The BEST episodes of Grounded for Life
Every episode of Grounded for Life ever, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Grounded for Life!
Having started procreating at a young age, Claudia and Sean aren't sure they're ready for parenthood - even after having three kids. This series tells the story of kids - as well as the adults - growing up.
#1 - Who Are You?
Season 3 - Episode 8 - Aired 3/28/2003
Sean and Claudia are shocked to learn that Jimmy has been shoplifting and try to figure out his motivations for stealing. Elsewhere, Lily agonizes over what to wear for dinner with Dean's parents. Brad helps her find the perfect outfit, but Dean's parents turn out to be not so great. Meanwhile, Henry brings home his class's pet lizard.
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#2 - Baby, You Can't Drive My Car
Season 2 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/26/2001
After the family car goes missing one night, the Finnertys find themselves at an impasse: Sean is in mourning over the loss, while Claudia hopes to gain from a slightly inflated insurance claim. But when the battered remains of the car are towed to the house a few days later, it becomes clear that Lily has been covering her tracks about an ill-fated joyride -- and the reason why her parents have to buy the missing parts from Eddie's maniacal mechanic.
#3 - Don't Let Me Download
Season 2 - Episode 3 - Aired 11/21/2001
Claudia is shocked to find some racy pictures downloaded on Jimmy's computer, and insists that she and Sean confront him about it, but Sean wants to ignore the situation. Later, Sean confesses to Walt that he downloaded the pictures, and its not long before Claudia discovers that Sean is the guilty culprit. Meanwhile, Lily gives Jimmy a picture of Sister Helen which they doctor and use as an e-mail joke. But when the e-mail is sent to Sister Helen, things aren't so funny anymore.
#4 - Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?
Season 5 - Episode 9 - Aired 11/19/2004
Depressed that she doesn't feel sexy while pregnant, Claudia gets a boost when her cute study buddy, Steve, flirts with her. But her bubble is burst when she finds out that Sean paid him to do it. Meanwhile, Lily helps Eddie write material for his stand-up routine, but it backfires when another comic steals Eddie's jokes. Brad gets a reluctant Jimmy into Sciencenauts and his attitude changes when he finds out that the ""secret"" of every meeting involves porn.
#5 - Rubber Sold
Season 2 - Episode 4 - Aired 11/28/2001
Sean freaks out over Lily's attending a bash at Brad's after he spots the nerdy neighbor stocking up on certain sexy party supplies.
#6 - Dream On
Season 2 - Episode 2 - Aired 10/3/2001
Claudia's dream about Eddie has Sean out to relight his wife's fire, until he goes down in flames during an impromptu visit to her work. Meanwhile, Lily bombs out with a new boy after guzzling Jimmy's spiked cider. (TV Guide)
#7 - Pressure Drop
Season 4 - Episode 26 - Aired 4/23/2004
Claudia tries to alleviate Sean's hypertension and high blood pressure by running the household all by herself but everything goes awry. Jimmy gets suspended from school, which causes a set of problems all its own, and Lily and Brad break her bed so they steal the family car... and get it impounded.
#8 - Devil's Haircut
Season 1 - Episode 8 - Aired 3/28/2001
Sean (Donal Logue) tries to disguise the fact that he cut Henry's (Jake Burbage) hair himself instead of taking him to a barber shop.
#9 - Smoke on the Daughter
Season 2 - Episode 6 - Aired 12/12/2001
During a stressful day at work, Claudia takes a puff of a co-worker's cigarette which quickly turns into an entire cigarette and then a daily habit. Desperate to keep her smoking habit from Sean and the kids, Claudia tries her best to smoke without being found out, but is busted by Lily. Lily makes a deal with her - she won't say anything if Claudia will get her a cell phone and Claudia agrees. Sean thinks that Claudia's bizarre behavior lately has something to do with him, prompting him to buy her the expensive armoire Claudia was admiring recently at the flea market. When her quest for a cigarette leads to her digging through the trash and landing outside Brad O'Keefe's window, she realizes she has hit a new low and swears off her habit. Meanwhile, after setting a date with Dean on her new cell phone, Lily is humiliated to find out Dean heard her gushing about him when the phone didn't turn off.
#10 - Mustang Lily
Season 3 - Episode 2 - Aired 9/24/2002
Sean blows his shot at snagging a loan from Claudia's dad (Stephen Root) after losing the car he gave Lily for her birthday in a street race. Meanwhile, Henry and Jimmy put the squeeze on their grandfather for some hefty Tooth Fairy funds.
#11 - Drive Me Crazy
Season 3 - Episode 4 - Aired 2/28/2003
For the second time, Lily has failed her behind-the-wheel exam. But this time it's not her fault, it's Sean's, who went out of her way to sabotage her driving test by teaching her rediculous driving tips, such as the all-important ""W-turn."" In other events, Claudia is having a devil of a time keeping Henry and Jimmy from playing a violent video game condemned by Sister Helen -- but she winds up addicted to it herself.
