Family Ties (1982–1989): Season 4, Episode 2 - The Real Thing: Part 2 - full transcript

Alex is an emotional wreck, still with boring Tricia he doesn't care for after kissing her intriguing roommate Ellen, who turned back to accept her Dennis's proposal to marriage, yet without a single guest. Alex even worries so much that the whole time allotted for a Leland test essay he would have aced elapses without him writing a single line. Next Alex insists to drive Ellen the train-station hoping to stop her, but is once more unable to express his emotions. When Alex has gathered the courage at home and drives back, her train has left the station- yet she is there...

Last week on "Family Ties"...

You're not Tricia Armstrong,
are ya?

No, I’m Ellen Reed.

The crazy thing is
she's got this roommate,

An art major,
for crying out loud,

who I have absolutely nothing
in common with.

And for some
unknown reason,

I think about her
constantly.

♪ what did you think

♪ I would do at this moment

- Ellen.
- Alex, please, let me go.



Ellen, I'm sorry.
I-i slipped!

She decided
to get married!

♪ I bet we've been together
for a million years ♪

♪ and I'll bet we'll be together
for a million more ♪

♪ oh, it's like
I started breathing ♪

♪ on the night we kissed

♪ and I can't remember
what I ever did before ♪

♪ what would we do, baby

♪ without us?

♪ what would we do, baby

♪ without us?

♪ and there
ain't no nothin' ♪

♪ we can't love
each other through ♪

♪ ooh-hoo



♪ what would we do, baby

♪ without us?

♪ sha-la-la-la

Good morning, Mrs. K.

Oh, hi, Skippy.

You know, I was just
sitting around my house,

and I started
getting hungry,

noticed it was 11:00,
so I figured,

why not stop over and enjoy
a big hearty Sunday brunch

with the whole
Keaton clan?

Are we
the first ones here?

I'm sorry, Skippy.
There's no brunch today.

See, Mr. Keaton's
out of town on business,

Alex is still asleep,
Jennifer ate two hours ago,

and Mallory's leaving
in five minutes.

Don't you eat at home?

My mother only serves
a continental breakfast

on Sundays.

- Hi.
- Hi, mom.

Hello, there, girls!

Where are you
off to today?

We're going fishing.

Alex, I thought you
were still sleeping.

I was out walking,
thinking about this great irony,

this tragic comedy
we call life.

How was the dance, Alex?

Put it this way, Mal.

Last night the entire fabric
of my existence

unraveled before my eyes.

How were the decorations?

They were nice.

Oh, I almost forgot -

somebody called for you
about an hour ago.

- Who?
- Tricia.

Oh, my life
is a travesty.

I tried to explain that to her.

Whoa, it's 11:00!
I got to go!

Hey, wait, Mallory,
I'm coming.

- See you later, mom!
- Bye.

Bye, girls.

What's troubling you,
Alex?

I-i'd like to talk
to you about it, mom,

I really would, but it's -

it's kind of
a guy-type problem.

Where's dad?

You know where he is.

He left last night
on a business trip.

Right.

Where's Andrew?

You know, Alex, I'm really
worried about this test.

What if it's really hard?

Oh, Trish,
How hard can it be?

10,000-word essay
on the political structure

of the Ming Dynasty
in 14th-century China.

It's all common sense.

You know, Alex,
I'm really excited

about the Big Economics
Department dinner tonight.

Have you picked up
your tuxedo yet?

Huh? Oh, yeah, yeah.

Uh, excuse me, Trish.

Hi.

Hello.

You ready for the test?

Uh, yeah. Yeah. I think
I'm in pretty good shape.

Always been a big fan
of the Ming Dynasty.

Well...excuse me.

Uh, wait a minute.

I-i haven't seen you around
in almost a week.

I know, I know.
I've just been real busy.

Right.

A-anyway,
I - I just wanted to...

Well, I-i heard...

Trish said something
about you

deciding to, uh,

get married.

Yes, I am.
I did decide. Yeah.

Oh, I-i wasn't really sure.

You know,
because last week at the kiss...

At the dance,

uh, we, uh, we danced.

And - and kissed.

I remember that, yeah.
Yeah.

Uh, listen, I was just -
I was just wondering,

when is this, uh,
Wedding thing happening?

Sunday.

Sunday.

H-how do you mean, Sunday?
You mean, like, on a Sunday?

On this Sunday.

Ellen, that's so soon.

I-i mean, weddings...

Weddings take a lot
of preparation.

I mean, you know,
you got to order matchbooks

and napkins and...

And an ice sculpture.

It's gonna be real small,
just the two of us.

I'm gonna take the train up to
Franklin and Marshall tonight.

Well, I guess I'll see you
when I get back.

Listen, uh, you know,

the train station
is right on my way home,

I could drop you off.

Why would you
want to do that?

Uh, well, it's no trouble.

A-and - and anyway,

I mean, what other way
do you have to get there?

