7.2/10185 votes#1 - Tender is the Knight
Season 2 Episode 1 - Aired 9/28/1983
When pretty Carrie Newman and her mother Julia come to visit the Keaton's, Carrie's forward behavior sends Alex into a panic.
Director: Sam Weisman
Writer: N/A
7.0/10158 votes#2 - The Homecoming
Season 2 Episode 2 - Aired 10/12/1983
When Mallory's boyfriend Jeff arrives home from college and wants to go steady, she's elated, but it's soon apparent that he's a little awed by school and merely grasping at the familiar and she must decide whether to ""let go"" and accept the change in their relationship. Mallory is nervous that Jeff may have met someone new, outgrown her or forgotten her. When the opposite appears true, and he announces plans to quit school, she refuses at first to see the obvious; that he's just a little overwhelmed by college. What's thrilling to her is self-destructive on Jeff's part.
Director: Sam Weisman
Writer: N/A
8.0/10196 votes#3 - The Harder They Fall
Season 2 Episode 3 - Aired 10/19/1983
Alex anxiously awaits a crucial college recommendation from his English teacher and urges Steven and Elyse to butter Mr. Tedesco up on parents' nite at school - but the obnoxious Tedesco is so insulting that Elyse slugs him, and a horrified Alex entreats Steven to make amends. The usually calm and non-violent Elyse is amazed and ashamed at her uncharacteristic behavior, though Tedesco ""asked for it"". Steven visits him and after being subjected to disparaging remarks about his wife, winds up repeating her deed. Finally Tedesco, who does recognize Alex's intellect, accepts an invitation to the Keaton home where he alienates everyone again. Alex must decide whether a glowing recommendation from an influential but disgusting man is worth groveling for.
Director: Sam Weisman
Writer: Rich Reinhart
6.8/10160 votes#4 - This Year's Model
Season 2 Episode 4 - Aired 10/26/1983
After Mallory secretly submits a picture of Elyse and herself to an ad agency for a mother-daughter modeling contest, she's ecstatic to have won but dismayed and jealous when the reluctant Elyse becomes the star model. Mallory is thrilled at the prospect of entering the glamorous world of modeling, but Elyse must be coaxed into participating. At the photo session, Elyse is showered with attention, while Mallory is shunted to the sidelines. To the chagrin of the teenager, her mother who is becoming seduced by the glamour, is offered a TV commercial for TV dinners to be filmed in the Keaton home. The filming ensues, but Mallory is determined to create a few stumbling blocks.
Director: John Pasquin
Writer: Susan Borowitz, Richard Raskind
7.7/10174 votes#5 - Not An Affair to Remember
Season 2 Episode 5 - Aired 11/2/1983
Steven's assistant at the station is bright, talented, funny, witty...and in love with him. And it looks like Steven may be returning her affections. It becomes obvious that Steven's assistant, Stacey Hughes, is very much attracted to him. And after a rough evening at home, as brief fling begins to look better and better to him.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
8.4/10208 votes#6 - Speed Trap
Season 2 Episode 6 - Aired 11/9/1983
When Alex takes diet pills for a lift during mid-terms, his dependency level increases daily. Alex is studying for several tests and convinces Mallory to obtain diet pills to help him stay awake. At his hyperness and irritability increase, so does his dependency on the pills. When he finally gets so desperate that he threatens Mallory to get more drugs, she becomes worried that he is headed for a ""crash landing"".
