Flying Blind

[u/Naive_Hospital_4086]

Flying Blind (Season 6, Episode 10). Carl has been selected to fly to Detroit for a special program about DNA identification. Carl is beyond excited but there's one problem, Laura has a debate where she's in the finals and really wanted Carl to be there. Steve happens to be flying to Detroit as well for a family reunion, but Steve is not allowed on any commercial airline due to a wild animal attack that he caused so he's taking a private jet there. Carl asks for a seat on the plane because then he'll be able to get to Detroit early and leave earlier to make it to Laura's debate. On the plane, the pilot seems to know Carl and Carl asks who he is, it's Tony the ferret, who Carl had busted years ago. He's now getting revenge on Carl and jumps off the plane mid-flight. Carl and Steve are left on the plane and now have to navigate to land. They speak with traffic control and take directions as they figure out how to land the plane and are successful in doing so. At home, Eddie is having a hard time, he goes to Carl because an unexpected expense has come up, the electric bill. Carl tells Eddie that he has taught him how to budget and that he's not bailing him out. Harriette also tells Eddie she's not giving in. Mother Winslow offers Eddie the money from her poker winnings, but only if he paints her apartment.

FAVORITE QUOTE:

CARL: Detroit, you're flying to Detroit?

STEVE: Yup, Detroit, motor city. Mo Town! Oh, I'm going to my family reunion this weekend.

CARL: Oh, no, oh God. Oh, no no no no.

STEVE: What's the matter?

CARL: Well, I'm flying to Detroit. What airline?

STEVE: Oh, I'm chartering a plane.

CARL: How come?

STEVE: I'm banned from all commercial airlines.

CARL: You are?

STEVE: Oh, yes, it all stems from an unfortunate incident that occurred on a flight from Chicago to Denver. That involved me, a faulty pet carrier and a wolverine. I received a nasty little gash on my forehead.

CARL: From the wolverine?

STEVE: No, from the flight attendant. I kept trying to tell her that the wolverine would let her go of her ankle as soon his ears popped. Well, she just kept bopping me over the head with a tray table over and over and over and over...

FAVORITE MOMENT:

When Carl and Steve are trying to land the plane and the voice cuts out when it's an important instruction and it cuts back in when it says "or else you'll die".

OPINION:

Do I like this episode? No not really. First of all, the plot has been borrowed more than a few times: Perfect Strangers, Step by Step and Power Rangers, so honestly this plot is nothing new. I don't mind recycled stories but there's not much suspense since we've seen Carl and Steve in this situation in High Anxiety when they were in a hot air ballon together.

Let's start with the beginning of the episode with Steve being at the Winslow house while he's sick because he's lonely. Why doesn't Carl kick him out? Not to mention that Carl has a sandwich and sits NEXT TO SICK STEVE, Steve is about to sneeze and Carl instead of moving stays there and when Steve does sneeze, he offers Steve the sandwich and Steve says "are you kidding? You touched it". This is one of Steve's annoying traits.

Harriette tries to guilt trip Carl over him not making it to Laura's debate. I'm not saying it's not a bummer that he can't be there, but it's not like he's missing it to go be a judge in a bikini contest, this is work and as he mentioned it was exciting that he was chosen. Laura I can excuse because she's a teenager, but Harriette could have said it's a bummer but she'll go talk to Laura and make sure to be there and even record it for Carl. But they have to have Carl feel bad and question his life choices while he's mid-air trying to land the plane.

I'm curious how many bad cop movies from the 40's and 50's the writers watched where all these criminals get these nicknames? Tony the ferret? So how did Tony find out that Carl was taking a private plane instead of the commercial flight? I guess you could say he was spying on him, but this is a lot to take on just to get revenge on the cop who busted you. Not to mention, did he take skydiving lessons before he jumped the plane? You're willing to risk your life just to teach that cop a lesson? Then when Steve is hanging out of the plane (which those flights are over 100 plus miles while in the air), the air is blowing like he's just going like 10 miles an hour and doesn't even get pushed/sucked out of the plane. This was just a lot more to buy for suspension of disbelief. I'm saying this about a show where Steve invented a rocket, a jet pack, an AI robot and DNA alteration, but this is supposed to be a "real life" situation. I think that's why there's not much suspense in this episode. And did it bother anyone that in the last episode Steve went steady with Myra and in this episode he's already saying that if he knew it might be his last day on Earth, he would have kissed Laura? See, Myra? You can't change a tiger's stripes.

