The Ali Family

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
Season 2, Episode 6
The Ali Family
Recap By J.G. Bird
October 31, 2004

Lucy Ali is the adoptive mom to Paul, 12, and his brother Koran, 12. This episode relies little on explaining or reiterating the story of the family’s hardship. Showing the state of their house is all that is necessary. A criminally negligent contractor began the work on the Ali’s Queens home and then ran off with the home improvement money without completing the job. Without plumbing or a roof, Lucy Ali relies on the support of a homeless shelter for a time. Then, for more than a year-and-a-half, she has paid for rent on a studio apt in Manhatten plus paying her mortgage, living out of storage boxes. The design team makes their Day One wake-up visit at the Ali’s temporary home and let them pack up for a drive on the EMHE bus to the house in Queens.

Their two-year history with the remodel-turned-nightmare has been an obvious drain on this small family. Walking through the home is emotional. There’re signs of demolition everywhere, with pots still out on the stove, exposed wiring and unconnected plumbing.
The two boys are supportive of their mother, acknowledging that it’s been far longer than the two years they’ve been out of this home that Lucy sleeps not in a bed, but upon a sofa or recliner chair only. Ty is quick to get this family on its way – the crew will be tearing down to the bones of the house. “You want to know where you’re going on vacation? Well, I’m not going to tell you,” plays out about three times. Finally, in a call to the limo, Ty reveals that the Ali’s are headed for a Disney cruise to the Bahamas.

The designers map out a Media room / Living room / Kitchen bottom floor and bedroom suites filling out the top floor. Ty takes on the mom’s bedroom suite. There’s less mayhem shown in the demolition on this one, maybe it was just easy? The concern came up that the second floor was not properly braced. So the competent contractor foreman and his crew shore up the existing lower floor studs to bear properly. Maybe, doing the work on this episode as well as taping items for the special that’s running concurrent Monday night is what caused this episode to feel a little emptier of the tidbits we’ve come to expect. For once, the megaphone use is not, I repeat, NOT, overblown, even at the “only 24 hours left” mark.

Paige spends her time building and decorating a go-cart course in the back yard (She relates that her dad’s a race car driver). There’s not a doubt this will be an unusual hit. Upon removing the dryrotted front porch, some recovered mid-century items, like intact bottles and a banjo still in its case are oohed and aahed over especially by Michael and Preston. Among the neighbors gathering outside the work site, Lucy’s own mother and father are allowed a look in the home. It’s more complete than the last contractor left it.

Paul DeMeo is working on young Paul’s actor’s studio bedroom. Designer DeMeo visits the Broadway Lion King costumers – he returns with aisle carpeting from its home at Broadway’s New Amsterdam Theatre. The bed will be decked out in royal fashion.

Constance is eager to draw upon the interests of Koran, the older looking, but apparently just the larger of the two twelve year-olds, and bring to life an architecturally inspired room. It will include the standard 5’x 3’ architectural drafting desk. The design relies on exposed beams of natural wood and a blue (as in blueprint) color scheme. In the meantime, Michael rides the subway (?) to Sears. Folks, I guess that confirms that he really just makes a big order by catalog and has it all delivered – because I know he’s not riding the subway back with giant shopping bags stuffed with throw pillows!

By Day 4, the Ali home is looking much nicer. We have a quick side trip by Preston, enjoying the “cab fare” distance to Manhatten. He takes photos of the Chrysler building, Empire State, and inside Union Station. These end up as decorative framed images for some of the living spaces.

A pickup truck drives up to the building site with an odd cargo, small-scale cast metal sculptures of a seated lineup of highrise construction workers. They are used for a unique visual in the architectural room for Koran.

The design team has thrown muted beach shades about on every adjoining wall. Seven shades total in the palette they note. Modern, clean-line modular furniture is moved in.
Automatic (remote-controlled) blinds and a serious video game haven, with sound-proofing against the sound fury from the Surround Sound speakers and large screen TV is revealed.

The aspiring architect’s room has been focused on throughout the episode, so its reveal is mostly good for catching the intended inhabitant’s reaction. He seemed to disbelieve that it’s all for him. He also shows gratitude for the new clothes in his closet. His brother is all smiles over his red draped bed that is center-stage in the room dominated by curtains forming a stage proscenium. “To be or not to be…” is stamped high above, near the ceiling, various Lion King musical memorabilia about, as well.

Mom’s room has pop and some meditative qualities. I personally did not like the gold polka-dot on olive green wall (especially directly across from the woman’s bed) but the eternal flame lamp going on in the corner is interesting and there’s a motif of large pink Lily images framed on the walls that continue into the bathroom. The bathroom is small. (Unusual for our show – and only one bathroom was revealed) There’s nothing wrong with the bathroom, she likes it; I think this woman is impressed by there being running water, period.

Alure Contracting owner, Sal Fero, and his partners offer to invest toward college scholarships for the two boys with the hope it will work as an incentive to keep up their interests and spur on their studies.

How’d They Do That?, after Monday Night Football on November 1st teases a room makeover they didn’t get to in tonight’s show plus answers to the question of How They Do It in just seven days.

The Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, which airs next Sunday evening, (November 7th) will feature a 2 hour show. This show is being introduced with a no-audio commercial spot. The Detroit family that is assisted consists of a deaf couple and their two sons. The couple’s 14-year-old son is hearing and the 12-year-old son is blind and autistic. Through this episode, many will be educated in the technological communication advances and safety devices currently available to individuals who live with hearing loss.