List of Grace Under Fire episodes
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The following is a list of episodes of the American sitcom Grace Under Fire. The series aired for five seasons, totaling 112 episodes, on ABC from September 1993 to February 1998.
Season 1: 1993–1994
| # | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
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| 1 | "Pilot" | Michael Lessac | Chuck Lorre | September 29, 1993 | |
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Grace Kelly is a single mother with three children (Libby, Quentin and baby Patrick). She is set up with a pharmacist (Russell Norton) by her friend (Nadine Swoboda). Russell & Grace are both coming out of very bad marriages and end up having a good time comparing the ex-partners and betting on them. Grace gets a job in an oil refinery and has to leave on the first day when Quentin gets into a fight. She discusses her violent father with him. | |||||
| 2 | "Up on the Roof" | Michael Lessac | Chuck Lorre & Bob Dolan Smith | October 6, 1993 | |
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Grace gets asked out by her colleagues, but she turns all of them down. Nadine and her fourth husband (Wade Swoboda) invites Russell over for dinner. Quentin's teacher asks Grace to send Quentin to therapy as he is not paying any attention in the class. Russell helps Quentin buy a jock strap. When Russell comes for dinner, Dougie (her colleague) stops by and makes things awkward. Quentin sits alone on the roof and refuses to talk to Grace. Wade helps out. | |||||
| 3 | "Grace Undergraduate" | Chuck Lorre & Michael Lessac | Dottie Dartland | October 13, 1993 | |
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Grace's in-laws (Emmet & Jean) visit to take the kids for the weekend. They criticize her for the divorce. Nadine takes Grace out for a girls night-out. They play pool with some young boys. A guy hits on Grace and Nadine gives the guys a lesson on women. Russell is upset because his ex-wife (Barbara) doesn't allow him to see his dog (Philip). He hangs out with Wade who helps him steal his dog. They get caught. | |||||
| 4 | "The Good, the Bad and the Pharmacist" | Michael Lessac | Wayne Lemon | October 20, 1993 | |
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Grace's paycheck is held due to Jimmy (Grace's ex-husband) problems with the IRS. Russell promises to help Grace and takes her out to celebrate because his divorce is finalized. He meets his wife there and goes back to her. Grace & Russell fight the next day, but he still comes to her rescue when Grace is stuck with the IRS. | |||||
| 5 | "Second Time Around" | Michael Lessac | Dava Savel | October 27, 1993 | |
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Grace goes to the Second Time Around dance to meet someone new. She meets a lot of losers there and finally Andy (Nadine's first-husband). Grace, Andy, Nadine & Wade go on a double date. Things get weird. | |||||
| 6 | "Sister, Sister" | Michael Lessac | Wayne Lemon | November 3, 1993 | |
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Grace's sisters (Evie & Faith) visit to surprise her on her birthday. Evie drinks a lot and seems to be heading on the same path as Grace. So Faith asks Grace to talk to her. At the party Evie hits on Wade which freaks out Nadine. Faith shows interest in Russell. | |||||
| 7 | "A Picture's Worth... $9.95" | Michael Lessac | Dottie Dartland | November 17, 1993 | |
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Grace takes a family picture. Wade sets up grace on a blind date with a bookstore owner. She double dates with Russell and his new girlfriend. It turns out to be a huge disaster. Libby gives Grace a very hard time and claims that she hates her little brother. Quentin behaves extra nice. | |||||
| 8 | "Grace Under Oath" | Michael Lessac | Eric Brand & Robert Kurtz | November 24, 1993 | |
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Grace has some financial difficulties and when she learns that Jimmy has won some money in a lawsuit, she decides to goes after him. She drags him to court with the help of a law student and wins some money. Everybody makes fun of Russell due to a bad divorce settlement. | |||||
| 9 | "Grace in the Middle" | Michael Lessac | Bill Masters & Paul Raley | December 1, 1993 | |
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Nadine discusses starting a family with Grace. Grace's supervisor Bill lies to his wife about helping Grace as an excuse (build a jungle gym for her kids) to go to the track. His wife confides in her and tells her that she knows the truth. Later she walks out on Bill. Wade has a long talk with Grace about his job and quits his job and decides to fly traffic helicopters. Nadine freaks out. | |||||
| 10 | "Say Goodnight, Gracie" | Michael Lessac | Eric Brand & Robert Kurtz | December 8, 1993 | |
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Grace tries to wean Patrick. When the management decides to fire the temp staff, Bill makes Grace and Wanda permanent to save their job. She gets a raise and insurance, but has to do regular night shift. She interviews some sitters, but none work put. Nadine, Russell and Wade help her out. | |||||
| 11 | "Keeping Faith" | Michael Lessac | Chuck Lorre & Bob Dolan Smith | December 15, 1993 | |
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Grace decorates for Christmas with Russell's help but Quentin is sad and misses his father. Faith has an accident and Grace has to go to Alabama. Russell drives her. They bring her back her home and she spends Christmas with them. Faith decides to move-in with Grace. Grace meets Faith's married boyfriend. | |||||
| 12 | "With This Ring" | Michael Lessac | Dava Savel | January 5, 1994 | |
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Grace takes her kids to her in-laws' house to meet their great-grand mom(Lil) from their father's side, the only in-law she actually likes. Lil gives her a ring to pass-on to Libby. Later Grace's mother-in-law (Jean) comes over to tell her that Lil has passed away. She asks for the ring back and when Grace refuses, she calls the police. Grace decides to go to the funeral. She gets hit-on by Jimmy's brother and has a showdown with Jean. | |||||
| 13 | "Simply Grace" | Michael Lessac | Bob Dolan Smith | January 12, 1994 | |
