Family Ties backdrop
Comedy•Drama•Family

The Best Episodes of Family Ties Season 7

Every episode of Family Ties Season 7 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of Family Ties Season 7!

Binge this in 10h 58m•Peaking at 8.1/10

Former 1960s flower children Steven and Elyse Keaton raise their conservative son Alex, daughters Mallory and Jennifer, and later, youngest child Andrew.

Airs on
NBC
BestEpisodes
WorstEpisodes
BestSeasons
AllEpisodes

Seasons7

All1234567

Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
    Family Ties Season 7 Episode 1 - It Happened One Night
    7.4/10(122 votes)

    #1 - It Happened One Night

    S7:E1

    A family camping trip turns into a comedy of errors. While the Keaton kids and Lauren argue about politics, Steven and Elyse decide it's time to get away from such serious concerns. They eagerly suggest that the whole family go on a camping trip, like they used to do. The kids don't share their parents' enthusiasm, however, and quickly come up with reasons why they can't go. As a result, little Andy is the only Keaton willing to go along with Steven and Elyse.

    Director:Matthew Diamond
    Writer:Marc Lawrence

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  2. Family Ties Season 7 Episode 2 - Designing Woman
    7.4/10(119 votes)

    #2 - Designing Woman

    S7:E2

    Mallory's enthusiasm for her job at a prestigious fashion firm quickly fades when she discovers that her design ideas are being stolen by another employee. Mallory is thrilled when she earns an apprenticeship at David Campbell Fashions, a top-notch fashion design house in Ohio. Before starting her new job, Mallory discusses what her duties will be with the firm's star designer, Jamie Carter. When Mallory timidly asks whether the designs she's done for school will ever be made into David Campbell fashions, Jamie reacts somewhat coolly. Although Jamie seems pleased by Mallory's designs, she explains that the apprentice still has a lot to learn. Eager to succeed, Mallory throws herself into her work. Before long, however, Mallory is stunned when she discovers that Jamie has stolen her design ideas and pitched them to David Campbell as her own. What's more, Campbell likes ""Jamie's"" designs so much, he plans to feature them in his upcoming fashion show. Feeling completely disillusioned, Ma

    Director:Matthew Diamond
    Writer:Katie Ford

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  3. Family Ties Season 7 Episode 3 - Truckers
    7.2/10(114 votes)

    #3 - Truckers

    S7:E3

    Alex feels left out when Andy begins spending less time with him and more time with Nick's streetwise nephew Rocco. While Steven rages about the household bills, Alex worries about something else: Andrew's budding friendship with Rocco, Nick's visiting eight-year-old nephew. Andy quickly becomes enchanted with the boy, who's a pint-sized version of Nick and thus not exactly Alex's idea of a positive role model for his little brother.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  4. Family Ties Season 7 Episode 4 - Beyond Therapy
    6.6/10(116 votes)

    #4 - Beyond Therapy

    S7:E4

    In an attempt to get Alex to open up emotionally, Lauren persuades him to join a therapy group. Returning from a date, Alex and Lauren arrive at the Keaton home and finish a fight they began in the car. Lauren resents the fact that Alex has dragged her to a boring economics department function and accuses him of avoiding any conversation which becomes personal.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  5. Family Ties Season 7 Episode 5 - Heartstrings (1)
    7.9/10(130 votes)

    #5 - Heartstrings (1)

    S7:E5

    The Keaton family unites in crisis when Steven suffers a serious heart attack. While Alex and Andy discuss the upcoming Presidential race, Mallory and Jennifer prepare for another legendary shopping expedition. Moments later, Elyse returns home from jogging, but Steven lags behind, explaining that his run was slowed by a burning pain in his side. Steven dismisses the pain, assuming it was due to something he ate, while Alex kids him that the pain was caused by the guilt of being a Democrat.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  6. Family Ties Season 7 Episode 6 - Heartstrings (2)
    8.1/10(129 votes)

    #6 - Heartstrings (2)

