When You're Blindsided By an 80s Sitcom

[@Metalmitch72]

My sister Kim died in a drunk driving accident in 1987,she was 20. Rest In Peace Kimberly Ann Critelli January 7th 1967-August 15th 1987. She was my half sister but never thought that,she was sister plain and simple. I miss her dearly.

[@justylex]

So young😢. I am so sorry that you have your sister stolen from you. She should have been there for all of your big moments in life❤️

[@slvtnanddscplshparedifferent]

I'm so very sorry for your loss. Much love and many blessings to you always. God is close to the brokenhearted. #John10

[@d1inonly]

Sending you and your family my Faith and Strength.

[@shopsshire9282]

And it's been almost a year since we've lost Matthew Perry 10-28-2023 ❤🙏 RIP

[@evonne_o]

😢

[@pwallace5359]

Too bad he couldn’t stop doing drugs. What a waste.

[@onedeadchicken2489]

I loved him in Deadpool

[@MariettaJames-xb6is]

God rest his soul to actor Matthew Perry 😭😭

[@SlowSpyder]

We didn't lose him, he left.

[@abqnurse5760]

Oh My Gosh! Shout out to Tracy Gold, I got choked up just watching the clips. RIP Matthew.

[@pettykittyfam]

Absolutely Genuine tears

[@crystalshaw8744]

Me too.

[@vlmilillo]

Yes! She nailed it and truly was fabulous! RIP Matthewerry😔

[@Marysmith-kh7dt]

This episode was so memorable that to this day I don't drink and drive.

[@amiejohnston2842]

I actually think what really got me was the look on Mike’s face when he had to tell Carol that Sandy died. As soon as he came out of the kitchen with that expression on his face, I just knew something bad happened.

[@SuperMarioBrosIII]

@amiejohnston2842 Well you might be surprised or shocked to know that Kirk Cameron is actually responsible for the early demise of Matthew Perry's character Sandie. With Sandie beening the new character and possible focus of the show this made Kirk very jealous allegedly. And notice that Carols character never found Mr. Right during the entire run of the series? She meets Bobby in season 2 but by season 3 they breakup. She meets Sandie and of course that ends abruptly sadly. She did date a coworker in later seasons but of course it didn't last. I think season 6 or 7 she meets a really nice guy at the amusement park and spend the whole night together and that was it. Heather Langencamp would return for a three-part episode of Growing Pains Let's Go To Europe as Amy Boutilier in season 6.🤔🤷🕵😢

[@SuperMarioBrosIII]

@@amiejohnston2842 When Tracey complained to the producers that she didn't like the fact jokes they chalked it up by telling her don't take it so personal brothers and sisters tease each other. There was actually an episode in season 4 that took this a step further albeit she had already lost some weight. She was in her room exercising when suddenly the floor opens up and she falls landing on the couch downstairs. In that same episode in a dream sequence Tracey has on a fat suit and glasses. Yes Kirk declaring Matthew Perry a devil of Satan forcing the blossoming romance between Carol and Sandy to end before it began. The plan was originally to have Sandy a regular on the show and have a proper courtship between Carol and Sandy. In recent years Julie claims she met Kirk before she was cast as Julie during an autograph signing with tv dad Alan Thicke and Kirk knew she was a Playboy playmate Febuary of 1985. This was before she was cast as Julie. Kirk was smitten by her and even asked Julie to come to the set of Growing Pains to a watch a live taping. Hence this is how she was spotted by producers who were looking for someone to play a nanny on the show. When she cast Kirk seemed very happy until her Playboy spread cameout. So even if the cast and crew didn't know she was a Playboy playmate Kirk already knew. He suddebly cuts her of and demands producers to have her fired. Do you remember the season 5 episode when Mike is with his new girlfriend Kate and Julie is his waitress. Sadly albeit Julie was fired she was still under contract and was forced to comeback and tape that episode. Kirk and his rage of Christian feiry even managed to get the original executive producers of Growing Pains fired as well claiming that they were promoting porn LOL! Hence this was when we would finally see changes to his character such as Mike becoming a teacher and befriending Luke portrayed by a young Leonardo DeCaprio who was previously on the soap opera Santa Barbara. 🤗📺📼👍

[@SuperMarioBrosIII]

