Some watched Family Matters for the laughs. Others watched it for the warm heart at its core. But for most of us, we watched this all-time great sitcom to see Jaleel White's iconic character Steve Urkel make a complete mess every week for the better part of a decade. And today, we have 32 of the best flubs, mishaps, disasters, and full-on catastrophes to share with you.
After scouring dozens of episodes, countless clips, and so many memories, we feel like we’ve put together a pretty darn good list of times Steve Urkel made a complete mess and uttered that signature catchphrase of his…
The Frog Legs Chain Reaction (Season 1 ‘The Big Fix’)
In the Season 1 episode “The Big Fix,” Steve Urkel helps out Eddie Winslow and, in return, asks only a simple favor: a date with Laura. The dinner at a fancy restaurant quickly turns into a disaster after Urkel backs his chair into a waiter serving soup, who then pours it all over a guest, who then bumps into another waiter, and so on.
Romeo Brings Down The House (Season 3 ‘The Show Must Go On’)
Overly excited from being on the receiving end of a kiss in a school production of Romeo & Juliet, Steve Urkel cuts a string holding pretty much the entire set together. In a scene playing out like a Rube Goldberg machine of chaos, the set is brought down in front of a shocked crowd and an embarrassed Laura Winslow.
The Balloon Drop (Season 4 ‘Stormy Weather’)
How does the saying go about the path to Hell? Well, Steve had the best of intentions when designing a balloon drop at a school dance. Little did he know that his contraption would set off the fire sprinklers in the gym, turning it into a waterlogged mess.
Urkel Creates Stefan Urquelle (Season 5 ‘Dr. Urkel And Mr. Cool’)
Though Stefan Uruqelle was a lot cooler and less accident-prone when compared to Urkel, the clone did make a mess in the lives of the Winslow family. The suave double certainly made life more confusing for Laura Winslow, especially after developing families for both versions of her longtime tormentor.
Urkel’s Mutant Termites Out On The Loose (Season 6 ‘Home Sweet Home’)
After his parents moved to Russia, Steve Urkel had to find a new place to lay his head at night. At one point, that place was Eddie and Waldo’s apartment, which became the epicenter for a destructive termite infestation like no other. It sure was funny, but so much destruction followed.
The Birth Of Urkelbot (Season 3 ‘Robo-Nerd’)
What’s more destructive than one Steve Urkel? Well, two Steve Urkels. But unlike the cool, calm, and sophisticated Stefan, the Urklebot was just as clumsy and prone to disaster as his creator. Sure, the robot’s rage didn’t compare to the destruction caused by Urkel over the years, but it wasn’t nothing, either.
Bursting Through The Window (Season 5 ‘It Didn’t Happen One Night’)
A knight in shining armor? More like a nerd in shattered glass. At least, that was the case in a Season 5 episode in which Steve Urkel goes to great lengths to help Laura Winslow after she overslept and missed the bus to a cheerleading competition. But that was just the beginning, as the two embarked upon a road trip that would end in even more disaster.
Urkel Sets Off An Atomic Bomb (In A Dream) (Season 2 ‘The Science Project’)
Dreams aren’t safe from Urkel’s destruction, as Laura Winslow found out in a Season 2 episode where she has a nightmare about Steve setting off an atomic bomb in the center of Chicago. In a Max Headroom-like scene, a digitzed Urkel brought some hellacious heat to the Windy City.
Backing Into The Garage (Season 4 ‘Driving Carl Crazy’)
There’s an episode early in Season 4 in which Carl Winslow blames all his problems on Steve Urkel, and for good reason. There’s one scene in particular involving a driving lesson that results in Urkel driving his tiny car through the family’s garage door. Hard to be mad at Carl after that one.
Laura Turns Into Urkel (Season 4 ‘It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Urkel’)
What happens when someone else takes on the Urkel persona? Well, Laura Winslow found that out in the Season 4 Christmas episode when she has a dream in which she’s the annoying neighbor instead of the other way around. Yeah, it’s all one big fantasy sequence, but it’s still a big old mess.
