I Should Have Done Something is the twenty-fifth episode of the second season finale in this television sitcom Family Matters, which was aired from ABC on May 3, 1991. It was directed by Richard Correll and written by David W. Duclon.
Plot[]
Carl is haunted by the memory of a hostage killing. Although he earned a commendation for his work in capturing a convenience store robber, he was unable to prevent the suspect from killing his elderly hostage Charles Mallory and for a year since it happened, he kept second guessing himself whether he could’ve stopped the suspect and saved Mallory but the victim's widow, Helen, assures Carl that he was not at fault. Urkel receives Johnny Gill tickets and he uses them as a chance to get a date with Laura.
Synopsis[]
Helen Mallory
At the beginning of the episode, Laura complains that she has been unable to get tickets to a Johnny Gill concert as they are sold out everywhere. As an attempt to get a date with Laura, Steve successfully purchases two and she reluctantly agrees to go with him. Carl comes home from work in a grumpy mood and demands to know why Eddie did not empty the incinerator and Harriette says that he will do it the following day. As he goes to get a glass of milk, he finds the carton to be empty. Harriette sarcastically says that the kids and her are draining the house of milk and root beer and will not stop until they have made his life a living hell. She asks Carl if he is feeling fine & he assists that he is in a "fair" mood.
At first, Carl does not want to talk about what is bothering him but he reluctantly agrees and states that the following day will be the first anniversary that he unfortunately could not save an elderly man who was taken hostage by a convenience store robber. Harriette states that it was not his fault and that he got a commendation for arresting the robber but Carl says that even though that may be true, an innocent person was killed and he cannot let go of it. At 3 o'clock in the morning, he watches the news report from a year ago and Harriette again tries to persuade him to let the incident go but he says that knows that it was not his fault in his head but he is not sure that he knows it in his heart. Meanwhile, Estelle is reading her "Hunk of a Month" calendar when Steve asks her for advice about using the tickets to get Laura to go with him to the concert. Estelle says that she cannot believe that he would try to use blackmail but she does reassure him that she will come around.
At the local cemetery, Carl visits Charles Mallory's grave and says that he sees the hostage situation again and again in his head but not the "one fraction of a second" that he could have stopped the robber and saved Charles. He apologizes in tears that he did not make a move sooner. He then meets Helen Mallory, Charles's elderly wife, who states that before he died, they were at home watching TV when she mentioned that she wanted ice cream and Charles said that he would go to the store to get some. She says that for a long time, she felt that if she never asked him to go the store, then he would still be alive. Carl assures her that there was no possible way she could have known that would have happened and it was not her fault. Helen says that she knows that now but it took her a long time to realize that and that Carl must realize that it is not his fault either. They both put their flowers on Charles's grave and accept his passing together.
Carl then comes home and apologizes for his behavior by treating the family to dinner & a movie. Steve then comes in and informs Laura that he is not going to the concert & she can take Maxine Johnson instead. Laura eagerly goes to call up Maxine, but then her conscience kicks in at the last minute. Not wanting to look like a pushover, however, she cleverly figures out a way to live with this date: she accuses him of trying to trick her. “Steve, if I take these tickets, I’ll owe you. I’ll owe you BIG. And you’re just sneaky enough to use that to make me go out with you later! Well, I’m not falling for it! Forget it, Steve, you’re dating me TONIGHT!” And Steve happily “surrenders”, “If you insist!”
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 (credit only)
- Kellie Shanygne Williams as Laura Winslow
- Jaimee Foxworth as Judy Winslow (credit only)
- Bryton McClure as Richie Crawford (credited as Bryton McClure, credit only)
- Jaleel White as Steve Urkel
- Telma Hopkins as Rachel Crawford
Guest[]
- Beah Richards as Helen
- Tiiu Leek as Karen Kosta
- Ron Tank as Anchor Man
Trivia[]
This is one of the few episodes to be given a PG rating when it comes on TV, even though more suggestive episodes like 'Like a Virgin' and 'Getting Buff' have been given a G rating.
