False Arrest is episode ten of the first season from the television sitcom on Family Matters. This show was originally aired from ABC on November 28, 1989. It was directed by Peter Baldwin and written by Barry Gold.
Plot
An egotistical actor that the family (everyone except Carl) loves named Buddy Goodrich (Ron Glass) wants to sue Carl for false arrest. The Winslow family find out that Carl arrested Buddy and get upset. However, they eventually learn that Buddy actually provoked Carl and confront him for it. After ordering him out of their house, Buddy is found guilty when his manager testified against him in court and the smug Winslows spend the weekend slowly driving around the interstate.
Synopsis
The rest of the Winslows are watching a T.V. show of Buddy Goodrich and are fans. However, Carl is the only one who isn't impressed by him for a reason. He thinks Buddy is a waste of time because of his unsual and bad way of parenting with his adopted children on the show. When he goes he notices his car parked in the hadicapped spot at his place, he asks the manager to tell Buddy to move his car. The manager does, but gets into a fight with him and Carl tries to reason with him to move it. Instead, Buddy assaults him three times despite his warnings to stop and he's arrested for it. Carl reads him his rights.
The next day, Buddy Goodrich is released from jail and scheduled for trial. He reveals on televsion that the "rogue" cop arrested him when he "didn't provoke" him (in actuality he did provoke Carl that lead to his arrest). The Winslows get mad and don't want to talk to him, even when Carl maintained he did the right thing.
During his visit to the Winslow house, Buddy offers the rest of the family free tickets to his show. Alone, he tries to get out of paying for the fine, but Carl refuses to budge and tells Buddy off that he needs to pay his fine for parking in the handicapped spot. Immediately after, he calls Buddy out on his bad way of parenting on his show and thinks it's wrong on all aspects. Carl reminds him that when the children screw up for their mistakes, they need to take responsibility for it and not the adults. However when Buddy gives himself away by telling him that he's got a good lawyer and is confident of winning the case, the Winslows having secretly listened to his confession and are angry with him because it means Carl had been right to arrest him for breaking the law. Immediately, they side with him and confront Buddy for his egotistical and narcissistic behavior. They give Buddy back the tickets, orders him to leave their house at once and never return. The rest of the Winslows soon apologize to Carl.
The next day, Buddy is found guilty for provoking Carl and not abiding the law in moving his car. His manager testified against Buddy in court and he is forced pay a big fine along with spending the weekend picking up trash off the interstate. The episode ends with the smug Winslows taking a slow drive on the interstate to embarrass him more.
Cast and Characters
Main
- Reginald VelJohnson as Carl Winslow
- Jo Marie Payton-France as Harriette Winslow
- Rosetta LeNoire as Estelle Winslow
- Darius McCrary as Eddie Winslow
- Kellie Shanygne Williams as Laura Winslow
- Jaimee Foxworth as Judy Winslow
- Joseph and Julius Wright as Richie Crawford
- Telma Hopkins as Rachel Crawford
Guest
- Ron Glass as Buddy Goodrich
- Shawn Phelan as Mickey
- Justin Gocke as Teddy
- Neil Eliot as Stage Hand
- Thom Adcox-Hernandez as Roger
Trivia
- The original cold open to this episode featured Harriette telling Rachel she's putting Carl on a new diet. Then Eddie, Laura and Judy come down and complain about what Harriette made for their school lunch, so they leave it on the counter. Carl comes down and sees the extra food and thinks it's part of his lunch. After the original airing of this episode, the producers replaced it with a new cold open to feature Eddie helping Steve Urkel lift weights to make it look as if Urkel was on from the beginning. The first season DVD set uses the original version.
- "The Buddy Goodrich Show" is a spoof of the 1978-1986 sitcom "Diff'rent Strokes" with the races of parent and children flip-flopped.
Quotes
- Carl: Mama, you mean to say you'd rather watch Buddy Goodrich than listen to me?
- Estelle: Well, you're here every night. He's only on once a week!
- Judy (looking at her lunch): This sandwich is made with chunky peanut butter!
- Laura (looking at her lunch): Meat loaf? I can't eat that, I'm a vegetarian!
- Harriette: Since when?
- Laura: Since yesterday! When Barney McGuire laughed so hard that bologna juice came out of his nose.
- Harriette: Laura! Ugh!
- Eddie: Mustard? Mom, there's mustard on my sandwich! I hate mustard!
- Harriette: Hey, what are we? A luxury restaurant? You make your food by yourself. I have to check on the laundry!
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