It's a Mad, Mad Mad House is the seventeenth episode of the fourth season of Family Matters, which aired on ABC on February 19, 1993. It was directed by John Tracy and written by Regina Stewart.
Synopsis[]
After Eddie pulls a classroom prank, his teacher (Debra Jo Rupp) wants to refer him to the principal. Knowing he could face dismissal from the basketball team for this offense, he relates a sob story about how he comes from a dysfunctional family. The teacher is so upset that she later confides in Urkel, who recommends that she pay a visit to this family, unaware that she is talking about the Winslows. What Ms. Connors observes is exactly what Eddie described: she sees a highly chaotic household, thanks in part to Harriette having gone "on strike" after she became frustrated with her family constantly henpecking her. Having ignored Mother Winslow's warning not to push her, they must endure fending for themselves.
Plot[]
At the Winslow house, Richie, Judy and Laura are playing Monopoly when Harriette comes home with the house in a mess. Laura and Judy blow her off and henpeck her for their stuff. Eddie and Carl make it worse by annoying Harriette for their own things. Estelle confronts the family for adding to her stress, pointing out that Harriette does not have the time to help them pick up their stuff or clean the house herself.
Practical jokester Eddie gets caught misbehaving in class; this time, he puts a picture of a bikini-clad girl on a pull-down chart, which his math teacher Ms. Vivian Connors, fails to notice initially, although Steve does and tells her. However, after the bell rings and the students are leaving, Waldo reminds Eddie to retrieve his poster. Ms. Connors tells Eddie to go to Principal Shimata's office, to which Eddie pleads against as getting in trouble with Shimata again would cause him to remove him from the basketball team. So to keep his spot on the team, he tells Ms. Connors that he has problems at home with his family. This upsets Ms. Connors, who after Eddie leaves, pours out her sorrows to Urkel, who unaware that the family she is talking about are the Winslows, encourages her to investigate the matter.
Meanwhile at the Winslow home the next day, Harriette's family is still nagging her for stuff as soon as she comes home. Reprimanding them, she mentions that they ignored the warning by caring for their own interests and will pay the price for their ignorance announcing she is on strike. After Harriette leaves, Eddie cluelessly asks Carl if that is legal and he is hit with a tin pan.
Five days later, Harriette continues her strike by reading a book in a dirty house. Laura comes in with Mother Winslow's evening dress from the dry cleaner and complains about the mess. Harriette orders her to clean it up herself because she is still on strike and continues reading. She cleans up some of the mess off the couch and informs her that she has to help Mother Winslow get ready for tonight. Harriette is interested and asks Laura about the special night. She mentions that it is the annual Charity Bachelor's Auction at the Senior Citizens Home. Harriette asks Laura if she remembers last year when Estelle bought a date with a retired underwear model. She remembers it very well and her grandmother's reaction. Laura mentions that Mother Winslow immediately demanded her money back after learning that he used to model ladies underwear. Harriette laughs as Laura leaves to help Estelle get ready for the Charity Bachelor's Auction. Carl comes down the stairs in his robe and tells her he does not have anything to wear. He chauvinistically tells her that if she wants to continue playing the strike game with the kids, that is fine with him. However, she crossed the line with him and he wants her to do his laundry. He continues demanding her to clean up the mess and his old clothes (ripped jeans and bandana) because he needs them for his undercover drug bust for tonight. Harriette refuses and tells her sexist husband off that she will not do the laundry as long as she is on strike. She mentions that if Carl needs them for tonight, he will have to wash his clothes himself and leaves him in the living room.
Later on, Ms. Connors takes Urkel's advice to investigate the troubled family. She is immediately disgusted and horrified by what she sees at the Winslow House. Ms. Connors sees Richie is cooking dinner, Laura and Mother Winslow discussing her buying men (unaware it's a charity auction at the senior citizen home) and Carl screaming at Harriette for not getting his clothes ready. He claims he likes wearing his old clothes when he buys drugs (without saying he is working undercover). Ms. Connors believes this is what Eddie is talking about when he mentions there are things going on in his home. She tries to bolt for the door and leave. However, Carl catches her and asks what she is doing here. Ms. Connors informs them that she is Eddie's math teacher and confronts the Winslows about their influence on him. Harriette states that they are a loving family but she's not convinced. This is because she had observed the family's behavior earlier: children in dirty clothes, the grandmother buying men and Carl shouting at Harriette. Ms. Connors claims she is just relieved that Eddie is only pulling harmless pranks in her class in comparison to how the Winslow adults behaved.
Steve and Eddie return home. Connors hugs Eddie, who reprimands Steve for convincing her to investigate the matter personally. After Steve leaves, Carl states that they are a loving family but Ms. Connors is not convinced by it. Harriette offers to explain to Ms. Connors about what is really going in the house while Carl hauls Eddie to the kitchen for an explanation.
In the kitchen, Carl informs Eddie that he is very upset with him and that the families who live in abusive and dysfunctional situations are not something he should joke about. Harriette comes in soon after and she informs him that Ms. Connors has understood why Carl mentioned he was buying drugs and the house was under three feet of trash, although Harriette could not explain Estelle's comments about 'buying men.'
Carl tells the family they must help out with the cleaning of the house but gives Harriette money to take the family out to dinner, claiming that they would come home to a spotless house. As they exit the living room towards the kitchen, the doorbell rings and Carl opens the front door to let in a cleaning crew whom he hired.
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 McClure as Richie Crawford
- Jaleel White as Steve Urkel
- Telma Hopkins as Rachel Crawford (credit only)
- Shawn Harrison as Waldo Geraldo Faldo
Guest[]
- Debra Jo Rupp as Vivian Connors
- Tom Kindle as Himself
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- This episode is intended to be the eleventh episode of Season Four, and was originally scheduled to air on November 27, 1992.
- Despite airing out of order as "Season 4, Episode 17", it is correctly listed and placed as "Season 4, Episode 11" on home video DVD releases as well as on streaming services.
- Debra Jo Rupp as Vivian Connors was initially written to be a recurring role on the show but Rupp couldn’t agree on a contract with producers and elected to just sign on to the one episode.[citation needed]
Quotes[]
- Ms. Connors: [oblivious to a poster of a woman in a swimsuit behind her] Play with them, see how much fun they can be! Once you get to know them, you'll wonder how you ever lived without them. What is so funny?
- Steve: Vivian! Look at the chart! There's a girl with enormous boom-booms!
- Carl: Harriette, would you please explain to Ms. Connors that we are a very loving family?
- Harriette: I'll try.
- Carl: Good. While you're doing that I'll be in the kitchen killing our son.