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Grace's friend Vicky (The one she met at the lawyer's office during Thanksgiving - "Grace Under Oath") needs a job and she asks Bill to give her a job. Nadine & Wade discuss having a baby. Grace gets along very well with a colleague (Ryan Sparks) of hers when he visits her at home, but gets interrupted by Vicky when she comes for a nightcap. Grace finally agrees to go on a date with Ryan. | |||||
| 14 | "The Agony, the Ecstasy and Bill Mazeroski" | Michael Lessac | Bill Masters | January 26, 1994 | |
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Grace finds one of her old painting in the basement and realizes how much she misses painting. She sets up a studio in the basement to pursue her hobby. Dougie invites Grace to come and play Poker with Vic & Carl. When she turns it down due to lack of baby-sitter, they bring poker to her home. The kids' friend Sam spends a lot of time at Grace's place and his mother doesn't bother to pick him up. | |||||
| 15 | "When You Wish Upon a Star" | Michael Lessac | Dottie Dartland | February 2, 1994 | |
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Ryan invites Grace for a weekend in Chicago. Grace agrees and Quentin is mad. Ryan comes late & they miss their flight. Grace spends the night at Ryan's place. Faith & Russell try to spice up their sex-life. Libby walks on them when they are on the couch. | |||||
| 16 | "Valentine's Day" | Howard Murray | Chuck Lorre & Dava Savel | February 9, 1994 | |
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Ryan comes to dinner to meet the kids. Ryan invites her to go out on Valentine's Day. Faith & Russell have a fight when he introduces her to Barbara as his "Dog Groomer". On Valentine's Day, Quentin orders a pizza to celebrate and when he discovers that she is going out, he becomes very upset. Ryan cancels and leaves. They finally break-up. Nadine & Wade are trying and they are bored that sex for them has become a chore. | |||||
| 17 | "Grace and Beauty" | Michael Lessac | Michael Sardo | February 16, 1994 | |
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Grace feels bad when her Libby says that Caroline's (her friend) mom (Trish Baldwin) is the best mom. Libby wants to participate in a beauty contest & Grace is against it. Finally Grace gives in and then helps Libby with her talent round when Trish tells her that Libby lacks "breeding". | |||||
| 18 | "Tears of Joy" | Michael Lessac | Roger Garrett | March 9, 1994 | |
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Quentin gets in fights at school and gives Grace a hard time. She takes him to a psychiatrist and he recommends Grace to deal with her own feelings about Jimmy first. Libby becomes sick and Jimmy calls her. She is over-whelmed and cries. Quentin joins her and they feel good about it. | |||||
| 19 | "It Happened One Week" | Michael Lessac | Paul Raley, Robert Kurtz & Eric Brand | March 16, 1994 | |
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Grace gets laid off when there is an accident (due to Dougie's error) in the oil refinery. Faith takes Quentin & Libby to Grace's mother's place. Grace gets a job in Nadine's bar. She meets Ryan in the bar and he tells her that his father is dead. They go back to Grace's house and make-out. Ryan expresses his wish of having another kid and Grace turns him down. | |||||
| 20 | "Things Left Undone" | Michael Lessac | Brett Butler & Wayne Lemon | May 11, 1994 | |
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It's mother's day and Grace invites her mother to visit. Faith is clearly upset. When Quentin confides his dislike for Ryan in his grandma, she consoles him and convinces him to go fishing with Ryan. During dinner, Faith & her mother have a fight & she walks out with Russell. Grace tries to patch-up, but fails. | |||||
| 21 | "See Quentin Run" | Michael Lessac | Chuck Lorre & Lee Aronsohn | May 18, 1994 | |
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Grace gets promoted at work as a Shift Supervisor and a $50 raise. Vic, Dougie & Carl acts differently after the promotion. When Jimmy asks the kids to spend the summer with him, Grace refuses and Quentin is mad. He runs away from home and goes to Ryan's place to ask for his help to go to Jimmy's place. Finally Jimmy visits to cheer up Quentin. Russell and Wade try to get a piano from Barbara's place for Libby. | |||||
| 22 | "A Car and a Kiss" | Michael Lessac | Lee Aronsohn, Bill Masters & David Forbes | May 25, 1994 | |
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Grace's car breaks down. She gets fed-up and decides to sell it. She takes a car loan from her company and buys a used car with Wade and Russell's help. Libby's friend Sam visits and they play "house". When Sam's mom sees the kids kissing, she freaks out and takes away Sam. | |||||
Season 2: 1994–1995
| # | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Grace Under Water" | Michael Lessac | Marc Flanagan | September 20, 1994 | |
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It's raining cats and dogs. Faith is finally moving out with Wade and Russell's help. Jimmy visits. He tells her that he is changing and he is trying to quit drinking. He ends up spending the night at her place. Wade looses Faith's insulin in the rain. Russell goes out to get some. Jimmy tries to get Grace to forgive him, but she asks him to leave. | |||||
| 2 | "Good Ol' Grace" | Michael Lessac | Bob Dolan Smith | September 27, 1994 | |
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Nadine is upset that she has been trying for 6 months and she is still not pregnant. When she brings up fertility clinic, Wade gets defensive and they fight. He finally comes around. Grace gets a new colleague at work; Tracy. She finds the language a bit awkward and when she takes it up with Bill, he demotes her to green crew. She then files a sex grievance against Bill. He is forced into a early retirement. Russell discusses his life with Grace while shelling peas. | |||||
| 3 | "June 15, 1997" | Michael Lessac | Jeff Abugov | October 4, 1994 | |
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Grace and guys at work get a new boss (John Shirley). Grace's landlord increases the rent by $80. To solve her financial issues, Russell suggests that she take Libby & Quentin off day-care and let her friends take care of them in turns except Thursday. She asks for a shift change to take care of the kids on Thursday but John refuses. She talks to Jimmy for child-support and gets money for a sitter, but Quentin offers to sit. Grace agrees. | |||||
