Did Family Matters reveal their plans for Judy and Steve in a Season 4 episode?

Family Matters offered a glimpse of the future

Family Matters fans noticed how Judy Winslow (Jaimee Foxworth) disappeared without warning in Season 4, and the role of Steve Urkel (Jaleel White) increased rapidly.

Today, while watching the episode Higher Anxiety I realized the writers either purposely or inadvertently let us know what they were planning. In this episode, which aired on February 26, 1993, Estelle Winslow (Rosetta LeNoire) becomes engaged to Fletcher Thomas (Arnold Thomas).

Judy gets the boot

At the end of the episode, Judy is seated on the couch next to three of her family members. Steve plops himself down in the middle and there is not room so Judy is pushed off the couch onto the floor.

Was this a message to the viewing audience that Steve would now be at the center of the show and Judy was no longer needed? In the following episode Mama's Wedding Judy walked down the aisle as a bridesmaid at her g grandmother's wedding. She is not seen or of spoken of again as if she had not existed.

I had not paid attention to this before, but in binge-watching the series, I wonder in hindsight if the exchange between Urkel and Judy was intentional. It could be interpreted as Urkel forcing himself into the Winslow clan and letting Judy know she has been replaced.

Was this the beginning of the end?

Some Family Matters fans say this was the beginning of the end of the popular sitcom, which remained on the air for five more seasons. Later episodes don't have the sense of connection that the first four seasons did. 

Once Mother Winslow married Fletcher, she moved out of her son's home. The dynamic between her and Harriet Winslow (Jo Marie Payton), her loving relationship with her grandchildren, and bantering with Carl Winslow (Reginald VelJohnson) decreased over time.

Now that Judy is gone, Estelle's portrayer has been reduced from a contract role to appearing sporadically. This led the way for more of Urkel, his antics, and his chamber where he turned into Stephan Urkel.

Steve takes over Family Matters

Steve inserted himself into the Winslow's everyday affairs by showing up at all hours of the day and night. He eventually moved in with the family when his parents relocated to Russia.

Meanwhile, viewers were discussing what had happened to Judy and wondering why. Foxworth has stated that the producers of the hit show believed no one would notice her character's absence, but they were wrong.

Payton left the series and was replaced by JudyAnn Elder in the ninth and final season because there was so much emphasis on Urkel. She later revealed that she was shocked that her daughter Judy simply disappeared. In later interviews regarding a possible reboot, Payton said she would not return unless Judy was also in the show.

This probably will never happen because according to White, Foxworth could not remember her lines, so her onscreen presence was cut until the decision was made to fire her. He also blamed her mother.

Was Foxworth's mother to blame

Other sources say they cut her scenes and fired her because her mother was demanding more money. Rather than recast the role, the powers that be wrote scripts where Judy was not mentioned. White laughed as he said the decision was made to cut the character and save money.

No more Judy, Mother Winslow's role decreased, Steve spends more time with Carl than Eddie Winslow (Darius McCray), and Waldo Geraldo Faldo (Shawn Harrison) was written out. Little Richie was not seen as much, and a new character, Three J (Orlando Brown), was adopted by Carl and Harriet.

The end of an era

Family Matters began as a loving family with three generations plus cousin Richie Crawford (Bryton James McClure) and his mother Rachel Crawford (Telma Hopkins) all together under one roof.

It ended with slapstick from Urkel in almost every episode. White began portraying different characters like Myrtle Urkel and other cousins. Fans who remained loyal to the end may not have noticed the subtle changes that began in season four.

What do you think, readers? Was Urkel taking over the couch and Judy being knocked to the floor a coincidence, or was it, as the older generation would say, "An accident done on purpose."