The BEST episodes of Charles in Charge season 2
Every episode of Charles in Charge season 2, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Charles in Charge season 2!
Charles, a college student, moves in with the Powell family as the housekeeper, baby-sitter, and friend to the children. Along with his best friend, Buddy, Charles attempts to manage his life, especially college and girls, as well as tend to the family.
#1 - The Case of the Mock-Turtle Mystery
Season 2 - Episode 19 - Aired 5/9/1987
There's an apparent catastrophe in the Powell household and it seems that it's not going to be an easy one to solve. Sarah is the proud parent of Ross, a pet turtle, who until recently, has lived in relative safety in the Powell back yard. But when Sarah goes away on a nature field trip she leaves Adam in charge of Ross. Upon her return, Ross is gone! Sarah assumes the worst, and accuses Adam of turtlecide. Well Adam swears he is innocent and that Ross was alive and well a few hours ago, but no one will believe him. Adam knows he is innocent until proven guilty, and requests a trial with Charles as his attorney. The only problem is Charles is supposed to be leaving with Buddy for Ft. Lauderdale. The ever-loyal Charles, unable to disappoint anyone, decides to postpone his departure and help the hapless Adam. The trial proceeds, with some surprises about the real culprit, and the real fate of Ross the turtle, and in the end
#2 - Twice Upon a Time (2)
Season 2 - Episode 21 - Aired 5/23/1987
In the second of a two part series, Gwendolyn Pierce (Jennifer Runyon) tells Charles she will consider his proposal. A day later she accepts. However, when Charles suggests they announce their engagement, she hesitates, offering lame excuses. As Gwendolyn continues to delay, Charles realizes that she accepted his proposal to escape from parental pressures, and he advises her to return to California and work out her problems.
#3 - Isn't That What's Her Face?
Season 2 - Episode 14 - Aired 4/4/1987
A famous young movie star, Darby Peterson (Dawn Merrick) shows up on Charles' doorstep disguised as "Dorothy," a new Copeland College student looking for some orientation advice. She finally reveals who she is to the delighted Charles and asks for his help in keeping her secret so she can go to college in privacy. When Buddy accidentally discovers her identity and is also asked to keep the secret, the stage is set for some male competition. In the meantime, Walter, takes the kids fishing, but not before he catches Charles in the living room in the middle of the night with Darby - then Dorothy. By explaining any of it - and it looks bad - Charles will be breaking his promise. It doesn't help that he discovers the sweet nothings Darby has been telling Buddy sound very familiar.
#4 - Buddy Comes to Dinner
Season 2 - Episode 7 - Aired 2/14/1987
As if things weren't difficult enough for Charles with the Powell family needing all the tender loving care he can muster, he's not ready for an extended visit from his pal Buddy. In this episode Buddy comes for dinner, wrenches his ankles, and has to stay in Charles' room for a few days. With almost anyone else that would be a minor imposition, but with Buddy it's a major emergency. What really aggravates the situation is that Charles is about to have a date with Lauren Andrews (Maylo McCaslin in), a girl who could easily become that "someone special" in Charles" life. To make matters even worse Lauren can't stand Buddy. And there's Buddy, getting in the way, when Charles would rather be alone. But there's a catch - Lauren is starring in the school play with Buddy and she confides to Charles that she hopes Buddy stays sick forever so he will be replaced. This is tough for Charles, because after all Lauren is beautiful, but the play means the world to Buddy.
#5 - A Job from Heck
Season 2 - Episode 22 - Aired 5/30/1987
Ever have one of those days when you can't win for losing? Well Charles is having one of those days and it's turning into a week. First he suggests that Jamie be allowed to get a job so she can support her taste in expensive clothes, but Mrs. Powell isn't very happy with her choice, and neither is Charles. Jamie has selected waitressing at Sid's Pizza Parlor as her initiation into the working world and Charles has to play big-brother chaperon even while trying to make time with a new girlfriend in his favorite hangout. As if that weren't enough, Lillian, Charles' mom, is still in town, and doesn't seem anxious to go home. With that kind of pressure Charles has to wonder who's really running things, especially when he's hit by a whopping surprise that leaves him (and us) wondering how it will change his life...and what he'll do about it.