| 4 | "Pitch and Woo" | Michael Lessac | Kathy Ann Stumpe | October 11, 1994 | |
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Grace, Faith, Wade & Nadine go to a ball game and then discuss men in the bar. She meets Kurb Ross (a ball player) there. She starts dating him. Nadine disapproves. Faith wants some commitment from Russell. During another ball game, he gets drunk and proposes to Grace. He then makes up with Faith. | |||||
| 5 | "Jimmy's Girl" | Michael Lessac | Bill Masters, Jimmy Alec & Jim Keily | October 18, 1994 | |
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Jimmy has a new girlfriend (Ramona), who is very young girl. He brings her when he comes to pick up the kids for the weekend. Grace struggles with the bank when her credit card is not accepted at the super-market. Nadine & Wade have some marital problems. Ramona comes to Grace when she has some issues with Jimmy's temper. Ramona then breaks up with Jimmy and he goes back to drinking. | |||||
| 6 | "Splitsville" | Michael Lessac | G.D. Lundi | October 25, 1994 | |
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John is pushing all the guys & Grace to work very hard to win a set of Golf Clubs. She discovers and blackmails him into helping out. While grace is busy, Nadine helps out with the kids. She makes some decisions about kids (when Quentin gets a bad math grade and when Libby shop-lifts) and feels that she is bad parent when Grace feels otherwise. Nadine & Wade have lots of fights and Grace tries to help them up. Nadine finally leaves him. | |||||
| 7 | "The Road to Paris, Texas" | Howard Murray | Alan Ball & Brett Butler | November 8, 1994 | |
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Nadine is living with Grace. When Grace gets a postcard from an Aunt Vivian, she goes on a road-trip with Nadine to meet her. She leaves the kids with Faith (who is doing Russell's laundry now). Wade visits them to hang out with Russell because he is too lonely. Their car breaks down and they go into a motel. Nadine tells Grace that Wade made out with an old girlfriend and that's why she is mad. Grace tries to explain, "perfectly good people sometimes do something stupid". Wade confesses to Russell about the old girlfriend and tells him that he misses Nadine. | |||||
| 8 | "Dear Grace" | Michael Lessac | Jeff Abugov, Bob Dolan Smith & Bill Masters | November 15, 1994 | |
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John's single & pregnant daughter Julia shows up and John refuses to speak to her. She asks for Grace's help to bridge the gap between them. Grace & Nadine sees Quentin in the mall & he refuses to recognise her so that he appears cool in front of this friends. When he does that at Russell's again, she embarrasses him on purpose. Wade asks for Russell's help to sell his pottery. Nadine buys all when Russell finds it difficult to sell it. | |||||
| 9 | "Cold Turkey" | Michael Lessac | Marc Flanagan & Kathy Ann Stumpe | November 22, 1994 | |
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The Kelly clan invades Grace's after Libby ditches their family's Thanksgiving feast. | |||||
| 10 | "Ka-Boom" | Michael Lessac | J.J. Wall | November 29, 1994 | |
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The oil refinery has an explosion & one of the night shift worker dies. Grace thinks that the kids will be upset that their mother has a dangerous job, but they don't seem to care or understand. Grace & the guys get to see a new Shrink at work. The oil refinery shuts down for inspection and Grace gets a substitute secretarial job. Dougie does very well but Grace is bored, scared & stressed and decides to see the shrink. Nadine & Wade decide to date again to give their marriage another chance. | |||||
| 11 | "Grace vs. Wade" | Michael Lessac | Alan Ball | December 6, 1994 | |
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Grace finds Wade underwear in the garage and discovers that Nadine is sleeping with him. Grace slips on the snow and hurts herself. She sees a massage therapist Travis Taylor & Wade's friend. Wade agrees to pay for it initially and when he sees a huge bill, he refuses. They get into a fight & Nadine takes Wade's side. They have a nice long talk and she goes back to Wade. Grace starts dating Travis. | |||||
| 12 | "The Holidays" | Michael Lessac | Kathy Ann Stumpe, Jeff Abugov & J.J. Wall | December 13, 1994 | |
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Included in Grace's Christmas package: an ex-mother-in-law with the holiday blues and an invitation to a dance with Dougie. | |||||
| 13 | "The Good Mother" | Howard Murray | Eric Brand & Robert Kurtz | January 3, 1995 | |
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Grace writes a story and sends it out to get it published. It is accepted and gets published with lots of changes. Quentin expresses his wish to go and live with Jimmy and Grace is mad to know that Jimmy is encouraging him. She finally agrees to send Quentin with Jimmy for 2 weeks. When Grace visits, she discovers that Jean & Ramona is helping Jimmy a lot. Jimmy drops him off after a week when he can't cope anymore. | |||||
| 14 | "No Money Down" | Howard Murray | Dave Thomas | January 17, 1995 | |
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Grace is not asked to write a story for the paper. Russell convinces Grace to go with him to a Real-Estate seminar in St. Claire, advertised on the TV even though she believe that its hoax. They leave Nadine & Wade in charge. She hopes that the seminar will make a nice news piece. Russell decides to buy one of the houses and he goes to see the house with Grace. They discover that it's a house that was seized by the bank from an old couple, who are now homeless. Russell backs off and looses $20,000 in the process. | |||||
| 15 | "Aging Gracefully" | Michael Lessac | Bill Masters, Bob Dylan Smith & Paul Raley | January 31, 1995 | |