@@amiejohnston2842 Yes albeit Julie McCullough has spoken in recent years and claims she met Kirk before she was even cast on Growing Pains. The born again Christian was smitten by her. They met while signing autographs along with tv dad Alan Thicke. Kirk inviting Julie to the Growing Pains tapings. This is how she was discovered by producers who were looking for a nanny on the show. She also said he knew she was already a Playboy playmate when meeting her in 1986. The whole calling to have her fired was done do to Kirks Christian faith. The episode in which Mike is on a date with his new girlfriend Kate and see's Julie as his waitress was very hard for Julie to film. She had already been fired but was under contract so she had to comeback to tape that episode in season 5. Kirk had a young Matthew Perry fired because he claimed he was devil of Satan. Kirk didn't stop there his fiery continued by also getting the original producers of Growing Pains fired and stating that they were promoting adult content. This is when changes to his character Mike would finally take place such as him becoming a school teacher and befiending a young Leonardo DiCaprio who previously acted on Santa Barbara. 😎📺📼🙋

[@SuperMarioBrosIII]

@@amiejohnston2842 Kirk also went as far as having the original producers of Growing Pains fired claiming that there are promoting adult content. Julie's version of the story is that she met Kirk before she was even cast on the show. They met while signing autographs. Kirk knew she was a Playboy Playmate in 1985. It is only alleged that he had her fired but it's clear someone isn't telling the truth here LOL! The season 5 episode in which Mike is on a date with his new girlfriend Kate, Julie is their waitress and was very difficult for Julie. She had been fired but she was still under contract and had to comeback to tape that episode. Kirk sadly had Matthew Perry axed from the show claiming he was an agent of 😈Satan. 🤔🤨🙄🤯

[@meghanphillips3495]

​@SuperMarioBrosIII he had her fired. He was "born again" around the fourth season, which was around 1989. Suddenly, everything on the show wasn't to his christian standards.

[@jenniferhansen3622]

Tracey was so good here. Brings me to tears.

[@Intellectual8192]

Damn. This hits soooo hard. RIP Matthew Perry. Tracy Gold seriously deserved an Emmy for that performance.

[@Sate12]

You know it's serious when Mike shows compassion and sympathy. He always ALWAYS had a joke

[@daniellemaroney2931]

That's why Carole freaked out, because she knew he was serious.

[@strelnikova703]

He WAS the joke!

[@rjb1216]

Always liked the foreshadowing earlier when Mike is joking around until he hears about the hospital and he stops.

[@Mom2my4blessings]

A high school friend was killed by a drunk driver coming home from work in 1994. It wasn’t the driver’s first offense. Watching this episode made me remember her. I myself have never drank because of that and alcoholism runs in my family. Tracy Gold did such a great job! She is a talented actress.

[@sophiapetrillo3008]

And yet another thing that makes me feel old when I say it…. but I miss the collective response we’d have to shows like these. I miss that time in our culture. When everyone would go to school/work/fill in the blank & talk about it because we all saw the same thing. When there were only so many shows available to watch, instead of thousands and thousands of shows on dozens of different streaming platforms (And you still can never find one to watch). You felt it more & the show could really pack a punch. And they had messages. Just one of the many things that I believe made us all feel more connected to each other back in the day. We were all experiencing the same things even if our lives were a little different, it felt like we were all in it together. Things don’t feel that way anymore and I think I really did like it better when we all felt a little more connected.

[@misspriss2482]

I don't know. I go on KZbin and Twitter and discuss shows with people. I also watch reactions to TV shows and movies and discuss them in the comment sections with people. It's not gone; you just have to look for it.

[@ev14304]

@sophiapetrillo3008 Start watching pro wrestling

[@3rdalbum]

I honestly don't know where kids learn about real, complicated issues these days. There aren't family sitcoms anymore that tackle these things.

[@shannon_w.]

RIP Sandy, RIP Matthew 😢

[@erikerice9068]

I even knew what was coming, and i was still shocked. The acting was that good. I remember watching it when it premiered, 40yrs. ago. It was the talk at school for a week. It hits even harder the fact that Mathew Perry is no longer with us. Just sucks 😢.

