Episode
Step by Step: Close Encounters of the Marital Kind
Overview
Carol has just bought a book named ""Ten Minutes Per Day to a Better Marriage."" The book advised to tell each other a big secret. Carol tells him about a secret bank account with a lot of money in it. Frank feels betrayed and goes to his office to spend the night. Upon seeking support from Cody, Frank discovers that he was unsure in other areas (he had not thrown away his little black book). They realize that in the end they are better off for having told each other. Karen just passed her drivers license exam, creating three drivers (Dana, JT, and Karen) and no car. They decide it is time to buy their own car, but they can only come up with $400. JT manages to find an old Volkswagen Bug for $400. The car is a disaster and although Cody works on it, it is barely driveable. Cody and JT sell it for parts and get $425, and they keep the 8 track player with a Sonny and Cher 8 track.
Details
- Series
- Step by Step
- Season
- Season 3
- Episode
- Episode 12
- Air date
- 1993-12-17
- Runtime
- 22 min
Episode context
Close Encounters of the Marital Kind is Episode 12 in Season 3 of Step by Step. It aired on 1993-12-17. The runtime is 22 min.
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Episode 11: Christmas Story
After Carol presents an idea of exchanging fewer gifts, Frank announces he gets a 20% discount at Hartman's Toy Store because of his remodeling work there. Both believe one has picked up Brendan's train set and therefore, neither does. When they realize this on Christmas eve, they use Frank's key to get into the toy store and are leaving money in the register when Deputy Barney Feif notices them. They are taken to jail where they are detained. After the kids open all their presents without knowing where their parents were, Cody points out that Christmas should be about joy and loved ones. The kids realize their mistake, get concerned, and find out their parents are in jail. They bring food and caroling to the jail. Deputy Feif lets them out and they all go back home to celebrate Christmas, even Barney.
Episode 13: Bad Girls
The boys at school tell Al they do not want to play with a girl; Frank tells Al to try to get more friends that are girls. Al begins to hang around with the only girls who she feels will be her friends. Al starts to wear combat uniforms, skip class, and stay out past curfew. Frank overreacts and the two get into a big argument. When Al's friends get her to steal Cody's guitar, Cody hears them and lets her take it. Cody points out to both Frank and Al that their relationship is vital.
Carol sees the TV set being temporarily out of order, as a great time to start a desperate attempt at ""Family Fun Time."" The only thing Carol is able to get them to enjoy doing together is leaving. In the end, the TV is fixed and the Lambert boys are watching Baywatch again.
More episodes from this season
Episode 10: Sister Act
Karen is interested in Michael, but is too scared to talk to him so she gets Dana to talk to him. Dana talks to him and gets to know him as he gets to know her. He asks her out and she cannot help but say yes. As they get closer, Dana must keep Karen in the dark. The Lambert kids find out by monitoring a telephone call. They convince Karen to start a fight. Karen tells Michael several lies (including the one about Dana only being 14 years old) things about Dana so Michael will dump her. Unfortunately for the Lamberts, Dana and Karen discuss the problem and turn on them instead of each other. In an unprecedented dialogue, Karen tells Dana how she envies her ""book"" smarts, while Dana tells Karen how she envies her ""street"" smarts. Karen and Dana team up to repay the Lamberts for listening in on telephone calls.
After Frank refuses to dance with her, Carol ignores him. It is discovered that Frank does not know how to dance. Cody with excellent dancing skills teaches Frank to dance. Frank
Episode 14: Read All About It
Cody reads so much that he ruins the stories (by telling the ending) for JT, Al, and Carol and desserts (by crushing it with a big box of books) for Dana. However, it does yield him a job as a story time reader for the little kids at the library. He makes the reading time tons of fun and even teaches one of Brendan's friends to read.
While filling out their taxes, Frank realizes Carol made more money than he did the previous year. He gets frantic over not being the ""provider"" of the family so he looks for a part time job. He looks everywhere but ends up passing out coupons for a local fried chicken restaurant while dressed as a chicken. Carol is, however, able to convince him that he is a great companion and father and she is perfectly satisfied with that.
Episode 9: The Marrying Dude
After posting an ad in a biker magazine, Cody finally meets his blind date,Bonnie.She turns out to have an adorable 8 year old named, Riley who Cody Immediately befriends.Bonnie and Cody have a great time,but there priorities are different.Bonnie needs a father for Riley so she proposes to Cody.
