The WORST episodes of Step by Step

#1 - 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).

#2 - The Case of the Missing Diary

Season 3 - Episode 21 - Aired 4/29/1994

Cody is writing a 40's style mystery for his creative writing class. He gets an idea when Karen proclaims her diary is missing. His pun-filled story is played out by the Lambert/Foster family. Kitty Meow (Karen), who sings in the famous trio the Andrews step-sisters, lost her diary. The suspects are as follows: the other two Andrew's step-sisters (Dana and Al), the establishment's piano player (Brendan), comic (JT), and other singing act, Miss Honey Dew (Carol). With the help of the lab technician (Mark), Sam Spud (Cody) discovers it was Honey Dew. In real life, Al turns out to be the one who misplaced Karen's diary.

#3 - Don't Ask

Season 5 - Episode 6 - Aired 11/3/1995

Frank and Carol are overwhelmed by caring for everyone. Karen might get her big chance as a singer. Cody receives a surprise when he orders from a Russian mail-order catalogue.

#4 - Roadie

Season 5 - Episode 8 - Aired 11/17/1995

Cody could leave town to tour with a rock star. Frank becomes obsessed with the kids' car.

#5 - Dream Lover

Season 7 - Episode 7 - Aired 10/31/1997

After the cancellation of the best Halloween party in town, the clan (JT, Sam, Rich, Dana, Karen, and Al) decides to have a party in an abandoned, haunted house. They clean it up and the party turns out to be a success, and while everyone else is having a good time JT secludes himself to get advice from a ghost. He and Sam then break up yet remain friends. Lilly gets to have the house for her Halloween party and dresses like a sunflower. A friend of hers scares her. Lilly gets advice from Carol on how to deal with being scared and Lilly uses the advice to advise her friend who gets scared at the movie. Teddy T-Rex (Frank) was the life of the party-- he fell down the stairs and was attacked by the kids.

#6 - Take This Job and ...

Season 7 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/10/1997

JT loses his fourth job of the month and can't even afford a date with Sam. JT convinces Sam to get her boss to hire him as an apprentice mechanic. JT is terrible and Sam is forced to fire him on the second day after he nearly kills the boss, twice. JT is frustrated and angry, but the only sympathy he gets is from the people who lost the pool (of how many days he would last at this job). Carol advises JT to not lose Sam because he is too proud to say, "I'm sorry." After JT apologizes to Sam, he gets a job that he is good at-- as a giant weiner. Meanwhile, Frank is delighted when he receives a dilapidated boat in lieu of payment on a job. He spends every free, waking hour fixing the boat. He annoys the whole family, and even though Carol supports him in front of the kids, she is concerned. Frank explains to Carol that his dream at one time was to buy a really nice boat and go sailing on the weekend. While he loved all seven kids, the only opportunity for

#7 - Birth of a Salesman

Season 3 - Episode 19 - Aired 3/11/1994

Urged by his parents to either apply to college or find a job, JT gets a part-time position as an assistant salesman in a used-car lot. Not only does he actually enjoy his new job, but it turns out that he's incredibly good at selling cars. He thanks Carol for getting him off his keister and making him get a job. He dreams of one day owning the car lot and gets in a commercial for the place. Dana is assigned to write an essay for her psychology class. After Mark and Karen's refusals, she has to hire Cody as a subject for her study. She writes that Cody is a nutcase, but her teacher claims that she is close-minded. She gets a ""D"" on the paper and has to do a makeup assignment on one person's dreams for a week, and although Cody volunteers, she refuses.

#8 - Maid to Order

Season 5 - Episode 5 - Aired 10/27/1995

J.T. hires a beautiful model to clean the house. Carol exposes her competitive nature when Karen competes to be head cheerleader.

#9 - We're Going to Disney World (1)

Season 5 - Episode 22 - Aired 5/3/1996

Frank's mother offers the entire family a trip to Disney World the weekend of Frank and Carol's anniversary. Flash shows up to return Frank's hammer and ends up staying the weekend, and over the weekend he visits more rides than anyone in the history of Disney World has beating out a Russian and bringing the title back to America. JT and Rich dip into their apartment fund to get Rich to come. JT poses as J.T. Disney and ends up spending the whole fund trying to attract 2 girls. They go different ways for a few hours until JT ""redeems"" himself by selling his plain ticket and agreeing to ride the bus back with Rich. Karen enters a country music contest with Dana and Al as backup singers but gets rid of them because they aren't dedicated enough. When she gets on stage the first time, though, she realizes that she needs them.After a little making up Al and Dana agree to re join the group and they rock the house with ""Girls with Guitars"" By ""Wynona""

#10 - Shear Madness

Season 6 - Episode 22 - Aired 8/1/1997

Jean-Luc is asked to cut Hillary Clinton's hair and is so nervous he wants to decline the opportunity. He is finally able to decipher(through a conversation with Carol) that it all stems from his depression from his divorce. Frank disapproves of yet another of Al's dates. He then meets a guy just like him who he goes shopping with and sets up him up with Al. Al goes on a date with him, but afterward makes Frank agree to not interfere with her date life. She does, however, let him chase off a particularly bad date.

#11 - 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.

#12 - The Big Date

Season 6 - Episode 13 - Aired 5/30/1997

Al's in for a disappointment when she discovers that her blind date is overweight-- and carrying an even heavier chip on his shoulder. Meanwhile, Carol's ""worry meter"" jumps off the scale when Dana, Rich, JT, and Sam check into a Chicago Hotel unsupervised.