[@blogdesign7126]

This scene got brought up again right after Matthew Perry's death for real only this time with more of the fans from the time he was on the Show Friends showed up and saw this clip.

[@Wacky_Whimsy]

I am a few years younger as Tracey Gold, but totally identified with her while watching the show. The year before these episodes aired, I had lost my best friend (at 16 years old) and was completely traumatized by the last episode where her parents realized she was still grieving so badly. We didnt have counseling back then, I was not offered any type of grief therapy and my parents didnt really approach me about it. When I saw this episode, it made me realize how badly messed up I was.

[@1975sld]

Good point about how we didn't have grief counselors and therapy back then. I remember when kids died at my high school and we all sat around in the hallways, comforting and counseling each other. There were no grief counselors or supports brought in. We really did raise ourselves back then.

[@Kat-tr2ig]

As soon as you said Sandy, I got an instant flashback and felt all the old horror again. I remember when that episode first aired. It traumatized all of us

[@daniellemaroney2931]

It threw me for a loop, I was so sad when I saw that episode over 35 years ago when I was 11.

[@carlrood4457]

At least the put in some effort to make it feel like a real loss. My main problem with A My Name is Alex was the whole "best friend we never saw before" aspect of it.

[@fromthehaven94]

I distinctly remember "younger" Alex both having the first meeting with the friend in school, and being tended to by Elyse when he's sick. Alex's clear case of survivor's guilt was convincing enough on its own.

[@Nabinut]

I think because a lot of these episodes were essentially "one-offs", it was easier to have a character just come in, being the subject, and be never heard from again. Family Ties did try to use a recurring character, Uncle Ned, played by Tom Hanks, to drive home some of the messages...before he was never heard from again.

[@KitsuyuutsuR]

I remember that episode. I honestly never thought much of Tracy’s acting, but her skills in that scene were phenomenal. Even now, watching that scene again after all these decades, you’d honestly believe real bad news was being broken and reacted to. It got to me then and it still does now. Kudos to the actors and RIP Matthew.

[@TheOneandOnlyD-R-E]

I still remember how shocked I was by this episode as a kid. Glad you gave it it's own video!

[@AB2B]

It always feels "too soon" when it comes to some of these special episodes, and this one is no exception. Absolutely gutted you, because it shows how fragile life is. Even if you think it's all going to be fine, everyone is okay, it can be snatched away.

[@daniellemaroney2931]

And in Matthew's case it really was😢

[@JariTime01]

R.I.P Mr. Bing

[@missladyanonymity]

That's MISS Chanandler BONG, to 🫵!

[@sweeney60]

I love that they showed this happening after a night of light drinking. Too often people think that they are only in trouble if they are falling down drunk. But you can be unsafe after even one drink. A couple years ago I was testing pumpkin beers for a 31 days of pumpkin beer challenge for a food review website. I would drink one a day then write a review. One day I had my one beer and about an hour later got in my car to go visit friends. Once behind the wheel, I started feeling tipsy. This had never happened to me before and then I realized that while I had eaten dinner with that one beer, I hadn’t eaten breakfast or lunch and there wasn’t enough food in my stomach to absorb the alcohol. I immediately turned around, went home, ate some more food and waited till I didn’t feel tipsy then walked instead of driving. It was an incredibly scary moment and I had I kept driving, it could have been deadly. Sometimes it’s hard to tell, but if you’re feeling even the slightest bit off after drinking, don’t drive. A friend of mine crashed into the side of a bridge last year while he was “feeling fine.” How he survived is nothing short of a miracle. Call a ride, walk or stay where you’re at for as long as you can. The alternative isn’t worth it.

[@slvtnanddscplshparedifferent]

So true! People shouldn't get behind the wheel after consuming even one swallow of alcohol. You can never be too careful.

[@melanieduane6089]

Born in 1982. I still remember this. RIP MP.

[@sladen3884]

I always think of Sandy and the Cocaine episodes as my earliest memories of Growing Pains.. Its crazy in retrospect to realize Sandy was all the way at the end of season 4 and Chrissy was already in the picture. Tracey really knocked it out of the part, she really proved she was a next-level actress capable of serious roles in this.

[@HarmonyInspired]

Adding an additional layer of irony and tragedy to the loss of yet another beloved celebrity due to substance abuse. 😪

[@Cheezpopcorn]

Great series on those "special episodes." I was also freaked out by all the Afterschool Specials.

