Al has a date with Kevin Philips,so she seeks advice from her step-sisters.Dana tells her she needs to stand up to him and make sure he doesn't push her around.While Karen's advice is completely opposite,saying that the only way Kevin will like her is if she agrees with everything he says.Al decides unwisely to take Karen's advice.The date doesn't go fairly well,but Kevin says he doesn't want to see Al again,as he thought she was more of an independent thinker.

Meanwhile, Dana and Cody try to out compete each other in college

Growing up is Hard to Do

Patrick Duffy

Suzanne Somers

Brandon Call

Staci Keanan

Christine Lakin

Angela Watson

Christopher Castile

Josh Byrne

Sasha Mitchell

Richard Correll

Beyond Therapy

Something Wild

Mark feels his friends don't respect him, and his mother babies him. In order to earn respect he joins a Karate class. His teacher kicks him out for being too wimpy. Cody agrees to help Mark prepare for the big karate tournament (Cody is a black belt) in a month and Mark becomes a totally new man. He faces the best person in the first match and falls behind quickly. Cody, however, notices his weakness and Mark uses it to catch up and force the guy to the final point. Mark loses the match, but wins respect from everybody except the coach of the other guy who mocks him and Cody and then challenges Cody to a karate match. Cody beats him badly.

Frank is tired of all the yelling in the house so he installs an intercom that has a radio in it, but he is forced to destroy it when it wakes everyone up in the middle of the night.

Karate Kid

Carol adds to her vast collection of ""first"" pictures by taking one of Dana's first day at East Wisconsin University. Dana feels she is being shafted when she receives a ""D"" on her English paper. That evoked varying responses including an ""Another first-- get a picture Carol"" from Al and an ""I'm the smartest now"" from Mark. Carol tells Dana her ego is too big and although she is smart she only had to look to her driveway to find someone smarter (remember SATs). Dana later apologizes and promises to correct her attitude. Immediately after this she finds out Cody was accepted at ""Cheese Wis U"" and enrolled in all her classes.

Meanwhile, JT receives a credit card and despite a warning from Frank, he charges $20,000 worth of stuff, including a mink coat which Carol adores. When everything is returned Carol has a hard time parting with the coat. Frank puts the next credit card JT gets in the blender.

College Bound

Cody joins a college fraternity (Delta Delta Beta),to be cool.But finds the way they treat woman disgusting after Karen attends a party with him.

Meanwhile joins the schoolband.

Animal House

When a part time Sportscaster job becomes available, Frank's old visions of being a great announcer come back. He chokes and Carol gets the job which bums him out seeing himself stuck in an endless life of average. He snaps out of it when Carol tells him that to her he is a superstar. Ironically, when Carol denies the job, Cody ends up with it.

Carol's health food kick has the kids buying their own junk food. This causes JT and Al to patrol the kitchen and endless fights over stealing each other's junk food. Finally, a food fight breaks out and when Cody tries to break it up, he is attacked from all sides. As a funny side note, in the middle of all this JT put glue in Dana's conditioner.

Spoiled Sport

Karen tries to become Homecoming Queen, and discovers it's not worth the effort.Cody suffers an identity crisis.

Revenge of the Nerd

Cody makes the world's largest Jack-o-Lantern and Mark discovers an alien life.

Cody puts the entire family into counseling over the baby.

The kids kick up a fuss about the baby's room and Cody comforts an old friend.

The Ice Cream Man Cometh

Al brings home her new boyfriend to meet Frank,but he has some major issues about the way the boy dresses.

Letting Go

Carol and Frank go on a romantic getaway, but Carol can think of nothing but the baby. Mark meets a girl, but is surprised by her appearance.

Make Room for Daddy

It's christmas time at the Lambert/Foster's and J.T. decides he's to old to spend Christmas with the family and he wants to go skiing with his buddies.Frank doesn't want him to, but doesn't object.J.T. realizes the minute they arrive at the cabin that he made a mistake and would rather go home.He calls Cody and confesses, but refuses to call Frank.Cody talks Frank into going to see J.T. and he admits he would rather be home with the family and Frank says he wants him home too.

I'll Be Home For Christmas

J.T. and Cody are out riding around in J.T. boss's car.When J.T. meets a pretty girl,at a cafe.She thinks he's rich and so J.T. lies and says he is, to impress her.He then finds some money on the street and decides to keep it.Not knowing it actually belongs to Shelly's Dad who owns the cafe she works at.Cody finally makes J.T. tell her the truth and J.T. fines out about the money and returns it and apologizes for lieing.They decide to try and start over.

Can't Buy Me Love

Carol starting binging on odd combo's of foods at her pregnancy wears on.While Cody makes a film about a goldfish and Dana comes to terms with her older boyfriend.

