Season 1, Episode 1 - The Mama Who Came to Dinner

The show starts out with the classic intro that we all remember: "As Days Go By". I don't remember it being this long, though, but maybe that's because TV shows don't really have long intros with theme songs anymore. Perhaps that's whats wrong with this generation. I think its important to note that there is a different Judy in the pilot episode. This little girl is a cutie but its definitely not the one we remember. Also worth noting that Jaleel White aka Steve Urkel, does not appear on the opening credits.

Anyways, we get right into the family expecting Mother Winslow to come live with them. Carl follows Harriet around the house with a list of excuses as to why she shouldn't be moving in with them. He even lists off all of his brothers that I bet we'll never meet and says he's going to try and pawn her off on them. I don't get it, was this Harriett's idea? If she's going to be so terrible, why did he even offer to have her stay there?

In the kitchen we meet Laura and Judy as they're fighting over a random baby. Who's baby is that? I don't remember there being a younger kid, I thought Judy was the youngest? Maybe we'll never see him after this episode? My question got answered real quick about Judy, though, she's a terrible actor. It's like she can't even read the cue cards. 

We meet the oldest son, Eddie, as he bounds down the stairs to tell his mom all of the chores he is going to do for her. Like any good parent, they immediately assume there is a catch so they get him to spill it. Eddie wants to go over to his friend's house and watch a Rambo marathon until 2 a.m. but he knows his curfew is at 10 p.m. They tell him they'll think about it so that he'll continue to do more chores. We also learn that Carl is a police officer...as if his sweatshirt that says "Police Academy" wasn't enough to tip us off.

Just then a knock at the door tells us Mother Winslow is here. She says hi to everyone, tells Harriet she looks beautiful and Carl he looks fat. The beginning of the dead horse fat jokes we'll hear over the next nine seasons. Our introduction to Aunt Rachel is her coming in the house carrying all of Mother Winslow's suitcase. Boy there are a lot of people coming and going in one scene, I get they're just introducing us to everyone but dang! My head is spinning. Just then the girls come down to greet Mother Winslow and Aunt Rachel asks who is watching her baby. Oooohhhhh okay, so the baby is Aunt Rachel's. Okay okay, I kind of remember an obnoxious little boy in the later seasons so I guess that's who this baby is supposed to be. The girls tell Rachel they carelessly left him upstairs by himself so she runs to get him.

Harriet gets some tea for Mother Winslow and she tells them she doesn't drink tea anymore and they shouldn't either. In fact, she's putting Carl on a diet..just what he feared. Eddie comes downstairs to say hi to Mother Winslow and the parents tell him he can't go to his friend's house. He pouts and goes upstairs. 

In the next scene, Eddie complains to Mother Winslow that he's not allowed to go to this Rambo marathon and she tells him she'll help fight for his right to party. I'm not kidding, she says that. Also, he's 15, of course he can't stay out that late cause that means a parent would have to come get him at 2 a.m. since he can't drive yet. I know my parents wouldn't come at 2 a.m. to get me...why not just make it a sleepover? This seems like a non-issue.

Mother Winslow then takes it upon herself to complain about dinner time cause she's hungry but hates the meatloaf Harriet made..without even tasting it first. What a B. Harriet ushers her out of the kitchen and tells her to relax and dinner will be ready soon.

Upstairs Laura interrupts Aunt Rachel writing to talk. Rachel asks her to listen to a part of her story and Laura dumps on it. I guess Rachel is a writer? Does that mean she and her kid are living there rent free? Laura asks Rachel if her dad is going to kick out Mother Winslow which seems kind of presumptuous considering she hasn't even been in any of the scenes where they are complaining about her. Mother Winslowa hasn't even been there for 24 hours yet, they're really pushing the pushy mama/mother in law/grandma story. We also learn that Aunt Rachel moved in after her husband died. Oookkaaayy, so now I'm the B cause I said the comment about living there rent free. Rachel and the girls run downstairs for dinner..literally running, like its Christmas dinner or something.

At dinner, Carl complains that Mother Winslow sits in his chair and Harriet tells him to shut the eff up cause she's about strangle Mother Winslow herself. Mother Winslow tells Carl that its almost the 90s (ahem) and that he should lighten up about this 10 p.m. curfew. Carl says no again and Eddie runs upstairs like a big baby and Harriet runs after him for some reason.

Carl has a sit down talk with Mother Winslow and the music comes on! The music! I forgot about these shows ending with a tender moment, a lesson, and the music! Awww, nostalgia. They talk about how pushy she is and they both say they'll make adjustments and try a lot harder. She convinces him that Eddie is a good kid and 10 p.m. is just too early for him to be safe at home.

Carl goes upstairs to talk to Eddie and we see him, uhhhh, spying on his neighbor with binoculars. I'm assuming its suppose to be a female species. How creepy! Carl says that since Eddie has made a lot of adjustments for the family, like taking the attic room so Mother Winslow can have his room, he needs to learn to trust him more. Carl says he can go to the party, so I guess he's picking him up at 2 a.m. He then takes the binoculars in case "he gets assigned to a stake out". CREEPY!

The episode ends with the adults happily playing the piano and singing "He's Got to Whole World in His Hands". For some reason this song is adults only and the girls sit on the steps in the background.

You guys! I'm so excited to have gotten through my first episode. It was pretty funny, a lot of it didn't make a whole lotta sense but we only have 20 mins for the story to build up and magically get resolved.

If you made it through reading this whole episode recap, I love you! Did you watch the show on Hulu to follow along? Anything I missed?

Til next time.
xoxo