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Life Goes On

1989

Seasons & Episodes

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EP1 Bec to the Future Sep 20, 1992

A 40-something Becca (Pamela Bellwood) looks back on the summer of '92. ( In the future, Becca is now married and is a doctor.) Jesse returns, but the reunion is bittersweet. Through most of this episode, Becca is avoiding Jesse to be with her new friends who don't know Jesse is HIV+. They find out when Jesse comes over to their pool party (which he wasn't invited to). They invite him to join them, but he says he has to go to the hospice. Someone asks if he isn't afraid that he might get AIDS. Jesse then tells them that he is HIV+, then lectures Becca about the fact that she didn't tell them about him: there is no break form AIDS. This episode introduces new characters to complement the series star Kellie Martin: Kathy Goodman, an extreme extrovert who wants Becca to get a bigger slice of life; Harris Cassidy, the storytelling boss at the Nevermore Bookstore where Becca and Goodman work; and Eric, the bookstore manager.

EP2 Exposed Sep 27, 1992

Jesse paints a nude painting of Becca. (It is never determined if she posed nude or if the nudity was solely the product of Jesse's imagination.) Becca decides to let it be shown in the Nevermore Bookstore, and this leads to a nice scandal. Endless date proposals on her answering machine are just the tip of the iceberg. See, Drew buys his paper there, and when he sees his daughter's voluptuous body immortalized in paint, he goes nuts, even lecturing Becca at school loudly enough for Becca's French class to hear. Drew tries to buy the painting from Harris, but Harris refuses. Drew, Corky, and Jesse conspire to steal the painting back, but get arrested. ( Corky was the mastermind, inspired by the Pink Panther Film Festival at the theatre.) In a subplot, poor Paige ( still hurting over her breakup with the Crown Prince of Irresponsibility Romanov) shows Becca and Libby a cubist tatoo of MIchael on her shoulder. Now, back at the police station, Harris bails out the three art bandits after

EP3 Premarital Syndrome Oct 04, 1992

Corky and Amanda's ""trial marriage"" gets off to a rocky start. ( or crunchy, as in the crunchy macaroni and cheese: they didn't boil the elbows long enough.) Interviews with couples who have Down Syndrome are interwoven throughout.

EP4 The Whole Truth Oct 18, 1992

Paige fends off an attempted rape by Becca's poetry teacher ( Leigh J. McCloskey). But their accounts differ and Becca, at first, believe the teacher. Corky imagines that a calendar swimsuit model ( Shari Shattuck) has come to life, and this imaginary woman explains how men tend to see only the bodies of women, not what's inside. Libby confronts her memories of a rape during her high school days. Becca confronts the teacher when his story gets a few holes in it.

EP5 Love Letters Nov 08, 1992

Becca and Co. find old World War II letters at the bookstore. (Martin, Smitrovich, and Burke read selected letters while they palyed, respectively, soldier's girlfriend working at a factory, a soldier working a machine gun in a trench, and another soldier reading a letter in a tent.) Eric gets cozy with Becca, and Jesse does the same with a woman from an art gallery named Jill. Becca returns the letters to the woman who wrote them. I think this is where Corky and Amanda got officially married.

EP6 Windows Nov 22, 1992

Amanda's angry parents vow to annul her marriage to Corky and try to regain custody of Amanda. They then run off to a motel, further angering the Swanson's, not to mention their attorney. Amanda's father also falsely tells Corky that Amanda wanted the annulment. Meanwhile, Becca and Jesse are mad at each other. Becca can't come to Jesse's first show at the gallery beacuse of Corky and Amanda, and his recent growing involvement with Jill. Jesse is mad in part because the art show did not go well. Becca and Jill face off; Jill says Becca is too much in control, and acts like the only one who can take care of Jesse, but she'll back out anyway. Jesse talks with Corky about their ""honeymoon"" and Corky makes Jesse happier by interpreting one of his paintings as a window. In the end, the Thatchers and Swanson's go to court, but the judge let's Amanda make the final decision: She will live with Corky. They get Paige's old loft above the garage, while Paige decides to move out.