Thirtysomething

The Honeymoon is Over

Al is learning to drive, but she gets into a predicament when JT lets her drive while Frank and Carol are away at the doctors. Meanwhile, Dana has her wisdom teeth removed, but the drugs get to her head.

One Truck, Al Dente

Everyone begins to help Carol so she will not be stressed out too much and harm the baby. Carol, however, is so fussy about how they help that she drives them all crazy and seems to be just as stressed. Brendan, however, stays up all night cleaning to help.

Dana and Cody are selected to teach a bunch of remedial high school students about the Civil War. Cody signs them up for a hit TV game show, ""It's Academic,"" and wants a more hands-on kind of teaching. Dana fights Cody on both until the competition, where she gets so into it, she threatens her team. The students respond to both Cody's teaching and Dana's coaching.

Head of the Class

JT realizes that he can not find a good job, unless he goes to college. He struggles to study and fails his first test, but with the help of Mark and Cody discovers that he has dyslexia.

Carol wants to get the future baby into The Sutton Academy, a prestigious pre-school, and sets up an appointment with a couple of representatives from that school. They insult the Lamberts, and Frank and Carol throw them out.

Mark and Gabrielle have a hard time controlling themselves while playing Ping-Pong and even while walking.

Back to School

Cody's speech teacher tells him he says the word ""dude"" too much. He creates a device whereby someone can press a button and give him an electrical shock every time he uses the word. Dana volunteers and takes her job seriously, ""zapping"" him as much as possible. Cody decides that the word ""dude"" is part of who he is and how he communicates and therefore, quits.

Carol is 8 months pregnant and VERY large. Frank gets a job with a beautiful ex-girlfriend and neglects to tell Carol, feeling she is insecure. Carol finds out about the job, but more importantly finds out that she can trust Frank.

She Came in Through the Bedroom Window

JT and Dana are in the same Ethics class, and JT gets an ""A+,"" while Dana gets a lower grade. Dana goes to inquire about her grade and discovers that the only reason JT got his grade is the teacher is interested in him. Dana warns JT and tells him that his first time should be special. When JT goes over to the Professors, he abstains from any wrongdoing, and in Dana's words, ""deserves an 'A+' in Ethics.

Frank buys the Meat Master 5000, but does not assemble it correctly, and it starts a fire.

Cody is having trouble sleepwalking and talking like a 5-year-old, warning Carol to get to the hospital. He discovers it is related to seeing his sister be born in the back of a cab, when he was five.

Indecent Proposal

JT and Frank make a bet with Dana and Carol to wear a pregnancy  outfit to see if they can cope and see how it is to be pregnant for 48 hours, but JT and Frank soon learn it's not easy being pregnant. They lose the bet and must get down on their knees and kiss Dana and Carol feet while they repeat that men are the weaker sex.

Meanwhile, Brendan is stunned when his favorite baseball player turns out to be a ""dilweed.""

Where Have You Gone, Joe DiMaggio?

J.T. applies his greed to babysitting,with Al's help.But they agree to sit for too many kids and can't control the group.

Adventures in Babysitting

Carol decides that they need to get rid of all of Frank's old junk. They have a yard sale where Frank tries to sell things for $15-$50, but a guy smoking a cigar will only offer a quarter in return. At the end of the day, they have only made a nickel when the guy with a cigar comes back and offers a quarter for everything left. Carol quickly accepts his CHECK.

Dana is going to a college party. After a great deal of coaxing, Karen and Al convince Dana to take them with her. Karen surveys the room and picks a guy, Jeremy. Jeremy, however, chooses Al. Despite being asked to dance by 12 other guys and receiving a marriage proposal, Karen considers the whole party a waste. She and Dana then find out that Jeremy's intentions were less than pure. They rush to Al's rescue and help her get revenge.

Big Girl on Campus

Carol finally goes into labor. Frank rushes everyone to the hospital while Cody is taping everything on videotape. Carol had decided to have the baby without any anesthetic, but every time she has a contraction, she changes her mind (changing it back after the contraction, of course). The doctor convinces her that it is just as healthy for the baby to take drugs. JT, who was supposed to drive the kids, leaves the Foster kids at home. When the Fosters arrive, they begin fighting again with the Lamberts. Cody steps in and shows them how they have been happier when they have assisted one another. Lilly Foster Lambert is born!!

A Foster/Lambert Production

Step by Step is an American television sitcom with two single parents, who spontaneously get married after meeting one another during a vacation, resulting in them becoming the heads of a large blended family

Growing up is Hard to Do

Seasons7

Season 4 Episodes24

Cast9

Crew1

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Episode Summary