    S7:E6

    While Steven fights for his life in surgery, the family fights to remain optimistic about his condition. When Steven's surgery extends beyond the expected five hours, tension in the waiting room increases. A nervous Alex, however, begins to express acute concern only for himself fearing that he has inherited a weak heart, he searches in vain for his pulse. Lauren soon makes Alex realize that he is fixated on his own health to block the anguish he really feels for his father. While the Keatons wait, they receive hope and encouragement from Mrs. Hobart and Mr. Meyers, whose spouses are also undergoing surgery.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

    7. Trending NowTRENDING NOW

    The 20 BEST Episodes of Family Ties

    READ
  7. Family Ties Season 7 Episode 7 - Heartstrings (3)
    8.0/10(127 votes)

    #7 - Heartstrings (3)

    S7:E7

    Steven battles the physical and psychological aftershocks of his heart surgery. As the hours drag on during Steven's quadruple bypass operation, the Keaton crew grows exhausted in the hospital waiting room. Awakened by Skippy's typically goofy entrance, they all snap to attention when Dr. Harrison appears. He assures them that the surgery has gone well, but Steven must still be observed closely for the next few hours.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  8. Family Ties Season 7 Episode 8 - Basic Training
    7.1/10(116 votes)

    #8 - Basic Training

    S7:E8

    Skippy's decision to join the Army soon becomes a losing battle. As the Keaton clan continues to nag Steven about taking it easy in the wake of his heart attack, a very morose Skippy stops by. Depressed by the results of his career aptitude tests, he confides that he's become hopeless about his future job prospects.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  9. Family Ties Season 7 Episode 9 - Deja Vu
    7.0/10(116 votes)

    #9 - Deja Vu

    S7:E9

    Sisterly sparks fly when Jennifer decides to date the younger brother of Mallory's former high school heartthrob. As the Keatons try to persuade Steven that he needs a relaxing hobby, Jennifer nervously awaits the arrival of her new friend, Josh Wakefield, who has agreed to work with her on a project for the French Club. When Mallory realizes that Josh is the younger brother of Jeff Wakefield, her former high school boyfriend, she becomes overprotective and reminds Jennifer how Jeff jilted her when he went to college. Mallory just assumes that Josh will do the same to Jennifer.

    Director:Matthew Diamond
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  10. Family Ties Season 7 Episode 10 - Nick's Best Friend
    7.5/10(123 votes)

    #10 - Nick's Best Friend

    S7:E10

    Nick gets back together with his best childhood friend: his dog Scrapper. When Nick's mother moves into a new apartment complex that doesn't allow animals, he is given custody of his boyhood dog Scrapper. Although the lovable pooch is quite old, he's still playful and manages to completely charm the Keatons.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  11. Family Ties Season 7 Episode 11 - Get Me to the Living Room on Time
    7.0/10(114 votes)

    #11 - Get Me to the Living Room on Time

    S7:E11

    When Andy befriends two senior citizens, Steven decides to make them the focus of his new documentary. After Andy announces that he's invited a couple of friends over, the Keatons are surprised when two people in their seventies walk in! Andy introduces Joseph Simmons and Eva Martin to the family, explaining that they are from the retirement center which Andy's class visits each week as a school project.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  12. Family Ties Season 7 Episode 12 - The Job Not Taken
    7.0/10(112 votes)

    #12 - The Job Not Taken

    S7:E12

    Alex must choose between friendship and his career after a friend recommends him for a job at a big investment firm. As Steven returns from a shopping spree, Alex eagerly prepares to have dinner with Paul Corman, a former Leland classmate who's now an associate with the top investment banking house in Ohio. He's even more excited when, over dinner, Paul tells Alex that his firm is looking to hire a new associate... and he has suggested Alex for the job.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Marc Lawrence

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  13. Family Ties Season 7 Episode 13 - The Wrecker's Ball
    6.5/10(114 votes)

    #13 - The Wrecker's Ball

    S7:E13

    When the first building Elyse designed faces the wrecking ball, the entire family rallies behind her attempts to block the demolition. Elyse is heartbroken when she learns that her very first professional design project, the Cavanaugh Building, is about to be torn down to make way for a mini-mall. Disconcerted by the news, Elyse becomes more and more upset as she starts reminiscing about her early career and how much the Cavanaugh Building meant to her.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  14. Family Ties Season 7 Episode 14 - My Best Friend's Girl
    7.5/10(127 votes)