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Travis suggests that they met each other's families. Travis gets along very well with the kids, but on the other hand, Grace thinks it's going too fast. Grace goes to meet Travis's daughter and sister. Grace tells Nadine that Travis reminds her of Jimmy and she says that she is having a "Post-Traumatic Jimmy Syndrome". She talks to Wade about it and then decides to break-up with Travis. Vic gets a toupee because he thinks his wife is having an affair with her ex-boyfriend. Everybody at work makes fun of him. | |||||
| 16 | "Hello, I'm Your Mother" | Michael Lessac | Jeff Abugov | February 7, 1995 | |
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Grace gets a letter from the boy she had when she was a teenager and put-up for adoption 19 years ago. She decides to call & then meet him. Mathew turns out to be a very nice boy in college. | |||||
| 17 | "Grace at the Campfire" | Michael Lessac | Hollis Rich | February 14, 1995 | |
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When Grace finds a camping tent in the garage, she decides to take the kids camping. The girl Melissa from the neighbouring campsite seems to like Quentin. At night Grace tells them a scary story. She later discovers that Quentin hit Melissa and then Quentin justifies himself by saying that "dad & you did that all the time". Grace gets mad at Jimmy for lying to Quentin. Grace then speaks to him but he refuses to understand. Meanwhile, Melissa's mother gets drunk and tells grace that she wants more passion from her husband. Jimmy promises to set things straight with Quentin. | |||||
| 18 | "Emmet Bypass" | Michael Lessac | J.J. Wall | February 21, 1995 | |
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During Patrick's third birthday, Emmet gets some chest pain. Jean & Jimmy are unconcerned and think its indigestion. Grace insists on going to the hospital. They discover there that Emmet needs a bypass. Jean and Grace keep fighting and Jean blames her for everything. | |||||
| 19 | "Matthew Come Home" | Michael Lessac | Paul Raley | February 28, 1995 | |
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Mathew visits Grace to meet his half-brothers and half-sister. Quentin is very upset about Mathew. When Grace asks Mathew to leave the room so that she can speak to Quentin, he leaves the house. She then speaks to Quentin about Mathew. They are come together for dinner again and seem to get along. | |||||
| 20 | "A Night at the Opera" | Michael Lessac | Alan Ball | March 14, 1995 | |
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Grace is stressed out and Nadine suggests doing something new. She decides to go and see an Opera & winds two tickets to an Opera in St. Louis, in a radio contest. She is not able to find anyone to go with & decides to alone. She gets ready with the help of a stylist. Grace meets an Italian guy there and she thinks Nadine has sent him. She gives the extra ticket to him. They have a very nice time and later she realizes that Nadine did not send him. Russell takes Grace to St. Louis and she him to go and meet his father who resides there. | |||||
| 21 | "Memphis Bound" | Michael Lessac | Alan Ball & Marc Flanagan | March 29, 1995 | |
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Grace and Faith head to Memphis for Evie's wedding, and Russell (who recently broke up with Faith) goes along to see Graceland. She meets Evie's fiancé there and he hits on her. Evie is not thrilled to see Grace. When Grace tells Evie about Steve, she tells her that it wasn't the first time and she was just trying to change him. During the wedding, Evie walks out on Steve. | |||||
| 22 | "Sticks and Stones" | Michael Lessac | Bill Masters | April 5, 1995 | |
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When the coach drops off Quentin from a softball game, Quentin has an eye injury. He tells her that he got into a fight with a new kid (Charles Brisco) and Grace has to meet the teacher. The teacher tells Grace that Quentin used a racial slur (The N word) against Charles (who is black). Grace is very upset and asks Quentin to apologize. John tells all that he has finished 40 years in the company. The guys throw a dinner party for him, where Grace embarasses him by mistake. | |||||
| 23 | "Mother & Son & Father Reunion" | Howard Murray | Kathy Ann Stumpe | May 3, 1995 | |
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Grace locates Mathew's bilogical father. She meets him and tells him about Mathew. He refuses to meet his son. Mathew is deeply hurt, but accepts it. One day when he visits Grcae, Mathew walks in & they meet. Russell's father is in town and he helps out Russell in his pharmacy. | |||||
| 24 | "When It Rains, They Pour" | Howard Murray | J.J. Wall & Bill Masters | May 10, 1995 | |
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Quentin's coach, Ben Fletcher asks out Grace. Later Kurt calls her and asks her out too. She visits Russell and meets Ryan there. He also asks her out. When Grace is leaving for her date with Ben, the pizza delivery guy (Ray) asks her out. She & Nadine wonder what tthese men could possibly have in common. Next day when Grace visits Jimmy in a AA meeting, she meets Ryan, Ben & Ray there which makes a very awkward situation. When Grace is on a date with Ryan, she meets Russell & his new date. She also gets a letter from Traivis from a drug rehab. Grace goes out with Ben again. | |||||
| 25 | "You Can Lead a Horse to Water..." | Howard Murray | Stephen Nathan | May 17, 1995 | |
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Grace is ready to take her relationship with Ben to the next level, but he leaves her wanting for more, when he kisses her and leaves. He later confesses that he wants to observe Celebacy till there is some commitment. Grace is a bit upset at first, but when she talks about it he becomes ready. Vic appears very tired and distracted at work. He tells Dougie that he & his wife are trying and she is keeping him very busy. Grace thinks that he is having drinking problem. | |||||
| 26 | "Jimmy Goes Away" | Howard Murray | Jeff Abugov | May 24, 1995 | |
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Nadine tries to predict Grace's future using cards and tells her that something will happen. Jimmy walks in and makes fun of them. Jimmy announces that he got a job as dispatcher and he has to move to Ohio. Grace invites Jimmy to dinner and talk to the kids. Russell tells Grace that he needs a date for a business event and Grace agrees. After the event, a guy behaves very rudely and it scares her a lot. She discusses it with Jimmy before he leaves. | |||||
