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Season 4 is the fourth season of Family Matters which was aired on ABC. The first ("Surely You Joust") episode premiered on Friday September 18, 1992, and concluded on Friday May 14, 1993, with this episode "Buds 'n' Buns". The season consists of 24 episodes. Every episode was directed by Richard Correll, Gary Menteer, John Tracy and Jeffrey Ganz. It was release from DVD (Region 1) on February 4, 2014.

Plot

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Official poster on Family Matters (season 4)

Starting in season four, Carl realizes that he must start playing with Urkel in American Gladiator's for Waldo's cousin named Sabre. Estelle Winslow proposes to Fletcher and they become married. Laura and Ted is going to end this relationship, after that Laura has no one to love in Valentine's Day when Urkel pays her a visit. In the season finale, Eddie finds out that he is offering the job in Mighty Wienie and Urkel was it relationship with Myra.

Opening credits

The show's opening sequence for this season has been updated as all actors/actresses all have new opening title cards (except for Telma Hopkins as hers has remained the same since Season 2 & is only shown when she appears in episodes of THIS season):

Carl: walks into the Winslow home & tosses his hat on the coat rack

Harriette: watering her flowers outside the house,

Estelle: dressed to play tennis as she poses with her tennis racket

Eddie: tuning up the engine of his car

Laura: standing in front of the mirror, trying on some of her clothes

Judy: on the living room sofa, doing her homework

Richie: is riding his bicycle

Waldo: tossing a basketball (and someone off-camera tosses the ball back to him as it bounces off his head)

Steve: trying to enter the Winslow home w/ the family blocking the door to keep him from entering

Rachel: (same since Season 2) placing a Rachel's Place menu on the table & poses

Cast

Main

Portrayed by Character
Reginald VelJohnson Carl Winslow
Jo Marie Payton Harriette Winslow
Rosetta LeNoire Estelle Winslow
Darius McCrary Eddie Winslow
Kellie Shanygne Williams Laura Winslow
Jaimee Foxworth Judy Winslow
Bryton McClure Richie Crawford
Jaleel White Steve Urkel
Telma Hopkins Rachel Crawford
Shawn Harrison Waldo Geraldo Faldo

Recurring

Portrayed by Character
Cherie Johnson Maxine Johnson
Michelle Thomas Myra Monkhouse
Shavar Ross Alex (Weasel) Park
Clyde Kusatsu Principal Shimata
Naya Rivera Gwendolyn
Patrick J. Dancy Ted Curran
Arnold Johnson Fletcher Thomas

Changes

Jaimee Foxworth departs from the series after the episode "Mama's Wedding", although she is credited until episode 96, also Telma Hopkins is a semi regular starting with the episode "Just One Date" before she departs this series after the season finale episode "Buds 'n' Buns" (and later returning as a recurring cast member in season 6). Shawn Harrison joined the main cast members. Michelle Thomas recurs.

Reception

While the fourth season would begin the downward trend critically for the show, it remains a very beloved season to fans. The season garnered praise for the development of the younger characters. In regards to the younger characters high school lives, this is often considered the best season.

Episodes

Season four consists of 24 episodes.