Steve Burns Leroys To The Ground (Season 2 ‘Rachel’s Place’)
This ended up being a blessing more than a curse, but let’s not forget the time Steve Urkel’s actions led to the destruction of Leroy’s hamburger joint in Season 2. Before it was Rachel’s Place, the building went up in flames, possibly due to a mistake by a certain someone. We’re not pointing any fingers, or are we?
The Satellite Accident… In Space (Season 9 ‘Lost In Space’)
Family Matters went out with a bang, quite literally, when Steve Urkel went to space. In the two-part series finale, Steve’s artificial gravity machine works well - a little too well - and pulls a satellite out of its orbit and into the shuttle. The two trained astronauts become incapacitated, and it’s up to Urkel to save the day.
The Slug Boy Incident (Season 7 ‘Twinkle Toes Faldo’)
A chair that reclines, makes popcorn, and dispenses cold drinks? This is too good to be true, right? Well, Carl Winslow found out near the end of Season 7 when Steve Urkel unveiled the “Slug Boy,” a recliner that did everything, including spray buttermilk all over the room.
The Time Urkel Took Home An Orangutan (Season 3 ‘Boom!’)
The third season of Family Matters wasted no time getting out of hand. Early in the premiere episode, Steve Urkel brought up an orangutan that may or may not have been his to take. Oddly enough, it wasn’t the craziest thing Steve did throughout the show.
A Student Trial Goes Awry (Season 5 ‘Presumed Urkel’)
Partway through Season 5, Steve Urkel was accused of blowing up the science lab and had to go on trial for his supposed crimes. But that was just the beginning, as things continued to get crazier and crazier for all involved parties.
Laura Takes A Pie To The Face (Season 3 ‘Stop In The Name Of Love’)
All’s fair in love and war, or so they say. But what happens when the two come together in a pie fight? Well, Steve found out when his dear Laura Winslow got caught in the crossfire in Season 3. Sure, not the biggest of disasters, but she’ll something.
Steve Ruins Laura’s Sculpture (Season 8 ‘Getting Buff’)
Steve Urkel has done a lot, but the time he destroyed Laura Winslow’s sculpture of her dad was a whole other level. Remember the story of the old lady who ruined that painting of Jesus a few years ago? That has nothing on the destruction caused by one Steve Urkel in this scenario.
Steve Shrinks Carl (Season 7 ‘Little Big Guy’)
Family Matters could be out there at times, and the Season 7 episode “Little Big Guy” was proof of that. After Steve Urkel moves in with the Winslow family when his parents move to Russia, the pestering neighbor accidentally shrinks himself and Carl in the kitchen.
The Urkel Super Vac Disaster (Season 6 ‘What’s Up Doc?’)
Steve Urkel holds it down when it comes to crazy inventions that blow up in the user’s face, as is seen in the Season 6 episode, “What’s Up Doc.” Halfway through the episode, Urkel lets Carl Winslow try out the “Urkel Super Vac,” which ends up destroying the kitchen in a matter of seconds.
Cotton Candy Vendor No More (Season 8 ‘Odd Man In’)
Who would have thought Steve Urkel working as a cotton candy vendor at Soldier Field would end in disaster? Wait, everyone knew this? Well, that’s what happened near the end of the series’ run when Steve accidently pinned a stick of cotton candy to a woman’s backside.
A Cooking Class Ends In Disaster (Season 3 ‘Food, Lies And Videotape’)
Steve Urkel in a kitchen is a recipe for disaster, and that’s what happens in the Season 3 episode “Food, Lies and Videotape.” In this hilarious episode, Steve takes a cooking class, which ends up causing – you guessed it – a massive mess. How a loaf of bread is able to turn into an epic flood of yeast and dough is a mystery we may never fully understand.
