The BEST episodes of Step by Step

Every episode of Step by Step ever, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Step by Step!

Set in Port Washington, Wisconsin, Frank Lambert, a divorced contractor with 3 children, sons J.T. and Brendan and daughter Al, impulsively marries Carol Foster, a widowed beautician who also has 3 children, daughters Dana and Karen and son Mark. Both were residents of Port Washington, but met while vacationing separately in Jamaica. Their children are surprised and angered when they learn of the marriage. Stories depicted typical situations of a new blended family, their differences causing arguments and resentments between them, but the family eventually growing to tolerate and develop loyalty to one another

Last Updated: 11/12/2024Network: CBSStatus: Ended
Rules of the House
star
7.99
133 votes

#1 - Rules of the House

Season 1 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/4/1991

Noticing a certain lack of discipline about her new stepchildren, Carol sets about creating order by instituting a few rules -- which so infuriate Al that she threatens to go live with Grandmother in Milwaukee. The rule that really upsets Frank's kids is Carol's control of the television viewing time: everyone is allowed to watch no more than six hours of television per week. Everyone is given 12 tickets, and each is good for viewing one half hour of television. When Frank has run out of tickets but desperately wants to watch the World Series, he persuades Carol to lighten up a little.

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star
7.72
32 votes

#2 - We're in the Money

Season 7 - Episode 18 - Aired 6/19/1998

After traveling around the world for a year, Cody returns. He bought gifts for the family, including some magic necklace for J.T., that makes him attractive to woman. Unfortunately, J.T. can't accept the gift since he is dating Sam. He also gives Frank and Carol a huge check and they have a dispute on how to spend the money. Frank decides to buy himself a leather chair and Carol gets furious and they get into a big arguement.

Directors: Richard Correll
Writer: Brian Bird
Watch Now:Amazon
star
7.65
51 votes

#3 - Someone to Watch Over Me

Season 2 - Episode 8 - Aired 11/6/1992

Carol is going out of town, leaving Frank in charge. Dana is upset about that, but manages to convince Frank to let her go on a date with ""Mike the Mover"" who Frank knows happens to have a bad reputation. After finally letting them,he gets scared and decides to follow,with Cody in tow.He climbs a tree above Mike's car in and attempt to hear what they are saying.But the limb breaks and he literally drops in on them. Later, however, Mike proves to be what Frank thought as he puts the moves on Dana in the living room,and while Dana proves to be trustworthy. JT borrows Frank's truck to go to the mall, by agreeing to wash and wax it. Frank gives J.T. 15 bucks to buy some expensive wax. But JT buys some that costs a dollar and pays Brendan to do it, but the wax strips the paint. Just as Frank is restoring his car, JT brakes the window with a baseball.

Directors: Jeff Ganz
Watch Now:Amazon
star
7.57
58 votes

#4 - The New Car

Season 1 - Episode 12 - Aired 12/6/1991

Carol's old car has one wheel in the junkyard, and she and Frank determine that she needs a new car. Frank visits his old fishing buddy's car lot, but Carol turns out to be the better bargainer. J.T. ""borrows"" Carol's car for a date, and someone ""borrows"" it from him. Penny finds a mortician that really likes her. She brings him over to Frank and Carol's for a date but he seems to like to talk shop a little too much.

Directors: John Tracy
Writer: Julia Newton
Watch Now:Amazon
star
7.56
39 votes

#5 - Growing Up is Hard to Do

Season 4 - Episode 7 - Aired 11/4/1994

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

Directors: Richard Correll
Watch Now:Amazon
star
7.56
71 votes

#6 - Just for Kicks

Season 1 - Episode 8 - Aired 11/8/1991

Dana and Bernice want to go see their favorite folk singer at a local bar named Jake's. Carol gives her permission to go, but later finds out from Frank that Jake's has ""a two fight minimum."" Carol tries to tell Dana not to go, but Dana feels Frank is trying to control her life so she sneaks out anyway. Cody learns that Dana went to Jake's and rushes out to help her and gets there just in time. He beats up several punks and got some help from Frank who comes looking for her as well. Upon arriving back at home, Frank and Dana learn to appreciate one another through a revealing conversation on the troubles of a stepfather-stepdaughter relationship.

Directors: Larry Mintz
Watch Now:Amazon
star
7.54
59 votes

#7 - The Boys in the Band

Season 1 - Episode 17 - Aired 2/14/1992

JT gives Al's band a name and becomes their manager. He gets them a gig at a bowling alley that Frank just finished remodeling. The owner of the bowling alley is inflexible, though, and when the other four girls in the band catch the flu, JT has to recruit Karen and Dana. Because he can recruit noone else, JT and Cody end up singing with the band dressed as girls. During the first song, the audience discovers JT and Cody are men and Carol steps up to save the day. A mouse that ran from the beauty salon to the house is scaring everyone except Frank. Frank is unable to kill the mouse, however, because his family does not think he should kill an ""innocent"" creature.