Season 3: 1995–1996
| # | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
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| 1 | "Great Eggspectations" | Michael Lessac | Danny Zuker | September 13, 1995 | |
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To Grace's great shock, Nadine asks her to donate an egg so she and Wade can become parents. | |||||
| 2 | "Movin' on Down" | Michael Lessac | Miriam Trogdon | September 20, 1995 | |
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Downsizing becomes a problem for Grace as she discovers that her job was not eliminated but usurped by her boss. | |||||
| 3 | "Grace and Rick and the Dance of Doom" | Art Wolff | J.J. Wall | September 27, 1995 | |
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While her relationship with Ben is waning, Rick asks her out on a date. | |||||
| 4 | "The Breakup" | Phil Ramuno | Holly Hester | October 4, 1995 | |
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Grace faces a problem as she starts a relationship with Rick before she terminates Ben. | |||||
| 5 | "Grace Under a Wig" | Michael Lessac | Tim Doyle | October 18, 1995 | |
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Grace is tired of kids, so she puts on a wig and goes to a bar where she assumes another identity. | |||||
| 6 | "Daycare" | Michael Lessac | Kevin Abbott | November 1, 1995 | |
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Grace demands that a day care center be provided at work when she can't find a suitable sitter. | |||||
| 7 | "Matthew Gets Busted" | Michael Lessac | Paul Raley | November 8, 1995 | |
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Grace and Matthew's adoptive mother get in a hassle after Grace bails him out when he is arrested for a college prank. | |||||
| 8 | "Grace Really Under Fire" | Michael Lessac | Bryan Moore, Joan Binder Weiss & Kimberly Kessler | November 15, 1995 | |
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A disgruntled ex-employee takes the gang hostage at the refinery. | |||||
| 9 | "Thanks for Nothing" | Jack O'Brien | Pat Bullard | November 22, 1995 | |
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Grace is annoyed by the friendliness of Rick and Jean, whose husband has gone fishing, at the Thanksgiving feast. | |||||
| 10 | "Sleeping Together" | Michael Lessac | Paul Raley | November 29, 1995 | |
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Grace and Rick get together, but will it last? | |||||
| 11 | "Emmet's Secret" | Michael Lessac | Donald R. Beck | December 6, 1995 | |
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Grace accidently learns something about Emmet and Wade considers running for city council. | |||||
| 12 | "Emmet, We Hardly Knew Ye" | Michael Lessac | J.J. Wall | December 20, 1995 | |
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The Kelly's Christmas celebration is dampened when Emmet dies suddenly and his 'significant other' appears at the funeral and shocks everyone by announcing that fact. | |||||
| 13 | "Daddy's Girl" | Michael Lessac | Ric Swartzlander | January 3, 1996 | |
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The title refers to Rick's daughter, Amy, who is rather ill-mannered and not Grace's cup of tea, but controls Rick. | |||||
| 14 | "No Help Wanted" | Michael Lessac | Stevie Ray Fromstein | January 10, 1996 | |
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Grace's fear of being dependent causes her to turn down offers of help from her family and friends. | |||||
| 15 | "Good Neighbor Sam" | Michael Lessac | Ric Swartzlander | January 24, 1996 | |
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A neighbor's son starts hanging out at Grace's house and she finds he is escaping from a 'perfect' mother. Meanwhile, Wade discovers his name has been engraved on a veterans' memorial. | |||||
| 16 | "Positively Hateful" | Michael Lessac | Tim Doyle | February 7, 1996 | |
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When the nasty janitor is about to be fired for being HIV+, Grace is reluctant to help him. Rick instructs Quentin on how to behave on his first date. | |||||
| 17 | "Why Buy the Bull?" | Michael Lessac | Holly Hester | February 14, 1996 | |
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Grace is just about set to move in with Rick when he loses his job | |||||
| 18 | "Love Thy Neighbor" | John Bowab | Geoffrey Miller | February 21, 1996 | |
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The new Afro-American neighbors are coming for dinner. | |||||
| 19 | "Pregnant Pause" | Alan Myerson | Donald R. Beck | February 28, 1996 | |
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Nadine has some big news for Grace. | |||||
| 20 | "Broads for Broader Horizons" | Phil Ramuno | Sonya Gay Bourn | March 13, 1996 | |
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The creative writing teacher and Grace are not tuned to the same frequency and trouble ensues. | |||||
| 21 | "Head Games" | John Bowab | Ric Swartzlander | March 20, 1996 | |
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Quentin creates the impression at school that he is seriously ill and Grandma Jean has a new beau with an amazing past. | |||||
| 22 | "Mr. Mullens' Opus" | Gary Halvorson | Stevie Ray Fromstein | April 3, 1996 | |
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While working for a crisis hot-line, Grace encounters the nasty janitor, Mullens, again and he hasn't improved. | |||||
| 23 | "Take Me to Your Breeder" | Howard Murray | Paul Raley | May 1, 1996 | |
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Grace is sent home after a toxic spill at the plant and has an hallucination that her late father comes to talk to her. | |||||
| 24 | "Guess Who's Not Coming to Lunch?" | Peter Baldwin | Danny Zuker | May 8, 1996 | |
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Libby has been suffering from stomach pangs and Grace finds out they are from a stress-related ulcer. | |||||
| 25 | "You Go Girl" | John Bowab | Pat Bullard | May 15, 1996 | |
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Rick, who is under the influence, proposes to Grace who is inclined to accept until she learns of his new job site and Russell is invited to his detested ex-wife's wedding. | |||||
