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The Boy Next Door is the fourteenth episode of ALF's second season. It originally aired on January 4, 1988.
Plot
The episode starts with the Tanners playing charades. Willie, Lynn, and Brian try to know what Kate is doing. Kate is giving clues and Brian answers, correctly, that the film’s title is The Birds. ALF knows it’s not fair that Brian got it right, because Kate was giving him signals to help him guess. Then it’s ALF’s turn and he indicates that it’s a movie title and then points at himself. Nobody guesses correctly so he reveals that it’s The Man Who Would be King.
Jake Ochmonek comes from New York and comes over to the Tanners. The Ochmoneks are letting him stay with them for a while. He is going to be staying with the Ochmoneks while his father is away, which will be five years. Kate and Mrs. Ochmonek go into the kitchen to make some iced tea for everyone, and she reveals how happy she is to be a mother. Mrs. Ochmonek explains to Kate that she’s always wanted children, but, ultimately, they decided not to have kids so that Mr. Ochmonek could get his master’s in art history. Kate makes a friendly offer to Mrs. Ochmonek that if she has any questions, she knows where to find her. Mrs. O immediately pulls out a piece of paper and asks if Jake’s old enough to date. Mrs. Ochmonek doesn’t just want to be a mother…she wants to be a good mother. Jake is a bad boy and he’s 15. Lynn talks to him for a while about the fact that they’ll be attending the same school while Brian adjusts to the role he’ll play.. Mr. Ochmonek and Willie go into the bedroom to speak in private, and a couple of funny things happen here. ALF is climbing in the window. He looks down and says, “Hold still, Lucky!” Willie sees ALF climbing through the window, he quickly slams the door on Mr. Ochmonek, who was following right behind. Mr. Ochmonek tells Willie he’s nervous about raising Jake. Willie offers to help with Jake, maybe give him a good talk and straighten him out, and Mr. Ochmonek accepts the offer. Then we’re treated to some really odd, almost aggressive anti-flirtation between Jake and Lynn, culminating with him asking her to jump out of a cake for him. Speaking of cake, Willie invites Jake over for some after dinner. ALF wants it though, so he pounds the table and chants, “Cake, cake, cake.” Later, during the conversation about Jake, he “sneakily” pulls the tablecloth so that the cake moves closer to him.
That night Jake sneaks into Willie’s shed and steals his telescope. Jake then has to hide, because ALF comes into the shed. Jake sees ALF and drops the telescope. ALF makes Jake repair the telescope. Jake says that his dad taught him to fix things. Later that night, ALF remembers that he has a whole new child to molest, so he spies on Jake through the window. This is when we are made privy to the horrific extent of the boy’s juvenile delinquency: he crumples up some sheets of blank paper and throws them around. ALF gives Jake a bunch of stuff to fix. Mrs. Ochmonek hears him talking to somebody, and he calls to her that it’s just the TV. ALF, to keep up the illusion, shouts, “Live from New York! It’s Saturday night!”. The next day Willie is ignoring his daughter talk about her upcoming birthday. Willie goes into the kitchen where ALF reveals that he gave that crap to Jake to fix, and then they agree that their new friend Jake is one outrageous dude, and totally in their face. Then Willie returns to the living room and apologizes.
Title Reference
"The Boy Next Door" is a song from the movie musical Meet Me in St. Louis.