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
7.5/10170 votes#7 - Sweet Lorraine
Season 2 Episode 7 - Aired 11/16/1983
While working as a DJ at the school radio station, Alex strikes up a telephone friendship with caller Lorraine Ferrar, who shares his love of swing music, and he and the attractive 40-year-old meet and develop a special relationship. Drawn to Lorraine's sexy voice and love of swing music, Alex invites her to a Big Band concert. On arriving at her home for the date, he's shocked to find that she's an older woman and the mother of one of his sister's classmates. But they develop a platonic relationship, enjoying each other's company and discovering a wide range of shared interests. When Alex and Lorraine continue to ""date"", Steven and Elyse try to accept it but eventually ask her to stop seeing their son.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
6.8/10156 votes#8 - Batter Up
Season 2 Episode 8 - Aired 11/30/1983
Steven and Elyse worry that Alex, who is the new coach of Jennifer's softball team, is pushing the girls too hard when Jennifer fails to jog all the way home he orders her to do 20 extra pushups. Alex takes his coaching duties seriously and his players are leaving the team in droves. Two days before the championship game they don't even have enough players to qualify as a team unless Alex can convince Jennifer to persuade Skippy's klutzy sister Arlene to join the team. Arlene is happier making dresses for her turtles, but desperately wants Jennifer's friendship and agrees to play ball with some disastrous consequences.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
7.1/10193 votes#9 - A Keaton Christmas Carol
Season 2 Episode 9 - Aired 12/14/1983
A cynical Alex finds the spirit of Christmas in a dream, when he's shown shocking visions of the past and future by ghosts of Mallory and Jennifer. While the family enjoys trimming the tree, singing carols and taking pictures, Alex would rather listen to stock reports and finds Christmas ""a silly sentimental farce"" except for the commercialism. That evening, when he drifts off to sleep, Jennifer, The Ghost of Christmas Past, takes him back ten years to a scene in the Keaton living room and a time when young Alex loved Christmas. Next, the Ghost of Christmas Future, Mallory, appears and transports Alex 15 years ahead in time. The impoverished Keaton household is a sorry sight, visited by a rich fat cat on his way to Las Vegas - the future Alex.
Director: Will Mackenzie
Writer: N/A
6.9/10152 votes#10 - To Snatch a Keith
Season 2 Episode 10 - Aired 12/21/1983
Steven and Elyse realize how lucky they are when their friends come over for a visit, but are unaware that it will be for the last time. Divorced ""Sunday father"" Richard Bailey and his son, Keith, come over to the Keaton's before taking off on a secret flight of their own. It seems Keith's mother is moving to California with her new husband and plans on taking her son with them. When a satisfactory visiting arrangement can't be reached, Richard decides it's time to make a move and it's up to Steven to put a stop to their travel plans.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
7.6/10197 votes#11 - Birthday Boy
Season 2 Episode 11 - Aired 1/5/1984
On his 18th birthday, Alex defies his mother and goes off with some of his buddies to celebrate at an out-of-town niteclub, and to his dismay, the irate Elyse shows up and confronts him.
Director: Will Mackenzie
Writer: Michael J. Weithorn
7.6/10167 votes#12 - Go Tigers
Season 2 Episode 12 - Aired 1/12/1984
Alex is both amazed and furious when a critical admissions interview at Princeton University is shattered by his hysterical sister Mallory, who feels her anger over discovering her boyfriend kissing another girl is more important than his college education. Alex is overjoyed at going to Princeton for the interview, but not too keen about taking his sister along so she can visit her boyfriend Jeff at the university. He drops Mallory off at Jeff's and heads for his important interview, only to be humiliated when he has to leave the meeting to comfort his weepy sister.
Director: Will Mackenzie
Writer: Michael J. Weithorn
6.5/10145 votes#13 - "M" is for the Many Things
Season 2 Episode 13 - Aired 1/19/1984
Elyse is chocked by her soon-to-be-divorced mother's quick and free-spirited plunge into the singles world, and sparks fly between the two women when Elyse can't help but interfere.
Director: Will Mackenzie
Writer: Lisa A. Bannick
7.9/10222 votes#14 - Say Uncle
Season 2 Episode 14 - Aired 1/26/1984
Alex discovers that his idol, young Uncle Ned, has a serious drinking problem when the bright, but ill-fated corporate whiz kid returns for a visit after losing another job.
Director: Will Mackenzie
Writer: N/A
7.0/10160 votes#15 - Ladies' Man
Season 2 Episode 15 - Aired 2/2/1984
Alex pretends to support the Equal Rights Amendment to impress a pretty feminist and winds up behind bars after championing the cause at a debate that turns into a riot. To get a date with Deena Marx, the conservative Alex starts spouting feminist rhetoric. While it's all a sham, he gets in over his head when he accompanies Deena to a debate, stands up for a feminist being heckled and is carted off to jail following a near riot. He's a hero to the women in his cell, but when he's asked to be the keynote speaker at an ERA rally, he realizes the charade has gone too far.
