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
#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.
#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.
#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.
#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.
#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
#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.
#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.
#8 - 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.
#9 - 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.
#10 - 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.
#11 - 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.
#12 - Drive, He Said
Season 1 - Episode 15 - Aired 1/17/1992
Dana passes her driving test with flying colors, but Frank flunks his.
#13 - 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.
#14 - 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.
#15 - 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.
#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.
#17 - Beyond Therapy
Season 4 - Episode 8 - Aired 11/11/1994
Cody puts the entire family into counseling over the baby.
#18 - 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).
#19 - 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.
#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.
#21 - 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.
#22 - 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.
#23 - 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.
#24 - And Justice for Some
Season 7 - Episode 16 - Aired 6/5/1998
Frank acquires two tickets to the Bucks-Bulls game. He invites JT to go with him. They really enjoy the first half, but then a guy with a huge ""Yosimite Sam"" hat sits down right in front of JT. Frank agrees to switch seats with JT. Immediately following the switch, the seat JT is now is drawn and JT wins a brand new truck. Frank and JT spend two days arguing over who should get the truck. Finally, Carol arranges for them to meet a friend of hers who is a judge. Just before the judge rules Carol makes a speech on how their friendship should take precedence. They decide she is right and decide to sell the truck and split the profits. Karen and Al have no interest in Dana's self protection class-- until they see the instructor, that is. Upon seeing him, both girls attempt to win his heart, argue over him, and threaten each other's lives. A week after the class is over, both girls call 911 to have the instructor refresh their memory on a self-defense tip.
#25 - Home Alone
Season 1 - Episode 14 - Aired 1/3/1992
Frank and Carol go off for a romantic weekend getaway, leaving Dana in charge with one rule-- no parties. The ""lover's retreat"" turns out to be less than desirable, yet Frank and Carol decide to try to make it work anyway. That is until Frank's back goes out. Meanwhile, Dana decides to have a study group with 2 friends, and to be fair she allows everyone else 2 friends as well. Al and JT's friends ignore the rule, Karen invites her 4 finalists, and then a party breaks out. JT ends up getting stuck in the chimney just before Frank and Carol return.