Survivors guilt could be as simple as the survivor not knowing what the next step is in their life is after a tragedy. Or it could be as complex as wanting to unconsciously give up in life because of that tragedy. FEAR OR ANGER is what seems to drive this. Either way IF people believed in God they would believe that everyone living in life HAS a PURPOSE. Survivors can be meant to share their experiences with the world OR with only their very own families so that they will not make the same mistakes they and or people close to them made.
this isnt acting survivors guilt this is flat out hallucinatng a dead guy which never happens. he believes hes there. So there no right in a never happens situation honey
@@aarongottfried5595 Therapist here. You are wrong, it happens. Especially in times of sudden and unexpected death. This is a coping mechanism, a form of denial in severe grief. Not to everyone, but some.
@@aarongottfried5595 It can and does happen, fairly often in actual, documented fact. So much so that we have a term for it: "grief hallucinations." Especially if the onset of grief is causing extended periods of insomnia.
Insomnia sure mild hallucinations. Doesnt make it real just a symptom of insomnia. Get it? Nothing to make a big deal over. Get some sleep. Ppl over report weak tbings @@amypetty5013
This was a terrific episode. My favorite part is when Alex is talking about his dad to the psychiatrist. And says how embarrassed he is that he used to look at his father as a weak man because he wasnt chasing money and as career driven like Alex. Not many shows have those kind of moments of introspection and thoughtfulness with its characters.
This made a Marine cry. He was such a good actor and great man. He did the best man he could be. Best I've ever seen. Bless you Michael j fox. Neal Apollo Beach Florida
I say this proudly. This scene brings me to tears every time I see it. Michael J Fox remains one of my all time favorite actors. Sick or well, he sold every performance.
He's just stunning. Being hysterically funny requires a deep, deep understanding of the human nature and human emotions and 99% of comedians forget the human factor. He's the absolute proof that true actors can make you cry as easy as they can make you laugh. I've never watched family ties but I think I cry watching back to the future more than I laugh. Or equal at least. It's not his beautiful skills, it's simply his beautiful soul that shines through so clearly. Extraordinary.
I can't help but wonder how much more powerful is episode would have been had Greg been a recurring character on the show instead of someone that we the audience were not familiar with.
I agree, but if you think about it, it would never have worked. They would have had to have spent so much more time on how his death impacted everyone; as it was this was a special one hour episode IIRC, and they barely got in everything they needed to, not to mention the fact that the second half hour ran straight through without commercials. No way could they have done this had Greg been an established character that everyone knew and was invested in. There would have too much left out.
FT would so this often of introducing a never before seen character as someone they've known for years and then kill Jim off or just never have any contact with them again after the episode.
I don't think TV writers or audiences could handle that kind of depth back then. With the type of linear storytelling you have now, you could definitely do it. But TV back then was way too episodic and formulaic to handle something that heavy. Notice how we never heard about Greg again for the rest of the show's run. In the following ep the show reset with no reference to this episode or any of the others that came before it, which was typical of the time. This is why I can't take people who go on about how much better TV was back then seriously.
I miss how real 80's parents were --- they made fun of their kids a lot but they always loved them dearly --- these days, parents are too afraid to criticize their kids
@@mindriot91_96 Maybe so... but when it comes to grieving a loved one's loss, there's no time for jokes. It's often discouraging and depending on the joke itself, disrespectful.
this scene really never bothered me when it first aired in 1987 I was only 12 but now at 45 it breaks my heart , but lucky to say I never had a best friend die , like Alex did he played that scene so well now it makes me cry
This episode hit me so hard , it was like they knew what i was going through !! I was suppose to be in a car with my friend , but woke up late . Him and his mom were killed by a drunk driver 10 minutes after they left my house . I still miss that dude
@Mike The Scott wtf?? Stfu! What kind of fucking human being says that someone else that their friends death is their fault?? You're a terrible person!
Same. When MY best friend died, I spent a lot of time thinking of all the mistakes I made. I never even really told him how much he meant to me, not even once. That still eats at me.
