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Oh, Tannerbaum A Little Bit of Soap


Mother and Child Reunion

Mother and Child Reunion is the thirteenth episode of the first season of ALF. It originally aired on Jan. 12, 1987.

Plot Summary

Prologue

Alf is seated at the couch and has set up the coffee table, food and videotapes, so he (hopefully) won't have to move all day. The doorbell rings and Kate's mother, Dorothy,  is at the stoop. Kate announces how good it is to see her and shuts the door on her.

Act One

Kate panicks and Willie rushes to clean up the living room and Alf goes to hide in the kitchen. Kate opens the door and invites her mother in. They all say hi to one another, and Dorothy says she is in town while on her way to Hawaii so she and her roommate Crazy Estelle can visit their daughters.  Dorothy brings everyone a gift except for Willie becauce she thought he was a salesman and would be on the road. Dorothy decides to stay with the family, forcing Alf to stay in the garage. While calling for help on the shortwave radio, Kate and Lynn bring Alf some food. Alf is told that Dorothy will be staying even longer. Alf suggests that Dorothy be introduce to him. Kate says they would not get along. Alf tells her that she confront her overprotective mother. One the day Dorothy is due to leave, Alf comes back into the house and refuses to leave the living room. The phone rings and it is Dorothy's friend, Crazy Estelle. She announces that Crazy Estelle will be late going to Hawaii. Dorothy says she won't be joining her and staying with the family for another week.

Act Two

Kate and Willie are getting ready for bed and Kate laments to Willie about her mother's overbearing behavior. Willie says that she should take Alf's advce. Alf pops out from under the bed and tells them they should scare her away by faking an earthquake. Kate then suggests that Alf and Dorothy meet.  ALF decides to wait in the kitchen for Dorothy to discover him.  Kate and Willie disagree with him on this method, but ALF does it anyway. When Dorothy comes into the kitchen and sees ALF, she at first thinks ALF is something Willie made. Dorothty keeps poking ALF and he tells her to come back in the morning. In the mornign ALF is making breakfast and Dorothy comes in, horrified that their last encounter was not a dream. Kate and Willie come in and after Kate and Brian come in, they continue making breakfast. Dorothy and ALF start trading insults. ALF threatens to leave if Dorothy doesn't and when Kate is unresponive about it, Dorothy accues Kate of wanting her to leave. ALF convinces Kate to tell her mother to stop treating her like a child. Dorothy begins to understand why everyone was upset about her being there.

Epilogue

Dorothy is giving out more gifts and reveaks she has one for ALF too. She has knitted a muzzle for ALFs snout and puts it on him.

Title Reference

"Mother and Child Reunion" is a song by Paul Simon.

Borrowed Footage

The shot where ALF is seen dipping a celery stick into a jar of peanut butter or tartar sauce is seen in the movie Hot Tub Time Machine. This was when ALF said, "So, is Grandma's staying here going to affect me in any way?"

Goofs

  • Continuity: Kate tells ALF that she was an only child, but Kate is known to have at least one sister whom Willie once dated (ALF refers to her as "the hideous one"). Willie also mentions that Kate's sister sent them a blender when they were discussing ALF's request for cat juice to cure the Melmacian hiccups.
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