Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing in the Shadow?

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Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing in the Shadow? is the twenty-third episode of ALF's third season. It originally aired on April 10, 1989.

Plot Summary

Jake's mother Elaine stealing a broach from Kate's jewelry box.

Jake's mother, Elaine Ochmonek, visits from New York hoping that Jake will come back and stay with her.

Prologue

The Tanners are having Salisbury steak for dinner, and Jake comes over to see if they have any fresh fennel. The Tanners ask him why they've not seen him for a while and he says it's because his mother, Elaine is visiting

They wonder why Jake has never mentioned her before

Act Two

ALF then ponders why Jake never mentions his mother The doorbell rings and ALF heads to the kitchen. Mrs. Ochmonek arrives with to introduce her sister in law. Jake's mother talks about their visit and Jake. Raquel then invites themselves over to dinner. After they leave ALF is seen standing on a stool wearing a lampshade.

At dinner, Jake feels uneasy, and Lynn brings up a picnic basket of food to the attic for ALF. Lynn has noticed Jake's unusual behavior, and mentions it to ALF. He thinks that it Jake's mother, and that it might actually be his father in disguise. Lynn heads back downstairs. Trevor thought there was a problem in the attic and mentions the time theirs had pigeons in it. Kate then asks Jake's mother, how long she'll be staying, and Jake then answers for her. Jake's mother then excuses herself to use the powder room and Jake tries to walk her there. In the attic, ALF has an urge to use the bathroom. While Jake's mother heads into the bathroom, she steals a garnet brooch from Kate's jewelry box, and ALF sees her do it. ALF then realizes why Jake was so uncomfortable talking about her.

Act Two

The Tanner's and Ochmoneks are having an after-dinner snack in the living room, and head out. Lynn asks why Jake was acting so weird, and ALF says he knows why, and tells them he saw Jake's mother take Kate's brooch and put it in her pocket. Kate doesn't believe her, and Willie warns ALF about slander being dangerous. Kate returns to confirm it's gone. She says they must do something about it so ALF says he'll talk to Jake.

The next day ALF is in the Attic and Jake comes up asking why ALF wanted to talk to him. ALF then slowly brings Jake's mother into the conversation, and says he saw her steal Kate's brooch. Jake admits that his mother is a kleptomaniac. Confused, ALF asked what’s that is, and Jake explained that it’s a mental illness where people have trouble controlling taking things that don’t belong to them. Jake says he thought she came to visit to tell her she was better, and that he'll retrieve it. ALF asks now, and Jake says he might wait until she's asleep and take it from her, but ALF suggested that Jake talk to his mother about it. Jake says he's talked to her about it many times without success and says he'll get it back.

Jake's mother is in her room packing a suitcase, and Jake walks in to talk to her, He notices that the suitcase has someone else's initials. Jake's mother then suggests Jake come back with her. He tells her he knows she stole Kate's brooch, and she denies it at first and later admits it, She then pulls a picture off the wall and puts in in the suitcase. Jake then asks her if she's still seeing her psychiatrist. She asks him to come back but Jake reminds her of the deal they made that he'll not return until she's better. She's still in denial about her problem and Jake asks her return the brooch herself, but she says she can't. She kisses Jake on the forehead and walks out. ALF shows up at the open window and tells Jake he did the right thing, and that he's glad Jake is not going back to New York. Jake hands ALF the brooch to take back to the Tanners

Epilogue

The family is having breakfast and Willie explains to Brian about what kleptomania is. Kate asks how Jake sorted things out with his mother and ALF says Jake told her he'll not go back to live with her until she gets help.

Title Reference

"Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing in the Shadow?" is a 1966 song by The Rolling Stones.

Trivia

This is the second episode where ALF wears a lampshade, but the first time he is seen doing it

This is the second episode where one of Kate's brooches is stolen. Another brooch, a cameo, was stolen by a burglar and then recovered in the episode "Strangers in the Night"