#12 - Henry's Been Working for the Drug Squad
Season 3 - Episode 6 - Aired 3/7/2003
From TV Guide: Following his school's drug-awareness day, Henry thinks his family is on drugs and stages an intervention for Sean after he finds a suspicious plant growing in the yard.
#14 - Just Like a Woman
Season 3 - Episode 5 - Aired 2/28/2003
The boys mock Sean when he can't get the lugnuts off of the car, leaving him to have his wife attract a trucker's attention to change the flat tire while he sits in drag in the backseat. Elsewhere, Eddie holds a garage sale at Sean's house where he sells off hot merchandise and his brother's possessions, and he welcomes the kids to partake in the sale. But Lily is mortified when Brad buys her old bra from Eddie, then boasts to the school that he and Lily have slept together.
#15 - Swearin' to God
Season 2 - Episode 18 - Aired 4/10/2002
Sean exploits a nun's foulmouthed slip of the tongue to get Claudia and the kids everything they've ever wanted from St. Finnian's.
#16 - Jimmy's Got a Gun
Season 1 - Episode 11 - Aired 4/25/2001
Walt gives Jimmy a BB gun for his birthday, prompting an all-out war between him and Sean, which ends up with Walt in the hospital, shot in the rump.
#17 - Hello, Goodbye
Season 5 - Episode 13 - Aired 1/28/2005
In the series finale, Claudia and Sean miss Lily's graduation (thus spoiling Lily's senior-prank plan) when Claudia goes into labor. Meanwhile, the Finnerty boys learn that Walt has a girlfriend... his cleaning lady!
#18 - Crazy
Season 5 - Episode 12 - Aired 1/21/2005
Eddie's ex, Amy, displays naked photos of him in an art gallery, but he's too afraid to ask her to remove them... because she's crazy! Meanwhile, Sean is having problems trying to sell the Red Boot; Claudia has a baby shower; and Jimmy fills in on the cheerleading squad to get close to the girls.
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#19 - It's Hard to be a Saint in the City
Season 4 - Episode 22 - Aired 3/5/2004
This one might be better: Sean is having trouble keeping the bar alive and Claudia asks him to reconsider running it. With St. Patrick's Day around the corner Eddie tries to lure customers over from rival pubs. Meanwhile, Brad and Lily prepare for the parade and Jimmy is having trouble understanding the meaning of St. Patrick's day.
#20 - Eddie's Dead
Season 1 - Episode 9 - Aired 4/4/2001
Sean (Donal Logue) tries to keep Eddie (Kevin Corrigan) from hitting on a woman (guest star Julie Claire) Claudia (Megyn Price) is consoling after a break-up.
#21 - Take It to the Limit
Season 2 - Episode 13 - Aired 2/13/2002
Lily's compulsive credit-card usage sinks Sean's plans to take Jimmy and his friends to a pricey waterpark; Eddie refuses to open up to his family about the contents of his mysterious locked box. (TV Guide)
#22 - The Kids Are Alright
Season 2 - Episode 17 - Aired 4/3/2002
When Sean and Claudia win a free weekend in Atlantic City, Eddie offers to look after the boys while they are away. At first suspicious of his offer, they succumb because they desperately want the time away. But when they return from their trip to find Jimmy and Henry locked in the basement, they are shocked to find out that it was Lily and not Eddie who put them there. As Lily tries to explain what happened at home over the weekend, it becomes clear to Sean and Claudia that, surprisingly, Eddie was not such a bad choice to take care of the kids after all, even if he really did have an ulterior motive.
#23 - The Letters
Season 5 - Episode 11 - Aired 1/14/2005
Sean becomes infuriated after receiving letters from the Home Owner's Association telling him to clean up his house, while Claudia is happy about the positive changes to the neighborhood. Meanwhile, Lily insists that Brad buys her an anniversary gift from a list that she's made... but he defies her wishes and gets her a sexy nighty... that he can't enjoy because he's busy picturing Sister Helen, who he ran into at the lingerie store. And Jimmy shocks the family by making an unusual lifestyle choice -- he announces that he's a vegetarian.
#24 - We Are Family
Season 2 - Episode 10 - Aired 1/23/2002
A favor for Claudia's well-connected Uncle Sal (Vincent Pastore) goes awry, leading Sean to fear that the guy may be a goodfella. Meanwhile, Brad is more than willing to share a shower with Lily after a plumbing problem leaves the Finnertys all wet.
#25 - Loser
Season 1 - Episode 13 - Aired 5/9/2001
Sean volunteers to referee Henry's soccer team and ends up making an unethical decision in the team's favor. Which in hindsight wasn't a great idea, when Henry gets an inflated ego. So Sean tries to make things right the following week by making an unethical decision in the opposing team's favor. . . Meanwhile, Lily flirts with the cute guy at the concession stand and the conversation leaves her walking on air. But when she starts to obsess over the introduction, she replays the scene over and over in her head, each time thinking that she made a bigger and bigger fool of herself.