Family Matters is a classic ABC sitcom which aired as part of the 1990s TGIF block. The show began on the network in 1989 and moved to CBS for its final season, concluding its run in 1998. Fans of the show love catching its reruns on cable or streaming episodes on Hulu. Though the sitcom was intended to focus mainly on the Winslow family, their neighbor, Steve Urkel, quickly became the most recognizable character.
There are countless hysterical scenes between Steve and the Winslows, especially with Carl or his daughter, Laura. With the first few seasons seeing the show still finding its voice and the last couple relying too heavily on outlandish and gimmicky premises, the sweet spot for the show seemed to be its middle years.
Season 4, Episode 1: "Surely You Joust" (7.7)
There are quite a few instances where the Winslows and Steve appear on television within the world of Family Matters. In "Surely You Joust," Carl's frustration with Steve comes to a boiling point. Steve tries to help Carl and Eddie install a satellite dish on the rooftop, and fans of the show know exactly how that goes.
A hospital trip later, and Carl says he never wants to see Steve again. Steve can't stand to be cut off from Laura Winslow, so he and Carl take their feud to the small screen with American Gladiators. They make up in the end, only for Carl to continue treating Steve poorly not long after.
Season 4, Episode 15: "Tender Kisses" (7.7)
Eddie Winslow has a habit of wooing famous female singers. In season four, he, Waldo, and Weasel go to elaborate lengths to get tickets to Tracie Spencer's concert. Eddie is the most successful of the three, dressing as hotel staff and sneaking into Tracie's room.
While this is creepy and could get the teen arrested, Tracie takes a liking to him, and the two share a melodious duet. As it goes in the world of sitcoms, their romance would be short-lived and never be mentioned again beyond this episode.
Season 5, Episode 16: "Presumed Urkel" (7.7)
In comparison to the other gems of the hit TGIF series, "Presumed Urkel" is somewhat silly. Urkel is blamed for blowing up the school's chemistry lab with one of his avant-garde experiments. This leads to a student trial in which Laura represents Steve, and Myra shows up in her classic red ensemble, offering only the kind of encouragement Myra can offer.
Season 2, Episode 22: "Finding The Words" (7.7)
"Finding the Words" is an emotional episode which serves to develop Harriette and Aunt Rachel's previous family life. Their father, Jimmy, walked out on them years ago, and their mother told them he was dead. Jimmy shows up at the Winslows' home one day, but he masquerades as an old family friend.
When Rachel and Harriette learn the truth, they must decide whether they will pursue a relationship with their biological father or not. Once again, Jimmy does not figure into future storylines of the show.
Season 2, Episode 25: "I Should Have Done Something" (7.9)
This sad season two episode leads Carl into the dangerous "what if?" question. Carl regrets the ending of a tragic hostage situation with a convenience store robber that led to the death of an elderly man named Charles. He spends much of the episode remembering the event and goes to the cemetery to grieve Charles' death.
There, Carl meets Charles' widow, Helen, who assures Carl that the situation was not his fault. Charles had gone out to purchase some ice cream for Helen, who explains that she also had to slowly accept that it was not her fault, either.
Season 3, Episode 9: "Born To Be Mild" (7.9)
"Born to be Mild" brings a violent gang, the Dragons, to Aunt Rachel's restaurant, Rachel's Place. The Dragons stop by once to cause trouble, but Carl arrives in the nick of time. In the middle of the night, the Dragons strike again and trash the entire facility.
For some ridiculous reason, Steve is the one chosen to disguise himself as a gang member and get the Dragons to confess their crime so that they can be arrested.
Season 5, Episode 7: "Grandmama" (7.9)
This episode from season five is, unfortunately, another chance for Eddie to ditch Steve and hurt his feelings. "Grandmama" is about a basketball tournament in which Steve and Eddie are partners. Eddie blows off Steve to be partners with Kenny "the Spider" Jackson, but Urkel doesn't stay down for long.
Estelle helps Steve find a new player, who just happens to be real life NBA star Larry Johnson's alter-ego, Grandmama. It turns out that Steve and Grandmama win, leaving Eddie to learn yet another valuable lesson.
Season 5, Episode 8: "Dr. Urkel And Mr. Cool" (7.9)
Another popular season five episode is "Dr. Urkel and Mr. Cool," the very first appearance of Urkel's cooler alter-ego, Stefan Urquelle. Steve Urkel is hurt that Laura continues to rebuff his devotion, so he resolves to change himself for the woman he loves.
With the transformation chamber, the series takes a deeper step into the sci-fi comedy realm, and Laura loves the new version of Steve. In an unusual move for this series, the Stefan Urquelle gimmick would actually make a return at various points throughout the series and go on to have a significant impact on the overall story of the show.
Season 4, Episode 21: "Walk On The Wild Side" (7.9)
In a memorable and funny story, Laura tries to shed her "Goody Two Shoes" image by taking a night out with the girls. Maxine and KC convince her to get a fake ID and go with them to Club Buff, a male strip club. The joke is on Laura when her mother, grandmother, and aunt show up at the same club on the same night.
The laughs continue when Steve tries to enter the club to extract Laura but is mistaken for one of the dancers. He takes the stage to plead with Laura, who ends up bonding with her concerned mom over the whole experience.
Season 4, Episode 10: "It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Urkel" (8.0)
Christmas is upon Steve and his favorite neighbors in the final holiday episode before Judy Winslow is forced off the series. Laura has gone downtown to finish up her Christmas shopping when Steve arrives outside the store in his clown car. While trying to be his sweet self, he breaks Laura's gift for her mom by accident.
In the style of It's a Wonderful Life, an angel attempts to teach Laura a lesson. She becomes a female version of Steve Urkel while he becomes a male version of her, taking up a spot in the Winslow family.