EP7 Babes in the Woods Nov 29, 1992

Becca, Goodman, Ray Nelson Jr., Jesse and two other students from their English class go on a weekend camping trip, chaperones by Harris. Things get bad when Becca gets sprayed by a skunk, knocks over a kerosene lantern, starting a fire at the barn where they are staying, and worse when they find a note from Harris saying they must fend for themselves. And then it rains! Becca also learns that she tends to want to be in control to much: With Jesse and with Goodman ( she went behind her back to try and get Goodman into high school). Goodman does return to school at the end.

EP8 Udder Madness Dec 13, 1992

Ray nominates Becca ( against her wishes) for Homecoming Queen; Goodman nominates a cow in protest of beauty pageants in general. The third contestant is a stuck-up cheerleader. Also, Artie (Paige's supervisor from the steelworks in season 3) and Paige redo the restaurant with a bovine motif. (They formed a partnership called Darlin' Construction, so called because Artie always calls Paige darlin'.)

EP9 Happy Holidays Dec 20, 1992

The holidays take on a whole new meaning for Corky, who's celebrating his first Christmas as a married man-and now how the wishes of a wife and in-laws to consider.

EP10 Choices Jan 03, 1993

Paige finds that she is carrying Michael's baby, and is at first delighted to know this. So's the whole family. But Michael comes back, and decides he does not want the baby. Paige is undecided on whether or not to abort, and Corky and Amanda want to adopt the baby. This all conviently ends with a miscarriage.

EP11 Incident on Main Jan 10, 1993

Gay-bashing skinheads beat up Jesse outside the AIDS hospice. Becca gets his blood on her hands after the beating. She gets tested and comes up negative, but has to get tested again in six months. ( This loose end was left untied, but it is generally assumed that she stayed negative.) Jesse draws a sketch of one of the skinheads, which is displayed at Drew's restautrant. It is trashed by the skinheads after one of them sees it at the cashier. Jesse sees one of them in a lineup as well but cannot, perhaps out of fear, pick him out.

EP12 Lost Weekend Jan 24, 1993

In her quest to get Becca out of her shell, Goodman takes her and Jesse on a double date. But Jesse and Becca get pissed off as Goodman and her date, Norman Bates, get kinky at the table. Jesse and Becca decide to test the limits of their passions and try to have ""safe sex"". But their sleepover at his apartment is more like a slumber party, as Jesse keeps balking at going farther. Becca tells Drew and Libby about that night, that she slept in Jesse's arms, and they get pissed off. Drew tells Jesse that he's concerned the starcrossed couple will go too far. Subplots: Paige, not realizing how much of a need she has for Artie, becomes jealous of an acquaintance of his; Gradma Teresa stays over a night at the Thatchers' due to her husband breaking the furnace, then goes back because someone's gotta keep Granpa Sal's feet warm.

EP13 Visions Feb 14, 1993

Shortly after his 18th birthday, a feverish Jesse collapses in extreme pain at school and is rushed, unconcious, to the hospital. Jesse's AIDS Related Complex has progressed to AIDS. He has dreams which highlight the show: Ray french-kissing Becca at Jesse's funeral, and one where a healthy Jesse and Becca have a toast in an idyllic setting and have really nice clothes on-While Jesse is sick, Ray takes Becca out. Jesse is unable to speak about AIDS to a class, so Becca reads what he wrote for this speech, and it breaks her heart, and Goodman comes over to finish for her.

EP14 Five to Midnight Feb 21, 1993

Jesse's insurance runs out, and he gets transferred to County Hospital (which is like being transferred to the Recieving Hospital in Detroit!)Becca goes with him. Jesse nearly dies of AIDS-related cardiac arrest, and doctors apply the ol' shock therapy at-you guessed it-five to midnight. Becca discovers a haunting self-portrait of Jesse's that he doesn't remember painting. Jesse has a dream where he and Becca plan on going to Paris, but the taxicab stops at the hospital with a tab of $11.55- another interpretation of 11:55.

EP15 Bedfellows Feb 28, 1993

A fellow AIDS patient named Chester (Richard Frank) encourages Jesse to learn to live rather than give up and die. He holds game shows with the other patients, makes fun of the sugar-coated remarks doctors make every time a new patient comes in, and sings, too. Jesse objects to Becca's inclination not to go to Brown University, saying that he would be too much of a burden to her. Chester dies when he races Jesse on the hospital roof.

