gotten any lower than an A, fears of losing his high GPA standing and in retrospect his chances of going to MIT.
The next assignment is to cook poultry. Miss Steuben notices Steve isn't cooking his bird and confronts him. He mentions that he wasn't happy with his grade for his previous assignment in bread and wants make up for it by introducing a new invention of his called Urk-Yeast. He tries to bake a loaf of bread and hopefully will have enough time to make his bird. Cassie Lynn bemoans over everything as she makes her chicken. Miss Steuben reminds her this is the first step into being independent but she ignores this. Laura impresses Miss Steuben with her Turkey. Waldo impresses her with his rendition of Goose Au Couq and Crème Brulee. Steve then shouts at everyone to evacuate at once because his Urk-Yeast has mutated and is out of control. The oven blows open with all the bread dough pouring out of the oven and making a big mess all over the floor.
While everyone else escapes, he, Miss Steuben and Waldo attempt to do damage control by containing it. Waldo grabs pots and more containers to catch the mutated yeast. Laura tells Cassie Lynn they have to go back to help. She refuses, not wanting to damage her cashmere sweater. She refuses to hear none of it and drags both herself and Cassie Lynn to the oven to help Steve, Waldo and Miss Steuben contain the yeast.
With Rachel's help, Richie confesses to the whole thing to Carl. Though he is pleased that Richie has confessed, Carl must also deal with Eddie's studying skills (or lack thereof) after he watches a recording of him kissing his girlfriend, Vonda.
Urkel comes in the messy classroom and apologizes to Miss Steuben for stressing her out. He informs her that the janitor refuses to come up to clean the classroom and opted for early retirement due to being fed up with having to clean up the mess from his antics. When Miss Steuben claims she deserves an F and plans to quit teaching, Steve snaps her out of it and points out it was because of her that he, Laura and Waldo learned valuable life lessons. He admits to Miss Steuben that he has accepted that he isn't cut out to a chef but that won't stop him from trying new things. To Steve, this was a lesson Miss Steuben was trying to teach and him being overzealous in wanting to keep his high GPA standing had prevented him from learning this. Laura learned how to make her meals properly rather than rushing through them like she is in a hurry. Waldo learned he has an ability as a chef and not only he has honed in on it, he also has respect for himself and others through Miss Steuben. This brings some comfort to her knowing that Steve and a few of her class members have learned life lessons from her.
Cast[]
Main[]
- Reginald VelJohnson as Carl Winslow
- Jo Marie Payton as Harriette Winslow
- 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[]
Recurring[]
- Shawn Harrison as Waldo Geraldo Faldo
- Danielle Nicolet as Vonda Mahoney
- Kim Valentine as Cassie Lynn
- Susan Krebs as Ms. Steuben
Trivia[]
- This episode is the beginning of Waldo's path to becoming a chef.
- This is the only time Steve gets a grade that's lower than an A.
- This episode marks the last appearance of Ms. Steuben.
Goofs[]
- When Carl comes in with his camera recording, he closes the door immediately upon entrance, however in the camera's point of view on the left of the screen the door is still open, when camera cuts back to a wide shot the door is closed then open again between shots until he goes to Mother Winslow.
Quotes[]
- Carl: This baby has a remote. I'll be in all the videos.
- Estelle: Then you'll need a wide-angle lenses.
- Vonda: Eddie, what do you want?
- Eddie: Heh. A kiss would be nice.
- Vonda: We're supposed to be studying history. Ahem. Now, what did President Roosevelt say to Joseph Stalin at the Yalta Summit?
- Eddie: Kiss me, baby.
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