I’m so sorry for your losses you guys. I’m positive that they are watching you from Heaven. They know how much they meant to you because you meant so much to them too.
desertrose my father’s death hit me very hard and he was my life and my first love My dad taught me about life and death I know how it feels and I was hit so damn hard
I am so lucky that my best friend is still alive , we are the same age but he is one week older than me , but then he tells me I saved his life many times & I never knew it
Been there too. My best friend from high school was killed 10 years ago and it never really heals. You learn to to live with it but I think life continues rather than goes on. There's a difference that only someone who's lost someone they loved could truly understand. I never watched the series, I want to start now just for Michael, I'm pretty sure only his mom was a more psychotic fan of his then me (in a good way, don't slap me). Did Alex change after Greg died? How did this effect him? Because he seems deeply traumatized here for a good reason of course, I just wonder how he carried it with him because I'm a writer and I struggle with that arc all the time. A 180c example would be Bailey Salinger from party of five, he lost the love of his life when they were 16 and he's had other relationships since but at 19 years old in season 3 he's still thinking about her. Several times. And interestingly enough ends up falling in love with the more mature version of her in a sense. If anyone watched family ties and knows how Alex processed this please share, I'm really curious now.
I only grew up with the 80's and wasn't old enough to understand. Now I look back on what I can remember and think of how much simpler things were then, how it defined me without my knowledge, and how many things might be better if we took a solid look back and realized what we've lost as a society by wanting to progress at a break-neck pace.
The episode won two Emmys-one for the screenplay by Alan Uger and series creator Gary David Goldberg, and one for “Outstanding Technical Direction”-and Michael J. Fox won the second of his three consecutive Outstanding Lead Actor Emmys in 1987 for playing Alex P. Keaton. It’s one of the best-remembered episodes of Family Ties, and maybe one of the best-remembered hours of the television of the ’80s.
I was 7 when I saw this, and was so worried I called my college-aged brother in in a panic, saying "We have t help Alex!" Seeing it now, to move between comedy and tragedy so seamlessly... there's a reason M.J. Fox was _everybody's_ Favorite actor in the 80s.
It's so sad I like saying why am I alive almost like he feels so guilty that he would rather be there with his friend and die along with him in the car
Even as a teen growing up in the 80s,I never caught every episode of Family Ties but when I did watch it,Michael J Fox's performances were on point every damn time.
When I lost a close friend, no one cared how I felt. That was in 1976. 2009, my mom died, I was caretaking her alone, no help from family, no one comforted me at the funeral.
2 Timothy 3 1This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3Without natural affection, truce breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4Traitors, heady, high minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. 6For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, 7Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 8Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. 9But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest to all men, as their's also was.
@@thefurrybastard1964 I did, it was a great movie that I love, but it gives me sad nightmares. I guess Michael J Fox was too good in that film, I felt so sorry for that character, he felt trapped in hell and couldn't get out.
This is the most emotional scene on family ties I can remember survivor guilt is a true and horrible gut wrenching emotional trauma one can have I myself am dealing with it times two unfortunately the fist time since 1987 and sadly the second time since 2010 the second hit me harder though as it was my aunt that was murdered by another relative which I still can’t understand happing this is as close to seeing the trauma it leaves behind to those left to grieve the loss as one can get to this day it still makes cry watching it but the episodes did help teach me a little more understanding about a tragic moment in life
Not sure why this scene affects me so deeply, but I get very emotional watching it. "Listen, there's a lot I need to tell you" I really haven't had an issue with people I cared about leaving without saying my peace, but as mentioned, there is some very deep rooted memory that is causing me to feel like this.
My mom passed away 3 years ago from lung cancer and I still talk to her daily and every month I write her letters. The morning she passed away I didn't leave my family's side.
He is an incredible actor. I remember this episode and it was painful. This was back when shows were good. I agree with others, what happened to good shows like this. He really should have won an Emmy for this. He had a couple of different episodes where as others have said it showed his range of acting from the comedy to the really serious situations.
If Micheal J. Fox didn’t win an Emmy for this performance, he should have. Also, the episode where Alex was dependent on speed, that was an excellent performance, by Michael.
He did win an Emmy for this episode. He won three Emmys for Family Ties and won his second Emmy for this episode, he mentioned he won for this episode in his first book "Lucky Man" in the sixth chapter he talks about the episode "A My Name is Alex" and said "That episode won me an Emmy".
The most memorable line is this episode is when he is therapy. The doctor asks Alex if he thinks his father is weak. His response is so immediate and so perfect. He says his dad "doesn't have to make you a loser for him to be a winner." It is a beautiful moment where Alex acknowledges what an amazing man his hippie father is.