Director: Will Mackenzie
Writer: N/A
7.2/10149 votes#16 - Ready or Not
Season 2 Episode 16 - Aired 2/9/1984
Mallory turns to Alex for some advice when she begins to fear she'll lose her new boyfriend unless she agrees to his pleas for a more ""adult"" romance. Sixteen-year-old Mallory and eighteen-year-old Rick seem to have a special romance, and she fears that she'll ruin it unless she gives in to his request to enter a new phase of the relationship. Mallory becomes burdened with the question of what is the ""right time"" for the ""first time"".
Director: Lee Shallat Chemel
Writer: Michael J. Weithorn
7.6/10241 votes#17 - Double Date
Season 2 Episode 17 - Aired 2/16/1984
Alex courts disaster when he invites two dates to the senior prom and devises an elaborate scheme for escorting each of the unknowing girls on a night to remember. Prom chairman Alex is all set to attend the big evening with an ecstatic Rachel Miller, when he finds that his heartthrob, Jocelyn Clark, has just broken up with her boyfriend. While consoling her, Alex invites her to be his date and finds himself in a major jam. With Skippy's help he tries to juggle both dates, until the truth comes crashing down.
Director: Will Mackenzie
Writer: N/A
6.6/10151 votes#18 - Lady Sings the Blues
Season 2 Episode 18 - Aired 2/23/1984
Excited at the prospect of reviving her folk-singing career at a local niteclub, Elyse faces the skepticism of Alex and Mallory and an audience unattuned to the songs of the sixties.
Director: N/A
Writer: Michael J. Weithorn
7.0/10153 votes#19 - Baby Boy Doe
Season 2 Episode 19 - Aired 3/8/1984
When Alex's pal Skippy discovers he's adopted, Alex helps him cope with the shocking news and accompanies the nervous teenager on a memorable meeting with his real mother.
Director: Will Mackenzie
Writer: N/A
7.4/10157 votes#20 - The Graduate
Season 2 Episode 20 - Aired 3/15/1984
Alex is so sure that he will be named valedictorian of his class that he can't cope with the thought of being defeated by a girl especially his girl so his budding romance with Rachel is threatened when she wins the honor. The dismayed and shattered Alex, who even memorized his valedictory speech, feels cheated out of an honor he felt was his destiny all thru high school and he precedes to sabotage his relationship with Rachel.
Director: Will Mackenzie
Writer: Lloyd Garver
6.5/10144 votes#21 - Diary of a Young Girl
Season 2 Episode 21 - Aired 5/3/1984
In the hospital awaiting a tonsillectomy, Jennifer fears she may never see her family again and, while writing in her diary, she flashes back to regrettable incidents with each family member. Jennifer conjures up memories of the time she deliberately ruined Mallory's date with a boy, and also recalls an incident when her stubborn refusal to rehearse a play with Alex caused him to lose out on the lead.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
6.6/10140 votes#22 - Working At It
Season 2 Episode 22 - Aired 5/10/1984
When Elyse lands a job with a top architectural firm, the load begins to get to her at work and at home. Elyse feels the need to expand her horizons. She lands a job at one of the major architectural firms in the city. But twelve years of not working in an office have put her behind the times. When she becomes over-worked, she starts to neglect her family and the major presentation to the president of the company is jeopardized.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
The Best Episodes of Family Ties Season 2
Every episode of Family Ties Season 2 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of Family Ties Season 2!
Former 1960s flower children Steven and Elyse Keaton raise their conservative son Alex, daughters Mallory and Jennifer, and later, youngest child Andrew.
Genres:ComedyDramaFamily
Network:NBC
Season 2 Ratings Summary
"Tender is the Knight" is the best rated episode of "Family Ties" season 2. It scored 7.2/10 based on 185 votes. Directed by Sam Weisman and written by N/A, it aired on 9/28/1983. This episode is rated 0.2 points higher than the second-best, "The Homecoming".