Family Matters (TV Series) I Should Have Done Something (1991) User Reviews

I Should Have Done Something (#2.25)

[ComedyFan2010 · 8/10 · 9 June 2013]

What an incredibly touching episode. The story of Carl living through memories of not being able to save the hostage is from the dramatic kind, there isn't anything funny about it, but it is so well done!

Reginald VelJohnson is the actor whom I already praised many times in the past two seasons and will do it again now (and surely many times ahead). He is so great i this serious episode for his character! I was crying my eyes out during his speech at the grave.

It is also amazingly written, besides the speech I loved the conversation of him and the widow.

The story about the concert was kind of silly, but it was cute.

Some serious moments

[gcanfield-29727 · 9/10 · 28 June 2020]

This may be the only episode in which the "other part" of the story is on par with the Steve/Laura situation. Carl is beset by feelings of guilt over a robbery which resulted in a citizen being killed. VelJohnson has an emotional scene with veteran actress Beah Richards. One of the finest moments in the series. As for Steve and Laura, she agrees to go with him to a Johnny Gill concert. Mother Winslow convinces Steve not to use blackmail, and he decides to let Laura off the hook. Laura must like something about being hooked to Steve, because she insists that he takes her to the concert! Laura and Steve just make me smile.

"It was not your fault!" "I know"

[pedroedro · 9/10 · 9 October 2019]

What a great, touching episode, this is how you do it. Carl is in a trauma for a hostage situation gone wrong and it's about to make a year of that happening, so he is in an impossible mood, meanwhile Laura wants to go to a concert and Steve has tickets but doesn't want Laura to go with him , just because he has the tickets. Reginald Vel Johnson makes this episode, what a great acting talent this man was, his speech at the end in the grave coupled with the following conversation with the widow, it's probably at the top of emotional moments of this show. Urkel and Laura's situation resolution it's also a very good and funny one. I kind of wished that Eddie, Rachel, Judy and Richie would've been more of a componet in this episode, but still one of the best in show's history and cements season 2 , as a favorite of mine! 9/10 ********* Peter Shelby

Excellent

[VenVes · 18 October 2019]

Yet another extremely touching episode, with a heartfelt message to be retained. Definitely a tearjerker.

Carl's Sorrow

[hellraiser7 · 10/10 · 12 April 2020]

Warning do not read unless seen episode.

They say that sometimes with the badge and being a hero in general can carry lots of sorrow. This is my second favorite episode of the show, this one is more on the serious side and is another one of the saddest episodes I've seen. This episode is centered on Carl, which I like. I like it whenever a show sometimes gives the spotlight to another character which helps bring more depth to them.

Here we really get down into Carl's depths, at first it starts out funny when we see Carl come back and he of course has those common complaints we all hear or may have complained ourselves, from Eddie always making the excuse of doing something tomorrow, seriously it wouldn't of killed Eddie to take out trash today. Though my favorite is seeing Carl trying to get a pickle out of the pickle jar and about to smash it with his baton. We've all seen Carl blow his stack most of the time, but this was different as it's at a level that's more than humanly normal.

But the comedy club closes once we find out the reason, I'll admit once I seen and heard that news from the past that immediately made my heart sink. We see Carl is just hurting inside because deep down he feels he failed, even though in reality he really didn't.

And of course, it gets don't to the scene when we see Carl visit the grave of the person he couldn't of saved and he gives a heartbreaking speech and is just shedding tears and emotion. Seeing that I'll admit made my heart crack and made me cry. But also, just made me want to hug him and say to him, "No, no it's not your fault, it's not your fault."

A little of what he said about trying to see an alternative to prevent the unthinkable happening in that brief minute/split second; this really gave you a feeling of what law enforcement, firemen, medical, army and every other heroic occupation the reality they have to deal with everyday and the repercussions of certain situations gone wrong.

Carl did the very best he could, but when it comes to certain life and death situations, nothing is ever predictable, and some things are just beyond our own control. We can all only do the best we can which is part of what heroism is truly about and why Carl is a true hero.

Rating: 4 stars