Season 2, Episode 6
Original Air Date: October 26, 1987
Do kids these days know about ALF? Actually, why do I know about ALF? The show ended before I was even a year old. I’ve never seen a rerun. My only memory of actually seeing ALF in the flesh (or would that be felt?) was in high school German class when we watched the 1996 made-for-TV movie Project: ALF (dubbed in German), which served as a sequel to the show’s final episode. Except I had no idea what was going on because I was a bad student.
There are just certain characters that so deeply penetrate pop culture that they never truly go away, even if the character is a puppet who eats cats. I’ve got to give creators Tom Patchett and Paul Fusco (the latter who puppeteered and voiced ALF) a lot of credit—ALF’s look is distinct, and the concept is engaging.
ALF wasn’t the first “alien living with normies” sitcom. My Favorite Martian and Mork & Mindy come to mind, but ALF is the first where the alien can’t hide his form among the normies. This makes for more unique storylines as ALF has to keep his identity a secret from the general public. But what do we really know about ALF?
First off, I didn’t realize his name wasn’t actually ALF. That’s just an acronym for “Alien Life Form.” His real name? Gordon Shumway. I’m not gonna lie… that’s funny. Cutting to the chase: I found a lot more good in the show ALF than bad. I’m surprised to hear myself say that, but honestly, it’s a cute show with a solid cast and fun ideas. Maybe it’s the inner child in me. Maybe it’s the inner idiot in me. Or maybe it’s both, duking it out for control of my body like all the little Daves controlling Eddie Murphy in the immortal classic Meet Dave.
In “Some Enchanted Evening” (Season 2, Episode 6), it’s Halloween, and ALF is pumped to join in on the festivities! He even dresses like Gene Shalit in the cold open. That still holds up, right? Meanwhile, family patriarch Willie Tanner (Max Wright) is stressed after being pulled off an important project to help his boss Walter (Richard Roat) search for a missing watercooler. Huh?
ALF convinces Willie and his wife Kate (Anne Schedeen) to host a Halloween party and suggests they invite Walter, butter him up, and ask for a promotion. What the Tanners don’t know is that ALF plans to attend the party by putting a zipper on his chest and introducing himself as one of Willie’s friends—Gordon Shumway. Love that name.
And the people LOVE ALF. He becomes the life of the party, much to Willie’s annoyance, and takes every opportunity to tell Walter how awesome Willie is as an employee. UNTIL! ALF convinces Walter to limbo, and he hurts his back. But it’s only when Walter is at his most vulnerable that Willie finally tells him how he feels about work, and Walter restores his project and gives him a promotion. There’s also a teaser at the end where ALF goes trick-or-treating and wants to eat a lady’s cat.
Notice anything odd about this plot synopsis? Aside from the fact that I did a bad job on it because I’m rushing and just stepped in dog pee? There isn’t a “B” story. You could argue ALF’s success with the partygoers and Willie’s frustration with the party are two different threads, but not really. One plot can’t exist without the other. The episode feels thin. There are two Tanner kids—not that we saw much of them—so why not send them on some kooky adventure?
“Some Enchanted Evening” is the typical 20ish-minute sitcom length, but somehow it feels even shorter. I clocked the episode at 19 minutes before the end teaser and credits. I would’ve liked at least one more angle to the episode. The stakes are just so low, even if the fun is high—like ALF stealing candy from the Tanners’ son.
Ideally, a better Halloween episode idea would’ve been ALF going trick-or-treating. That must’ve been too expensive. Which is a shame because the show had a talented little person, Michu Meszaros, who played ALF when they needed a full-body shot. I like Paul Fusco’s voice and puppeteering, but there’s just something satisfying about seeing a full-body alien costume.
Narrative shortcomings aside, “Some Enchanted Evening” felt festive. It was an easy watch, even though I came in cold to the series. If I had been born ten years earlier, I bet I would’ve been an ALF fan with an ALF lunchbox, getting beat up and then going home to cry into my ALF pillow.
Sadly, I was born too late, and ALF will forever be a strange object I try to observe and study from afar. Will ALF ever return? Maybe, if you wish on a shooting star. Who knows? That shooting star could even be ALF himself.
Even the ALF Wiki is surprised people think ALF is funny.