Family Matters is often compared to its TGIF counterpart, Full House, but the two 90s shows are quite different. They start out with a similar blueprint: catchy theme song, three kids, life transition (Danny's wife died before Full House and Aunt Rachel's husband has passed before Family Matters). The popular shows diverge pretty quickly, though.
Steve Urkel was famously not meant to be the main character, but Jaleel White knocked everyone's socks off and won the role for the entirety of the show. He was also a popular crossover character, appearing on Step by Step to help Al at the dance and also on Full House to help Stephanie adjust to wearing glasses. With nine great seasons, each episode of Family Matters has something unique to offer. Here is each season's best episode according to IMDb, listed from season one to season nine.
9 Season 1: "The Stake-Out" & "The Big Reunion" - 7.4 (Tie)
The kids are so adorable in the early years of Family Matters. The series premiered in 1989 and took some time to establish its tone. The top episodes of the first season are "The Stake-Out" (episode 9) and "The Big Reunion" (episode 15).
The former deals with father and police officer Carl Winslow in a hotel stake-out. Carl's wife, Harriette, worries about Carl spending time on the call with his pretty new partner, but Carl remains faithful. The latter is about Carl's quest to lose weight for his high school reunion so that he can look cool as a member of the band.
8 Season 2: "I Should Have Done Something" - 7.9
Season 2, episode 25 is another Carl-centric plot and a very serious one. Carl remembers a hostage situation that took place one year before the time of the episode. He begins to feel guilty that he could not stop a convenience store robbery and, more importantly, that he could not prevent the death of a sweet elderly woman's husband.
He looks back and tries to think of ways that he could have changed the situation, but the elderly woman absolves him of his worries as she tells Carl about her wonderful late husband.
7 Season 3: "Farewell, My Laura" - 7.5
Season 3, episode 25 is a unique one. There are some great flashback episodes in the 90s. This one comes about when Steve pens a manuscript set in the 1940s. Laura and her Aunt Rachel read the text while at Rachel's Place and get transported back in time to Urkel's scene.
The historically-inspired detective story might not be everyone's favorite, but it was definitely something different for the show in those early days.
6 Season 4: "It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Urkel" - 8.0
This cleverly titled Christmas episode is the tenth in season 4, and it's one of the show's most creative stories. Steve drives his clown car to town and sees Laura waiting outside. He accidentally breaks an expensive present Laura has just purchased for her mother.
Laura is furious at Steve and sends him away, but a guardian angel a-la-It's a Wonderful Life helps her show Steve some compassion. The angel gives Laura a chance to see what it is like to be Steve.
5 Season 5: "Grandmama" & "Dr. Urkel And Mr. Cool" - 7.9 (Tie)
The fifth season's highest-rated episodes were the seventh and eighth. "Grandmama" caught Eddie once again leaving Steve in the dust, this time in a basketball tournament.
"Dr. Urkel and Mr. Cool" is incredibly important to the remainder of the series. This is the first episode with Stefan Urquelle, Steve Urkel's man-made alter-ego. When Steve steps into that transformation chamber to try and change himself for Laura, things are never the same again on Family Matters.
4 Season 6: "We're Going To Disney World, Part 2" - 7.5
Disney World episodes are part and parcel with great 90s sitcoms. When the Winslows head to Florida for Steve to make their dreams come true, Stefan has bigger plans in mind.
Laura has sabotaged Steve's entry in a science contest so that Stefan will stick around post-experiment. The second installment in the two-parter shows Carl interested in a potential move to Orlando. Myra interrupts the trip to attempt to prevent Stefan's proposal to Laura Winslow.
3 Season 7: "Send In The Clone" - 7.2
Fans see Steve's ventriloquist dummy in season eight, but season seven's finale introduces a real Urkel clone. Steve is messing with his transformation chamber and is experimenting with cloning. When things go haywire, he accidentally clones himself.
In typical Family Matters fashion, Laura makes Steve's predicament even more complicated. She suggests that he turn the clone into Stefan Urquelle permanently.
2 Season 8: "Stevil" - 7.2
Surprisingly, the Stevil story is the top episode of season eight. This seventh episode in the season aired before Halloween and terrorized fans with an evil Urkel ventriloquist dummy.
Only Steve the mastermind can stop his mini-me from ruining the entire Winslow family. The dummy returns later on to spook viewers again.
1 Season 9: "Pop Goes the Question" - 7.6
In season nine, episode 10, longtime Family Matters fans waited patiently to see who would end up together. Laura gets herself into a situation only possible on television: she can marry Steve Urkel, or she can marry Urkel's creation, Stefan Urquelle.
Laura has wanted Stefan from the beginning of his existence, and her family is supportive of the relationship. She has been so selfish when it comes to the Steve/Stefan situation, and fans must have expected her to pick the suave clone. Instead, she goes with Steve Urkel, the one who has loved her all along.
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