[@mysocalledgenxlife]

I’ve got a video about those! 😊

[@SuperMarioBrosIII]

@@mysocalledgenxlife Alan Thicke may be rest in peace, had a late night talk show "Thicke Of The Night" remember?🌛🕶🌆🎤

[@ev14304]

I remember

[@TheRTD]

Being in my 40s now with kids, these scenes hit harder than they did when i was 9 and saw this for the first time.

[@williamg9316]

Jason Seaver was I feel like a top 10 dad. Maybe even top 5. I think writing him as a psychiatrist was a stroke of genius. I forgot about another episode where he helped a young girl who was teaming up with Mike and boner on a glass project. She had been thinking about suicide. Another very powerful episode. And yes Tracy gold another very masterful performance, throughout the series

[@daniellemaroney2931]

Without Alan Thicke we wouldn't have Robin Thicke. So yes him and Gloria made a great contribution to the music world.

[@SuperMarioBrosIII]

@@daniellemaroney2931 And his other son Brennen Thicke was the voice of Dennis The Menace in the 1986 cartoon. Alan Thicke co-wrote the Diff'rent Strokes theme with his exwife Gloria Loring. He also co-wrote the Facts Of Life theme with Gloria and she sang the Facts Of Life Theme. Alan Thicke can be heard singing the Diff'rent Stokes theme and he sang it again solo in the shows final season. 🤗✍🧑‍🎤📺

[@PutXi_Whipped]

There was another “special” episode where Jason talks privately with one of Mike’s depressed friends who let out that her mother committed suicide. Alan Thicke so underrated as a sitcom star

[@SuperMarioBrosIII]

@@PutXi_Whipped Yes that was a good one. I have it on DVD it 's from season 3. episode 13 "A Reason To Live" I usually skip the stupid parts of that episode and just watch the Jason and Jill talk. Should have been a two-part episode.Sadly we never got a follow-up episode. 😢♥🙏📼

[@JLvatron]

Other top 80’s dads were Bill Cosby and Carl Winslow

[@luckdragongirl]

The acting by Tracy Gold is great, but Kirk Cameron's acting when he comes in to tell her is also phenomenal.

[@daniellemaroney2931]

Agreed 👍

[@astrocitizen]

He was actually a good child star actor. What happened to him?

[@PutXi_Whipped]

@@astrocitizenSame thing that happened to Mark Wahlberg,

[@TeeHeejab]

Yeah. It was soooo good.

[@M_SC]

@@astrocitizenhe’s a Christian extremist

[@stingrey1571]

I’ve seen this episode a thousand times. Shit still hits hard.

[@davidpumpkinsjr.5108]

Too many sitcoms fell into the trap of delivering serious topics to too heavy-handed a manner. When you had an episode like this one, that handles the topic perfectly, that makes it stand out even more.

[@kc0lif]

rip matthew perry

[@kandicejanusz1829]

Dang it. I'm crying like the first time I watched it.

[@crystalshaw8744]

Me too

[@scottw6704]

Tracey Gold was AMAZING here.

[@tarabooartarmy3654]

I find it so sad that we still have so many drunk driving accidents despite all the episodes we had back then trying to show kids why it’s so bad. I hope it saved lives, even if only a few. I know I sure paid attention to things like this. I stayed away from drugs, almost never drink, and never drink and drive and I attribute that in large part to shows like this.

[@zodszoo]

A month ago I bought the box set of dvds, and that was one of the first episodes I searched out to watch because I hadn't seen it in forever. I am a new subscriber and a 74 baby. I appreciate your content as it surely hits home. Thank you for sharing.🖖✌️

[@RH-tv9hk]

And how sadly ironic that years later Tracey was driving drunk, with her husband and very young children as passengers, when they got into an accident. They were seriously injured but thankfully survived.

[@ChrisBakerauthor]

I'm two years younger. Back in those days, I always thought Tracey Gold would have been a really cool girl friend. I first noticed her on the short-lived _Good Night, Beantown_. I was glad she found a series that stuck around. I especially loved the episode in which she writes an article for the school paper. The teacher says stuff like: "You spell words that nobody knows." She's at least stayed married to the same guy for 30 years now. It sounds like she has found some peace in life.

