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Family Ties Season 5 Episode 23

A, My Name is Alex (1)

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Episode Summary

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AIRED: 3/12/87

Alex has trouble dealing with Greg's fatal automobile accident.

FAN RECAP

Fan Episode Reviews (5)

Chills

10

By Supermodelson, Sep 10, 2012

I saw this episode for the first time as a child and I knew right there that my life was somehow changed. It made me want to write for television for one and wonder about the afterlife and what happened after death. IT was the most moving episode that I ever watched as a child.

I have never forgotten this episode and watched it briefly on Netflix. When I found out that it was available on Amazon Instant Video, I downloaded it. It may sound corny but now i can watch it whenever I want. It was very special to me and makes me think of my childhood.

I'm glad that this episode won so many awards because I have never been able to forget it. Michael J. Fox really showed his skill and dedication to his craft as he perfected the character of Alex P. Keaton as if he were a real person. It was absolutely one of my favorite top three episodes of ANY show that I've ever seen in my life.moreless
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A, My Name is Alex....Touching Episode

10

By Ilona_Ritter, Jul 06, 2012

This is my favorite episode of "Family Ties". This is one of the few times we see Alex speak from the heart not from the checkbook. It is very emotional as he comes to terms with his own life while dealing with the death of his best friend Greg.
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perfect

10

By futuramarama, Jun 23, 2011

What I liked: Alex's true feelings toward his old teacher, his sisters Mallory and Jennifer, his mom, and how he used to think his dad was a loser, but now he thinks he is great and wants to be just like him.

This episode was amazing. I have only seen a few episodes of this show but this is definitely my favorite of the ones I have seen. It had humor when it needed some, and when Alex is crying about how "It's not fair!" I almost cried to. Michael J Fox delivered a great performance in this truly memorable episode. My grade is of course going to be an A+.moreless
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The best episode, possibly Michael J. Fox's best performance ever.

10

By GreatBigSea, Jan 18, 2011

"Very special" episodes were not uncommon in 80's sitcoms. Those two words preceeding a show usually meant that something dramatic was going to happen. Instead of laughs, they just might generate a few tears.

Yet, with "A, My Name Is Alex," we get tears AND laughter.

When Alex's friend Greg dies in a car accident, Alex begins a journey of self-discovery. He was supposed to be in the car, but backed out of a commitment to his friend because he was too busy. In the show's ground-breaking second act, Alex talks to an off-camera psychiatrist. During the session, we visit all the people in Alex's life. But instead of the usual sets, the scenes play out on a blank stage, as Alex visits each of the people he is describing. Everything you need to know about Alex Keaton is in those scenes, from the second-grade teacher who pushed him to excel, to his shame at admitting he grew up with a blind eye to his father's strength. It's a tour-de-force dramatic performance from Fox.

But the laughs are there, too: Alex is amused by Mallory's theological musings, shocked that his therapist attended the much-maligned Grant College, and irritated that any of his paid time in the session is wasted on talking to Nick.

All these things are nothing less than the catalyst for Alex's healing process to begin. He emerges at the end of the episode a changed person.moreless
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Great story. Wonderful acting by Michael J. Fox. This, along with the second part, is my favorite episode of Family Ties ever.

10

By Hungry_Homer111, Jan 14, 2006

This is my favorite Family Ties episode ever. The story is very good, and it\'s very well written. One of Alex\'s friends wants Alex to help him move. Alex promised to help him, but now he says that he can\'t. Later, Alex learns that his friend died in a car accident. If Alex had helped his friend move, he would have been in the car with him. This really gets Alex upset. He starts seeing his friend, even though he is dead, and Alex talks to him, saying that he\'s sorry that he didn\'t help him, and that he wishes he wasn\'t so selfish. And he says that he wishes that he was in the car with him. Then, Alex goes to a psychiatrist. He doesn\'t want to open up to the psychiatrist, but he slowly reveals some things about his childhood. This part of the episode just has Alex sitting in a chair, talking to the psychiatrist with the background just black, until he talks about part of his memories. When he does talk about one of his memories, part of the background lights up, and it has different sets, such as the Keaton\'s kitchen, an old school that Alex goes to, Alex\'s bedroom. Alex then walks around to the different parts of the background. In one part, he talks about how he met the friend who died. He remembers their first meeting, and tries to warn him to not go into the car. He remembers when he was a kid, and his dad wanted to play catch with him. During this part, he tells the psychiatrist that he used to hate his father because of his views on issues, but now he is ashamed that he felt that way, because his father is a man who can prove he is right without putting down somebody who opposes his views. In one part, he has a talk with a version of Nick in his mind, who says that there is a part of Nick in Alex. Then, Alex remembers a time when he was playing the song \"Born To Be Wild.\" These are only some of the memories that Alex has in this episode.

Now, I want to talk about Michael J. Fox\'s acting in this episode. Michael J. Fox is a very good actor, and I think that this is one of his better performances of his whole career. Very few actors could do what he did in this episode. I could tell that he really had a handle on the character. At the end of the first act, when Alex has a break down, it seemed very convincing. And then, for the rest of the episode, the camera stays on him, following him around. This lasts for three full acts (counting the second part of the episode). If anybody else played Alex P. Keaton, this episode might have failed miserably. But Michael J. Fox really brings this episode alive with his acting.

Like I said before, this is my favorite episode of Family Ties ever. Everything comes together so well.moreless
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Cast & Crew: STARS

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Michael J. Fox	Alex P. Keaton
Tina Yothers	Jennifer Keaton
Michael Gross	Steven Keaton
Justine Bateman	Mallory Keaton
Brian Bonsall	Andrew Keaton (1986-1989)
Meredith Baxter Birney	Elyse Donnelly Keaton

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Cast & Crew: RECURRING AND GUESTS

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Brian McNamara	Greg	Guest Star
Richard McGonagle	Brother Timothy	Guest Star
Meg Wyllie	Mrs. Leahy	Guest Star
David Wohl	Psychiatrist (voice only)	Recurring Role

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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TRIVIA (1)
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- Alex had a lunchbox with the President Nixon's face on it when he was seven years old.
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QUOTES (3)
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- Flashback to a conversation between Elyse and Alex during the Watergate scandal
  Alex: Oh, Mommy! My President is being impeached! How could you expect me to continue living the life of a normal second grader?
  Elyse: I'm waiting for you to begin living a life of a normal second grader.
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- Steven: (in a flashback scene of Alex's childhood)Come on, you want to have a little catch?
  Alex: Oh, I don't...Dad, I'm not very good at it.
  Steven: Well, you can't expect to learn it all in one day.
  Alex: I learned algebra all in one day.
  Steven: Well, I know. But now you're starting school, you have to learn how to play catch.
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- Alex: I'm doing a new dance! The Keaton Samba! Everyone try it!
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NOTES (1)
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- This episode won the 1987 Emmy for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series.
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ALLUSIONS (0)
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- ADD ALLUSIONS from this episode.