Step by Step (1991–1998): Season 1, Episode 5 - Frank & Son - full transcript

Hey, Dana,
what are you workin' on?

Believe me, J.T.,
you wouldn't be interested.

Fine.

I try to show a little interest
in my new family

and you shut me down.

I'm hurt.

Okay.

These are some sketches
for a bird house

I'm making for wood shop class.

If I don't ace this project,
it's gonna bring down

my whole grade point average.



You're right, Dana.

I'm not interested.

I can't believe it. Why does
this always happen to me?

What's wrong?

You know the sophomore dance

that everybody is going to?

Don't tell me,
no one's asked you?

Get real, rat face.

Everyone'sasked me!

The problem is,
I can't decide who to go with.

Dana, what am I gonna do?

Karen, I think I've got it.

I knew I could count on you.

Listen very carefully.



I want you to go upstairs..

Yeah, and?

That's it, just go upstairs.

Well, thanks a lot.

Next time you have a crisis,
don't come to me.

No!
Who am I gonna turn to now?

Hi, guys.

Hey, is anyone using the VCR?

What video did you rent?

- It's 'Tom Sawyer.'
- Who?

I have to do
a stupid book report.

You're doing a book report
so you rented the movie?

You people have
the worststudy habits.

Insult our manners

criticize our clothes

but please.. Please.

Don't put down
our study habits!

- Hi, honey.
- Hi, sweetheart.

What a day.

Yeah, I know what you mean.

Do you know what kept me goin'?

The thought of you and I
going to bed early

and going to sleep late.

Sounds great.

I just wish
I was gonna be there for it.

- Excuse me?
- Honey, I am exhausted.

The only thing
I want tonight is a hot bath.

Well.

We haven't done
that since Jamaica.

I mean by myself.

Can I watch?

No, but if you're real good

I'll tape it for you.

Hey, dad,
just the man I wanna see.

Can I borrow 20 bucks?

J.T., I gave you
your allowance yesterday.

How do you go through money
so fast?

I guess I'm just good at it.

Well, if you can't live
on your allowance

maybe you should get a job.

Hey..

Well, why don't you go to work

part-time for me?

Construction?

I don't know, dad,
I'm really not that handy.

Of course, you are!

J.T., first day on the job.

I think I'm more excited
about this than you are.

I guarantee it, dad.

Wait until you see
what I got for ya.

Your own tool belt!

Now, check thisout.

That's beautiful.

Carol, look at him.
Now who does he remind you of?

One of the village people?

Start each day with a laugh,
I love it.

Come on, son,
we're burnin' daylight.

It's a good thing
he was wearing that hard hat.

So, Dana.

How's the bird house coming?

Almost done.

I just have to put
the gutters on.

Great.

So let me see it.

What are you laughing at?

You have to watch a video
to do a book report.

I could write a book report
on Tom Sawyer in ten minutes.

So what? I built a bird house
better than that

when I was in second grade.

You've built a bird house?

You've read "Tom Sawyer?"

Step into my office.

Dad, I don't know
how to break it to you

but holding a piece of wood
all day is boring.

You think
I could try cutting now?

Well, son, I didn't
want to rush you too much

like I did
with the hot glue gun.

I'm sorry, dad!

Well...that's alright.

Tell you what.

Let's see if you can cut it.

You gotta get used to this, J.T.

We construction guys
kid like this all the time.

- Sorry, dad.
- No, no, no, it's my fault.

I should have told you,
specifically

not to cut through
your power cord.

Okay, let's just..

...put these tools away, okay?

Come on, J.T.

We can,
put up some drywall, okay?

Here we go, this comes up here.

Okay, now.

I'll start it for you.

Okay.

- You nail it in.
- Okay.

Come on, J.T., drive it home.

I'll tell you what.

Maybe I'm pushing you

just a little too fast.

Why don't you take this

and pull out any loose nails

you see in the boards, okay?

I think I can do that.

I'm countin' on it.

JT, this is the life,
you know?

Working out here
in the sunshine.

The fresh air.

A lot of guys
spend their whole lives

cooped up in offices.

They don't take any pride

in what they do.

Out here you gotta..

...work with your hands.

'A man can take pride
in something like that.'

I'm sorry.
No, it's impossible today.

I am completely booked up
with a wedding.

Okay.

- Hi, Carol.
- Hi, J.T.

Why aren't you
working with your dad?

Well, I'm not sure.

- But I think my dad fired me.
- What'd he say?

"Get out of here
and never come back."

Which part
aren't you sure about?

Excuse me, Carol, but I think
my hair is starting to singe.

I'm sorry, Mrs. Radley.

I'll get these curlers
out right now.

Shouldn't you finish
combing me out first?

Y- yes.
Mom, could you just help me?

I've only got two hands!

Yes, and they are both empty.

Never work with family!

Carol, you know

my daughter's still waiting
for her shampoo.

Right. Janet.
I almost forgot.

J.T.

JT, would you shampoo Janet
for me, please?

No way!

I don't even like
shampooing my hair.

- JT, please. Do me a big favor!
- No, no.

It would save me life.
I am so busy--

Carol, Carol.

I'm-I'm still waiting
for my shampoo.

I'm sorry, Janet,
I'll be with you as soon--

Janet?

You're Janet?