I can relate to this. I lost my best friend on August 7, 2016, but didn't learn of his death until 11 days later. I will never have another friendship like the one my friend and me shared, for 17 years. I talked to him, a mere 10 days before he died, very suddenly. He woke up in the middle of the night, got up, and fell and hit his head on a nightstand. The emotions Alex was going through in this episode? I went through it, and then some. Asking why I was alive, and why my friend had to die. Thankfully, I had the support of a surrogate grandfather to get me through the difficult time, with compassion, and tough love. Death, is the great equalizer, it robs us of those we love, and waits for us. One of the best episode of "Family Ties."
@@fredwerza3478, he was 73, he was a professor of mine. He was retired, so he was elderly. They are prone to falls. His son told me he woke up in the middle of the night. Got out of bed for something. He was walking back to his bed, tripped over something, and hit his head. He wads on medication for a medical condition, from years before. It might have caused a stroke, and the fall.
Michael J Fox could make you laugh one moment then cry the next! "The more I expect, the more unhappy I am going to be. The more I accept, the more serene I am." Michael J. Fox
Touching heartbreaking scene. It helps me when I lost my mom from cardiac arrest in 1999, and I suffered survivor's guilt like Alex in the Family Ties episode. Michael J. Fox is a legend!
When I first saw this episode when it was originally aired, I stupidly thought that the Greg ghost was going to be a regular character in the series and it was going to be one of those routines where Alex was going to be the only one who can see and talk to him...
Good example of time changing someone. When I first saw this I was like 7 or 8 (on reruns) and this didn't affect me at all. Seeing it now at age 40 and my best friend having passed away a couple of years back...I actually teared up. Good scene that I couldn't appreciate back then.
Why am I alive? A question I kept asking myself when my beloved friend died in August 2016. We'd known each other for 17 years. Losing someone like that, so suddenly, is something you never truly recover from. Thankfully I had the support of a surrogate grandfather who helped me through the trauma. Great episode of "Family Ties."
Not quite the same thing, but it reminds me of a girl in high school(didn’t know her, but it still unnerved everyone)that WAS the passenger in the car(Alex’s place). The girl driving was either drunk or driving reckless, but there was a crash. The driver was fine. THIS girl who was just along for the ride was ejected through the windshield into a telephone pole. Died instantly. It happened around the same time as this episode and I just thought it very creepy the timing.
Too many people die young because of car crash's. One of the most funniest and sweetest guy I ever saw on TV was Jared Nathan and he died in a car crash because the driver was drunk. He was only 21.
This episode hits harder when time passes. I was 19 when it first aired and while I appreciated it then, it’s so much more emotionally potent now after 37 years.
This whole concept was great cause it showed Alex although pompous and arrogant at times had a loving heart. The saddest part was when Alex talks about his school days and how deep down he didn't like his teacher because of the pressure she put on him and not the other children. From this you can see what a loving person Greg was as a child he was the only one in school who treated Alex like one of the other kids and didn't shut him out like the other children.
I think that was the general theme of the show --- to show that Alex was arrogant and condescending to people but at his core he was a good person who loved his family and his friends --- it was a reflection of the times in the 80's --- when materialism was becoming too common and people started losing hope in each other
I feel the same way Alex feels. I lost someone in a car accident when the driver fell asleep and they died while they were returning from Oklahoma. They had a great future ahead of them and I'm a loser!
A sort of similar thing happened to me Only I was T-boned by an impatient driver on the turning lane when the other 2 lanes were occupied. I turned left and she hit me I wasn't supposed to survive. I was expected to be paralyzed. However the Lord saw fit to bring me back my Mama to protect me until dad came to ER. I ended up with two broken bones in neck and a twisted spinal collar. I'm fully healed now but somehow I still wonder "why am I alive?" The thing about this whole episode was Greg was unknown Although brilliantly done, I can only imagine if it was Skippy or Nick
I just watched the My Name is Alex episodes and I gotta say that those two are the best so far. I love this show. It touches my heart like no other can. What a beautiful set of episodes from a supreme sitcom and Michael... you are the greatest ❤ *30 June, 2023*
Acting out survivor's guilt is not easy at any age, Michael J Fox is a great actor.
Survivors guilt could be as simple as the survivor not knowing what the next step is in their life is after a tragedy.
