This was ahead of sitcoms commenced dabbling in much less snicker track-completely ready content, so when a subject matter like Tim’s vasectomy was appropriate fodder, a additional serious well being-connected matter these as cancer appeared beyond scope of the sequence. Sitcoms, right after all (notably in the ’90s), were supposed to make men and women chortle. Even so, this unwritten rule failed to end the writers from having a probability in Year 5, Episode 22 (“The Longest Working day”).
In the episode, the Taylors find out that their son Randy (’90s poster boy Jonathan Taylor Thomas) may perhaps have cancer, and the loved ones need to wait around until eventually the end of the day (aka episode) for a callback from the doctor to confirm. In spite of the episode’s severe subject matter matter, it was not with no laughs. Somewhat than inform his co-host Al (Richard Karn) that he’s distracted due to the fact of his son, Tim states that Jill’s been getting an affair with the milkman. As regular, Al misses the sarcasm, and when the cell phone finally rings at the Taylor home, the first call is from Al, fearful about the condition of Jill and Tim’s relationship.
In the end, it really is exposed that Randy would not have cancer just after all he has hypothyroidism and is not going to will need surgical procedures or treatment method, but a prescription. Although the episode ends on a high observe, it dips its toe in a storyline far far more emotionally confrontational than any the present had still viewed. Thankfully for the community, its use of the sort of nervousness-induced darkish humor that automatically surrounds a household in disaster manufactured “The Longest Day” a smash hit. The episode presently boasts a user score of 8.1 on IMDb, and at the time, it allowed the collection to reclaim its variety-1 place in the ratings the adhering to 7 days (via Los Angeles Occasions).