My car.

And - and leave it
at the station all weekend?

I-it could catch cold.

It was just a thought.

Well, okay.
It would be all right, I guess.

Okay, people, settle in.

You'll have 90 minutes
to answer the essay question.

Okay...

Please start.

♪ what did you think

♪ I would do at this moment

♪ when you're standing
before me ♪

♪ with tears in your eyes

♪ trying to tell me that you

♪ have found you another

♪ and you just don't love me
no more? ♪

♪ what did you think

♪ I would say at this moment?

♪ when I'm faced
with the knowledge ♪

♪ that you just don't love me?

♪ did you think
I would curse you ♪

♪ or say things to hurt you

♪ 'cause you just don't
love me no more? ♪

♪ did you think
I could hate you ♪

♪ or raise my hands to you?

♪ now, come on,
you know me too well ♪

One round trip to Lancaster,
Pennsylvania, please.

Uh, you know, Ellen, that
train doesn't get into Lancaster

till about 3:00
in the morning.

Is he - uh, are you,
uh, being met?

Why do you want to know?

Well, I-i brought
you here, Ellen,

and I feel
I should be kept apprised

of the rest
of your travel arrangements.

If you must know, Dennis
is in the middle of working

on his senior thesis,
and I didn't want him

to miss a night's sleep
by coming to pick me up,

so I just told him I was
coming in tomorrow afternoon.

Does that answer
your question?

Pretty much.

Alex, I really appreciate you
driving me down here,

but you don't
have to wait around.

I know you have
to get back.

Oh, no, no, I'm in no hurry.
No, no, I like it here.

I come here a lot.

Uh, kind of a regular.

Uh, excuse me.
Can I have a shine, please?

The usual.

Alex, I don't think you came
here to get your shoes shined.

Ellen...

I came down here with you

because I was hoping
to talk you out of this.

Talk me out
of getting married?

- Yeah.
- Why?

Ellen...

Uh, this is, um - this is
kind of hard for me to say.

As an objective,
uninvolved,

neutral third party,

I feel that
in marriage-related matters,

it's best
to exercise caution.

Wow, Alex. That was quite
an outpouring of emotion.

Ellen...

Please, please, you've already
bared your soul enough.

Look,
I'm only saying this...

I'm only saying this
for your own good.

Well, thank you.
You know, it's really great

to get advice on my
personal life from someone

who picked his girlfriend out
of the freshman directory.

Oh. Oh, oh,
I get it now.

Now we're back
to day one.

I'm shallow.
I'm insecure.

Come on, let's hear
the whole speech again, Ellen.

Just forget it,
all right?!

No, no, no, no, no.
You brought it up.

You think I'm insecure,
right?

Well,
if I'm insecure -

if I'm insecure,
then I would like to know

how you describe somebody who
gets married when they're 18

just because they're away
from home for the first time

and they need something
to cling to.

I'm speaking hypothetically,
of course.

Attention, please.

Train to Philadelphia
and all stops between

now arriving at the station.

All aboard, please.

You don't know
what you're talking about.

I am not marrying Dennis

because I need something
to cling to.

I'm marrying him
because...

Why do I have to justify
this to you?!

Dennis and I have
a very wonderful relationship,

all right?

Oh.

Oh, I'll bet
it's a great relationship.

You get -
you get engaged over the phone,

and then an hour later,

you're kissing me
on the dance floor.

First of all,
you kissed me.

Second of all,
the worst mistake I ever made

was humoring you
instead of walking away!

Oh, humoring me?
Humoring me?

Well, let me
tell you something.

You are not the first girl
to humor this guy!

Who's Ellen Reed?

Nobody.

Then why is her picture
in that book?

Because it's a book
of people who don't exist, okay?

Why am I having trouble
believing that?

Look, will you please
leave me alone?

All right, all right.
Gosh.

I thought I told you
to leave me alone.

No, you didn't.

Oh, what are you doing?

I'm knitting.

What does
it look like I'm doing?

Well, do you have to
watch TV in here?

It's the only TV
in the house, Alex.

Oh, you've got an answer
for everything, don't you?

What is your problem?

I'm sorry. I'm a little -
a little tense.

Girl problems.

Well, watch TV.
It'll get your mind off of it.

I don't understand it, Helene.

Last week you kissed me
as if we were in love,

and now, you're leaving
to marry someone else!

- Aah!
- Hey!

I want to be alone
right now, okay?!

Just, please,
leave me alone!

Well, you know, you've been moping
around the house all week.

I don't know
what your problem is,

but you ought to stop
pitying yourself

and act like
a human being.

She's right.

Mallory is right?

I'm wrong,

and Mallory's right.

The world is ending.

Mom.

I want you to know
that I am through

feeling sorry for myself,
and this little episode is over.

It's about time.

What little episode?

It doesn't matter.
I mean, after all, mom,

this is one of the biggest
nights of my life.