[@KenMabie]

Tom Hanks smacking around Michael J Fox must see tv

[@daniellemaroney2931]

They didn't give Tom Hanks 2 Oscars for nothing😅😂🤣

[@Peajay007]

Watching that dude drink vanilla essence and rubbing alcohol was eye opening

[@SuperMarioBrosIII]

@@daniellemaroney2931 How about his only appearance on Happy Days? Apparently Hanks and Winkler would be reunited for Turner & Hooch but Winkler was fired as director due to artistic differences with Hanks. Henry Winkler spoke about this years later and said that working with Hooch was great but Tom Hanks was a dog LOL!🐕‍🦺🥋👊🎬

[@RandomBitzzz]

It's crazy how good the acting was. These folks normally did comedy on this show and rarely got this serious.

[@42042O]

You brought up Sandy. Awesome thank you. Rip Matthew.

[@craigwestbrook8932]

This really hit me HARD. My father died because of a drunk driver who never even got arrested. I wasn't expecting to end up in tears. Also, R.I.P. Matthew Perry😭

[@jemagu6]

Actually some pretty good acting from Tracey Gold.

[@owlbelieveit6811]

They handled sudden loss in that episode very well. I lost my best friend and fiance end of January 2008 under completely different circumstances but the loss of Sandy in that episode and the final moments in the hospital before my fiance passed just brings chills in the few similarities there.

[@DCMarvelMultiverse]

Can nostalgia cause you to learn and experience something new? With you, yes.

[@daniellemaroney2931]

Looking back on old TV episodes makes you feel like you're watching it for the first time. Because you're old enough and mature enough to understand what's going on more better.

[@John_Locke_108]

I remember watching this episode when it aired. So sad and heartbreaking.

[@KH-ks8ze]

Completely…I was buggin out watching this back then… Also…I see you are a fellow Lost fan…🤌

[@tj921able]

This was one of the best acted episodes of this. It's sad that Matthew passed away in real life now as well. 😢 Thank you for sharing this. God Bless You and stay safe 🙏 ❤️

[@lolapalacios1654]

I can never forget this episode. Heart wrenching ❤. Thank you for sharing RIP Mathew Perry.

[@reeeech9245]

80's a different time where a college student can freely go out with a high school student lol and the parents don't bat an eye.

[@nevskislake]

Great video on this episode! I have always found "very special episodes" corny, even as a kid, but your video hits hard because of Matthew Perry's death. You could see in the few clips of Matthew Perry here that he was going to be something special once he grew into his craft. He already had a natural charm and comedic timing in this early role. RIP, Chandler Bing, and thank you for all of the laughs and memories.

[@MichaelMangi]

Oof, hearing Tracey Gold's scene after she gets the news that Sandy is dead is utterly heartbreaking. My best friend was in the ICU with a serious illness but it seemed like he was going to pull through. I had visited him that night and at least talked to him and to his family. Then the next day we learned he had taken a turn for the worse and there was nothing more that could be done. That's the part that especially struck me in her performance "He was going to be okay, he was getting a second chance." and then he didn't.

[@retrowarehouse2554]

This is even more chilling to watch knowing our friend Matthew Perry from Friends is gone for real in real-life. This was a big blindside episode where you thought Sandy would survive and everything was going to be okay then the devastating news. Tracey Gold's acting for Carol was unbelievably great in this episode. Her acting chops were so good, as I think her and Justine Bateman were the two top TV daughters of the 80s acting wise. This was so good on so many levels as TV sitcoms could leave you speechless and surprised if done right. RIP Matthew Perry. Also, I'd love to see more dedicated special episode videos like this one. I would love to see one for the Diff'rent Strokes Hitchhikers episode.

[@VideosandMemories-qi4mq]

I love Growing Pains. The show was so well written and touched on so many important subjects. Tracey Gold was amazing in this episode. It's unfortunate that Kirk went crazy and overshadows the series, but it is definitely a show worth watching...

[@xeridian]

To think how MP recently left this world, but also the amount of young people he and the cast saved with that episode. RIP MP. Tracey Gold gave a riveting performance and you feel every bit of it. Acting used to be so genuine and personal. It's always the comedies that teach us from the worst tragedies.