No. in
series
No. in
season
Title Original air date Director Writer(s)
73 1 Surely You Joust September 18, 1992 John Tracy Fred Fox Jr. and Jim Geoghan
Carl and Urkel get into a feud, and decide the only way to settle their grievances is to compete on American Gladiators, thanks to Waldo's cousin American Gladiator Sabre. During the final round, Carl and Steve realizes where their feud had gotten them and apologize.
74 2 Dance to the Music October 2, 1992 John Tracy Joseph Cvar and Gary Menteer
Laura, a nominee for homecoming queen, sets her sights on a popular jock named Ted and has refused any other dates. Urkel wants to make Laura happy, helps Ted break the ice with her and skips asking her out (this time). Meanwhile, Carl becomes jealous of Harriette's piano teacher (Julius Carry) and is set straight for his behavior. At the homecoming dance, Waldo is Waldo in inviting two girls to the dance and making Eddie very uncomfortable. Laura wins the Homecoming Queen title and asks Urkel to share the dance with her as a token of appreciation for his kindness.
75 3 Driving Carl Crazy October 9, 1992 John Tracy Stephen Langford
Carl is trying to deal with high blood pressure, but instead of listening to his doctor, he takes waiting room advice ("3–2–1, 1–2–3, what the heck is bothering me?"). It's put to the test when Urkel asks him to give him some driving lessons to impress Laura. After Carl suffers a mild health scare, Harriette convinces him to listen to his doctor.
76 4 Rumor Has It... October 16, 1992 Gary Menteer Gary M. Goodrich
Rumor has it that Ted went all the way with Laura on their date. Urkel knows this isn't true and tries to warn Laura about the fast-spreading rumor around school. Laura tells the nerd never to speak to her again, but then Maxine tells her she heard the very same rumors about her and Ted. Laura then enlists Urkel and Eddie to get the truth out into the open. When they do, Ted pins the blame on his friend, Weasel (Shavar Ross), for starting the rumors and Laura ends her relationship with him.
77 5 Number One With a Bullet October 23, 1992 Gary Menteer Fred Fox Jr.
When Steve has to have an emergency appendectomy, Carl thinks he's in store for a few nerd-free days until he is shot in the butt while trying to foil a robbery and winds up sharing the same hospital room as Urkel. But the nerd may prove a helping hand when one of the robbers wants revenge on Carl for having one of his buddies captured.
78 6 Whose Kid Is It Anyway? October 30, 1992 John Tracy Sara V. Finney and Vida Spears
Despite his original promise to take Richie trick-or-treating, Eddie decides to go out on his date and asks Waldo to cover for him. He accidentally brings home another child, which Steve and Laura confront Eddie for breaking his promise. When Rachel finds out, she, Carl and Harriette set Eddie straight and force him to apologize. Also, Steve tries to cure Harriette's insomnia and succeeds when he unwittingly tells Waldo about Carl's back problems, via phone conversation recording. Meanwhile, Rachel dreads going to the annual Halloween party with Carl because of Lt. Murtaugh and his latest attempt to win her over by dressing up as a sofa.
79 7 An Officer and a Waldo November 6, 1992 John Tracy David W. Duclon
When Eddie yells at Waldo over a misunderstanding, Waldo's fragile self-esteem takes a huge hit. His response: Join the US Army reserves. Urkel doesn't hesitate to set Eddie straight and they promptly to go after him just to get him to change his mind. Meanwhile, Harriette must deal with a shady repairman who has a habit for overcharging his clients and of whom Carl threatened with arrest.
80 8 Just One Date November 13, 1992 Gary Menteer Fred Fox Jr.
Urkel, determined to go out with Laura, resorts to his most outlandish trick yet: Camping out on the rooftop of the Winslow home. Meanwhile, Richie tries to fight off the advances of the young girl, Gwendolyn (Naya Rivera), who has just moved to the neighborhood.
81 9 The Oddest Couple November 20, 1992 John Tracy Jim Geoghan
Eddie gets into a fight with Carl over house rules, while Urkel gets into a quarrel with his parents over his scientific experiments constantly going awry. The result: The two become roommates in a run-down apartment. They soon realize it's harder than they think when Eddie's irresponsibility and Steve's science collide! When Carl comes for a visit, Steve proves to be a helping hand to get him and Eddie to reconcile.
82 10 It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Urkel December 11, 1992 John Tracy David W. Duclon and Gary Menteer
While Christmas shopping, Laura really snaps at Urkel for accidentally breaking an expensive crystal ornament, which she had intended to give Harriette as a Christmas gift. She fumes that she wishes he could only see what it's like to be her, then maybe he'd understand. So, Laura's guardian angel, Tyrone (T. K. Carter) grants her wish and Urkel becomes Steve Winslow (in the alternate reality version). However, he points out there's a catch to her wish. In order for Laura to learn her lesson in being careful for what she wishes for, she must walk a mile in Urkel's shoes as Laura Urkel so she'll endure what life is like as him in being yelled at and having her feelings hurt.