Directors: Richard Correll
Writer: Joe Fisch
Watch Now:Amazon
star
7.54
37 votes

#8 - One Truck, Al Dente

Season 4 - Episode 16 - Aired 2/10/1995

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.

Directors: Howard Adler
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star
7.52
21 votes

#9 - The Kissing Game

Season 6 - Episode 23 - Aired 8/8/1997

JT, Al, and Dana are having problems finding some privacy, when JT comes up with the idea to use Carol's new salon as a place for privacy. He, also, sells the key to some friends for the same purpose. They all want the salon at once though, so they end up just having a party. Carol tries to set up Jean-Luc with Julie. Jean-Luc messes up the barbeque and their clothes. He even sets his pants on fire. When he changes into Frank's clothes, He and Frank have a talk and Jean-Luc realizes if he wants to find the perfect one (like Carol is for Frank), he has to try. Frank and Carol go to get some take out while Jean-Luc and Julie stay and get to know each other. The restaurant Frank and Carol go to, happens to be right next to the salon, where they find a big party.

Directors: Patrick Duffy
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Pilot
star
7.52
220 votes

#10 - Pilot

Season 1 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/20/1991

During their vacations in Jamaica, contractor Frank Lambert and widowed beautician Carol Foster get married. When they return to their hometown, Port Washington, Wisconsin, they need to slowly introduce their very different children. Their plan is to make the children think they are dating but Frank accidentally tells the truth (that they are married) and there is nothing to hide so eventually the Lamberts move to the Foster's house. Later, as a sign of ""step-maternal"" love, Carol believes Al is having a pain that is hurting her (something Frank never believed) and she takes her to the hospital; the pain results to be a appendix and they remove it.

Directors: Richard Correll
Watch Now:Amazon
star
7.51
39 votes

#11 - A Foster/Lambert Production

Season 4 - Episode 24 - Aired 5/19/1995

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!!

Directors: John Tracy
Watch Now:Amazon
star
7.49
61 votes

#12 - Country Club

Season 1 - Episode 19 - Aired 2/28/1992

A client of Carols' invites the family to spend a weekend at a Country Club. While Karen and Carol are extremely excited, Frank and Dana feel a country club is not for them. Cody gets a guided tour on a lawn chair of the country club; Al and Brendan make $60 playing pea in the cup with the rich kids; Karen finds four guys; Mark gives stock tips; Dana falls for the Country Club President's son; and Frank goes around fixing things. Because Dana is spending time with his son, the President recruits Frank to play on their scramble golf team. Dana becomes upset with Frank because he embarrasses her in front of her new beau. After frank leaves the President makes fun of his win for the team, Dana overhears and stands up for him. Dana and Frank grow to appreciate one another and are happy to find out that the President's snobbishness is not passed on to his son.

Directors: John Tracy
Watch Now:Amazon
star
7.49
57 votes

#13 - Drive, He Said

Season 1 - Episode 15 - Aired 1/17/1992

Dana passes her driving test with flying colors, but Frank flunks his.

Directors: Richard Correll
Writer: Joe Fisch
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star
7.49
45 votes

#14 - Prom Night

Season 3 - Episode 23 - Aired 5/20/1994

After a little bad luck, JT is deceitfully set up with a 13-year-old. Dana, on the other hand, was able to get a date with the just broken up, best looking guy in school. At the prom, however, Dana is dumped for his ex-girlfriend. Dana is heartbroken-- not only because she lost her date, but also because she must dance the spotlight dance (as Student Body President) all by herself. JT comes to console her and offers to dance with her. Although the two walk out insulting each other under their breath, they gain an appreciation for each other. Brendan belts a boy who cheated off his paper at school. Carol, feeling terrible, invites the boy and his family over. The situation is not reconciled when the boy's parents cheat at monopoly. In fact, after Carol hears them insult Frank and Brendan, Carol belts the boy's dad.

Directors: Patrick Duffy
Writer: Julia Newton
Watch Now:Amazon
star
7.45
29 votes

#15 - She's the One

Season 6 - Episode 6 - Aired 4/11/1997

J.T. finally meets the girl of his dreams in Sam, the tow truck driver. They have everything in common and after some urging from brothers and sisters he asks her out. They end up going to a packers game and from then on it's love. J.T. is initally confused about his feelings for Sam until he has a conversation with Jean Luc and it all becomes clear. He in love with Sam. Also Karen's big music break finally comes, when she is selected to appear in a video with one of Country Music's biggest (fictional) stars, Jimmy Ray Johnston. So Frank, Carol and Karen all travel to Chicago for the big shoot. But it turns out that Jimmy Ray only wants Karen to look good and not actually sing. So she quits.