Eddie does not appear in this episode, but he is mentioned.
Quotes[]
- Carl: Typical. It is always tomorrow with that boy. "Clean up your room, Edward." "Tomorrow, Dad!" "Take out the trash, Edward." "Tomorrow, Dad!" "Pass the salt, Edward." "Tomorrow, Dad!" (goes to the refrigerator) No root beer? When are you going to the store?
- Harriette: Tomorrow, dear.
- Carl: Which one of our gangster children did this?
- Harriette: Did what?
- Carl: Left an empty carton of milk in the refrigerator! I hate that! I open up the refrigerator door and I see milk. I get my hopes up, and then they're dashed!
- Harriette: It's a plot, Carl. The kids and I are deliberately draining this house of milk and root beer. We're not going to stop until we've made your life a living hell.
- Carl: Well it's working, Harriette. It's reeeeeally working!
- Harriette: Why are you in such a fowl mood?
- Carl: I am not.
- Harriette: You most certainly are!
- Carl: Let's get one thing straight here, this is my mood, and I should know if it's fowl or not. And it's not fowl, it's...fair. I am in a fair mood.
- Harriette: Fair enough, Carl.
- Carl: Um... Mr. Mallory, my name is Carl Winslow, and I'm a police officer. Lastly, I guess you know who I am. But I came here to get something off my chest, Mr. Mallory. You know what happened. Happened a year ago. But what happened... happens again and again in my mind. I close my eyes at night. I see that man... holding you. (chokes up) I see that... that gun... pressed against your head... and I see the fear on your face. But what I don't see, Mr. Mallory... is that one second, that one... fraction of a second when I could've taken him down. It was there… it HAD to be there. If I had seen it, and done something, you might be alive today, Mr. Mallory. But I missed it! And I just wanna say... that I'm so sorry, Mr. Mallory. I'm so very sorry...
- (Carl puts a hand over his face as he breaks down crying. Helen Mallory quietly approaches him as she introduces herself.)
- Helen: Officer?
- Carl: (in tears): Oh, yes? (sniffs)
- Helen: (to Carl while at the cemetery): I'm Helen Mallory, Charles was my husband.
- Carl: Oh. Mrs. Mallory.
- (They shake hands.)
- Helen: Let's... sit a moment.
- (Carl and Helen walk to a bench and sit as Carl wipes his eyes with a handkerchief.)
- Helen: I should apologize for listening to you.
- Carl: No, that's all right.
- Helen: Can I ask you something?
- Carl: Oh, sure.
- Helen: Do you ever ask yourself why you had to be the policeman who got there first?
- Carl: Mrs. Mallory, I ask myself that question a million times a day. But I guess you ask yourself, why your husband had to be the one to be there that night.
- Helen: No, I don't. He was there because I asked him to go. We were home watching television and I mentioned that I wanted some ice cream, so Charles said he'd dash to the store. So he got up, cussed the dog for chewing on his hat and... left my life forever. For a long, long time, I found it difficult to live with the fact that if I hadn't asked Charles to go to that store, he would still be with me.
- Carl: Oh, but Mrs. Mallory, there was no possible way you could've known what would happen. It wasn't your fault.
- Helen: I know, but it took me a long time to realize that and now you must realize that it wasn't your fault either. OK?
- [Carl nods, Helen puts flowers on Charles' grave and they hug]
- Urkel (to Estelle): I bought two tickets to a concert that Laura wants to go to and offered to take her as my, get this, date!
- Estelle: Ooh, that's nice!
- Urkel: Well, no, it's not nice!
- Estelle: It's not?
- Urkel: Well, Laura doesn't want a date with me.
- Estelle: Are you sure?
- Urkel: Positive. When I suggested it, her lovely eyes were momentarily clouded with nausea.
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