Strangers

"Strangers" is a 1989 episode of the television series thirtysomething. The episode contrasts two relationships, one between Melissa Steadman (Melanie Mayron) and Lee Owens (Corey Parker) and the other between Russell Weller (David Marshall Grant) and Peter Montefiore (Peter Frechette). Melissa worries about the age difference between herself and Lee as she is several years older. Russell and Peter are in the very early stages of their relationship and are unsure whether even to attempt to build it. "Strangers" was the sixth episode of season three and originally aired on ABC on November 7, 1989. "Strangers" generated a great deal of controversy because it depicted two men, Russell and Peter, in bed together after having had sex. Even though the actors were forbidden to touch each other while in bed together, the controversy proved too much for a number of advertisers, who pulled their commercials from the episode. ABC withdrew the episode from rotation for rebroadcast. In 2005, TV Land included this episode as part of its "Top 100 Most Unexpected Moments in TV History", ranking it #27. Plot Melissa and Lee have been seeing each other since Lee painted the interior of Melissa's home. Melissa is nervous about introducing him to her friends because of the several year gap in their ages. Lee is beginning to get upset about not meeting her friends. Hope (Mel Harris) and Michael (Ken Olin) invite the couple for dinner. Melissa accepts, thinking it will be just the four of them. However, all of her friends are there and meet Lee. Melissa has flights of imagination at the party, envisioning her friends gossiping about her with Lee and Lee becoming ever more immature, to the point of imagining him in a baby's bib. She begins to distance herself from Lee, using work as an excuse. Eventually she invites Lee for dinner and contemplates breaking up with him. Lee pre-empts her and breaks up with her first. After several days, Melissa stops by the condominium that Lee is painting. She gives him a set of keys to her place and expresses her concerns about their relationship but tells him that whatever happens, she loves him. Lee tells her that he loves her too and, as she is about to leave, accepts her keys.