#6 - Dating
Season 2 - Episode 11 - Aired 3/14/1987
What do you do when you want to go out, but you can't, because someone else is going out on a date that you aren't supposed to talk about, and if you do, then your own date, which really isn't a date, will be upset? Confused? So is Charles because he is supposed to take Ellen Powell to a play as a favor to her, but if he does no one will be home to take care of the kids. Normally Grandpa Powell would be home to watch the kids, but he also has a date, only he ain't telling. Meanwhile 13-year old Sarah wants to go to a movie with her favorite boy-classmate, but her mom won't let her date until she's 14. But it isn't a date, Sarah says, it's just a movie. Neither is Walter's date a date, nor Charles', or maybe in fact, anybody's. In the Powell family, dating is so out, it's in. Charles is resourceful, though, so he resorts to reverse psychology, as practiced by Buddy.
#7 - Pizza Parlor Protest
Season 2 - Episode 9 - Aired 2/28/1987
Sid's Pizza Parlor, that wondrous emporium that provides Charles a nourishing home away from home, in "Charles in Charge," is under attack. It seems the college owns the land the hangout stands on, and they are reclaiming it for a parking lot. This means Charles' favorite meeting place for dates and other occasions is about to be banished, forever. Charles turns to his adoptive family, the Powells, for assistance. Jamie is studying amateur psychiatry and Sarah is studying amateur journalism for a school project, so they feel there is deeper meaning, and a lot of unrevealed facts to this whole dilemma. Buddy thinks it's a plot, but he's not sure whose. Walter Powell thinks they all ought to improve their diet by eating on board ship. . . any ship. So in true motherly fashion, Ellen Powell gets out the placards and begins writing protest legends on them.
#8 - A Fox in the Henhouse
Season 2 - Episode 8 - Aired 2/21/1987
The latest challenge to Charles' vivid imagination is a visit by an old shipmate of the absent Commander Powell. Since the good Commander is far away, serving in the Western Pacific for another six months, Lieutenant Matty Whiteford (Stephen Parr) comes to keep Ellen Powell and the kids company for a weekend. Unfortunately, company isn't all he tries to keep, and Charles doesn't like it. Charles confides to Walter (James Callahan), who being an old sea dog doesn't understand Charles' suspicions since a Naval officer is always honorable, etc. But when Charles and Walter are hospitalized overnight with a case of food poisoning brought on by tasting contaminated clams, Matty moves in. His campaign to capture Ellen Powell's affection is first subtlety slowed by the three kids and then abruptly terminated by Ellen's own left hook.
#9 - Amityville
Season 2 - Episode 1 - Aired 1/3/1987
In the pilot episode of the new "Charles In Charge," Charles returns from a two week camping trip with his friend Buddy, to discover a whole new household waiting for him. The Pembroke's are moving to Seattle, and the Powells are subletting the house. The mother, Jill Pembroke (Lisa Donovan) is sad to leave, but has recommended Charles to Ellen Powell and the Powell family, which includes youngsters Jamie, Sarah and Adam. If he wants, Charles can move right back into his old room and help with the Powell family just like he used to help with the Pembroke's. However, his friend Buddy has other ideas. Buddy's not enthralled with Charles' domesticity and tries to persuade Charles to move into an off campus apartment with him. At first Charles agrees and they go off, but in the end, he decides helping a nice family is preferable to the career bachelor life - at least for now.