Al is perplexed at her breast size.
The rest of the family is busy arguing about the house decor.
Episode 15: Thirteen with a Bullet
It's Mark's 13th birthday.While frank introduces him to the fine art of shaving,and Carol arranges a real party for him with music and girls.One of the girls is a lovely girl named Marissa,with who Mark falls in love with.But he's soon brokenhearted as he finds out her feelings for him are not quite the same as what he thought.
J.T. passes his mechanics exam.But Dana feels if he can do it so can she.So she challenges him to a bet,that she can do it.
Episode 8: Down and Out in Port Washington
Lucille is in the shop being repaired so Cody stays in the Lambert living room. After Cody does his wash in the kitchen and loses his ant farm on the couch, the family is ready for him to move back into his van. Lucille, however, dies on the greaserack. Frank and Carol are relieved, however, when Cody tells them he is ready to be out as well. He decides to move into a stationary Lucille reasoning that many people live perfectly normal lives in non-moving structures.
At the same time, Karen is interested in a guy who volunteers at a homeless shelter so she goes there one Saturday. He takes his girlfriend out, though, and Karen ends up spending a whole day at the shelter for ""nothing."" After a heart-to-heart with Carol, Karen decides that she needs to adjust her priorities.
Episode 16: My Bodyguard
Cody acquires this strange ability to see things in the future accurately (although unclear and misleading at times). He goes to Chicago to protect Dana, and although he ruins her interview, he does help her out.
Carol begins what Mark describes as ""aging"" by snoring- VERY loudly. She keeps everybody up several nights in a row, until Frank finally comes up with a plan (airport earmuffs for him and soundproofing the door for the kids).
Episode 7: Hog Wild
JT discovers that although Cody is the best motorcycle repairman in town, he charges everyone $9. JT convinces him to start his own business with a bigger shop. Cody has trouble getting a loan until Slasher ""convinces"" the banker by threatening to move his multi-million dollar account elsewhere. Cody, however, does not like the new business because he does not get to work on the bikes himself.
Frank and Carol are celebrating an anniversary and again are fighting over presents. This time they agree to buy a present, but to limit it to $25. Both exceed the limit and end up struggling to buy a more expensive present than the other one.
Brendan makes them an anniversary card, because he did not have the money to buy one. This ends the struggle.
Episode 17: Pretty Woman
Karen is having an interview at the mall for a jeans ad. The photographer is looking for a girl to promote the jeans ""with an attitude."" Al actually gets the job, which drives Karen crazy. Karen gets mad at Carol because she is not showing favoritism to her daughter (over her step-daughter). Carol is hurt and says that the whole Lambert/Foster family should be thought of as one family. Karen gets the point and is able to calm down Al with a ""family"" pep talk.
Cody thinks he is the victim of some mysterious curse that makes him lucky at whatever he does, thus taking all the fun and excitement out of life. When Frank makes him play poker, the curse is re-activated. Cody wins $1,000 and a trip to the Bahamas, but breaks the curse by having an industrial accident in his van.
Episode 6: Video Mania
Mark is depressed about getting an ""A"" on a test, rather than an ""A+."" Frank tries to loosen him up by getting him a video game. Mark does loosen up, but his grades slip, he starts fights, and he becomes addicted to the game. Frank and Carol send him to a support group. There, he recognizes his addiction and begins to work it out.
In the meantime, Cody goes to the health food store to obtain a cure for his cold. In the parking lot, he buys a booklet teaching him how to cure himself with the powers of his mind. Dana mocks him, despite the fact that using his newfound powers enable Cody to think of Karen wearing a turtleneck to hide her hickey. Dana, however, when she is unable to get rid of a cold, tries it herself (when no one else can see, of course).
Episode 18: Nightmare Weekend
Frank and Carol decide to celebrate the anniversary of thier first encounter (on June 20, 1993),by taking a weekend trip,thus leaving the kids alone.Carol and Frank get stuck at the hotel where Frank once spent a weekend with a red-headed ex-girlfriend of his.Ofcourse Carol gets mad several times before they finally make up and head home.
Mark laughs at the horror film (Chainsaw Slumberparty II) J.T.,Al and Brendan are watching.They decide to take revenge by making Mark think the house is haunted.