It Didn't Happen One Night is the second episode of the fifth season of Family Matters, which aired on ABC on October 1, 1993. It was directed by Gary Menteer and written both by Joseph Cvar and Gary Menteer.
Synopsis[]
Laura oversleeps on the morning of a huge cheerleader competition in Cincinnati, Ohio and asks Urkel to drive her there in his BMW Isetta. She quickly becomes frustrated with the car's currently slow speed, and in trying to get Steve to drive faster, causes it to break down. The two of them are eventually forced to bunk together in a low-rent motel where Laura really gets frustrated. Eventually, Urkel becomes a little too irked at Laura's attitude and stands up to her. Meanwhile, Carl gets annoyed as Fletcher and Estelle continually express love for each other in public, which is something he never does with Harriette. He also makes an inept attempt to fix the kitchen window after Steve broke it by jumping through it.
Plot[]
Laura misses her bus to Cincinnati because she overslept and was overly excited about the cheerleading competition. The only driver she has to take her is Steve Urkel, since her parents are unavailable to take her due to work and Eddie refuses to take her because his car's in the shop.
At the house, Carl has once more refused to heed Harriette's admonition to hire a qualified professional to fix the kitchen window and get the job done properly. He attempts at another DIY in fixing it after Steve jumps through window (after hearing Laura's distressed screams in her sleeping in and missing her bus). Carl is able to finally prove her wrong for once that fixing things is a talent that he does have. Harriette finally admits he did a good job fixing the window. Carl has a brief moment of victory before breaking the window again. Harriette then tells him to go call a professional.
Laura is fed up with the Isetta's slow speed and wrecks his car by stomping on the gas to speed it up. She's even more upset with the prospect of being stuck in a motel room with him. Laura continuously plays the blame game on him for what happened to her.
Later on, Carl gets annoyed with both Fletcher and Estelle as they continually express love for each other in public. He tells them that they should keep it in private and not bring everyone else involved. That is, until Harriette expresses how upset she is at him because of his own inability to express how he feels about her in public. Carl tries to defend himself by telling her that he likes to keep his feelings in their own house, however, she refuses to hear any of it and tells him off that he should take a lesson form both of Fletcher and Estelle. She leaves and an angry Carl, pull out his megaphone from his police bag and tells the entire neighborhood about his love for his wife. Harriette is happy and sounds off that Carl needs to go to bed.
At the motel, Laura refuses to share her doubled bed with Urkel after his cot tries to choke him and orders that he sleeps in the bathtub. Steve initially agrees, but refuses, stating that it was he who offered to drive her up to Cincinnati for the competition, and she repaid him by ruining his car, and that he used all his remaining money to fix the car and rent their motel room for the night. Finally, he tells Laura that just because she doesn't love him back, it doesn't mean she can continue treating him like dirt, and demands to be treated with respect. Laura apologizes for taking his kindness and their friendship for granted and offers him the bed while she takes the bathtub.
Steve then suggests that they both sleep in the double bed, with Laura under the covers while he sleeps over the covers, with enough space so that they don't touch each other. Laura turns off the light and asks Steve if he had any thoughts while sharing a bed with her, to which Steve replies that he has not had any impure thoughts in this situation and that if he did, God could strike him dead. Immediately after saying this, a bright flash of lightning illuminates the room and thunder booms, and Steve quickly adds that maybe he had just one impure thought.
In the end credits, Urkel and Laura make it to Cincinnati. However, a favorite polka song of Steve's begins playing and he pulls over so he can get out of the car and dance to it on the road.
Cast[]
Main[]
- Reginald VelJohnson as Carl Winslow
- Jo Marie Payton as Harriette Winslow (credited as Jo Marie Payton-Noble)
- Rosetta LeNoire as Estelle Winslow
- Darius McCrary as Eddie Winslow
- Kellie Shanygne Williams as Laura Winslow
- Bryton McClure as Richie Crawford (credited as Bryton McClure, credit only)
- Jaleel White as Steve Urkel
- Shawn Harrison as Waldo Geraldo Faldo (credit only)
Guest[]
Recurring[]
- Arnold Johnson as Fletcher Thomas
Gallery[]
.jpg "It Didn't Happen One Night (2).jpg (30 KB)")
Trivia[]
- This marks Arnold Johnson's final appearance as Fletcher Thomas. Fletcher would be recast with Whitman Mayo and then Edmund Cambridge in subsequent appearances.
- Steve's BMW Isetta now has a speedometer; in "Driving Carl Crazy", Carl asked where the speedometer was, to which Urkel replied that the car did not have one at the time.
Quotes[]
- Laura: Steve, could you go a little faster? We're getting dirty looks from old people!
- Urkel: But I'm going the recommended cruising speed for this vehicle! Any more could be risky.
- Laura: Let's just take that risk. Let's just get there! [stomps on his foot that's on the gas pedal]
- Urkel: Land sakes, woman! Have you taken leave of your senses?
- Laura: How fast are we going now?
- Urkel: Gee, I don't know, the speedometer only goes to thirty.
- [The car breaks down and Urkel looks at Laura]
- Laura: Did I do that?
- Urkel Look, I love you with all my heart. But just because you don't love me back, doesn't give you the right to treat me like dirt! I'm a person, I have feelings, and I demand to be treated with my respect and dignity.
- Laura: You're right.
- Urkel: Laura, not only do I love you, I respect you. I would never try to make a move on you.
- Laura: Oh, come on, Steve. It never entered your mind?
- Urkel: Absolutely not. Why, if I've had one single impure thought, may God strike me dead. [lightning flashes] Well, maybe one.
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