Family Ties/The Harder They Fall

The Harder They Fall
Season 2, Episode 3
Airdate	October 19, 1983
Written by	Rich Reinhart
Directed by	Sam Weisman
Stream
← 2x02 The Homecoming	2x04 → This Year's Model
Family Ties — Season Two

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The Harder They Fall is the third episode of the second season of Family Ties, and the twenty-fifth episode overall.

Alex's favorite teacher, European literature instructor Reuben Tedesco, has offered a college recommendation, but it may be hanging in the balance after Steven and Elyse – both who find Tedesco to be a rude and an all-around a not-very nice guy – assault him after he insults them and others.

Starring: Meredith Baxter Birney (Elyse Keaton), Michael Gross (Steven Keaton), Michael J. Fox (Alex P. Keaton), Justine Bateman (Mallory Keaton), Tina Yothers (Jennifer Keaton)

Guest Starring: Edward Edwards (Mr. Tedesco), Mary Farrell (Mrs. Morgan), Molly David (Mrs. Jones), Bunny Summers (Mrs. Stein)

Plot Overview

Alex is nervously awaiting a recommendation to an Ivy League school, and one of his teachers, Reuben Tedesco, has offered to write a letter of recommendation for outstanding work in his classes. This will come into play as both Steven and Elyse both have encounters with the teacher, whom they find to be a much different individual than the knowledgeable, enthusiastic-about-literature instructor that Alex talks about at home.

During parent-teacher night at Harding High, Elyse visits Tedesco, who quickly proves himself (to Elyse and other parents) to be nothing short of hostile, rude, insulting, condescending and highly inappropriate with his remarks. Elyse stands up for the other parents by asking Mr. Tedesco to immediately apologize, but that only emboldens him to the point where — when the parents block his exit to force him to at least explain himself — he shoves an elderly woman. Elyse snaps and hits Tedesco in the jaw.

Alex learns about his mother's actions and is quick to his defense, saying he's got a take-charge, take no prisoners, no-nonsense and stand firm attitude, despite Elyse trying to explain who Tedesco belongs nowhere near a classroom and is in severe need of psychiatric counseling.

Steven, meantime, goes to the school to try to apologize for Elyse's actions, but when Tedesco starts making highly inappropriate and personal remarks about Elyse and eventually whispers a vulgar remark about her, Steven punches him. Steven explains things to Alex and backs up Elyse and says he's going to meet with the principal. Alex – who reminds his parents that Tedesco's cousin is an influential professor at Dartmouth, the college he has his eye on – is more worried that his letter of recommendation will be being withdrawn.

Alex tries one last attempt to salvage the situation, inviting Tedesco over for dinner. Tedesco, however, is himself and Alex tries gamely to keep things up. But when he eventually tells Alex his opinion of his parents – they're savage, ill-tempered individuals who are beneath him – Alex finally realizes is parents were right, defends them and tears up the recommendation letter. Steven then throws Tedesco out of the house.

Arc Advancement

Characters

• Rueben Tedesco: Mr. Tedesco is an English teacher at the high school where Alex and Mallory are students. He had Mallory a year earlier in a freshman-level English class, and (in this episode) Alex in European Literature; it is suggested he teaches several other classes. While he looks favorably on students like Alex, who take his classes seriously and achieve well in class or at least try, he dislikes students like Mallory, who put little effort into their work. However, Tedesco takes his dislike of below-average students to another level, one that goes too far. As will be seen throughout this episode, Tedesco is borderline psychotic, insulting the poorly-performing students and viewing them as low-life peons disinterested in school, calling them and their parents vicious names and who would stop at nothing but to call some crude names, and likely thinks of himself as a self-important teacher (with a grossly overinflated sense of his own abilities) who is giving his students a sobering dose of reality. Alex initially approves of Tedesco's "take no prisoners" attitude, but when Tedesco begins insulting his parents, Alex finally calls him out and tells him he's no longer associating with him. It is suggested that Tedesco was removed from the classroom shortly after the events of this episode, as he is never referred to again.