#10 - Music, Music, Mayhem
Season 2 - Episode 12 - Aired 3/21/1987
There's mayhem in the Powell household and it's put some friendships on the rocks. It seems that Charles is mad at Buddy because Buddy sold him a cassette player which doesn't work and to make matters worse, that same cassette player ate Walter Powell's new tape. So Charles is mad at Buddy, Walter is mad at Charles and Charles wants his money back. Now Buddy is mad at Charles because a real friend wouldn't ask for his money back and besides Buddy already spent it. So Buddy and Charles aren't speaking and neither are Jamie and Sarah because the sisters are having a little disagreement of their own. But no one can stay mad at each other for too long in the Powell family, and in the end everyone is happy, as always, when Charles is in Charge!
#11 - Mama Mia!
Season 2 - Episode 16 - Aired 4/18/1987
Just when things are going real smoothly for Charles, his mother, Lillian comes to town for a brief - or maybe not so brief - visit. That's good, and it's not so good. Every son loves to see his mother, and Charles is no exception, except Charles' mom won't let him grow up. He's a dutiful son and appreciates her loving intervention, especially when she offers to baby-sit the Powell kids so he can go to a party. But the sparks fly when Charles gets home and Walter Powell is beside himself because he saw his three grandchildren coming out of a violence-ridden film he had strictly forbidden them to see. Charles knows it's his mom who's guilty, but since she was standing in for him, he takes the blame. Needless to say, there are some hard feelings between Charles and his mom, Lillian, Lillian and Walter, and Walter and Charles, but in the end everything gets worked out, and Charles, (or is it his mom,) is back in charge.
#12 - Lillian Putts a Round
Season 2 - Episode 24 - Aired 6/13/1987
Charles' widowed mother Lillian comes into town for a five-day visit, complete with motherly advice and using her favorite nickname for her son, "doodlebug." Charles is afraid that his responsible position in the household will be undermined by his mother's attention to him, which he thinks is caused by her dependence on him. He encourages her to develop an outside interest. What he doesn't count on is what develops when she takes him up on it and ends up with an attractive man she met at the golf club. Charles can't stop sneezing (a childhood symptom of anxiety) and takes to bed, too sick to eat, while his mother goes out and has a wonderful time. Buddy keeps popping in and out performing new jobs he is forced to get to replace the allowance he lost when his grades dropped. He gets into more trouble than it is worth and he decides the bringing up his grades instead might be easier.
#13 - Buddy in Charge
Season 2 - Episode 13 - Aired 3/28/1987
Charles has to visit in town when his folks arrive for the weekend, so Buddy is placed in charge of the Powell kids. Charles convinces Ellen Powell that it's okay but Grandpa Powell has some serious misgivings, and maybe rightly so. You see Buddy has some ulterior motives in trying to fill Charles' shoes. He's out to impress a current girlfriend, Debbie (Susan Ursitti), with his childbearing abilities. It results in cataclysmic confrontations between Buddy and the three Powell youngsters, in fact it gets so bad that Adam runs away. But in the end, things go well, Charles returns and the three Powell children, especially Adam, find out Buddy is a pretty terrific guy after all on "Charles In Charge."
#14 - The Naked Truth
Season 2 - Episode 2 - Aired 1/10/1987
Charles meets a new girl, Rebecca Stansbury (Signy Coleman), on campus who happens to be an art student. Never one to stint where romance is concerned, Charles learns about her favorite artist, even buys a print of one of his works. Then he really goes the distance and enrolls in her art class. But lo and behold, Rebecca does more than study art; she poses nude for the class. Charles is stunned, and so is little Adam who happened to go along with Charles to the class for the "cultural advantages." Now there's trouble with Ellen Powell , over Adam's early exposure to nudity, as well as trouble from Rebecca who thinks Charles was only out to ogle her fair white body. Buddy tries to help, trouble is, he isn't quite sure what the problem is. After all, this girl has a body that's a work of art itself. Will culture triumph? Indubitably, with "Charles in Charge".