83 11 Muskrat Love January 8, 1993 John Tracy Regina Stewart Larsen
While Eddie tries to date a girl that his friends think is undesirable, Laura tries to get Maxine out of a date with Ted that Laura set up. Meanwhile, thinking it would boost her self-esteem, Carl gives Harriette exercise equipment for her birthday, to no surprise, it makes her feel worse. However, Carl is able to save the day and convinces her that he still sees her as beautiful. At the Sadie Hawkins' dance, Eddie stands up to Weasel and gives him a piece of his mind for making him break his date.
84 12 Hot Wheels January 15, 1993 John Tracy Regina Stewart Larsen
Carl buys Eddie a used police car at an auction, hoping the two can restore it together. Only thing is, he would rather bond with Waldo while restoring the beat-up car into a hot rod. Harriette soon sets Eddie straight for it and he decides to let Carl restore the car with him. Meanwhile, Laura meets a guy named Ted selling candy, they quickly attract, and they agree to go out on a date. Soon, there seems to be a little problem with Urkel's new superglue, when it causes the nerd's hand to become bonded with Laura's shoulder.
85 13 The Way the Ball Bounces January 22, 1993 Jeffrey Ganz Stephen Langford
Both Eddie and Laura learn their lesson in education and sleep. In Eddie's case, he is wooed by a slick-talking college recruiter, who wants him only for his basketball skills and not his meager academic credentials. In order to teach him that education is more important than sports, Harriette invites a college student working at a grocery store to explain the dangers of putting basketball over education. While Eddie is enlightened, it also teaches Carl the dangers of encouraging sports over education. Meanwhile, a sleep famished Laura enlists Urkel to cover as her so she can go to the library to study for the PSAT. She later learns a hard lesson that sleep is vital, when she comes home disheveled and stressed out from the library. End Result: Laura finally goes to sleep and Urkel is chased by Carl for being inside her room (a direct violation to his house rules).
86 14 A Thought in the Dark January 29, 1993 Gary Menteer Bob Iles and James R. Stein
Wanting to get Urkel off her back once and for all, Laura asks Ted to set the nerd up. He chooses his cousin, the beautiful Myra Monkhouse (Michelle Thomas), someone who just loves Steve. The foursome head off to a Dave Koz concert, where Waldo is working as an usher. Meanwhile, Harriette discovers that Carl is covering for Judy after she ruined her expensive dress. Soon they discuss when to help out their kids.
87 15 Tender Kisses February 5, 1993 John Tracy Fred Fox Jr. and Jim Geoghan
Unable to get tickets to a Tracie Spencer concert, Eddie, Waldo and Weasel plot to sneak into the singer's hotel room to procure them. Eddie is able to fool the bodyguard by pretending to be a bellboy delivering flowers, but Weasel, disguised as a maid, is caught after insulting the guard and thrown out. Meanwhile, Carl is suspicious when he constantly sees Harriette writing in her diary and gets Urkel to read it to him, only to discover that she had planted a fake diary because she was aware he'll read it anyway and only wanted to teach him a lesson in respecting her personal thoughts.
88 16 Heart Strings February 12, 1993 John Tracy David W. Duclon and Gary Menteer
Laura and Ted agree to end their relationship, and a heartsick Laura has no one to love for Valentine's Day until Urkel pays her a visit. Meanwhile, Richie tries to fight off Gwendolyn who wants him to be her "Daddy Mac"! Also Carl gets into a brief quarrel with Harriette for the way she behaves at a romantic restaurant and eventually they reconcile.
89 17 It's a Mad, Mad, Mad House February 19, 1993 John Tracy Regina Stewart Larsen
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 Miss 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 previous warning not to push her, the rest of the family must endure fending for themselves.
90 18 Higher Anxiety February 26, 1993 Richard Correll Jim Geoghan
Urkel reveals to Eddie that his girlfriend, Oneshia (Mari Morrow), is a two-timer. After he breaks off the relationship, Eddie goes into a week-long depression. Waldo and Urkel try to cheer him up by taking him to a party. When Eddie steps outside to get some air, Waldo and Urkel find him on the fire escape. Worried that Eddie might be contemplating suicide, they go outside to try to convince him to come back inside. However, their combined weight breaks the fire escape. With teamwork, Eddie, Urkel, and Waldo manage to get back inside, and Eddie realizes that his friends are more important than a girl. However, he does take comfort knowing that Oneisha's current boyfriend had his car crushed by a fire escape ladder. Meanwhile, Estelle and her beau, Fletcher, have really advanced their relationship and are contemplating marriage, much to Carl's chagrin, after a white water rafting trip. When Harriette calls him out for hurting his mother, she learns Carl's real reason for not accepting their relationship.