EP16 Last Wish Mar 07, 1993

Becca and Jesse go to see the ocean, after Jesse says that i's something that he wants to do. Jesse is not exactly on top of the world, however, as he is jealous of Ray, who has been seeing Becca lately. During an arguement, they flash back a few Glen Brook weeks ( not from old episodes, but stuff that would have occurred during the course of other episodes). Ray bought them the plane tickets that they needed to get there. This episode shows the development of the relationship between Ray and Becca.

EP17 Life Goes On (and On and On) May 23, 1993

The series finale, it leaps 4 years into the future to see Becca and Jesse marry, and 10 years when Becca, now about 27 ( and still played by Kellie Martin) tells her son a story about what happened after graduating from high school. Corky doesn't graduate, but says, ""I'll be back."" Ray was the valedictorian of Becca's class. Jesse leaves for Europe, breaking Becca's heart, but returns four years later. It is not determined whether Becca's son was fathered by Jesse or not, but Becca expresses a desire to have Jesse's baby, saying that new treatments could make it possible. The question of who fathered this child is hard to answer as Becca says the final words of the series: "" I love you, Jesse.""
7.1| 0h30m| NR| en
Synopsis

Life Goes On is a television series that aired on ABC from September 12, 1989, to May 23, 1993. The show centers on the Thatcher family living in suburban Chicago: Drew, his wife Elizabeth, and their children Paige, Rebecca, and Charles, who is known as Corky. Life Goes On was the first television series to have a major character with Down syndrome.

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Reviews

Beanbioca As Good As It Gets
AshUnow This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.
Anoushka Slater While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.
Bob This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.
Kris Moviefan Remember this show ? It was a great show about a kid who had downs syndrome and the difficulties he had to deal with.It also talked about other real life problems like aids, teenagers in general and things that had a lot of depth and meaning. Yet it was very entertaining.All the actors were excellent and gave their characters layers.Fast forward to today, all we get are superficial shows like Lost,Prison Break and DS !! They are all about special affects and no substance.What happened to American TV series ? I haven't like one single TV series that has come out the last 10 years from USA. And the shows I liked in the 90s has gone down the hill big time the last couple of years.I doubt I will ever like an American TV series again(or a Hollywood movie for that matter)
Syl Life Goes On reminds me of those movies of the week but made for a television series. It's one of those feel-good dramas starring the wonderful Patti LuPone who plays mother to Becca played by the annoying Kellie Martin, (sorry but I avoid her whenever possible!) She's just too perky for me, and Corky played by the wonderful Christopher Burke who really has a down syndrome. The first episode has him getting ready for his first day at the same high school as Becca. She falls for Tyler, the cute good-looking guy who treats Corky like another student. Also Becca has a relationship with Chad Lowe's character who has AIDS. I guess it was groundbreaking at the time and he won an Emmy for it. It's one of those dramas and there is comedy too. Of course, Patti plays the second wife and is stepmother to an older daughter who we never see.
amber Life goes on came on TV Land last weekend for a 50th anniversary warner bros. marathon. I was real little when it came on and I don't remember much about it. I watched the two episodes they should and Iloved it. I want Life Goes On to come on t.v. I wish TV Land or Hallmark channel would show it. It is a great show the whole family can enjoy. There are a lot of great characters and stories on there. It is a wholesome, heartwarming show.I also wish it would come on DVD. There is no channel that picks it up at all. Abc Family would even be a good channel. Another Great show that never comes on is MY so called life.
taffy Life Goes On was pretty much about just that...LIFE. Whoever cast the show did one whale of a job. The Thatchers are a blended family, which includes him (Bill Smitrovich) and her (Patti Lupone), his daughter and their son and daughter. But the Thatchers aren't Ozzie & Harriett or Father Knows Best, they live in the real world and their son, Corky (brillantly portrayed by Chris Burke) has Downs Syndrome. They are torn between protecting Corky and giving him the opportunity to mainstream and live a real life. Unfortunately, the writers weren't up to the task after the first season and started straying from what I thought was a brilliant concept. They turned a first rate series into a soap opera in prime time taking the story line into the life's tragedies (fatal car crashes and HIV), instead of keeping the focus on the day-to-day struggles of raising a family while dealing with a child who is challenged and the effects on each family member as Life Goes On.But with its shortcomings, it is still better than 99% of what is being offered viewers now. Wish it were still on the air. But, unfortunately, as has been their history, ABC can't deal with a winning series.

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