Or it could be as complex as wanting to unconsciously give up in life because of that tragedy.
FEAR OR ANGER is what seems to drive this.
Either way IF people believed in God they would believe that everyone living in life HAS a PURPOSE.
Survivors can be meant to share their experiences with the world OR with only their very own families so that they will not make the same mistakes they and or people close to them made.
this isnt acting survivors guilt this is flat out hallucinatng a dead guy which never happens. he believes hes there. So there no right in a never happens situation honey
@@aarongottfried5595 Therapist here. You are wrong, it happens. Especially in times of sudden and unexpected death. This is a coping mechanism, a form of denial in severe grief. Not to everyone, but some.
@@aarongottfried5595 It can and does happen, fairly often in actual, documented fact. So much so that we have a term for it: "grief hallucinations." Especially if the onset of grief is causing extended periods of insomnia.
Insomnia sure mild hallucinations. Doesnt make it real just a symptom of insomnia. Get it? Nothing to make a big deal over. Get some sleep. Ppl over report weak tbings @@amypetty5013
This was a terrific episode. My favorite part is when Alex is talking about his dad to the psychiatrist. And says how embarrassed he is that he used to look at his father as a weak man because he wasnt chasing money and as career driven like Alex. Not many shows have those kind of moments of introspection and thoughtfulness with its characters.
MASH did and I loved those episodes too!
They don't make shows like this anymore.
@@martymcfly5764 No, they sure DON'T ☹🙁👎🏽👎🏽😢😢😢😭😭😭
@@billc5378 I freaking miss these shows.
Seems like 80's sitcoms were the last to show real emotions and moral lessons --- I miss those days a lot
This made a Marine cry. He was such a good actor and great man. He did the best man he could be. Best I've ever seen. Bless you Michael j fox. Neal Apollo Beach Florida
Why are you talking like he's dead and gone???
I say this proudly. This scene brings me to tears every time I see it. Michael J Fox remains one of my all time favorite actors. Sick or well, he sold every performance.
Same. It breaks my heart to the core
I remember watching this scene as a teenager and thinking Fox is the best actor on television
He's just stunning. Being hysterically funny requires a deep, deep understanding of the human nature and human emotions and 99% of comedians forget the human factor. He's the absolute proof that true actors can make you cry as easy as they can make you laugh. I've never watched family ties but I think I cry watching back to the future more than I laugh. Or equal at least. It's not his beautiful skills, it's simply his beautiful soul that shines through so clearly. Extraordinary.
Me too.
As someone who has lost two of my best friends, I cried. I know this pain.....it never goes away, ever.
When he says "Why am I alive?" it gets to me every single time. What an incredible performance by Michael J. Fox.
When Alex was upset after Greg was dying.
The guys a great actor when he was in Casualties of War not a type of movie he was usually in and Fox absolutely killed it brilliant actor
Alex's (Michael J. Fox's) meltdown!
Family Ties one of the best sitcoms of all time, and they couldn't have cast this sitcom any better than they did. The chemistry was amazing.
I never missed an episode, the writing seemed at times on another level. This scene is the perfect example of how this show was.
I named my son Alex after his character
That’s powerful acting!!! You can feel the sorrow, anger, guilt.
All I feel is sorrow. My friend killed himself. My other friend died of cancer. My parents and little sister are gone.
I can't help but wonder how much more powerful is episode would have been had Greg been a recurring character on the show instead of someone that we the audience were not familiar with.
I agree, but if you think about it, it would never have worked. They would have had to have spent so much more time on how his death impacted everyone; as it was this was a special one hour episode IIRC, and they barely got in everything they needed to, not to mention the fact that the second half hour ran straight through without commercials. No way could they have done this had Greg been an established character that everyone knew and was invested in. There would have too much left out.
FT would so this often of introducing a never before seen character as someone they've known for years and then kill Jim off or just never have any contact with them again after the episode.
The only person that they could have sacrificed would have been Skippy, and that would be too lurid.
It didnt matter to me. I was still affected. The part that got me the most was when Alex tried to stop 14 year old Greg from leaving the room.
I don't think TV writers or audiences could handle that kind of depth back then. With the type of linear storytelling you have now, you could definitely do it. But TV back then was way too episodic and formulaic to handle something that heavy. Notice how we never heard about Greg again for the rest of the show's run. In the following ep the show reset with no reference to this episode or any of the others that came before it, which was typical of the time. This is why I can't take people who go on about how much better TV was back then seriously.