#15 - The Egg and Us
Season 2 - Episode 4 - Aired 1/24/1987
Jamie and Sarah Powell have a school-project that involves raising eggs as children. Real eggs, not so real children. It's suppose to teach the girls about responsibility. The girls get involved in the concept and it brings the attention of the whole family to child rearing. Even Charles tries to help, after all, he is a professional in this field, watching the Powell kids for his room and board. Meanwhile, Walter Powell is taking out a long lost sweetheart, Gloria (Betsy Palmer). When Buddy meets Gloria, he is less then thrilled, because she turns out to be his grandmother. All's well that ends well. And in the meantime, the kids learn more about families and friends, than their eggs, and Buddy learns tolerance - sort of. But as usual, everything is scrambled, eggs and people. That's what happens on "Charles in Charge."
#16 - Her Brother's Keeper
Season 2 - Episode 25 - Aired 6/20/1987
There are two very lovely ladies Charles and Buddy would like to date if they can find the time between studying for their physics final and taking care of the Powell household. When Stephanie (Cheryl Arutt) and Joyce (Michelle Johnson) come over for a "pre-date," Joyce suggests the boys get together with her brother Duane (David Knell) who loves to help people out with physics but who is a little backward in the social department. A trade is worked out: Duane will help them with physics if Charles and Buddy help Duane "loosen up." The fact that gorgeous Joyce will be eternally grateful if the boys can pull her brother out of his shel doesn't hurt their enthusiasm for the deal. The physics part proves to be easier than the social part, however, especially when Duane thinks honing in on the two couples is part of his education. Things start to look up when Duane calls from jail.
#17 - U.F. OH, NO!
Season 2 - Episode 18 - Aired 5/2/1987
Adam thinks he's seen a UFO outside his window and his sisters are convinced they've seen an alien in the kitchen. Walter will have none of it and directs Charles to rid the children of such superstitious nonsense (which he says comes from "fuzzy thinking"), but when Charles sees a UFO too, he doesn't know what to believe. Then Walter sees one and becomes an instant convert, calling the local news crew to come out for an interview. In the meantime, Charles is so distraught that he even asks Buddy for advice. He accidentally finds out that the topic of Buddy's psychology term paper required the simulation of a UFO experience in a typical American household. Though Charles is angry, he is grateful that one mystery is solved. Later the kids find a guinea pig in the dryer - their "alien" - and another mystery is solved. There is one left...
#18 - A Date from Heck
Season 2 - Episode 15 - Aired 4/11/1987
Count on Charles to date a girl who comes equipped with lovely eyes,a gorgeous body, and a set of huge parents, that accompany her on dates. Actually the beauteous Anna Grundov (Diane Franklin) is the thing dreams are made from - especially Charles' dreams. All he has to do is find a way to invite her to the Powell house and have the Powells invited elsewhere, all at the same time. Does it work? You know Charles. Buddy takes the family out to a concert, while Charles gets all set for a cuddly date with Anna. But when she arrives, Charles discovers that Mama Grundov and Poppa Grundov go along on Anna's dates and so does her hulking brother. They are from the Old Country, you see. If that's not bad enough, add a sudden thunderstorm so the Powells are rained out of their concert, and now we have, you guessed it - a large and unhappy crowd in the Powell home. But never fear, Charles will handle it.
#19 - Twice Upon a Time (1)
Season 2 - Episode 20 - Aired 5/16/1987
Charles' first love returns
#20 - Feud for Thought
Season 2 - Episode 3 - Aired 1/17/1987
This episode of "Charles In Charge" features Charles as a fireman, putting out fires all over the Powell household. Luckily Charles is studying for his philosophy exam, because the show provides several practical tests for Charles' own philosophy, and happily he doesn't do badly on them at all. First of all, Adam is in the middle of a pre-teen imbroglio with his erstwhile best friend who is now his worst enemy. In trying to smooth those troubled waters, Charles ends up being challenged by the youngster's giant brother, Herman (Mark Venturini), who's ready to tear Charles apart. Then there's Sarah, who needs some help because she's learning to like herself a little better, and that's not easy for a thirteen year old. And finally there's Buddy, who's got a simple philosophy about everything. He's trying to get Charles to go out with one of the ultra Del Fluvio twins, Gina (Lisa Aliff), so he can go out with the other. How do
#21 - The Loan Arranger
Season 2 - Episode 5 - Aired 1/31/1987
In the latest edition of "Charles In Charge," Charles is not in charge. In fact he is totally not in charge! it is a normal fact of collegiate life that boys who are studying important things for their future, often end up studying less important things for their future, namely girls! And sometimes when those studies take precedence over the other things they should be studying, they get into trouble. In other words, Charles has been goofing off, his grades have dropped, and poof, there goes his student loan. What to do? Well, there are the necessary confrontations with Mr. Willard, the loan officer at the bank, played hilariously by well-known political columnist Ben Stein, making his first TV appearance. First Mr. Willard turns down Charles, then he turns down Ellen Powell who's trying to help by taking a loan for Charles. Meanwhile Jamie is making a home movie of the Pilgrims' first Thanksgiving, for a class project, with Buddy as the director.