91 19 Mama's Wedding March 5, 1993 Gary Menteer Sara V. Finney and Vida Spears
Carl finally comes to terms with his mother's impending marriage to Fletcher, but the two get into a fight over the wedding arrangements. He wants a big wedding bash for them. However, Estelle just wants a small, family wedding, which Carl eventually agrees to. But his original plan for a huge bash might come to fruition anyway, since Eddie had planned a huge house party for a weekend his parents would be out of town. Only thing is, Waldo needs proof reading skills because he wrote inaccurate invitations to the house party, advertising the gathering as the same night as the wedding. End result, Estelle and Fletcher gets a wedding they'll remember for a long time and Eddie is grounded by Carl to serve time in his room for his plans to have a party.
  • Last appearance of Jaimee Foxworth as Judy Winslow in this episode, but still continues for opening credits.
92 20 Pulling Teeth March 19, 1993 Gary Menteer David W. Duclon and Gary Menteer
A five-way phone conversation between Eddie, Waldo, Urkel, Laura and Maxine results in the unlikeliest of couples—Waldo and Maxine. And the two really hit it off! Meanwhile, Richie struggles with getting rid of a loose baby tooth, prompting Carl to help get it out. However, he unknowingly fall into his own trick while he was trying to help Richie get rid of a lose baby tooth, as Steve comes over for a visit.
93 21 Walk on the Wild Side March 26, 1993 John Tracy Sara V. Finney and Vida Spears
Armed with fake ID's and a desire to dump her "Miss Goody Two-Shoes" image, Laura and her friends go to Club Buff (a male strip club) the same nightclub that Harriette, Estelle and Rachel go to frequently. Urkel learns of this and tries to get Carl to help him stop Laura. He is forced to go to alone after Carl refuses to help him and winds up accidentally performing a striptease. He also makes heart felt speech to warn Laura to leave Club Buff before her family finds out. When Harriette catches her, she takes Laura home to talk to her. While understanding the need to prove her friends wrong, Harriette convinces Laura to do it the right way by resisting temptation and staying true to herself. Meanwhile, Eddie and Waldo have their own boys night out with two ugly women.
94 22 Hot Stuff April 30, 1993 Gary Menteer Stephen Langford
Myra asks Laura for advice in snaring the man of her dreams – Steve "Hot Stuff" Urkel. Meanwhile, Eddie learns a hard lesson in stolen property after buying a discounted car stereo from Weasel's friend, which Urkel suspects that it had been stolen and Carl takes action by taking Eddie's car to the precinct to get it removed.
95 23 Stormy Weather May 7, 1993 John Tracy Fred Fox Jr.
Laura decides to go to the school dance with the class hunk Jimmy, and she encourages Steve to take Myra as his date. Jimmy doesn't like Urkel and tells Laura that her being friends with Urkel is "bad for my rep" and that she needs to stop associating with Urkel if she wants to keep dating him. At the dance, Laura does chat with Urkel and Jimmy snaps that he thought they'd agreed she would "stop seeing the nerd" but Laura shoots Jimmy down by telling him that no one tells her what to do, and Urkel is a decent guy who is different from Jimmy in one key respect: he's at the dance with someone who wants to be with him, as she dumps Jimmy on the spot. Meanwhile, Urkel attempts to hide his nerdy reputation from Myra as he takes her to the dance, but he has a good time until he manages in most Urkel-esque fashion to unintentionally trigger the sprinkler system and ruin the entire dance. He later shows at the Winslows and talks to Laura about the night's events: they both laugh about his tendency for disaster, Urkel says that Myra still likes him anyway, and Laura admits she didn't accede to Jimmy's demands because she has come to like Urkel as a friend.
96 24 Buds 'n' Buns May 14, 1993 John Tracy Jim Geoghan
Urkel decides to at least advance his budding relationship with Myra. Laura soon misses him when he stops visiting her and Rachel consoles her. Later on, Steve is horrified when he sees how jealous and possessive Myra is during their visit to the Winslow home. She somehow has concluded that Laura is serious competition for the nerd's affections, even though Laura maintains that she and Steve are friends. Meanwhile, Eddie is promoted to supervising manager at the Mighty Weenie, where Carl has taken a part-time job and soon finds himself answering to his son. They get into a serious fight until Harriette reminds them not to let that interfere with their close relationship.
  Seasons of Family Matters
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