#13 - Love, Port Washington Style

Season 2 - Episode 17 - Aired 2/12/1993

Dana has been dumped--AGAIN-- just before Valentine's Day. She acts real moody and volunteers to work a double shift at the 50's cafe, since she is dateless. When a customer does show up, Dana snaps at him and he responds kindly, yet with an irritation of his own. They end up dating, as Dana leaves work early. Carol is so busy in the beauty salon that she solicits Frank's assistance. Frank does his best, which is not good enough. Frank burns a bald spot in some girl's hair. While Carol has to spend hours talking to her parents, Frank's style becomes popular with the high school crowd.

#14 - Major Pain

Season 5 - Episode 21 - Aired 4/26/1996

Dana cannot deteemine what to do and JT and Rich are not able to major in ""Nude Volleyball,"" therefore they all end up taking a career placement test together.The results of the placement test say JT and Rich should become doctors and Dana should become a guard at an women's prison. Dana, livid from the results, demands a re-test and ends up discovering the testing center is a fraud. Dana then investigates (doing a job so good JT tells her she should become an investigative reporter) and discovers the owner has been convicted of the same crime several times before. Meanwhile, Carol repays a favor by hiring Flash to work for Frank; Flash, in turn, destroys almost everything, and is only redeemed by his remarkable work done while staying up all night working.

#15 - Too Many Santas

Season 7 - Episode 10 - Aired 12/19/1997

Lilly becomes disillusioned when she recognizes that it is J.T. portraying Santa Claus at the local department store. Meanwhile, J.T. pines for his former girlfriend Sam after finding a Christmas present that he bought for her back in July.

#16 - Poetic Justice

Season 7 - Episode 5 - Aired 10/17/1997

Karen has a professor (actually a teaching assistant) try to date her by influencing her with grades. Karen tells Dana about her predicament. Dana has the perfect plan to catch Jason in his own deceitful web. While a battery that does not keep going and going causes a hitch, the plan does end up working. Mark's date comes in all her glory for a date with Mark. Actually, she is repulsive to Frank and Carol, a source of comedy to Rich and JT, and a shocking match for Mark to everybody. Mark stays out past curfew, is grounded, and runs off in Frank's truck with this girl.

#17 - Make Room for Daddy

Season 4 - Episode 11 - Aired 12/9/1994

Carol and Frank go on a romantic getaway, but Carol can think of nothing but the baby. Mark meets a girl, but is surprised by her appearance.

#18 - Double Date

Season 2 - Episode 24 - Aired 5/21/1993

Carol sets up Karen with Freddy, who is a 153 on Karen's grading scale. Karen, however, prefers Jeffrey (a 195). Despite disappointing Carol, Karen accepts a date with Jeffrey and dumps Freddy by lying to him. She sneaks out of the house to go with Jeff and they win Perfect Couple right after Freddy confronts Karen. She refuses the award and finishes the evening with Freddy. Carol does not like the way Frank organizes his money. She tries to make him use a male purse, but he refuses. He concentrates his efforts on putting an alarm on Lucille because Cody had his stereo stolen out of it. The alarm was so good Frank got stuck in the van demonstrating it.

#19 - We're Going to Disney World (2)

Season 5 - Episode 23 - Aired 5/10/1996

#20 - The Bodyguard Formerly Known as Prince

Season 5 - Episode 20 - Aired 3/15/1996

Dana, Karen, and Al go to a ski lodge for a weekend and meet 3 good looking guys one of whom is the prince of Calderone. The prince(Karen's) wants people to like him for who he is, and henceforth makes his bodyguard(Dana's) claim to be the prince. This causes Dana to gloat and Karen to sulk. Meanwhile, Rich gives the remaining Lambert/Foster clan a chain letter which promises good luck if you keep the chain going and vice versa. Everyone except Brendan decides not to return the letters. Everyone gets orange hair (except Brendan) from using Carol's free samples while Rich gave his shampoo to his parents.

#21 - Torn Between Two Mothers

Season 5 - Episode 14 - Aired 1/26/1996

Frank's mom comes to town to see Lilly. She tells Carol how to do everything. While everyone else is enjoying ""Nana,"" Carol grows more and more frustrated with her as her advice becomes more and more personal. Finally because of some advice from Carol (and Cody), Frank stands up to his mother. Then Frank's mother realizes what a terrible mother-in-law she has been. At the same time, JT gets a job as a dummy for a women's self-defense class. Dana, Karen, and Al join the class and after seeing what it is there practicing (shots to the groin) JT quits in the middle. Also, Cody gets a job doing brain experimentation.

#22 - The Wall

Season 5 - Episode 9 - Aired 11/24/1995

Dana's feminist organization attracts a surprising new member, Cody. Mark is dateless for the school dance.

#23 - 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.

#24 - Secret Admirer

Season 5 - Episode 16 - Aired 2/9/1996

Frank buys Carol a fake Swiss Rolet watch (for Valentine's Day) and pretends it is the real thing. Carol feels so bad about Frank spending too much money that she tries to return it, and gets thrown in jail. When Frank bails her out, she tells him that she loved the watch because it was from him, and that the most important thing is honesty. Frank sweeps Carol off her feet with one of Cody's letters, but Carol is even more impressed that he tells the truth about it. Dana gets dumped just before Valentine's Day and turns into the man-hater she can be. Cody writes her ""Secret Admirer"" love letters to help lighten her up, hence improving her personality. It works perfectly and allows Dana to get a boy that she really likes.

#25 - Goin' to the Chapel

Season 7 - Episode 12 - Aired 1/16/1998

When Carol forbids Dana from having sex before marriage, Dana decides to elope with Rich. Meanwhile, J.T. pretends to be a fitness fanatic to impress a sexy aerobics instructor.