The Model Clipper Ship Incident (Season 3 ‘Words Hurt’)
Steve Urkel making Carl Winslow’s blood pressure spike was a common theme on Family Matters. One of the funniest examples of Urkel making Carl outrageously mad is the time the clumsy Winslow neighbor, dressed as a knight, destroyed the cop’s model clipper, which he had been working on the entire episode.
The Amazing Urkel Super Turbo Tree Flocker (Season 4 ‘It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Urkel’)
In “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot like Urkel,” the lovable clutz tries to bring some holiday cheer to the Winslow house with his “Amazing Urkel Super Turbo Tree Flocker.” Though the artificial snow looked nice at first, the machine went haywire and turned the living room into a snow-covered, tinsel-strown mess.
Steve’s Dummy Takes On A Life Of Its Own (Season 8 ‘Stevil’)
There have been some great Halloween TV episodes over the years, and Family Matters gave us a few of them. One of the best is the Season 8 episode, “Stevil,” in which Steve Urkel’s ventriloquist dummy comes to life and brings even more chaos to the Winslow house. Seriously, that thing is spooky.
Urkel Took The Blame For Eddie’s Crash (Season 2 ‘The Crash Course’)
Though he didn’t cause the mayhem in “The Crash Course,” Urkel took the fall for Eddie Winslow crashing the family station wagon into the living room. A noble act, indeed, but he nearly got killed by an angrier-than-ever Carl in the process.
Urkel’s Powdered Explosive Causes A Scene (Season 8 ‘Chick-A-Boom’)
Sometimes, Steve Urkel was only indirectly involved with the madness of an episode. This was the case in the Season 8 episode “Chick-a-Boom’ in which Myra accidentally uses Steve’s explosive powder instead of pepper during Carl Winslow’s big banquet. Fire, chaos, and exploding food make this a disaster like no other.
Two Dummies On The Attack (Season 9 Stevil II: This Time, He’s Not Alone)
This one was up there with the best scary doll movies. In the show’s final season, Urkel’s dummy came back for another go, but this time he had a miniature Carl Winslow with him as well. These two demented toys caused all kinds of destruction and nightmares along the way.
The Fan Demonstration Gone Wrong (Season 5 ‘Rock Enroll’)
Steve Urkel was never malicious when it came to his disasters, but that doesn’t mean they were chaotic. In Season 5, Urkel brought a giant fan to help with a school event, only for the machine to malfunction and turn the auditorium into a tornado.
Urkel Breaks Dave McClure’s Bust (Season 7 ‘Walking My Baby Back Home’)
“Walking My Baby Back Home” in Season 7 of Family Matters has its fair share of disastrous moments, but the biggest comes near the end when Steve Urkel destroys David McClure’s bust. Helping Eddie lie to his girlfriend’s dad was bad enough, but this was overkill.
A Half-Court Disaster (Season 9 ‘A Pain In Harassment’)
One of the wildest sitcom episodes featuring sporting events, “A Pain in Harassment,” has a signature Steve Urkel disaster. After making a half-court shot at a Los Angeles Clippers game and winning the $1 million prize, the clumsy geek accidentally hits the scoreboard, destroying it in the process.
Steve Breaks Myra’s Heart (Season 9 ‘Breaking Up Is Hard To Do’)
Steve Urkel didn’t destroy the living room, family car, or half of Chicago in “Breaking Up is Hard to Do,” but he did cause some damage when it came to matters of the heart. Even though Urkel’s longtime girlfriend initially called it off with him, his refusal to take her back (and decision to break it off for good) led to so much distress that Myra called in Johnnie Cochran before it was all said and done.
Urkel Helps The Winslow Family Make Tarts And A Mess (Season 1 ‘Baker’s Dozen’)
This one is more of a mess caused by the Winslow family and not Urkel, but it was too good to leave off. In Season 1, the family is helping Rachel make lemon tarts when the kitchen is turned into a giant food fight. Urkel, usually the one behind the chaos, was a victim and got creamed by a tart and all kinds of sweets.
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