ALF Wiki
Register
Advertisement



Previous episode: Next episode:
Stayin' Alive I Gotta Be Me


Wolf

Wolf

Hungry Like the Wolf is the twenty-second episode of ALF's fourth and final season. It originally aired on March 3, 1990.

Plot Summary[]

ALF has gained so much weight that he fears that he will die of physical implosion like his grandparents did. The Tanners first ask him to do some exercise and put him on a diet. Because of the diet, his primal instincts kick in and he goes on the run

Teaser[]

Kate, Willie are in the kitchen feeding Eric. Kate has a bad feeling and it has something to do with ALF. ALF then comes in and says he's concerned about his weight, and that he'll die of physical implosion like his grandparents did if he continues to gain weight, because his species only gains weight internally.

Act One[]

ALF is watching an aerobics video thinking it will help him lose weight. He's eaten a lot and Willie helps him stand up. Kate suggests ALF exercise more and eat less if he wants to lose weight. ALF asks for help, so Willie puts him on a supervised diet of 1,500 calories a day.


That night at dinner, ALF is given a watercress salad, with lemon juice as part of his diet, and later some white rice and skinless boiled chicken. ALF says he can't crash diet and lose weight slowly or his enzymes will imbalance and his primal instincts will take over his personality. Kate and Willie dismiss his story. ALF repeats his warning.


Later that night, ALF is seen sneaking into the Tanner's refrigerator, taking bacon grease and other, Kate and Willie catch him red-handed and pretends to be sleepwalking. Kate snaps him out of it by fooling him into thinking there's a cockroach on his shoulder. ALF says he's feeling his instincts kicking in, and he starts howling and growling. He says when it starts he'll be forced to hunt and kill fresh meat to replace his enzymes.


The next morning, Kate is preparing breakfast and ALF is given his special diet. Lynn feels sorry for him and Brian says he caught ALF licking the garbage cans. They then overhear ALF howling outside and go out to investigate. ALF wearing tribal style clothing and calls himself Wolf the Primal Melmacian Hunting Machine. He tosses a handmade wooden spear to try and kill something. Willie thinks ALF is bluffing, but then ALF says he hears a squirrel and wants to go hunt it. Willie then tells ALF it's ok and to come back inside, but ALF says he must trap and hunt his own food.


That evening, Willie comes home from work. Kate says ALF refused to eat anything he hadn't caught by himself, and Lynn even tried tying a string to a Pop-tart hoping ALF would pounce on it. Kate mentions that ALF caught a garden snail but released it because there was no garlic and butter.

Outside the overhear ALF driving off with the car



Act Two[]

The family comes into the house after searching for ALF. The phone rings and Willie answers it. It's the police letting him know that their car was found parked illegally at Griffith Park. Willie goes to the park to try and find him. At the park, Willie goes searching for ALF and runs into a homeless man sleeping under a bench, who thinks Willie is also homeless. He asks him if he's seen anything strange, and the homeless man says someone threw a stick at him and thought it was Tattoo from Fantasy Island. Willie walks off and the man warns Willie about ALF's temper. Willie finds ALF trying to hunt a toy poodle, and the ALF considers Willie potential big game. ALF throws another stick, and says he's tied and must eat the toy poodle. ALF fails to recognize Willie too, and thinks he's Zog the timid hunter. When Willie mentions Kate's name he says it scares him but he doesn't know why. Willie gives ALF some candy, and responds that he'll kill better on a sugar high. ALF runs off, and Willie calls for him. The homeless man comes over and asks Willie not to be so loud at night because people are sleeping. The homeless man notices the hut ALF built and also the dog, complimenting on things getting well for him. ALF then emerges from the bushes having returned to his normal self, but no memory of his time in the altered state. The two head home.

Epilogue[]

The family that owns the toy poodle are over to claim it, and when they leave the dog gets loose and runs off. ALF comes out and comments that bacon grease mixed with butterscotch syrup makes a good marinade. ALF then mentions he might write his own recipe book.

Trivia[]

  • Starting with this episode, the final three would air on Saturday nights.

Title Reference[]

"Hungry Like the Wolf" is a song by Duran Duran.

Advertisement