Season 4: 1996–1997
| # | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
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| 1 | "This Sold House" | John Bowab | Holly Hester | September 18, 1996 | |
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After years of doing improvements on her rental house, Grace learns that her landlord is putting it on the market. Grace and Nadine attempt to discourage potential buyers, but the house is sold. When Libby's "pet" squirrel bites her, Wade, Russell and Floyd round up all the neighborhood squirrels so the culprit can be identified and tested for rabies. Libby is devastated to learn that the rabies test required killing the squirrel, and she tearfully "runs away" to the deserted, ramshackle house across the street. Grace follows her there to console her, and after seeing the inside of the house, decides to buy it and fix it up. | |||||
| 2 | "Neither a Borrower nor a Roofer Be" | John Bowab | J.J. Wall | September 25, 1996 | |
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When Russell's ex-wife Barbara shows up with her current boy-toy in tow and says she's dragging Russell back to court to have her alimony payments raised, Russell thinks he's doomed, but Grace says they should investigate Barbara's finances and Russell should take a stand in the name of working women everywhere. At the hearing, Grace reveals that Barbara owns a condominium complex that she hadn't reported, and the judge orders her to return much of her alimony to Russell. Jean offers Grace a loan to fix up the house and, although she claims to have an extremely busy social life with her many friends, even suggests she could move in to help with expenses. Grace bluntly turns her down on both offers, but when Floyd pressures Russell to offer Grace a $5,000 loan for a new roof, Russell hesitantly complies and Grace takes him up on it. And Grace is touched when she learns that the friends Jean claims to be spending time with are really the names of characters in a book that Jean has been reading. | |||||
| 3 | "Quentin Returns" | John Bowab | Paul Raley | October 2, 1996 | |
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Russell asks Grace to be his date at the dance at the Victory Country Club where he's applying for membership; though Grace can't imagine why he'd want to associate with such a bunch of snobs, she agrees to attend the dance. Jimmy brings Quentin home after spending the summer with him in Ohio, and Quentin couldn't be angrier with Jimmy. When Grace learns that the reason for Quentin's anger is that he wanted to keep living with Jimmy, she talks to Jimmy who says he wants to be more of a father to the kids, so he's moving back to Victory. Wade goes to take the test to become a garbage collector and comes home with a job as a police officer. At the dance, Russell proves he's willing to go to any lengths to be come a country club member. | |||||
| 4 | "Grace and Sailor Bob" | John Bowab | Ric Swartzlander | October 9, 1996 | |
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Dougie moves into Grace's garage apartment, and it soon becomes apparent that he's a forty-two year old man who still needs his mother. Grace comes up against a brick wall in her attempts to communicate with Quentin. Libby gets a present from the sailor she's writing to as part of a class project and confesses to Grace that she's never told him her age; Grace says Libby will have to stop the deception, but it's too late as sailor Bob arrives in the Kelly's driveway. Grace is determined to straighten everything out until she gets a look at Bob; she then says she's Libby and goes on a date with Bob to a Star Trek convention, but Libby resents that she's lost her new friend to Grace, and Grace finally tells Bob what's really going on. | |||||
| 5 | "Dating Buddies" | John Bowab | Matt Berry | October 23, 1996 | |
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Grace and Russell are so bored with their lives that they decide to go out on a pretend date. Grace and the guys at the refinery learn that they've been fired and rehired as independent contractors which means they'll get no benefits. The guys decide to stage a group protest on the decision; they don't get their benefits back, but they do get free coffee. On her pretend date, Grace meets Rob, a very attractive man who she thinks would be great for cheap, meaningless sex, and agrees to go out with him, but when he comes to pick her up she discovers he's far too intelligent to use as a sex object, so they just go for coffee. And Wade and Nadine go back to the lakeside cottage where they spent their honeymoon, but all they do is go fishing. | |||||
| 6 | "The Ghost and Mrs. Kelly" | John Bowab | David Nichols | October 30, 1996 | |
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Grace finds some of Mrs. Walker's old dresses and tells Libby she can use one of them for a Halloween costume. Jean's chairlift suddenly stops working, and Wade agrees to have a look at the wiring in the house, but Libby says that Mrs. Walker's ghost, who she claims to have seen around the house, probably has something to do with the problem. Grace meets Tom at a Halloween party and then learns that he's Reverend Maxwell from Jean's church-the minister that Jean's always raving about. Tom Maxwell stops buy and asks Grace out on a date; she accepts and they have a terrific evening and a great conversation in which Grace encourages Tom to have the courage to pursue his dreams. Patrick tells Grace that there's a ghost outside, and an unbelieving Grace gives him a water pistol and tells him to squirt the ghost, but when she and Libby find a warm pie in the backyard and no one else is around, even Grace begins to wonder. | |||||
| 7 | "Road to Nowhere" | John Bowab | Donald R. Beck | November 6, 1996 | |