Why didn't you tell me
Janet was waiting?

I'm, J.T.

I'll be doing
your shampoo today.

So then, the bartender says

"I was talking to the duck!"

Ha ha ha!

J.T.

If I weren't getting married
this afternoon.

Here, this is for you.

Thanks, Rachel.

J.T..

...you made more money
today than I did.

Yeah, the way these ladies tip

I'll be able to pay back dad

for the house
I leveled this mornin'.

Tips?

You get tips?

You know, I was thinking

how would you like
to help me out every Saturday?

- Are you serious?
- Yeah, I mean.

Being as how you're not working

with your dad,
and good help is

sohard to find.

- Why not?
- Okay, it's a deal.

Alright!

That crack about good help
really hurts.

Hi, Frank!

Hello, ladies.

- J.T.
- Hi, dad.

I want to apologize for losing
my temper this morning.

Dad, after everything I did,
I don't blame you.

No, no, no, no, no
the mistakes you made

could have happened to anybody.

Of course, most other people
would have spread them out

over a whole lifetime.

What do you say
we start fresh next Saturday?

Gee, dad, thanks.
But I can't.

I already got another job.

- Another job? Where?
- Right here.

He's working for me,
he's my new shampoo boy.

Isn't that great?

Anybody want some coffee?

Shampoo boy?

J.T., I'm waiting
for those magic fingers

I heard so much about.

Excuse me, dad,
I'm burnin' daylight.

Shampoo boy?

J.T. is a shampoo boy?

And a darn good one, too.
You should be proud.

Proud? Honey, my son
is working in a beauty salon.

What if this gets out?

What is wrong
with working in a beauty salon?

- I work in a beauty salon.
- Well, yeah.

But you're a-a, a woman,
and he's a guy

and guys are supposed to work
with their hands.

- He is working with his hands.
- No, no.

He's working with his fingers!

There is a big difference
and you would understand it

if you were a guy.

I don't believe it.
I don't believe it.

You're married to someone
and then you find out

you're married to a sexist!

I am not a sexist.

I just think
there are some things

men shouldn't do,
like work in a beauty salon.

- And be a ballet dancer.
- Exactly.

See, now we're
on the same wavelength.

Frank, would you wake up
and smell the cremerinse?

These are the '90s
and it's okay for J.T.

to work in a beauty salon!

No, it's not.

If he works in a beauty salon..

...what happens
to Lambert and Son?

I see.

This is not about J.T.,
this is about you.

Well, Carol, I always thought

that he would come
into the business with me

and we'd work side by side.

You know, partners.

Frank.

That's such a sweet dream.

But it's your dream, not his.

Yeah, maybe you're right.

Aw, are you okay?

I'm fine.

I could be finer.

Hey, Al, great job!

Thanks, let's hope you did
the same with my book report.

I did, and I even
misspelled a few words

so it still looks
like you wrote it.

What are you guys doing?

We made a deal.

She did my homework
and, I did hers.

Is that allowed?

- Yes!
- Yes!

I always thought
that was cheating.

Brendan, um..

Someone wants you
in the other room.

- Who?
- Me.

Kids, they say the darndest
things, don't they?

Well..

Thanks for the book report.

I can't do this.

I can't turn in
somebody else's work

and neither can you.

You wanna bet?
Give it to me, give it to me!

- I wrote this book report!
- Yeah, well, we made a deal!

Hi, daddy, want a pickle?

No, thanks.

Say, Brendan.

Let me ask you a question.

How would you like to come
and work for your daddy?

Why?

Am I being punished?

Hey, hey, hey, girls,
girls, girls, girls.

Come on now.
What's going on here?

What are you doing?

I was just showing Al

the book report
I didon Tom Sawyer.

Hope it helped.

You know, Al,
you should listen to Dana.

She really has
her head on straight.

That's only
because youinterrupted us!

- Hey, dad.
- Hello, J.T.

Can I talk to you
for a second?

Well, sure.

Listen.

Carol told me
how important it was to you

that we work together

so if you're up for it

I'm willing to give it
another shot.

You really hate construction,
don't you?

Well, not all of it.

I liked stoppin' for donuts.

Well, at least
you're honest with me.

Are you gonna be okay
if I don't work with you?

Yeah, I'll be fine.

I know I'll be safer.

Hey, you just do
whatever you want.

If you wanna be a..

...hairdresser..

...then go ahead.

I don't wanna be a hairdresser.

I'm just doin' it
because it's an easy way

to make some money,
and to touch girls

without being sent
to the principal's office.

Hey, Al, nice birdhouse.

Thanks,
a lot of good it did me.

You made this birdhouse?

Yeah, but if I had more time

I would have
dovetailed the edges.

Yeah, and maybe done something a
little fancier with the routing.

I don't know,
I think sometimes people go

a little overboard
with routing.

Yeah, yeah, yeah,
you're right.

Al, do you know
how to use a hot glue gun?

Come on, dad, any idiot
can use a hot glue gun.

That's what I thought, too.

Al, what size hard hat
do you wear?

It's awfully quiet around here.

Where is everyone?

Well, Brendan's spending
the night with a friend

and the rest of the kids
are at a movie.

What time does
the movie get out?

About an hour.

You mean...we're all alone?

You want to watch me
take a bath?