Family Matters (TV Series) The Gun (1995) User Reviews

The Gun (#6.15)

[ComedyFan2010 · 6/10 · 8 August 2013]

Laura gets attacked by a group of people and beaten up. Urkel tries to help her but then we find out that this gang has a gun. Other friends of Laura get a gun themselves. She tries to buy one herself but at this moment one of her friends get shot during a confrontation and they try to fight against guns.

This episode is really done to teach teenagers against using guns. It is pretty dramatic especially when the girl gets shot and very terrifying. Also very well acted by all actors in it

It is just a bit problematic because it is not funny and doesn't fit well into a sitcom, the only time I laughed was when the guy who sold the guns said that he needs it for law school

Toni Decopio?

[gregorycanfield · 6/10 · 2 April 2024]

This episode is undermined by the inclusion of "political correctness." First, the female gang that harassed Laura was racially mixed. Not realistic. Then, we have the gang leader, Toni Decopio. This character was played by a black actress. Why was the character given a name that sounded Italian? Political correctness at work. Totally unnecessary, and only compromised the "message" that the episode was supposedly sending. Toni was played by Tracey Cherrele Jones. She looked enough like a female thug, but her performance wasn't convincing. You could tell that she was "only acting." The episode pushes the obvious buttons. However, as in many other episodes, it's basically Jaleel and Kellie that make everything work. In fact, Kellie's performance was a little better. As Laura Winslow, she was always real. Never a false note. Jo Marie Payton also gave a very good performance.

The Caliber of Fear

[hellraiser7 · 10/10 · 17 March 2020]

This is my seventh favorite episode of the show, this one is a serious one as it deals with the issue of gun and gang violence in school, which I'll admit is an issue that always cuts me emotionally. In my high school thankfully, I've never had one incident with it but still the thought of it scared me, and who's to say it can't still happen to anyone else that now comes to my high school. And sadly, this issue has gotten a lot worse even now, from many more school shootings and even mass shootings.

There are of course the comic moments, I really like it when Steve and even Waldo act as secret service agents for Laura, even going so far as to having those wireless communicators. Really like the moment when Steve as usual takes things a tad too far when he interrogates a fellow nerd that clearly isn't guilty but Steve's paranoia says otherwise, he goes so far as to search him and he rubs the nerd's really smooth shaved head, that was comic bronze. Though I can emphasize with Steve's overprotectiveness, I wouldn't say it would go so far as to do what Urkel would do but if anyone ever hurt my significant other, I would be highly concerned about her safety too.

But of course, the comedy soon ends as we see things get serious, this girl gang Laura encounters are just scum suckers you really plain dislike. Like this one moment when one of the girl gang members makes a nasty remark to Steve, Steve then makes a cleaver retort after hearing that I though, good one Steve. Of course, we see this gang goes so far as to threaten Laura life by flashing a gun, at that moment things got scary, I'll admit seeing that gun I actually got worried for Laura and even Steve's lives.

Everything starts to escalate out of control when we see Laura is tempted into buying a firearm to protect herself, despite Steve's protection it may not be enough because even he's not bullet proof. Like Steve even I don't want Laura to buy a gun, I understand what she's doing but it's not protection it's fear. And of course, my worst fear comes to pass when a shooting occurs. Things like this just goes to show that Steve and Laura still live in the real world and are just as mortal as all of us.

Really like the end which had a good message on taking action now, putting a stop to the issue puts a stop to fear.

Rating: 4 stars