How reassuring are Alex's parents 👍🏻👍🏻 Caring, strong and comforting ❤️
They were great parents. So loving and responsible
I miss how real 80's parents were --- they made fun of their kids a lot but they always loved them dearly --- these days, parents are too afraid to criticize their kids
Unlike his sister who had the gall to make a joke about his grieving over someone she didn't even know but her brother did.
@@sbarrow06 I don't think she was being callous, she just didn't know what to say in that situation.
@@mindriot91_96 Maybe so... but when it comes to grieving a loved one's loss, there's no time for jokes. It's often discouraging and depending on the joke itself, disrespectful.
Michael J Fox one of the best damn actors there will ever be.
Totally agree with you
💙Absolutely
Agreed
True North Strong And Free!!🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🍁🍁🍁
this scene really never bothered me when it first aired in 1987 I was only 12 but now at 45 it breaks my heart , but lucky to say I never had a best friend die , like Alex did he played that scene so well now it makes me cry
This episode hit me so hard , it was like they knew what i was going through !! I was suppose to be in a car with my friend , but woke up late . Him and his mom were killed by a drunk driver 10 minutes after they left my house . I still miss that dude
Tragic. I too have lost friends due to drunk drivers. To this day, I hate drunk drivers. My condolences.
I am so sorry for the loss of your friend & his mother
@Mike The Scott wtf?? Stfu! What kind of fucking human being says that someone else that their friends death is their fault?? You're a terrible person!
@meeko spicolli man your a sad excuse of a person
@meeko spicolli just ignore him he's just a loser with no life he doesn't feel what it's like to lose someone
This arc made me cry so much. It REALLY hit home with my best friend’s death.
Same. When MY best friend died, I spent a lot of time thinking of all the mistakes I made. I never even really told him how much he meant to me, not even once. That still eats at me.
I’m so sorry for your losses you guys. I’m positive that they are watching you from Heaven. They know how much they meant to you because you meant so much to them too.
desertrose my father’s death hit me very hard and he was my life and my first love My dad taught me about life and death I know how it feels and I was hit so damn hard
I am so lucky that my best friend is still alive , we are the same age but he is one week older than me , but then he tells me I saved his life many times & I never knew it
Been there too. My best friend from high school was killed 10 years ago and it never really heals. You learn to to live with it but I think life continues rather than goes on. There's a difference that only someone who's lost someone they loved could truly understand. I never watched the series, I want to start now just for Michael, I'm pretty sure only his mom was a more psychotic fan of his then me (in a good way, don't slap me). Did Alex change after Greg died? How did this effect him? Because he seems deeply traumatized here for a good reason of course, I just wonder how he carried it with him because I'm a writer and I struggle with that arc all the time. A 180c example would be Bailey Salinger from party of five, he lost the love of his life when they were 16 and he's had other relationships since but at 19 years old in season 3 he's still thinking about her. Several times. And interestingly enough ends up falling in love with the more mature version of her in a sense. If anyone watched family ties and knows how Alex processed this please share, I'm really curious now.
His acted was SUPERB
He carried that show --- his talent was undeniable
Who else misses the 80s😔
Me with a passion!
I’m betting millions of people
The 80s had their own share of problems as all decades do.
Me
I only grew up with the 80's and wasn't old enough to understand. Now I look back on what I can remember and think of how much simpler things were then, how it defined me without my knowledge, and how many things might be better if we took a solid look back and realized what we've lost as a society by wanting to progress at a break-neck pace.
I remember this episode well. Kind of like Our Town. MJF should have won an Emmy award for an outstanding performance.
Eric Walker I think he did not for the specific episode but the season
He did win I guess
The episode won two Emmys-one for the screenplay by Alan Uger and series creator Gary David Goldberg, and one for “Outstanding Technical Direction”-and Michael J. Fox won the second of his three consecutive Outstanding Lead Actor Emmys in 1987 for playing Alex P. Keaton. It’s one of the best-remembered episodes of Family Ties, and maybe one of the best-remembered hours of the television of the ’80s.
Family Ties is the best TV show series ever. Why did I watch all the Bill Cosbys...
He did
This show has many powerful scenes.
This is one of them.
