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 - 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.
#2 - 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.
#3 - 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.
#4 - The Half Monty
Season 7 - Episode 15 - Aired 2/27/1998
When Rich and J.T. need money for a ski trip, they enter a male-stripper contest rather than admit that they are penniless. Meanwhile, while speaking about their successful marriage to young couples at their church, Carol and Frank get into a fight.
#5 - Your Cheatin' Heart
Season 7 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/3/1997
Rich begins making stupid excuses for skipping out on Dana. Karen and Al convince Dana that he is cheating on her after they follow him to some girl's house. The three of them see Rich dancing with another woman. Dana barges in, but realizes that he is taking dance lessons to impress her. Frank and Carol are having trouble with distractions in their love life. Finally, they are able to get together for a distraction-free evening but are too sick to make it enjoyable.
#6 - How the West Was Won
Season 6 - Episode 10 - Aired 5/9/1997
Frank's disappointment over the kids not cleaning up the house leads him to dream he's in the wild west, circa 1880. Here, it's up to the inebriated Sheriff Frank to clean up an rid the town of the vile, French gunslinger, Black Bart (aka Jean-Luc), who has a mind for trouble and his eyes on the sheriff's girl -- the lovely Miss Kitty (aka Carol).
#7 - Locket Man
Season 6 - Episode 9 - Aired 5/2/1997
A clueless Rich gives Dana a piece of recycled jewelry for her birthday, but finds the party's over when the gift turns out be a locket -- with a picture of him and his ex-flame inside. Meanwhile, Carol and the kids must endure the rite of passage that all men face when Frank goes through a mid-life crisis.
#8 - Road Trip
Season 6 - Episode 2 - Aired 3/14/1997
JT and Rich convince Frank that they're mature enough to drive down to Mexico. After traveling almost the whole way they finally discover that Dana has stode away in the back seat. After reaching the border town of Tejada, they end up in jail, when Rich gives all his money to Dana and they can't pay for the burritos they just ate. Dana's mouthing off to the officer over what she sees as him trying to take advantage of her, only makes things worse. In the meantime, Carol has a bright idea. Frank should teach Jean-Luc how to drive. But for once he refuses and Carol takes her life in her own hands when she attempts to teach Jean-Luc herself.
#9 - Do the Right Thing
Season 5 - Episode 19 - Aired 3/8/1996
JT has a huge test coming up in one of his classes, and his friend is able to get a copy of the test. JT decides not to cheat on the test, but rather to study for it. JT ends up getting a B on the test, and when he and his friend get their books mixed up, Frank sees the cheat sheet and tells JT he is both disappointed and he will no longer pay for JT's schooling. Later, Frank overhears JT's friend returning for the book and he apologizes and they make up. Al gets an idea to get a tattoo. Even though she is told she can't she finds a way to get to the shop. Dana, however, saw her heading out and was able to tell Carol, who was able to arrive just before Al went in. Carol tried to tell Al several things, but was not able to convince her not to go through with it until she told and SHOWED her the ill effects of one.
#10 - Snow Bunnies
Season 5 - Episode 15 - Aired 2/2/1996
Al's boyfriend, Matt, Al, and some other friends plan a ski trip, But Frank refuses to let Al go. So Stephanie ""Love Boat"", takes her place and after talking to JT,Al gets worried. JT and Al go up to check on Matt and the ""Love Boat,"" but Matt proves he only cares for Al. Cody has a gnarly case of the hiccups. He tries to scare himself, be hypnotized by Mark, and drink five gallons of water, but the only true remedy is time. In the meantime, Carol reads a horror book, despite Frank's encouragement to read Garfield. Finally, the nightmares are so bad, she needs ""Garfield"" to help her.
#11 - The Fight Before Christmas
Season 5 - Episode 11 - Aired 12/15/1995
Franks old friend Mitch Crawford is coming to town Carol and Frank set up a date for Al with Mitch's son,Matt. Both Matt and Al come in with a bad attitude, but they soon discover they have a lot more in common than they think and start having fun.There having so much fun they end making out in the driveway as the car is being covered in snow. When Frank discovers them, he kicks Matt and his family out of their house. Al goes with them because she thinks her father is being unreasonable. Frank has to go to the all-you-can-eat-turkey for to apologize and invite them back. Cody blows up his van by running Christmas lights from the main generator. Because ""The Night before Christmas"" was in his van, Cody was required to tell Lilly an impromptu version. JT has a job selling Christmas trees. Cody cannot make it because he was injured in the van accident; therefore, his friend, George, spends his free time with JT. George teaches JT that more important than money is the joy of a kid's
#12 - Midnight Caller
Season 5 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/20/1995
Dana and J.T. get overly involved when they answer a call for a telephone counseling service.
#13 - Party Animal
Season 5 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/13/1995
Dana goes wild when she moves into her own place to live. J.T. and Mark think their new neighbor is a criminal.
#14 - Head of the Class
Season 4 - Episode 17 - Aired 2/17/1995
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.
#15 - Back to School
Season 4 - Episode 18 - Aired 3/3/1995
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.
#16 - 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.
#17 - 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.
#18 - 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.
#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 - Hog Wild
Season 3 - Episode 7 - Aired 11/5/1993
JT discovers that although Cody is the best motorcycle repairman in town, he charges everyone $9. JT convinces him to start his own business with a bigger shop. Cody has trouble getting a loan until Slasher ""convinces"" the banker by threatening to move his multi-million dollar account elsewhere. Cody, however, does not like the new business because he does not get to work on the bikes himself. Frank and Carol are celebrating an anniversary and again are fighting over presents. This time they agree to buy a present, but to limit it to $25. Both exceed the limit and end up struggling to buy a more expensive present than the other one. Brendan makes them an anniversary card, because he did not have the money to buy one. This ends the struggle.
#21 - Christmas Story
Season 3 - Episode 11 - Aired 12/10/1993
After Carol presents an idea of exchanging fewer gifts, Frank announces he gets a 20% discount at Hartman's Toy Store because of his remodeling work there. Both believe one has picked up Brendan's train set and therefore, neither does. When they realize this on Christmas eve, they use Frank's key to get into the toy store and are leaving money in the register when Deputy Barney Feif notices them. They are taken to jail where they are detained. After the kids open all their presents without knowing where their parents were, Cody points out that Christmas should be about joy and loved ones. The kids realize their mistake, get concerned, and find out their parents are in jail. They bring food and caroling to the jail. Deputy Feif lets them out and they all go back home to celebrate Christmas, even Barney.
#22 - Feeling Forty
Season 3 - Episode 20 - Aired 3/25/1994
Worried about turning forty, Carol exercies and diets with Karen. When Karen steps out, Carol sees a commercial for Skinny Tabs and orders them. She loses three pounds, but possesses so much energy that she drives everybody crazy and is constantly talking and working. Frank tells her that he loves her for who she is, not just her body. Al has to write a report on Abe Lincoln, but all the books on him are checked out. Cody takes her to Madame Sonya and he encounters Lincoln. Al does not believe and therefore, she does not see Abe, but she has a great idea for her report-- Abe in the 20th Century. Cody gives Abe's golf scorecard to Carol for her birthday.
#23 - 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.
#24 - 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.
#25 - 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.