    #14 - My Best Friend's Girl

    S7:E14

    Lauren gets more than she bargained for when she begins counseling Skippy and he falls in love with her. When Jennifer arrives home with her learner's permit in hand and announces that she'd like Elyse to teach her how to drive, a somewhat miffed Steven begins to needle them both about ""women drivers"". With continuous prodding, however, Steven finally gets his way and takes over as Jennifer's driving instructor.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  15. Family Ties Season 7 Episode 15 - 'Til Her Daddy Takes the T-Bird Away
    6.6/10(114 votes)

    #15 - 'Til Her Daddy Takes the T-Bird Away

    S7:E15

    Mallory's plans to buy a car are stalled when Steven refuses to co-sign her loan. As Jennifer labors over a play she's writing on the final days of the Nixon presidency, Steven anxiously waits for Mallory to return home with his car. When she arrives late and is chided by her impatient dad, Mallory suggests that perhaps it's time she bought a car of her own.

    Director:Matthew Diamond
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  16. Family Ties Season 7 Episode 16 - Simon Says
    6.8/10(122 votes)

    #16 - Simon Says

    S7:E16

    Jennifer is caught in the middle when she begins working with her friend Simon. As Alex recoils at declarations of love from Marla, an 11-year-old newspaper delivery girl who has a huge crush on him, Jennifer announces that she and her schoolmate Simon have landed jobs at a local fast food store.

    Director:Matthew Diamond
    Writer:Katie Ford

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  17. Family Ties Season 7 Episode 17 - All in the Neighborhood (1)
    6.9/10(136 votes)

    #17 - All in the Neighborhood (1)

    S7:E17

    The Keatons are shocked to realize that racism is alive and well when their black friends move into a house across the street. During dinner with Steven's colleague Gus Thompson and his wife Maya, the Keatons learn that the couple is having trouble finding a house to buy. When Elyse informs them that the house across the street is up for sale, Gus and Maya (who are black) gently raise the subject of race. Although Steven admits that there are no black families in the neighborhood, he believes race to be a non-issue.

    Director:Matthew Diamond
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  18. Family Ties Season 7 Episode 18 - All in the Neighborhood (2)
    6.9/10(132 votes)

    #18 - All in the Neighborhood (2)

    S7:E18

    The Keatons rally behind their black friends when the issue of racial discrimination hits home. Surprised and disgusted with their neighbors' racist attitudes, Elyse and Steven apologize to Gus and Maya Thompson for ever having suggested that they buy the house across the street. The Keatons become even more disturbed when they learn that the Thompsons are considering moving out immediately.

    Director:Matthew Diamond
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  19. Family Ties Season 7 Episode 19 - They Can't Take That Away From Me (1)
    7.0/10(119 votes)

    #19 - They Can't Take That Away From Me (1)

    S7:E19

    Alex's relationship with Lauren is tested when he becomes infatuated with a young music student. While Lauren's out of town attending a psychology conference. Alex begins teaching a freshman seminar in economics at Leland College. As he begins his first lecture, he is interrupted by a late arrival, music major Marty Brodie, a rather scattered young woman.

    Director:Matthew Diamond
    Writer:Marc Lawrence

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  20. Family Ties Season 7 Episode 20 - They Can't Take That Away From Me (2)
    7.5/10(125 votes)

    #20 - They Can't Take That Away From Me (2)

    S7:E20

    Alex finds himself on an emotional rollercoaster when he's forced to choose between Lauren and Marty. When Lauren returns from her psychology conference, she notices that Alex is acting distant and distracted. After an uncomfortable silence, Alex admits that he has become interested in another woman and needs time to sort out his feelings, a revelation that leaves Lauren angry and confused.

