The BEST episodes of Family Matters season 1
Every episode of Family Matters season 1, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Family Matters season 1!
The Winslows, a middle-class Black family living in Chicago, deal with various misadventures — many of which are caused by their pesky next-door neighbor, ultra-nerd Steve Urkel.
#1 - The Mama Who Came to Dinner
Season 1 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/22/1989
Mother Winslow moves in and immediately begins to usurp Carl's authority. Eddie wants to go out with his friends, but he has a strict curfew that complicates things with Carl.
#2 - The Big Fix
Season 1 - Episode 17 - Aired 2/9/1990
Eddie persuades Laura to date a guy he's indebted to.
#3 - Baker's Dozens
Season 1 - Episode 14 - Aired 1/12/1990
Thanks to Rachel's brainstorm, Carl could become the "king of tarts" if he shares his secret recipe for lemon tarts, which were a big hit at a local restaurant.
#4 - In a Jam
Season 1 - Episode 19 - Aired 3/16/1990
Eddie wants to do the right thing when faced with protecting Steve from a bully who threatens to beat him up, which could get Eddie creamed as well.
#5 - The Candidate
Season 1 - Episode 20 - Aired 3/23/1990
Eddie places image over integrity in his class president bid when image-maker Laura offers a thousand points of light to illuminate his campaign.
#7 - Rachel's First Date
Season 1 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/13/1989
The Winslows finally get to be alone together when Rachel accepts a date with a man from the church choir.
#8 - Two-Income Family
Season 1 - Episode 2 - Aired 9/29/1989
Hariette loses her job to automation, forcing the family into austerity measures while Carl stews over the family debts.
#9 - Short Story
Season 1 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/6/1989
Rachel writes a short story with characters that seem all too familiar; Carl becomes obsessed with the family's out of proportion water bill.
#10 - False Arrest
Season 1 - Episode 10 - Aired 12/1/1989
The Winslows are aghast to discover that their TV idol has been arrested for assaulting a police officer - Officer Carl Winslow.
#11 - Laura's First Date
Season 1 - Episode 12 - Aired 12/15/1989
Laura wants to go to an upcoming dance with a good-looking boy. Carl and Eddie try to find Laura a date. Carl asks Steve Urkel to take Laura to the dance, while Eddie asks one of his friends to take her out. When Laura finds out what happened, she is humiliated.
#12 - Straight A's
Season 1 - Episode 5 - Aired 10/20/1989
Eddie comes home with straight A's on his report card and the whole family is proud of him. Rodney comes over and tells him that he changed the grades on the report cards on the school computer. Eddie doesn't want to tell the truth because he fears that he will hurt Carl's feelings.
#13 - Mr. Badwrench
Season 1 - Episode 8 - Aired 11/17/1989
Self-proclaimed handyman Carl decides to install a shower in Mother Winslow's quarters while she's out of town.
#14 - Bowl Me Over
Season 1 - Episode 21 - Aired 4/13/1990
The men vie with the women in a bowling match and Carl's philosophy about accepting defeat gracefully ends up in the gutter when Hariette aces him out.
#15 - The Quilt
Season 1 - Episode 11 - Aired 12/8/1989
Laura sells a quilt Grandmother Winslow considered an heirloom.
#16 - Man's Best Friend
Season 1 - Episode 13 - Aired 1/5/1990
Carl has a rule he intends to enforce not pets in the house until he meets a big, playful puppy who follows the kids home from school.
#17 - Basketball Blues
Season 1 - Episode 6 - Aired 11/3/1989
Carl's efforts to get Eddie psyched for a pro basketball career is enhanced by a visit from basketball star Bolton.
#18 - Sitting Pretty
Season 1 - Episode 18 - Aired 2/16/1990
Laura's babysitting service floods the house with children at a bad time on the night Carl has invited his captain over.
#19 - Rock Video
Season 1 - Episode 22 - Aired 4/27/1990
When Eddie's big ego threatens to disband his group during the making of a rock video for a contest, the rest of the Winslows offer some ideas.
#20 - The Big Reunion
Season 1 - Episode 15 - Aired 1/19/1990
Carl decides to lose weight before going to his high-school reunion.
#21 - Stake-Out
Season 1 - Episode 9 - Aired 11/24/1989
After Carl is on an all-night stakeout with his attractive new partner, Harriette finds a room key to Louie's Love Grotto in his pocket.
#22 - The Party
Season 1 - Episode 16 - Aired 2/2/1990
A "No Guests" rule spells no fun for Eddie, who's left in charge of the house while the adults are away for the weekend.