#22 - The Undergraduate
Season 2 - Episode 26 - Aired 6/27/1987
Ellen's attractive, married cousin Joan Robinson (Kay Lenz) comes to visit and puts the whammy on Charles. She is very direct about what she wants and she wants Charles. Unfortunately, Walter finds them together in the living room in the middle of the night and comes down hard on Charles. It makes it difficult when Mrs. Robinson won't take "no" for an answer and puts Charles' job in jeopardy. While Charles is trying to work out the limits of an "off-limits" relationship, Buddy achieves hero status when he saves Paula Thackery (Julianne McNamara) from a crazed water gunner. Along with hero status, however, comes hero worship, which he isn't ready for from the young high schooner. So while Charles has a problem with an older woman, Buddy has trouble with a younger one. Buddy is more than willing to trade.
#23 - American Teen
Season 2 - Episode 6 - Aired 2/7/1987
In this episode of "Charles In Charge," Charles is in love, but that's nothing new. What is new is that the self-assured Charles is nervous about calling this wonderful young lady named Louise (Nikolette Scorsese) and asking her out. The problem is that she's a French foreign exchange student, she's refined, classy and why would she ever want to go out with the likes of Charles? Buddy's advice for Charles is to be positive about himself, but Charles is still reluctant to call this lovely lady. Meanwhile Charles is telling Sarah to stand up and have confidence in herself, the same lesson he should be heeding himself! Sarah has written a beautiful essay for American Teen Magazine's huge national contest and she's embarrassed to submit it. But lo and behold, someone submits it for her, and she ends up in the finals! When Charles finally realizes he is preaching to Sarah what he is not practicing himself, he calls Louise.
#24 - Trade Off
Season 2 - Episode 10 - Aired 3/7/1987
What happens when everyone in the Powell family wants something they-don't have, but someone else does? Why it's simple, trade it! Charles has just done a term paper on bartering and applies the principals of the age old subject to a burgeoning family crisis. You see Jamie wants Sarah's video camera, and Adam wants his term paper typed, and Grandpa Powell wants his car washed, and Mrs. Powell needs Charles for an extra night of baby-sitting, and . . . you get the idea. Before they're through, the family's in an uproar trading services, but a funny one, as always, when it's Charles in Charge!
#25 - Weekend Weary
Season 2 - Episode 17 - Aired 4/25/1987
When Mrs. Powell decides Charles needs a weekend off, she implements her decision with a firm edict that Charles will relax and not help with the family's huge yard sale. Charles protests, but she is adamant. But when it rains on Saturday, the sale is changed to Sunday, a day when Mr. Powell and his daughter-in-law have to attend another function. So Jamie, not used to being a leader, is given a chance to show some responsibility, and is left in charge. Buddy helps her, Sarah helps her, and Adam helps her, but the weather doesn't and rain forces the mini-merchandise mart into the living room. Charles is supposed to be resting, but who do you suppose comes to Jamie' s rescue when she inadvertently sells some priceless momentous of her grandfather's and has to get them back before he returns home? Naturally, it's Charles who takes charge!