He is stunning. So powerful, so raw. Beautifully staged, too. What a brilliant show it was x
Tonight on a very special Family Ties...
Full TV's show episode season start full family ties with CBS shows in Spanish language arts center spot in TV's years
That's my guy right there!
He's so underrated as an actor and person. Love the eighties!
Michael is a legend, and a great actor. Grew up. Was watching him as a kid in the 80s, and a teenager in the 90s. I pray for his health. 👍
Damn that was powerful. I barely remember this episode but watching it again hit me hard.
I was 7 when I saw this, and was so worried I called my college-aged brother in in a panic, saying "We have t help Alex!" Seeing it now, to move between comedy and tragedy so seamlessly... there's a reason M.J. Fox was _everybody's_ Favorite actor in the 80s.
It's so sad I like saying why am I alive almost like he feels so guilty that he would rather be there with his friend and die along with him in the car
Absolute flawless performance!
I tear up every time I watch this. Justine Bateman is also really good in this.
Even as a teen growing up in the 80s,I never caught every episode of Family Ties but when I did watch it,Michael J Fox's performances were on point every damn time.
Was having a bad day, came here to get some laughs from an oldie show. Mike got me cryin. 🤣
To this day this remains one of my absolute most favorite performances available Michael j.fox
When I lost a close friend, no one cared how I felt. That was in 1976. 2009, my mom died, I was caretaking her alone, no help from family, no one comforted me at the funeral.
I’m very sorry to hear that, Dan. Most people don’t know what to say, still, someone should have been there to help you during that time in your life.
I can sincerely empathize with You Dan.
Christ, TV used to be so real and genuine.....what the hell happened
Jeffrey Pham Same with the music
all part of the decline. Interestingly enough I'd wager a big part of that is what we're messaging each other on
People started cherry-picking the best parts of mediocre shows and posting them to TH-cam.
New World Order vermin Happened.
2 Timothy 3
1This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3Without natural affection, truce breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4Traitors, heady, high minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. 6For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, 7Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 8Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. 9But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest to all men, as their's also was.
It’s sad Michael J. Fox has Parkinsons. He’s such a great and underrated actor.
Too true. Ever see Casualties of War?
Yes
@@thefurrybastard1964 Great film and he was fantastic in it
@@thefurrybastard1964 I did, it was a great movie that I love, but it gives me sad nightmares. I guess Michael J Fox was too good in that film, I felt so sorry for that character, he felt trapped in hell and couldn't get out.
@@yumikumi2 Exactly.
This is the most emotional scene on family ties I can remember survivor guilt is a true and horrible gut wrenching emotional trauma one can have I myself am dealing with it times two unfortunately the fist time since 1987 and sadly the second time since 2010 the second hit me harder though as it was my aunt that was murdered by another relative which I still can’t understand happing this is as close to seeing the trauma it leaves behind to those left to grieve the loss as one can get to this day it still makes cry watching it but the episodes did help teach me a little more understanding about a tragic moment in life
This scene is heartbreaking, just a masterful performance by MJF
Not sure why this scene affects me so deeply, but I get very emotional watching it. "Listen, there's a lot I need to tell you" I really haven't had an issue with people I cared about leaving without saying my peace, but as mentioned, there is some very deep rooted memory that is causing me to feel like this.
My mom passed away 3 years ago from lung cancer and I still talk to her daily and every month I write her letters. The morning she passed away I didn't leave my family's side.
i hope you have a point of comfort
I can barely comfort myself
Michael J. Fox shows here that even the funniest people can get serious.
this episode & the one from Growing pains where Carol Grieves over the death of her Boyfriend Sandy hits pretty hard
Gotta agree..Both performances had a very real feel to them..Strong sense of tragedy
Yes I agree, when Carol pleads with Mike to just be messing with her as usual. Both are great episodes of great shows
@@aprilbattaglino9238 show's like this used to deal with delicate situations, now everybody get's offended by something
He is an incredible actor. I remember this episode and it was painful. This was back when shows were good. I agree with others, what happened to good shows like this. He really should have won an Emmy for this. He had a couple of different episodes where as others have said it showed his range of acting from the comedy to the really serious situations.
He literally won an Emmy for this episode.
Most shows are just reality tv now. Real writers dumped their minds and hearts into this. ☝🏻🥲
He did win the Emmy that year.