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Jimmy's back in town to stay, and, on Grace's recommendation, he gets a job at the refinery, but his first day is a disaster, and Nadine and Wade say she shouldn't jeopardize her job for someone who used to treat her so badly; Grace, however, says that Jimmy's a different person than he was when they were married and he deserves to make a fresh start. Quentin goes to Jimmy for advice on dating, and he suggests that Quentin go on a practice date with a friend before asking out the girl he really likes. Grace goes to the motel where Jimmy's staying and finds Jean there with her son. Jimmy's depressed and thinks he'll lose his job (in reality, Grace's co-workers have been sabotaging him as revenge for the way he used to treat Grace) but he says he'll never leave his kids again. Jean reproaches Grace for all the "lies" she told about Jimmy abusing her, but Jimmy makes Jean face the fact that the things Grace said were true. And Grace is livid when she hears about Jimmy's advice to Quentin. | |||||
| 8 | "Redeeming Jimmy" | John Bowab | Stevie Ray Formstien | November 13, 1996 | |
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Jimmy's back in town to stay, and, on Grace's recommendation, he gets a job at the refinery, but his first day is a disaster, and Nadine and Wade say she shouldn't jeopardize her job for someone who used to treat her so badly; Grace, however, says that Jimmy's a different person than he was when they were married and he deserves to make a fresh start. Quentin goes to Jimmy for advice on dating, and he suggests that Quentin go on a practice date with a friend before asking out the girl he really likes. Grace goes to the motel where Jimmy's staying and finds Jean there with her son. Jimmy's depressed and thinks he'll lose his job (in reality, Grace's co-workers have been sabotaging him as revenge for the way he used to treat Grace) but he says he'll never leave his kids again. Jean reproaches Grace for all the "lies" she told about Jimmy abusing her, but Jimmy makes Jean face the fact that the things Grace said were true. And Grace is livid when she hears about Jimmy's advice to Quentin. | |||||
| 9 | "The Show-Me State" | John Bowab | Holly Hester | November 20, 1996 | |
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When Libby's poem wins the "Why I Love My State" contest, Grace, Nadine and Libby go to New York for the national competition. Rick follows Grace to New York to tell her that he's about to get married but will call it off if she still has feelings for him. Libby meets a cute boy who's also a contestant and tells Grace she wants him to win; Grace's tells her she's disappointed that Libby would lose her competitive spirit for the sake of a boy's approval. And Grace tells Rick that she still loves him but that their feelings for each other apparently aren't enough for them to have a life together. They regretfully part, unsure if they'll ever see each other again. | |||||
| 10 | "Fire Music" | John Bowab | J.J. Wall | November 24, 1996 | |
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Grace, Libby and Nadine are still in New York, and Grace is obsessing that she's somehow failed to make this the perfect trip for Libby. Back in Victory, Russell is taken over babysitting chores, and, though he's wary of Quentin, it's Patrick who inflicts the torture. When Grace accidentally locks herself along with Libby and Nadine out on their hotel room balcony, Terry, a handsome fireman, comes to their rescue, but Grace is irritated by his condescending attitude toward out-of-towners. Later, at a jazz club Terry recommended, Grace is surprised to see him on-stage performing. Grace and Terry spend the evening together at his place where Grace meets Terry's son Robby who's just been dropped off by Terry's ex-wife. Grace marvels at how much she and Terry have in common but thinks that starting a long-distance relationship after just having her heart broken by Rick would be insane. | |||||
| 11 | "Grace Tests Out" | John Bowab | Sid Youngers | December 4, 1996 | |
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With Grace at work all day and taking college classes at night, the kids are a little resentful that she's away so much and let Grace know it, and when she learns that the refinery will no longer pay for her classes it's the last straw. She knows she has no way to pay for her education, so when she learns that she can take a proficiency test to get many of the credits she needs, she's faced with a dilemma. She's scheduled to work the day of the test, and no one can switch with her, so it's her education or her dead-end job. Her co-workers remind her that she really needs her job--her children are depending on her, but the kids say they'll support whatever decision she makes. Grace actually shows up for work the day of the test, but a conversation with her boss, John Shirley, convinces her that she has do what she knows is the right thing and quit her job. | |||||
| 12 | "A Holly Jolly Christmas" | John Bowab | Ric Swartzlander | December 18, 1996 | |
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Holiday festivities are underway in the Kelly household with Jean making her famous punch loaf to Grace's dismay and Jimmy's delight. Floyd is so much in the holiday spirit that he's giving away the entire inventory at the pharmacy, and an exasperated Russell decides to get rid of him by sending him on a cruise. Grace gets suspicious of Quentin's mellow mood and at first thinks that he's been drinking beer with his friends. When it dawns on her that he's been smoking pot, she fears that she's about to see him repeating all her teenage mistakes and decides that "tough love" is the only way to handle the situation. | |||||
| 13 | "Matthew's Old Lady" | John Bowab | David Nichols & Nancy Hernandez | January 8, 1997 | |
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When Matthew shows up at Grace's and announces he's about to marry Joan, a woman old enough to be his mother who also happens to be pregnant, Grace tries to keep her cool, especially when Matthew tells her his adoptive mother has no objections. But when Grace speaks to Emily, she learns that the only reason she didn't object was that Matthew seemed so adamant about marrying this woman. As the wedding day gets nearer, Joan confesses to Grace that although she definitely wants the baby, she doesn't want to marry Matthew in spite of how determined he seems to go through with the marriage. When Grace confronts Matthew about Joan's feelings, Matthew says he wants to marry Joan because he won't abandon this child. Grace understands that Matthew feels on some level that he himself was abandoned by her, and she tells him that he can still be very much a part of the baby's life without marrying the baby's mother. | |||||