[@eb8696]

Holy Toledo I completely forgot about this episode l, and being 10 at the time you said think these shows are real in our young minds. The part that sticks out the most is when Tracy goes crazy saying this is a sick joke. They don’t make television like this any longer sadly. Us 80’s kids, teens were so lucky !! 🌻

[@kevinburke6055]

I knew Mathew Perry way before Friends cause of this and he also guest starred on 9021

[@chrissybabyist]

This episode just stuck with me. I remember just sobbing at the end. Well written episode & great acting by the actresses and actors.

[@travelchic908]

I was 8 and I vividly remember my mom having to console me. I was a wreck over this episode!

[@LauraSusanJohnson]

You would think the doctors would have caught something like internal bleeding, either from scans or from abdominal swelling and/or discolouration. And if you're hemorrhaging inside, you feel it. You feel sick. You're not laughing and feeling fine. They should have written that Sandy threw a clot from his leg into his heart. That kills you instantly, and happens to many patients in med-surg on bedrest. All the same, RIP Matthew Perry. ❤

[@geoffroi-le-Hook]

There were enough connections that even if that was what happened, either Sandy's father or Doug or Mike might not have told everything they knew.

[@TK-x12]

Tracey Gold was charged with DUI in 2005.

[@iamcasihart]

I thought it was 2004 (close enough, I suppose).

[@SuperMarioBrosIII]

@@iamcasihart It was November 2004 to be exact! Also during the final season of Growing Pains Tracey had become very thin and if it wasn't for tv mom Joanna Kerns suggesting to the producers that Tracey Gold seek treatment then who knows what could have happended. Tracey Gold did comeback for the finale pretending to eat a slice of pizza LOL! 🥲♥🙏🍕

[@mmolenda8141]

I remember watching this episode back in 1989 at school and at home . Back then i didn't really understand why he died until i watched the episode again after completing college and becoming a drug and alcohol abuse counselor and knew he died from internal hemorrhage. Still sad i even showed that episode in group and talked about it with clients. Some of us cried because realizing you think everything could be ok and then its not. Rip Sandy.Rip Matthew Perry.

[@GOwBorgs]

I must have seen this a million times, and it still tears me up

[@annemiller8227]

I lived in a remote area and we only got reception for 3 channels So some of these shows i saw infrequently Then we moved overseas so I missed all episodes between 1987-1989 The recap is nice

[@TW-SB]

Thanks for doing this. The very special episode that I found the most jarring was when Sam from Diff’rent Strokes was kidnapped.

[@rkish1969]

Tracy Gold was such a sweet girl and what that poor girl went through

[@Moraenil]

This hits me so much more now than it did when it was first on and I was a young kid. Doesn't help that I currently feel like Carol did later with not dating again because she was afraid of losing someone again. My last pet died about 5 years ago and I can't bring myself to get another....ever. So that hit really hit me. Then, as I was about to write this, I remembered how I was never (still not too) allowed to react emotionally to tv shows or movies. My parents have always made fun of me and insulted me everytime I cried at something, or laughed out loud at something. Since living by myself, I've been allowing myself to feel and react however I want when watching stuff. But I have to be careful when with them at a movie or something, because they'll just tell me I'm "being ridiculous because it's just a movie/tv show" and there's no reason to cry or laugh out loud and make a fool of yourself. Even for Old Yeller or Marley and Me! Do you have any idea how hard it was to see Deadpool and Wolverine in the theater and not be allowed to laugh out loud?

[@wendyarneson3556]

This was the first time that I cried at something on TV … I left the room and cried ugly tears. Oh my heart 💔

[@peabody1976]

Just watching that nearly 34 years later (yes I watched it when it aired originally) was a kick in the teeth, especially now that Matthew Perry is gone. And Tracey Gold really REALLY did a great job with that episode. Wow.

[@benny4162]

Wow. What an episode! I was born in the 90s and missed out on all these shows. Growing pains definitely looks worth watching.

[@debbiehoyt9018]

That and Family Ties!

[@MrFanboyjay]

Hey there!! I just discovered your channel recently , and I just want to say that I, like you, was born in 1977, and am a pop-culture junkie as well. I remember pretty much all the things you refer to on your channel.