@@manco828 good to know
These were the best ever TV shows growing up in the late 70's and 80's going into the 90's
Great acting MJF!!🎥📹💟🌸🌺🌼🌻
Family Ties was so much more than a sitcom. It had so many deeply impactful moments and incredible performances.
If Micheal J. Fox didn’t win an Emmy for this performance, he should have. Also, the episode where Alex was dependent on speed, that was an excellent performance, by Michael.
He did win an Emmy for this episode. He won three Emmys for Family Ties and won his second Emmy for this episode, he mentioned he won for this episode in his first book "Lucky Man" in the sixth chapter he talks about the episode "A My Name is Alex" and said "That episode won me an Emmy".
The most memorable line is this episode is when he is therapy. The doctor asks Alex if he thinks his father is weak. His response is so immediate and so perfect. He says his dad "doesn't have to make you a loser for him to be a winner." It is a beautiful moment where Alex acknowledges what an amazing man his hippie father is.
Absolutely. One of my favorite scenes from any show ever
Yes that's one of my favorite moments from the series. I love Alex and his dads dynamic. They're a great comedic pair
@@chinuaalibatya7345 Would be impossible now. We're all at each other's throats.
I'll ALWAYS LUV THIS Episode!!!
Still brings tears to my eyes.
I can relate to this. I lost my best friend on August 7, 2016, but didn't learn of his death until 11 days later. I will never have another friendship like the one my friend and me shared, for 17 years. I talked to him, a mere 10 days before he died, very suddenly. He woke up in the middle of the night, got up, and fell and hit his head on a nightstand. The emotions Alex was going through in this episode? I went through it, and then some. Asking why I was alive, and why my friend had to die. Thankfully, I had the support of a surrogate grandfather to get me through the difficult time, with compassion, and tough love. Death, is the great equalizer, it robs us of those we love, and waits for us. One of the best episode of "Family Ties."
How does somebody hit their head on a nightstand and die? Not trying to be rude just curious.
@@fredwerza3478, he was 73, he was a professor of mine. He was retired, so he was elderly. They are prone to falls. His son told me he woke up in the middle of the night. Got out of bed for something. He was walking back to his bed, tripped over something, and hit his head. He wads on medication for a medical condition, from years before. It might have caused a stroke, and the fall.
@@spencerpalmer7118 oh that explains it --- I thought your friend was like 25 and people that age dont die from hitting their head on a nightstand LOL
Fred Werza, understand the question. Yeah, young people typically don't die from falls. Though death can claim someone at any age.
Did not expect to go full tears watching this
I remember watching while I was in high school. The next day, everyone in school was talking about it.
That was the cool part about high school in the 80's --- kids would talk about a TV show we all watched the night before
What a great powerful episode I truly felt these emotions that Michael J Fox had when he acted in this episode truly a sad and emotional moment
Michael J Fox could make you laugh one moment then cry the next!
"The more I expect, the more unhappy I am going to be.
The more I accept, the more serene I am."
Michael J. Fox
THAT, is what I call acting.
holly hell, i watched this show but don't remember this episode ? powerful stuff to see Alyx crying...
Touching heartbreaking scene. It helps me when I lost my mom from cardiac arrest in 1999, and I suffered survivor's guilt like Alex in the Family Ties episode. Michael J. Fox is a legend!
When I first saw this episode when it was originally aired, I stupidly thought that the Greg ghost was going to be a regular character in the series and it was going to be one of those routines where Alex was going to be the only one who can see and talk to him...
Outstanding episode, outstanding performance.
That was a powerful scene, it brought me chills
@Jacob Wilkes I was 20 when this episode aired.
Good example of time changing someone. When I first saw this I was like 7 or 8 (on reruns) and this didn't affect me at all. Seeing it now at age 40 and my best friend having passed away a couple of years back...I actually teared up. Good scene that I couldn't appreciate back then.
Why am I alive? A question I kept asking myself when my beloved friend died in August 2016. We'd known each other for 17 years. Losing someone like that, so suddenly, is something you never truly recover from. Thankfully I had the support of a surrogate grandfather who helped me through the trauma. Great episode of "Family Ties."
Sheesh idk who the heck Gregg is but holy crap Michael J Fox’s acting here is phenomenal
Yeah went all in on this segment. Great one.
