Step by Step (1991–1998): Season 4, Episode 15 - The Honeymoon Is Over - full transcript

It's Frank's birthday, and he knows exactly what he wants, a trout tracker, but Carol believes in shopping for a surprise gift, and comes up with a 'treat' he considers torture, 'French bikini briefs'. When Mark's girlfriend Gabrielle, another sexually naive nerd, stays over, the siblings form two camps, not by parents but boys-girls: Dana preaches girl power, JT the man wearing the pants, only Cody tells the love birds to follow their heart and just enjoy making up.

One and two and three
and four and one and two...

Okay, ladies, let's do
that butt crunch thing again.

Yeah! That's the one.

Hey, JT.

Dude, again
with the butt crunch channel?

Dude, you gotta get a life, man.

Okay, Gabrielle. Come on in.

As soon as Mark
brings up your bags,

we'll set you up
in the girls' room.

Thanks for letting me
spend the weekend

while my parents
are out of town, Mother Lambert.



You don't have
to call me Mother Lambert.

I'm not actually
your mother-in-law.

Not yet, but we both know
it's just a matter of time
until I'm Mrs. Mark Foster.

-Hey, Gaby.
-Hi, Cody.

Is it me, or are you getting
foxier by the minute?

Well, I do
have a special glow because
I'm in love with a stud.

Look how strong my man is.

Your love gives me strength,
my sweet.

Okay, Hercules. Let's get
these bags upstairs?

Okay, mom.

After you, my turtledove.

Be still my heart.

Be still my lunch!

Woah, woah!



I gotcha, I gotcha.

Dirty.

Dirty.

Close enough.

I want to show you my computer.

- Hi, JT.
- Hi, JT.

I have all your love letters
filed under a special directory.

It's called "Hotlips."

Isn't he a devil?

Yeah.
He's bad to the bone!

Mark.

-What is this?
-What?

This swimsuit magazine.

Frank bought me

a subscription
to "SportsWorld"
to broaden my horizons.

How exactly does a girl
like this broaden your horizons?

Yeah. Tell her, Mark.

This is just a bonus issue
that they throw in
with every subscription.

It's got five of the world's
most beautiful girls
modeling bikinis.

Mark, these magazines
merely perpetuate the myth

that women are nothing
but sexual objects.

Yeah. Especially page 56.

You might find this amusing, JT,
but I find it degrading.

Mark, it would make me
really happy

if you threw this magazine
in the garbage where it belongs.

If it makes you
that uncomfortable,
of course, I'll throw it away.

Thank you.

I've got some software
I've been dying to show you.

I'll be right back.

Well, well, well.

You know, I'm real sorry
I had to witness that, Mark.

What are you talking about?

It makes women
sexual objects.

It would make me really happy
if you threw it away.

Give me a break.

It's just a magazine.

Mark, this isn't just
about a magazine, all right?

It's about your manhood.

I mean, if you keep letting her
tell you what to do,

before you know it, she'll be
telling you how to dress,

what to eat
and who to hang out with.

Not my Gaby.
She's not controlling like that.

All chicks are controlling.

That's not true.

Hey, I'm not
making this stuff up.

It's in the Bible!

Where?

The Garden of Eden?

Who do you think made Adam
eat that apple?

It was that Eve chick.

He was doing just fine
till Eve said,

"It'd make me
really happy

"if you'd eat this apple."

If Adam had been
a man who said no,

we'd all still be
in the Garden of Eden

playing nude volleyball
with her.

Man!

-Who is it?
-Dana!

Come in!

Hi, Frank. I just want
to return mom's scarf.

Go right ahead.

Frank, what are you doing?

I'm cutting out ads
from these magazines

and putting them
in my dirty laundry.

Pretty smart?

I don't think we've
gotten to the smart part yet.

I have been leaving hints
all over the house

so your mother knows
what to get me for my birthday.

"Attention, fishermen.

"Decco presents
the Amazing Trout Tracker.

"Use modern Sonar technology
to catch those wily fish."

It's a fish finder.

I really want this bad boy.

Frank,
here's a crazy thought.

Instead of putting
pathetic little ads
in your dirty laundry,

why don't you try just
telling Mom what you want.

You've never been married
to your mother, have you?

You see, Carol doesn't think
a gift is a gift

unless she surprises someone
with it.

So, she's always
getting me stuff I hate.

Like pants that aren't jeans,

or Italian shoes
with the girly tassels
on the front.

Well, Frank, I can't afford
the "Trout Tracker,"

but maybe I can get you
a nice bucket of bait.

Now, there's a gift
a guy can use.

Frank, are you upstairs?