Directors: Joel Zwick
Watch Now:Amazon
star
7.44
63 votes

#16 - Getting Organized

Season 1 - Episode 13 - Aired 12/13/1991

JT and Cody become engrossed with the idea of aliens while Dana and Karen make fun of them, but then try to make the boys look foolish by pretending to have a UFO fly over them. Cody and JT find out about their plan and turn the tables on them. Frank's office is extremely disheveled. Carol sees this and in an effort to help him and organizes his office. She even puts his records that were in shoe boxes into a computer before throwing them away. Just as Frank gets excited about the new system he will have, Carol loses the information that was in the computer. They end up having to go rooting through a dumpster to find the boxes. Just their luck as a dump truck comes by and picks them up for even messier results, Low and behold though, they do recover the missing boxes.

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star
7.44
41 votes

#17 - My Bodyguard

Season 3 - Episode 16 - Aired 2/4/1994

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).

Directors: Patrick Duffy
Watch Now:Amazon
star
7.43
53 votes

#18 - Virgin Territory

Season 2 - Episode 10 - Aired 11/20/1992

J.T and Cody score dates with two pretty sisters. After the date the sisters really want the boys to come home with them. Cody wanted to save his virginity till he found the "" Dudette of his dreams"". So J.T gets mad at him because Cody blew off his date making J.T's date mad too.

Directors: Judy Askins
Writer: Julia Newton
Watch Now:Amazon
star
7.43
35 votes

#19 - Beyond Therapy

Season 4 - Episode 8 - Aired 11/11/1994

Cody puts the entire family into counseling over the baby.

Directors: Richard Correll
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Frank & Son
star
7.42
84 votes

#20 - Frank & Son

Season 1 - Episode 5 - Aired 10/18/1991

JT agrees to go to work with Frank because he needs extra money, something ""Frank is more excited about then JT."" After failing miserably there, JT ends up helping Carol out as a shampoo boy, a job he only likes because he gets ""to touch girls without getting sent to the principal's office."" Meanwhile, Dana needs to build a good birdhouse or her entire GPA will drop and Al needs to write a book report on Tom Sawyer. They decide to switch assignments until Brendan points out that it is cheating. After the disappointment with JT and Brendan telling him that working for him would be a punishment, Frank is delighted to see Al's birdhouse. Frank and Al walk off talking construction.

Directors: Richard Correll
Watch Now:Amazon
star
7.41
51 votes

#21 - Back to Basics

Season 2 - Episode 11 - Aired 12/4/1992

Carol spent $84 on 8 videos and one lost under Brendan's bed. She calls a family meeting, and when no one agrees to give anything up, Carol takes everything away. The Foster kids blame Brendan so he tries to run away. He hides in Cody's van, and Cody tells Frank and Carol through pantomime. They find Brendan and tell him that he is more important than money.

Writer: Joe Fisch
Watch Now:Amazon
star
7.41
49 votes

#22 - The Paper Chase

Season 3 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/15/1993

JT and his friend Doug find out that they have a book report due on Monday. Mark tells them that he has read and written reports on at least 10 of the books on their list. JT and Doug get into Mark's computer, get the reports, and decide to sell the extra reports to the football team. Dana finds out and convinces Mark to change the reports into bogus reports. Consequently, Dana has to help JT write his real report. Slasher and his wife, Debbie, go on a trip and leave their baby son Harley with ""Uncle"" Cody. Carol ends up wanting to have another baby and seeing that Cody is a natural father.

Directors: Richard Correll
Watch Now:Amazon
star
7.40
47 votes

#23 - Trading Places

Season 3 - Episode 5 - Aired 10/22/1993

JT is struggling with Algebra and Frank will not let him cheat. Dana doesn't like not having power and having to walk places. JT and Dana agree that being a parent is easier, whereas Frank and Carol think being a teenager is a breeze. They agree to switch places and bet a month's allowance on what is easier. After 2 days, all four agree that both are difficult and become satisfied with what they are. Meanwhile, Cody discovers that Slasher got married by putting an ad in a hot rod magazine. He decides to do the same and gets a response with a personalized License plate.

Directors: Patrick Duffy
Watch Now:Amazon
star
7.39
28 votes

#24 - Crazy Love

Season 6 - Episode 1 - Aired 3/7/1997

Dana is told she must tutor another student.As she goes on about ""moron jock"" she will to tutor this time she discovers it's Rich;whom she loathes. But the first thing they learn is that opposites attract, and soon, to everyone's shock, sparks begin to fly. Meanwhile, Carol and Frank, eager to be alone and away from the ever-present Jean-Luc, escape for a much needed romantic weekend, but find an unwelcome surprise awaiting them,Jean Luc.It's his birthday and he ends spending it alone after Carol and Frank explain to him they need some time alone themselves.

Directors: Joel Zwick
Watch Now:Amazon
star
7.39
69 votes

#25 - Mixed Messages

Season 1 - Episode 10 - Aired 11/22/1991

Cody decides to impress Dana, so he gets a job as a corporate executive. He has to put prizes in the little quarter machine for kids. He puts the happiness of kids above profit, though, and ends up getting fired. The family decides that they need an answering machine to help retrieve messages. Karen gets a call from Bobby and misses a message that Frank's remodeling job is canceled because the building is being demolished. Frank is almost killed, and Karen is punished by a week of phone restriction, making the punishment fit the crime.

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