[@daniellemaroney2931]

Same here and I was born in 1978.

[@MrFanboyjay]

@@daniellemaroney2931 Awesome! I always love to talk with people my age about things we can both recall!!

[@AntoinettexKitten]

I swear matthew has always been an adult

[@arealone9506]

Just found this awesome channel. Ive been starting to bing on it. I was born in 1978

[@MR-md2cl]

@MySoCalledGenXLife I think you’re on to something here. I like these deep dives you do into series (like The Hulk), episodes (like the recent Family Ties video), and story arcs (like Sandy’s here in Growing Pains). So much of your love & reverence for our collectively shared cultural touchstones shines through too - of which I can also strongly relate to on a personal level; having lived my formidable years at the same age as you, I find these type of videos enjoyable and engaging. I often read the comments to hear others my age mention the same thoughts and feelings I have as well. Please keep it up if you can as one of the types of videos you make regularly. Thank you!

[@Swift_minus_one]

I just found this channel!!! It seems great !!! I do have a question. What do u feel is the beginning and the end of our generation x (im the same age as you more or less) in terms of tv shows ,music, any other media, culture.?. I think its a important question. When did u watch a new tv show and realize this isn't for "us" anymore ? Everything has a beginning and a end , some new generation takes over and the old generations enters the nostalgia zone lol

[@mysocalledgenxlife]

Thank you so very much and great question! This is actually something I want to make a video about because it’s so very confusing. I have a video called What is generation x? And talked about this a little, but I will definitely do more in the future. I think that if you had a cell phone and/or internet in high school then you are millennial. Otherwise, you’re Gen X. But I don’t think shows started to change and I started to feel “weren’t for me” until around 98/99/00. But I can’t put a finger on exactly when. But things like Harry Potter and gossip girl were too young for me, if that makes sense. lol. Did I answer your question?

[@Swift_minus_one]

@@mysocalledgenxlife lol no it's a complex question. I mean obviously by 2010 it's not us. Lol and pre 1980 it's before. But thiers the thing about watching reruns. I grew up on nick at night. Clearly , Mr. Ed is not our era. Yet I sorta grew up on it. Of course we can ponder what stuff do we like post gen x. Can we be objective or have the rose coloured glasses. Lol. I'm embracing some WAY newer music lately,in addition to the old stuff. I'm very VERY much into wondering about these things.

[@travelchic908]

Seeing Mike standing in the doorway had me tearing up all over again. 8 year old me was not ready for this episode! 😭

[@SquirrelHill]

This was the second best "real life unexpected ending" that we got in the 1980s. The single biggest was the end of the 1982 movie "The Last American Virgin." I recommend that you do a video about that.

[@blakfloyd]

Poor Tracey. She seems like such a sweetheart too.

[@scottvincent184]

My goodness, this is sad and scary for anyone who grew up watching Friends, he channeled his inner Chandler in this episode!

[@benjaminlebaron7128]

Thank you so much for this trip down memory lane. Those “very special episodes” hit us hard back in the day!

[@Cozyhorrorshow]

Tracy gold was such an incredible actress

[@TdawggLA]

Forgot about this episode but it brought me back. I remember watching this.

[@JoshC1977]

Oh yeah, I remember this one vividly. It was the first time I can remember a tv show/movie making me tear-up. Although the one thing I forgot about was that Sandy had that little multi-episode story arc. Keep the great vids - I too am a '77 Gen-Xer....your vids have brought back a lot of memories.

[@mysocalledgenxlife]

I had forgotten the multiple episode arc for Sandy too! They put some effort into making him more than a one off character..and that’s why I gave him his own video instead of putting it on a countdown. 😊 thank you for comment and for supporting the channel!