Yeah, honey.
Yeah, I'm up here!

Frank?

I know your birthday
is not until next week

but one of your presents
just came in the mail,

and well, I really, really,
really want to give it to you.

And why is that?

You think I might
want to use it this weekend?

Okay. Let me have it!

Well, go ahead. Open it.

Yeah. Yeah.

Surprise.

This is for me?

Yes, it's for you.
Their men's. See?

Says right here.

"Men's low-rise, French-cut
bikini briefs."

Low-rise, French-cut
bikini briefs.

Carol, there's not
a manly word in there.

Where does it say "Boxer"
or "durable" or "roomy" ?

Come on, Frank. Give it a try.

Honey, these are made
for French guys.

Little skinny people who ride
around on bikes all day.

American men are bigger.

And we're stronger.
We drive trucks.

These are almost un-American.

Well, I think
they're very American.

Especially on a big, strong
American guy like you.

They get me very patriotic.

Well, anything for my country.

Boy.

Hey, guys.

Listen, I'd love
to stay for dinner

but I got
kind of a dental problem.

What's wrong?

Well, see one of my fillings
fell out.

And I tried
to super-glue it back in.

Not a good idea.

-Dad, why would he--
-Don't. Don't ask.

It's Cody.

Okay, everybody. Dinner's ready.

Good.

-Frank, Frank.
-What, honey? What?

I want to ask you a question.

Are you...

wearing them?

You mean those little
red slingshot thingies?

No, I'm not.

Why not?

They're too tight.

They cut off circulation
to my... legs.

Well, you just
have to get used to them.

We'll try them out
later tonight.

Yeah, well, I'm telling you,
it's a little hard
to get romantic

when you got a tourniquet
around your groin.

Please pass the corn.

Corn.

We are passing the corn.

All right. Here's the milk.

The rest of the food is coming.
Knock yourselves out.

Green beans, sweetie?

No, thank you, dear.

God. We're living
with Ozzie and Harriet.

I made them myself.
They're very good.

Well, I'm sure they are,
but I don't like green beans.

Try them. For me?

Gee, Mark.

Those green beans look good.

Like they're
from the Garden of Eden.

Honey, you better hurry up
and eat,

so you have time to change
before we go to the movie.

What's wrong
with what I'm wearing?

Nothing.

You just look so much nicer
in your blue sweater.

Henpecked!

I don't want
to wear my blue sweater.

But it's my favorite.

Back off, woman.

What is going on, Mark?

I'll tell you what's going on.

I'm a man, and a man
eats what he wants,

wears what he wants
and reads what he wants.

And that includes page 56
of the swimsuit edition.

Well, I guess you never
know about a man
until you've lived with him.

Excuse me.

Well, looks like the honeymoon
on Dweebland's over.

What's going on
with Mark and Gabby?

Beats me.

Hey, pass the green beans.
They look great.

I'm proud of you, Mark.

You let her know who's boss.
You're a real man.

I don't know, JT.

It felt good for a second,
but now I feel bad.

Maybe I should go apologize.

Apologize? No.

Yeah, real men don't apologize.

At least that's what JT says.

Now, that's a man.

I know Mark yelled at me, but,
maybe I pushed him too hard.

I think I should go apologize.

I can't let you do that.

You would be giving Mark
all of the power
in the relationship.

You would be saying, yes
to a male-dominated world.

You see, the problem with
today's society is that...

we've given women
way too much power.

It's time we took it back.

Starting with you.

We have given men
way too much power.

And it's time we took it back.

Starting with you.

Me?

I'm just a girl who had
a fight with her boyfriend.

No, you're not!

You are a symbol
for all sisterhood!

That's right!

I mean, the battle of the sexes

has been going on
since the beginning of time.

Men have always blamed us
for their shortcomings.

Absolutely.

It's all right there
in the Bible.

The Bible?

I don't remember reading
about the battle of the sexes
in the Bible.

Well, that's because men
wrote the Bible!

And cut out all the parts
that made them look bad!

- They did?
- Yeah!

The whole Garden of Eden story,

where Eve supposedly made
Adam eat the apple?

Did not happen that way.

What they don't tell you
is that an hour before Eve
offered him the apple...

he was probably wandering
around the garden whining,

"I'm hungry.
Can't you make me a snack?

"There's never anything
to eat around here."

So, out of frustration,
she gives him the apple,
and he chooses to eat it.

And boom!

For the next billion years,
everything is our fault.

What church do you go to?

I did not learn about this
in church.

I have a feminist study group.

We talk about these things.

I go too, but they won't
let me bring a date.

I'm very confused.

Frank. Come on out here.