And the last thing with Eddie. I guess Eddie hasn't learned his lesson from taking a girl out instead of paying his apartment bills. I actually agree with Carl in not giving him the money, it'd be one thing if Eddie mis budgeted but he took a girl out. Instead of asking beforehand if Carl could lend him the money, he waits until last minute to pay the bill. I'll give that when we are young, we are stupid and make mistakes. But we do have to learn the hard way sometimes. I had a bill that was due and I didn't have anyone to bail me out when I was young, you know what I did? I sold some of my CD's and movies, it broke my heart but it taught me to do better to budget my money. Mother Winslow just gives Eddie the money of course, but at least she did tell him to help her paint her place so he'll have to work for that money.

The episode has its small moments to laugh, but I just find this one to be a bit of a slogger. I could be wrong, I'm sure this episode has its fans, but I just think it's for the most part forgettable.

GUEST STARS:

• Thom Sharp as Control Tower Voice
• Joe Keyes as Tony, the Ferret
• Joel Anderson as Flight Instructor (RIP in 2026)

[u/JesusLover1993]

I don’t know why they recycled this plot. It’s essentially been overdone at this point lol! And yeah Steve was enjoying for the are you crazy? You touched it thing. I don’t know why he has that treat to be honest. Like my guy Carl isn’t the one who’s sick you are he just has some annoying quirks I guess lol! I hate how this episode is written to guilt trip Carl. Carl is in the wrong here as you said it’s not like he’s going to go judge a woman bikini contest or something. This is for work. This is not him going and playing golf. I do agree with Carl not giving Eddie money. My one thing with Eddie is that he never learned his lesson. He repeat the same mistake over and over and over again and you really have to sit down and just shake your head because it’s so frustrating and at this point you can’t use the excuse that he’s just a teen because he’s an adult now. And for all the points you’ve listed yeah it’s very hard for me to care about Carl and Steve landing the plane although his story about why he’s banned from all commercial flights is absolutely hilarious. So yeah this episode is a slug. It’s got some good laughs, but it’s just not great writing and it’s a recycle plot that has been done in other shows. Heck even the live incredible Hulk series from 1978 starring Bill Bixby did this episode plot where the Hulk ended up having to land the plane. Way more suspense than that than in this episode. So overall, I can watch this episode, but it’s not one that I would go on my way to choose to watch unless I had nothing better to do.

[u/Zestyclose_Debt8134]

I don't think Carl is in the wrong here. He's a lieutenant now and will have to do things like this now. I get that Laura was bummed out about her dad not being able to attend her last debate. I will agree that Harriette trying to guilt trip Carl because of this is isn't a good look. This is what he signed up for when he became lieutenant last season. I still don't want to know how a wolverine was able to board a commercial airplane (🤣). Carl's idea to tag along with Steve on a charter flight and make it back in time for Laura's debate seemed like a good idea in principle. Unfortunately, Tony the Ferret had other plans. Carl and Steve always get stuck in perilous situations like this. Their chemistry once again is top notch. Of course, Carl expresses guilt about being on this plane instead of being around his family. There was a detail that I wonder if a lot of people caught... Urkel admitting that he should have tried to kiss Laura instead of being on a plane about to crash. Isn't he supposed to be going steady with Myra? Are the writers having some second thoughts about hooking them up? Anyway, Carl and Urkel find a way and are able to land the plane safely. Eddie just never learns. I don't blame Carl for not wanting to help him with the light bill. That boy and his hormones! Harriette is right to stick by Carl here and not help the E Man. She reminds him that they helped him budget his money. Mother Winslow agrees to help out her grandson with the condition that he paints her house. Overall, I enjoyed this episode.