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ALF tries to psychoanalyze Kate and Willie.
Mind Games is the fifth episode of ALF's fourth and final season. It originally aired on Oct. 16, 1989.
Plot Summary[]
ALF is getting antsy from boredom and the Tanners call Larry for advice. Larry suggests that the Tanners show ALF that they think of him as an adult by asking him for advice on things.
This causes ALF to go overboard psychoanalyzing the family.
[]
ALF is setting up a home version of Jeopardy! but Kate and Brian can't play with him because Brian is being taken to his Scout meeting. Willie won't join him because ALF cheats. Willie then goes to the garage to work on his ham radio. Lynn also declines to join him so she can go to her aerobics class
Act One[]
Willie is soldering parts on his ham radio. ALF is wanting to help, but Willie declines his assistance until ALF annoys him. Willie then tells ALF his trying to work on the automonitor so he can use satellites without the Phelps switch changing frequencies when trying to talk to Australia, and that he's spent 3 months working on it. ALF makes some more connections and Willie immediately reaches someone with an Australian accent.
In the kitchen, Brian is working on preparing a balanced meal for a scout badge. ALF mentions that on Melmac people had a week to build a singles bar out of nothing but twigs and bark to earn a badge. ALF then does a cha cha dance with the broccoli and then throws it on the floor. In Lynn's room ALF is trying to learn some aerobics from her but falls asleep while she's demonstrating it. In the garage ALF walks in on Kate refinishing a bureau with some wood stain. ALF tells Kate he's bored, and Kate suggests yoga, but ALF's mantra irritates her. ALF accidentally gets his hand stuck to the wet stain, and Kate helps free him and gets fur stuck to the bureau.
Larry comes over to analyze ALF and simply puts that ALF is bored and needs to be challenged more. He says that they should ask ALF for some advice on random things. They all go into the family room for dinner. Larry asks Willie about how he's doing at work and Willie says that he's got an issue with a competitive co-worker trying to climb the ladder. Willie then asks ALF for advice on what to do. ALF tells Willie to compete with himself and Larry concurs. Kate then talks about how she feels over misgivings on her work-life balance. ALF says it's fine because Lynn turned out ok when Kate went back to work when she was born. Brian tells ALF he has a problem at school because he doesn't like math. ALF then asks Lynn if she wants anything. Lynn says she feels jealous when her boyfriend Danny talks to other girls. ALF advice to Lynn also wins. ALF then says he wants to become a shrink.
Act Two[]
ALF is in the kitchen with Willie. ALF is reading a book and Willie is reading a newspaper clinking his coffee mug with his spoon. ALF tells Willie that he's doing that to passively announce his presence in the room, and Kate mentions that the eggs she's cooking are dry. ALF analyzes her as wall and saying she's overgeneralizing. Brian comes in and asks if he's ever dreamed of being chased by a giant cheese log.
Kate and Willie are in bed, and ALF barges in saying that Carl Jung was a weeniehead, and that the APA was wrong about him. Willie then has a freudian slip to tell ALF he's overanalyzing everyone, but meant to be kind and acknowledge his desire to help. ALF mentions to them about Kate having negative effects on Brian's okayness, and when Kate denies it, he tells her she's being hyper-defensive. Willie then gets irked about ALF. Larry comes back to talk to the family about ALF. They have dinner and Larry tells ALF he's projecting. ALF continues using terms he doesn't understand. Kate then lets ALF know that the way he's annoyed about them is exactly how he's making them feel
Epilogue[]
Kate and Willie are listening to call-in legal advice show on the radio. A lady is talking to a lawyer about her husband and wants to leave him. He recommends they see a marriage counselor first. ALF then calls in to suggest she dump him and sue for a lot of alimony. Kate then cuts his phone call off
Background information[]
Production history[]
- Premiere airdate: October 16, 1989
- Production number: 3024
Trivia[]
- This marks the last appearance of Larry in the series.
Title Reference[]
"Mind Games" is the name of a song by John Lennon.