I can't wait to see you
in your birthday briefs.

I hate these things.

They look stupid.

I bet you look very sexy.

Carol, men aren't
supposed to look sexy.

That's a woman's job.

Men are just
supposed to be hairy.

Come on. Let me see.

-You'll laugh.
-I won't laugh!

-Yes, you will.
-No!

I'll be too turned on to laugh.

Okay.

You're laughing!

No, I'm not.

Yes, you are.

Yes, you are. You're laughing!

Great!

This is fine, honey.

You buy me a gift I don't want
and you make me wear 'em
and then you laugh at me.

Aw, good.

Sorry, honey.

It's just that they're so small.

No, no, no, no. The underwear!

Have a wonderful time, honey.
Laugh it up.

I'm sorry, honey.

You were right.
They don't look good on you.

You're just not a French-cut
bikini kind of guy.

That's what I've been
trying to tell you.

Why can't you just
get me a gift that I ask for?

Well, then, it wouldn't
be a surprise.

Where's the fun in that?

Honey, it's my birthday!

I'm the one
supposed to be having fun.

You can have fun
on your own birthday.

Okay, Frank. All right.

From now on, no more surprises.

You just tell me what you want,
and I will go get it for you.

I want the Amazing Trout Tracker
by Decco.

It's got "Super Sonar".
It finds fish and everything.

Okay, Frank.

If that's what you want,
I'll get it for you.

Okay.

And one more thing too.

-Will you call 911?
-Why?

I think I need the Jaws of Life
to get out of this thing.

Yeah, buddy.

Hi, Cody.

Hey, little cuz.

Hey, what's the matter, man?

You're looking a little droopy
in the drawers?

I couldn't sleep last night.

Gabrielle and I
had a little brouhaha.

Ouch.

Brouhaha. Yeah, I hear you, man.

Yeah, that Hungarian food
is a killer.

Boy, that paprika can give you
the scoots. One, two, three.

Cody. Gabrielle and I
had a fight.

Man.

A fight and the scoots?

Buddy, you did
have a rough night.

At first, it felt like
she was pushing me around.

But, now that
I think about it,
it wasn't that big of a deal.

-I shouldn't have yelled at her.
-No.

Now the relationship is over.

Mark, man.

You know, just because
you had one fight,

it doesn't mean
that the relationship is over.

It just means that you guys
got some stuff to work on,
you know?

Look, if you're
that upset about it,

just go upstairs
and apologize to her?

I can't do that.

JT says that real men
don't apologize.

I see.

I just have one small question
for you, Mark.

Why would you take advice
from a bonehead like JT?

He questioned my manhood.

Well, let me
tell you something, Mark.

A real man does apologize.

Especially to a woman he loves.

Well, that's what I thought too.

But, JT said if I apologize,
I'd be a wimp.

Mark, I just got one more
small question to ask you.

Why would you take advice
from a bonehead like JT?

-Cody, you already asked that.
-I know.

I'm using repetitious dialogue
to prove a point.

Okay?

Look at it this way, okay?

You're the one with
the girlfriend that you date.

Now, what has JT got?

He's got the swimsuit edition.

He's got
the butt crunch channel.

I mean, it's like,
what in the world
does he know about chicks?

You know?

You know something?
You're right.

Gabrielle is the woman
of my dreams.

And I'm not gonna
let one fight mess that up.

That's right. That's what
I wanna hear, buddy.

You just keep
that stiff upper lip!

Hello, Mark.

Hi, Gabrielle.

Young lovers at the crossroads.

Decision '95.

I was really mean to you.

I'm sorry too.

I shouldn't have been so pushy.

I was a real pain
in the B-U-T-T.

She spelled butt.

That's so cute.

I don't care what you eat
or what you wear
or even what you read.

As long as we're together,
that's all that really matters.

Baby, you're the greatest.

I'm such a sap
for a happy ending.

Attention, all fish.

Frank Lambert is now armed
with the Amazing Trout Tracker
by Decco.

You are surrounded.

Just throw yourself in the boat,
nobody will be hurt.

How are they biting?

Honey, this is
the best birthday gift ever.

I'm telling you.

If there is
the slightest hint of movement
from anywhere down below,

this baby goes off
like a smoke alarm.

Well, I'm so glad you like it.

-Yeah.
-Hey.

I have another surprise for you.

Did you get me
the amazing duck radar?

No. But I really think
you'll like this better.

You like it?

It's a French camisole.

Carol, I don't care what
those French guys are wearing,

I'm not putting on
a fru-fru undershirt.

It's not for you, Frank.

It's for me.

Wow.

Viva la France.