[@fever_spike]

Rest easy Matthew Perry and Alan Thicke. 🙏🏻♥️

[@SuperMarioBrosIII]

As mentioned Matthew Perry was fired from Growing Pains. His character Sandy was supposed to have a much larger part on the series. This was largely due to the popularity of the shows biggest star Kirk Cameron who become a born again Christian midway through the success of Growing Pains. He used that influence that he had on the show to insist against anything he thought was too adult or innapporpriate. And for the storylines to be edited for content. For example allegedly Kirk had Julie McCullough fired from the show after discovering she posed for Playboy. Albeit in recent years Julie has claimed that she knew Kirk before the Playboy spread was released and he was smitten by her when they met a couple years earlier signing autographs at an event along with tv dad Alan Thicke in which he already knew she was a playboy playmate Febuary 1985. So it's clear someone isn't telling the truth here? This was before she was cast as Julie on the show. The season 5 episode in which Mike see's Julie as a waitress with his new girlfriend Kate was very hard for Julie because albeit she was fired she was still under contract and had to tape that episode. Cameron also successfully had Matthew Perry fired from the series declaring him an agent of Satan. It is because of this the blossoming romance between Carol and Sandy was forced to end. Kirk also used his influence and managed to get the original producers of Growing Pains fired declaring that they are promoting porn LOL! Hence this is finally when changes to his character on the show would take place such as Mike becoming a school teacher and befriending a young Leonardo DiCaprio. 🤔🤯🙆🤷‍♂

[@sophiapetrillo3008]

Love this context. Thank you! 🙏

[@SuperMarioBrosIII]

@@sophiapetrillo3008 You are very welcome!👼♥🙏📺

[@Faesharlyn]

Cameron is a crackpot

[@AdultThirdCultureKid1971]

I remember when Mike was pursuing a career as an actor in Season 5 (1989-1990) or thereabouts.

[@blackphoenix77]

I don't remember this episode at all and I'm sobbing. And now that Matthew Perry is gone, it's even harder to watch this

[@jannamckeen4414]

I cried so hard, I am still an advocate for not drinking and driving...ok it still makes me cry

[@MaryMamaAshlee]

Omg I just teared up. Probably because I have a teenager of my own now.😢

[@ExaltedDuck]

Tracy Gold was such a cutie. She still is but she was then too. And this episode's ending really showed her chops. Great talent. It's too bad the pressure of fame pushed her to an eating disorder but admirable she went public with it in the hopes of helping others.

[@dirtybird311]

Well now I’m bummed out! Good video though! Just found your channel! It’s awesome!

[@oliverkloshophdndrecords50]

Just found your channel on the very special episode upload.and subscribed immediately. Love the content.

[@matthewbaduria]

The Growing Pains episode made me cry, it was never a dry eye at home that night, unlike the studio audience.

[@anonnnymousthegreat]

Sometimes i get in moods to watch shows from before i was born. This episode happened months before i was born.

[@79simplybeautiful]

This was one episode I never forgot....Broke my lil heart❤

[@jackiegreeson5201]

I happened to see this earlier this evening and cried harder I think than I did way back when! 😢

[@ginavelasquez5453]

wow that brought tears to my eyes! I remember that episode

[@sdb9884]

I grew up overseas, so I never saw a lot of these. Thank you for showing it and saying how he died.

[@JacobFrey]

I love Growing Pains so much. Great kids and incredible parents. This one is a tear-jerker for sure. I got chills.

[@Atlanta-Johnson]

I never drove after drinking because I never forgot this episode. I tried so hard not to cry again while watching this clip but it is still so powerful I couldn't refrain myself.😢

[@montecristo1845]

Ironically, Matthew Perry starred in a different show titled Second Chance. The premise was a man dies in the 21st century, is granted the opportunity to go back in time and try to correct mistakes he made in life by influencing his younger self. Matthew Perry played the part of the younger self. But within a year they dropped the whole time-travel idea and just had the three main actors be friends getting in and out of situations like a regular sitcom. (Car breaks down in a border town, getting a date for the prom, etc.) They changed the show’s title to Boys Will Be Boys. PS: The actress playing the mom was the mom from the original Karate Kid movie! She was great!

[@lindsaym.h.3583]

A bonus depressing aspect of this episode is that you can see the start of Tracey Gold's own struggles with an ED around this time (and all the more in the next season episode)

[@johnedward8352]

Dang... that hit. As a 80s kid...with 2 daughters of my own... dang. So much to endure.

[@CharlesWStricklin]

I had a thing for Tracey Gold growing up.

[@litorislife28]

Sandy actually faked his death cause he felt Carol was getting too clingy. He moved to the city with his roommates and starting using his real name Chandler.