And nothing is gonna prevent
me from enjoying it.

I'm gonna be in my tuxedo,

hobnobbing with
the economics faculty.

Best girl by my side.

Everything is gonna be perfect.

Just...

Perfect.

If I could just tie...

This damn tie!

Who am I kidding?

Well, I'm sure your dad has
a clip-on you could borrow.

It's not the tie, mom.

Well,
if you want to talk,

I'm still here.

I guess so.
I got nowhere else to turn.

Mom, you remember that girl
I told you about

a few weeks ago?

Ellen Reed.

I'm not sure.

Oh, oh, Tricia's roommate.
The one you didn't like.

Right. The one I didn't like.
The one I still don't like.

- What about her?
- I'm in love with her.

Really? Oh.
Alex, that's wonderful!

No, it's not
wonderful, mom.

Right now,
she's on a train

traveling 350 miles
to Lancaster, Pennsylvania,

to marry another guy.

That's a tough thing
to overlook.

I don't know, mom.
I mean, "love."

It's my first time.

I mean, sure, I -
I loved that dog we -

we had when I was a kid.

But in many ways,
this is different.

I hope so.

It's not fair, mom.
It's just not fair.

I mean, what did I ever do
to deserve this?

I mean, I was minding
my own business.

All of a sudden,
I find myself

in love
with a wonderful girl...

I can never be with.

Oh, sweetheart.

You're smiling, mom.

My life is falling apart,
and you're smiling.

I'm sorry, honey.
It's just...

It's so beautiful to hear you
express those feelings.

And this is the first time

I have really seen
your dad in you.

Yeah?

Yeah.

Can I ask you
something?

What?

Does Ellen
know about this?

I mean,
does she know how you feel?

I don't think so.

I wanted to tell her
before she left,

but I...didn't.

Well, it's a shame.

Why, you think
it would have made a difference

if I told her?

Damn!
I should've told her.

Excuse me!
Excuse me.

Uh, sorry to bother you.

It's okay, it's okay.

Almost time
for my break anyway.

Listen, is the train in yet?
The one from Leland, from Ohio.

Is it in yet?

Yeah. Yeah.
Got in about five minutes ago.

That's it
on its way out.

Thanks.

Alex?

Hey. Ellen!

What are you doing here?

I, uh...

Uh...
You forgot your Newsweek.

I-i figured
You might want that,

So I swung by here.

It was no big deal, really.
It was seven hours.

There's a good article
on the omelet craze.

I read someone else's copy
on the train.

I can't tell you how sorry
I am to hear that.

Uh...

Ellen, listen.

I'll be honest with you.

The magazine is not
the only reason I came.

Why else?

I don't know.

I, uh...
I just had to come.

I mean, I was in...
in the car on my way

to the biggest night
of my life,

and something made me
turn the car around.

I mean,
I knew I'd miss the dinner,

and - and I'd be blowing
any shot I had

of returning this tux on time,

but something made me
turn the car around.

Ellen, uh,

you and I are
completely different.

You're an artist.

You write poetry.

You attend anti-nuclear
demonstrations.

Me -

I'm an economics major.

I, uh, voted for Reagan.

I'm in the Young
Executives Club.

I wear a jacket and tie
everywhere I go...

Except train stations
at 3:00 in the morning,

in which case
I wear a tuxedo.

Anyway, the point is,
Ellen,

that I cannot for the life
of me, figure out why...

I love you.

You love me?

Yeah.

I love you. Okay?

I-i said it.
I mean, after all, Ellen,

if I'm gonna go this far
I might as well go all the way.

I love you.
All right?

I love you. I love you.
I love you.

I'm crazy about you.

I'd give
anything to be with you.

I can't live without you.
Okay?

Gotta go. See ya.

I love you, too, Alex!

I mean, it's like you have a way
of seeing right through me.

Of seeing a part of me
that I don't even -

I don't even
like to admit exists,

and that scares me,

because if you see it,
that forces me -

What did you say?

I love you, too.

You do?

Alex, I've never met
anybody like you.

You - you come on
like some pompous,

arrogant, obnoxious guy.

And underneath that,

there's this...
wide-eyed child,

completely innocent
and naive.

Oh.

Is that, uh,
sort of a compliment?

Yeah.

Well...

We love each other.

I mean, we - we said it.
We know it.

I mean, that's all
that's important.

Ellen, it doesn't matter
what happens now.

What happens now?

Alex,
I have to see Dennis.

I was afraid
that's what happens now.

All the way up here,

I was thinking
about what you said,

about my being scared

and needing something
to cling to.

And you were right.

I said to myself, "if Alex
is in the train station

when I get off,
I'm not gonna marry Dennis."

And here you are.

So...

I guess I have
to stick to it.

Uh, well...
If you're not getting married,

and you do...love me,

do you think maybe
when we get back to Leland,

we could...

Uh, go to a movie
or somethin'?