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Ice Station Winslow is episode fourteen of the second season in this television sitcom on Family Matters, that originally aired from ABC on January 4, 1991. It was directed by Richard Correll and written by Gary Menteer.

Plot

Eddie and Judy have a lesson in showing appreciation to family. In Eddie's case, Steve tags along on his and Carl's ice fishing trip to Lake Wannamuck, and proves to lend a crucial helping hand when Carl falls through thin ice. This harrowing experience teaches Eddie a valuable lesson in what the consequences were if Urkel hadn't been around to rescue Carl and promises to spend more time with him. Meanwhile, with Richie being the baby of the household, Judy feels like she's getting less attention and ruins his penguin costume in retaliation. Laura admonishes her for being selfish and soon teaches her that there are some advantages to being the older kid.

Synopsis

Harriette is in the kitchen, spraying her potted plant when Eddie and Carl comes home. Eddie complains that his father needs to get a real snow blower. Carl refuses and cites he doesn't need one when he has his son blowing it for him. Harriette tells Eddie nice try, but that's how his father is. Carl has plans for a father and son activity with Eddie at the bowling alley, but he refuses and bails. When he asked why, Harriette tells him he's getting old and their son is too busy. She suggests that if Carl wants to spend time with Eddie, he needs to haul his butt into gear and plan ahead.

Meanwhile, Judy is jealous of all the attention Richie is getting from both her mother and aunt. She decides to make them pay for ignoring her for a good grade she got on her spelling test.

In the living room, Harriette us rolling up socks when she notices that some of Eddie's socks are missing. Laura comes down the stairs with her bra stuffed with his socks. Harriette convinces her to let nature take it's course and she'll blossom eventually. An angry Rachel comes down the stairs with a torn beak from her son's penguin costume. Before she tells Harriette about it, she notices Laura's stuffed bra. She asks if she used Kleenex to stuff her into her bra. Laura admitted she used Eddie's socks and Rachel nods. She tells her that her mother once used bean bags when they were growing up. Rachel tells Harriette that she had caught Judy ripping off the beak of Richie's penguin costume. Harriette reveals that she's probably jealous of him because she's no longer the baby of the house. She tells Rachel they need to work it out on their own like they used to. Steve comes in the Winslow home to notices Laura's stuffed bra and he faints instantly.

In the kitchen, Urkel is fanning himself with a plate when Eddie comes in. When asked why Steve fainted when he saw Laura, he said she was an overnight success story that makes him want her more. Carl comes in with all the fishing gear and tells them they're going ice fishing and he decides to tag along. He tries to convince Urkel to stay home because it's a father and son outing and they don't need him to come along. However, Steve decides to go anyway, much to Carl's dismay.

The next day, Carl drags a reluctant Eddie along on an ice fishing trip to the lake. Tempers are already flaring on the thin ice between the two Winslow men. Their patience grows even shorter when Steve shows up and becomes an ace at ice fishing with his choice of bait, cheese.

At the Winslow house, Richie performs his penguin show with Rachel and Laura likes it, thinking it was cute, but Judy is less than thrilled. She complains it's not fair because everyone lavishes him with attention just because he's cute and she get's ignored for good things that she does. However, Laura sets her straight by reminding her that she was once in their cousin's shoes, while they were growing up. She admitted that Judy made her so jealous grabbing all the attention their family gave her that that she put all her stuffed dolls in her bed with intentions of burying her. Then, Laura tells her that there's a lot of advantages to not being the baby of the family: she gets to stay up later, pick out her own clothes and has someone who looks up to her as a role model. Judy never realizes it that way and apologizes to Richie for the way she reacted.

Out on the icy lake, Steve is singing about ice fishing until Carl tells him to shut up because that's the worst thing that they have to hear, aside not being able to catch fish. Eddie complains they should leave soon, but his father refuses and tempers flare. Finally Carl decides to listen to him and calls off the trip. Steve calls Eddie a wimp, causing him to chase the nerd around. That is until the ice shows sign of weakening and they're told not to move by Carl. He convinces Urkel to go first because he's the lightest of all three of them and once he's safe, Eddie can move. Steve moves and makes it to the buoy. Eddie is the next lightest and he also makes it as well. Finally it is Carl's turn and he's doing fine. That is until he falls through the ice due to his weight. Fortunately, Urkel saves him out from the ice to safety. A shaken Eddie finally realizes that he may not have had a father to argue if had things turned out differently. He decides to spend time more time with Carl for a lot of father and son activities, as long as he agrees not to go ice fishing again.

Cast and Characters

Main

Guest

Recurring

Cameo

  • Michael Chambers as Himself

Trivia

  • On the Season 2 DVD, this is the only episode to be syndicated.
  • In the cold open to "Dedicated to the One I Love", Eddie mentions he wished he was going fishing in Alaska, which probably means ice fishing. However, he tells Carl he doesn't think he's an "ice fishing kind of guy".
    • Eddie may have said this because he doesn't see Carl as an experienced ice fisherman and will unlikely know what he's doing unlike Mother Winslow whom he feels he could learn a lot more from

Quotes

Urkel: [singing] Fishing on Lake Wannamuk. Doo da doo da. Seems I'm having all the luck. All the doo da day.
Carl: Steve.
Urkel: Having all the luck!
Carl: Steve!
Urkel: Having all the luck!
Carl: STEVE!
Urkel: Hmm?
Carl: You know, the only thing worse than not catching any fish is hearing you sing about it.

[Rachel walks into the living room with Richie's broken penguin beak, coutesy of a jealous Judy]
Rachel: Harriette, we've got to talk.
[She stops to face Laura]
Rachel: Kleenex?
Laura: Socks.
Rachel: Oh. You mother once tried bean bags.

[Laura has stuffed her bra with Eddie's socks]
Urkel: [entering] Hi gang!
[shocked]
Urkel: Laura!... Bazooms!
[faints]

Eddie: Dad, when are we leaving?
Carl: What are you talking about? We're having big fun here.
Eddie:[Sarcastically] Oh really. Why wasn't I told?
Carl: Are you implying that you're not having a good time?
Eddie: I'm not implying. I'm telling it to you straight out, I HATE THIS!
Carl:[confronting Eddie] WHY?!
Eddie: Well for one thing, I can't feel my toes.
Urkel: Uh-oh, Mr. Frostbite. Oh when he shows up, it's amputation time.
Eddie: Oh great?! Now I'm gonna lose my toes!
Urkel: Well the good news is that my dad will do the operation for you. The bad news is that he will charge you an arm and a leg.
Family Matters Season 2
Son >
  v - e - dFamily Matters Season 2
Rachel's PlaceTorn Between Two LoversMarriage 101FlashpantsThe Crash CourseBoxcar BluesDog Day HalloweenCousin UrkelDedicated to the One I LoveThe Science ProjectRequiem for an UrkelFast Eddie WinslowHave Yourself a Merry Winslow ChristmasIce Station WinslowSonDo the Right ThingHigh HopesLife of the PartyBustedFight the Good FightTaking CreditFinding the WordsSkip to My LieuThe Good the Bad the UrkelI Should Have Done Something


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