Season 1
NaN/100 votesHomecoming Queen
Season 1 Episode 1 - Aired 11/1/2000
After a four year stay in California after he came out of the closet, Butch Gamble returns to Normal, Ohio to attend a going-away party for his son, Charlie, who's going off to medical school. His sister Pamela, a lively single mother of two, welcomes him warmly, as does his mother, Joan, though she can't quite bring herself to say "gay" aloud. Charlie, on the other hand, is not quite up to lukewarm. After Butch has a heartfelt talk with Charlie about how he's happier since he came out, Charlie decides to tell the truth too -- during his send-off, Charlie reveals that he doesn't want to go to medical school.
Director: Philip Charles MacKenzie
Writer: Bob Kushell, Terry Turner, Bonnie Turner
- NaN/100 votes
Foreign Affairs
Season 1 Episode 2 - Aired 11/8/2000
While digging through Bill's war memorabilia for the upcoming "Normal Ohio Founder's Day Parade," Butch and Pamela find a love letter that was written to Bill by his "Korean plaything" whom he had an affair with during his stay overseas. At the urging of Butch, Bill decides to confide to his wife that he was unfaithful -- but he changes his mind when he learns that Joan had an affair too (and to boot, Pamela unknowingly named her son after the man Joan had an affair with). Meanwhile, Pamela goes to confront Robbie's teacher, Mr. Collins, over Robbie's unsatisfactory homework, but ends up inviting Mr Collins home to tutor Robbie, when she sees how handsome he is. Kimberly has plans of her own when Mr Collins arrives, to confront him with a mistake he made a few years ago when he was her teacher, which he never took the blame for.
Director: Philip Charles MacKenzie
Writer: Gregg Mettler
- NaN/100 votes
Caught on Tape
Season 1 Episode 3 - Aired 11/15/2000
Four years ago, Butch came out on Joan's birthday, and, to Butch's surprise, Robbie caught "The Incident" on video. It's Joan's birthday again, but all she wants to do is lay in bed, so Butch makes plans to take her out for a surprise dinner with the family. He finally gets her to agree to go somewhere, but when the car breaks down, they find themselves stranded at a biker bar.
Director: Philip Charles MacKenzie
Writer: N/A
- NaN/100 votes
A Thanksgiving Episode
Season 1 Episode 4 - Aired 11/22/2000
Butch gets Pamela to host a family Thanksgiving meal, and he then leaves for a football game.
Director: Philip Charles MacKenzie
Writer: N/A
- NaN/100 votes
Buyer's Remorse
Season 1 Episode 5 - Aired 11/29/2000
Butch buys Charlie an used car in an attempt of establishing a better father-son relationship and Elizabeth accuses him of buying Charlie's love. Butch has to do the right thing and return the car, because he realized that Charlie has to like him for who he is, not for his gifts.
Director: Philip Charles MacKenzie
Writer: N/A
- NaN/100 votes
Working Girl
Season 1 Episode 6 - Aired 12/6/2000
Pamela is tired of having mediocre jobs and decides that she wants to do something where she can be her own boss. When she goes to her parents for money, they refuse to loan it to her, so she decides to get multiple jobs in order to put the money together. Tired of being bossed by teenagers, she quits and decides she wants to be a stripper after finding out that strippers can make tons of money. Butch then makes an intervention and tells their parents that she's turning into a stripper if they don't loan her the money, so they do.
Director: Philip Charles MacKenzie
Writer: Lynnie Greene, Richard Levine
- NaN/100 votes
Just Another Normal Christmas
Season 1 Episode 7 - Aired 12/13/2000
Joan earns a pew at church, and asks Pamela to write a speech for her. Pamela and Butch decide to pull a trick on her and write about his homosexuality. After the Reverend takes the pew away from them, Joan blames Pam and Butch for it. Angry that the Minister might have taken it away because he's gay, he goes to confront him, but turns out the Minister only took it away because of his father's suspicious activities on his poker club. Butch and Charlie discover that the 70 year-olds are smoking pot and try to convince them to quit it so Joan can have her stew back. Meanwhile, Robbie decides to decorate the house with Christmas lights and gets on the paper for it.
Director: Philip Charles MacKenzie
Writer: John Schwab