    Director:Matthew Diamond
    Writer:Marc Lawrence

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  21. Family Ties Season 7 Episode 21 - Rain Forests Keep Falling on My Head
    5.4/10(145 votes)

    #21 - Rain Forests Keep Falling on My Head

    S7:E21

    Jennifer becomes obsessed with the environment after she begins studying the earth's ecological evils. As Alex presents Andrew with a pet parakeet, Jennifer arrives home with news that her science class has begun studying global ecology to explore how the earth is endangered by man's interference. Upset that the world is being destroyed for profit, Jennifer begins trying to make the family more ecologically aware as she laments the destruction of rain forests in Brazil and the ozone layer over the South Pole. While Mallory teaches the parakeet anti-Republican phrases, Jennifer becomes more and more obsessed. When she realizes how many toxic chemicals are in the Keaton home alone, she demands that the family throw out a bunch of household products and shop for safe alternatives. Not stopping there, however, she begins dwelling on the enormity of the world's environmental problems and becomes psychologically overwhelmed. Fixating on such evils as acid rain and radon gas, Jennifer sinks i

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  22. Family Ties Season 7 Episode 22 - Wrap Around the Clock
    6.9/10(103 votes)

    #22 - Wrap Around the Clock

    S7:E22

    When Andy asks the family to contribute to his time capsule, the Keaton clan recalls some of their best-loved stories. As a homework assignment, Andy has been given the task of creating a time capsule which reflects his family's history. For his part, the littlest Keaton has placed his baby boots in the capsule, and asks his parents and siblings to contribute mementos from their past. Soon, the family is looking back and laughing at some of their funniest experiences together, like the time Steven and Elyse went to Woodstock, Alex went to jail with a group of feminists after feigning support for the Equal Rights Amendment and Mallory coached Nick in grammar to pass his high school equivalency exam. They also recall what happened when Mallory began dispensing advice to the lovelorn in her ""Dear Mallory"" column, Steven made a mess out of wallpapering the kitchen and Elyse became a blackjack fanatic in Atlantic City, where she was supposed to be lecturing at a conference.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  23. Family Ties Season 7 Episode 23 - Mr. Keaton Takes a Vacation
    6.6/10(89 votes)

    #23 - Mr. Keaton Takes a Vacation

    S7:E23

    Steven must confront his true feelings about Mallory's boyfriend when Nick moves in with the family for a week. While Elyse struggles to do the family taxes and Steven buries himself in his Tolstoy documentary, Mallory asks her parents if Nick can stay with the Keatons for a week while his house is being painted. Although Elyse gives in to Mallory's pleas, she warns her that Nick must be made to understand that Steven is very busy and should stay out of his way. During the first night of Nick's stay, protective papa Steven parks himself in a chair on the stair landing to prevent any hanky-panky between the couple. When Mallory wakes Nick up early the next morning to cook breakfast for the whole family, Steven arises with a start and runs into the kitchen, demanding an explanation for their whispers and giggling. When they explain about breakfast, Steven becomes embarrassed and pretends to be sleepwalking!

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  24. Family Ties Season 7 Episode 24 - Alex Doesn't Live Here Anymore
    7.5/10(105 votes)

    #24 - Alex Doesn't Live Here Anymore

    S7:E24

    When Alex lands his dream job in New York, everyone's delighted for him, except Elyse. As Steven helps Andy rehearse for his school play on dental hygiene, Alex bursts into the Keaton kitchen with a rousing chorus of ""New York, New York"", and the news that he's been hired by one of Wall Street's biggest investment firms. The family is thrilled, but Elyse is somewhat taken aback when she learns that Alex is expected to move immediately. While everyone pitches in to help Alex get ready, Elyse becomes miffed over a family photo that he packed without her permission and a palpable tension begins to develop between them. In the course of packing, Alex battles wits with Jennifer, accepts fashion tips from Mallory, receives fatherly advice from Steven and shares some final moments with Nick, Skippy and Lauren. All the while, Elyse continues to withdraw from him.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

Season 7 Ratings Summary

"It Happened One Night" is the best rated episode of "Family Ties" season 7. It scored 7.4/10 based on 122 votes. Directed by Matthew Diamond and written by Marc Lawrence, it aired on 10/30/1988. This episode is rated 0.0 points higher than the second-best, "Designing Woman".