Straight in the feels
Michael is a gym of a person, a fantastic actor and a wonderful human, we will always love him
Not quite the same thing, but it reminds me of a girl in high school(didn’t know her, but it still unnerved everyone)that WAS the passenger in the car(Alex’s place). The girl driving was either drunk or driving reckless, but there was a crash. The driver was fine. THIS girl who was just along for the ride was ejected through the windshield into a telephone pole. Died instantly. It happened around the same time as this episode and I just thought it very creepy the timing.
Even though i havent seen this in decades, i always remember this scene. Thank you for posting..
Such a great actor. It's an honor to share a birthday month with Michael J. Fox as I do. It's almost June again!
Dead Greg's making Alex look like he's losing his mind to his family. He could come in handy during that Econ finals though.
Too many people die young because of car crash's. One of the most funniest and sweetest guy I ever saw on TV was Jared Nathan and he died in a car crash because the driver was drunk. He was only 21.
This episode hits harder when time passes. I was 19 when it first aired and while I appreciated it then, it’s so much more emotionally potent now after 37 years.
MJF had his skills in order, even back then...
This whole concept was great cause it showed Alex although pompous and arrogant at times had a loving heart. The saddest part was when Alex talks about his school days and how deep down he didn't like his teacher because of the pressure she put on him and not the other children. From this you can see what a loving person Greg was as a child he was the only one in school who treated Alex like one of the other kids and didn't shut him out like the other children.
I think that was the general theme of the show --- to show that Alex was arrogant and condescending to people but at his core he was a good person who loved his family and his friends --- it was a reflection of the times in the 80's --- when materialism was becoming too common and people started losing hope in each other
I feel the same way Alex feels. I lost someone in a car accident when the driver fell asleep and they died while they were returning from Oklahoma. They had a great future ahead of them and I'm a loser!
You’re not a loser. There is a purpose for your life, even if you don’t see it yet. Don’t give up on your life.
Beautiful scene...
Because of those episode I try to help everyone I can, you never know what's gonna happen in life...
I wished there were more parents like Alex's parents, even thought it's a show but still they were there for him.
Powerful scene
This was a rough episode to watch as a kid. Still hits the heart strings today due to your empathy with Alex.
A sort of similar thing happened to me
Only I was T-boned by an impatient driver on the turning lane when the other 2 lanes were occupied. I turned left and she hit me
I wasn't supposed to survive. I was expected to be paralyzed. However the Lord saw fit to bring me back my Mama to protect me until dad came to ER. I ended up with two broken bones in neck and a twisted spinal collar.
I'm fully healed now but somehow I still wonder "why am I alive?"
The thing about this whole episode was Greg was unknown
Although brilliantly done, I can only imagine if it was Skippy or Nick
Greg was my favorite character. He was great from day one and I was shocked when they killed him off.
Never thought a hat with Chief Wahoo would be something I would miss terribly, but here we are.
in this season i think he was filming back to the future
This used to be one of my favorite shows growing up!!
This hits different when you've lost one of your friends.
He’s so talented.
Great scene!
0:35 And I was hoping we could go into business together. Conning people into thinking their houses are haunted and then I come in and fix it.
Ghostbusters!
@@cheneethompson5756 The Freighteners 1996.
@@braddockakalatis2 lol
Ok
If I remember correctly, part 2 was broadcast without a single commercial.
Fark, couple of minutes in and I'm tearing.
Oh, wow, I never realized Greg was played by the captain from Earth Star Voyager.
When Alex needed help the diction in his voice was like he was being bothered.
This is an incredibly powerful emotional and touching scene. Terrific acting by Michael Fox.
I just watched the My Name is Alex episodes and I gotta say that those two are the best so far. I love this show. It touches my heart like no other can.
What a beautiful set of episodes from a supreme sitcom and Michael... you are the greatest ❤
*30 June, 2023*
I remember this scene like it was yesterday. Family Ties was an incredible SitCom. I admit it still shapes how I see things today.
Miss family ties
Weeknights 8 central on MeTV
Your alive so you can go Back to the Future!!
Alex sure has a lot of economics finals.
Survivor's Guilt 101 :(
Michael J. Fox is The ICON Of Family Ties.
He carried that show --- his talent was undeniable
Damn I remember that episode as a kid, and swing it again as an adult. Good shows that send a message to the world are lost because of stupidity now
such an underrated show nowadays..