| 14 | "Grace of Wrath" | David Trainer | Mike Larson | January 15, 1997 | |
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Grace is going crazy trying to finish her paper on "The Grapes of Wrath," and she keeps reminding Quentin that he also has a book report that's due. When Martha, one of Grace's classmates, says she's apartment hunting, Grace jumps at the chance to have her as a tenant. Martha moves in with her parrot, Ignatius, and Libby and Quentin are both charmed by her. Even Jean thinks she's great, but Wade says he thinks he's met her before but just can't place her until he sees the parrot and realizes that Martha is a stripper that he knows from patrolling the strip club where she works. Grace has no problem with Martha's profession and admires her efforts to continue her education. Grace encounters Mrs. Sheffield who tells her she's given Quentin a C+ on his "Grapes of Wrath" book report, and Grace confronts Quentin about stealing her work. And when Martha drops out of school and moves back to St. Louis without even saying goodbye to the kids, Grace feels Martha has let both them and her down again. | |||||
| 15 | "Wade's Partner" | Phil Rumano | Paul Raley | January 29, 1997 | |
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Libby reminds Grace of their deal that if she could keep her goldfish alive for six months, Grace would buy her a dog. Tomorrow, Libby tells Grace, Fishy Fishman will be six months old, and a deal's a deal. Grace is willing to do anything in her powder to convince Libby that a dog isn't a good idea. Wade drops by to introduce Ted, his new partner. Grace tells Russell about Fishy Fishman's upcoming birthday, and Russell says a lot can happen overnight, but Grace warns him not to try anything. Wade and Ted return to Grace's and want to see Quentin; some kids climbed the fence of the Victory Country Club the previous night, went skinny-dipping in the pool, put lipstick on a statue of Ben Hogan and made off with some very expensive golf clubs. Against Wade's wishes, Ted insists on taking Quentin in and booking him unless he's willing to rat on his friends. At first Grace gives Wade a hard time until she finds out this isn't his idea. | |||||
| 16 | "Pills" | Alan Myerson | Steive Ray Formstien | February 5, 1997 | |
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Russell thinks all his friends are being disloyal because they're shopping at the new chain store pharmacy that's opened in the neighborhood. Libby is so involved in planning her birthday party that it's become an obsession, while Quentin is so eager to get a driver's license that he's letting Wade, Russell and even Jean give him driving lessons. Grace's back problems have gotten so bad that even Stevie Ray at the bar notices that she's in pain. She's taking more and more pills and is falling asleep so much that at one point Libby has trouble getting her to wake up. Nadine, Wade, Russell and Jean do a sort of intervention, and Grace reacts angrily and defensively. But when she realizes that Jake, the guy at the bar who's supported her in her pill consumption, is not a shoe salesman as she thought but really a drug dealer, she's so disgusted that she calls Jimmy and tells him she has a problem. Jimmy is completely supportive and promises to be there for her as she works through her problem | |||||
| 17 | "Waiting for Peugeot" | David Trainer | Matt Berry | February 12, 1997 | |
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Grace tells Quentin that he can't get a driver's license until he improves his grades just as Jimmy arrives driving a 1969 red GTO and announces that he bought the car for Quentin using Quentin's college fund to pay for it. Grace insists that Jimmy has to return the car and get the money back, but Jimmy suggests that maybe Quentin isn't really cut out for college. Quentin says he'll keep a straight A average if Grace will let him keep the car, but Grace won't hear of it. At the car lot Grace encounters Rob, a guy she's dated sporadically, and learns that he's the one that sold Jimmy the car; Rob agrees to resell the car, and Grace agrees to go out with him again. Rob tells Grace he hopes their relationship can move to another level, beyond a mere physical relationship to a committed one. Grace doesn't know how to respond; she tells Nadine she's not sure she wants anything more than what they already have--after all she doesn't have a great track record, but Rob is a smart, multi-faceted guy. | |||||
| 18 | "Birthin' Babies" | David Trainer | Donald R. Beck | February 19, 1997 | |
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Grace brings Rob home to meet her kids just as Nadine announces that the baby's on it's way; Wade's off on an undercover assignment so Grace has to take her to the hospital, leaving Rob alone with Libby and Patrick. Grace and Nadine reminisce about how Nadine was always around when Grace delivered all her kids. Grace flashes back to how Jimmy stole hundreds of dollars worth of toys as presents for Quentin and is caught by the police and how she had to take baby Quentin to the county jail so his dad could see him for the first time. Grace and Nadine arrive at the hospital, and Wade is still nowhere to be found; Grace takes over as Nadine's Lamaze coach. Grace flashes back to when Libby was born and Nadine took her to the hospital because Jimmy wanted to go hunting. Grace tries to coach Nadine, who's in great pain, as Grace remembers when Patrick was born, and again it's Nadine who's with her, not Jimmy. On the way to the delivery room Nadine says she's changed her mind about having this baby with Grace. | |||||
| 19 | "Vegas" | David Trainer | Holly Hester | February 26, 1997 | |
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When Grace isn't invited to Rick's weekend getaway because he has made plans with someone else, Grace decides to go Vegas for the weekend with Jean, Jean wins it big on the slots and Grace finds out she is only lucky for other people and not herself. | |||||
| 20 | "Jimmy Moves In" | David Trainer | Geoffrey Miller | March 12, 1997 | |
| 21 | "Quentin Gets His Gun" | Phil Rumano | Ric Swartzlander | March 26, 1997 | |
| 22 | "Sam's Dad" | David Trainer | Joan Binder Weiss & David Weiss | April 9, 1997 | |
| 23 | "Grace Graduates" | David Trainer | Stephanie Philips | April 30, 1997 | |
| 24 | "Rob vs. Jimmy" | Ron Moseley | Bryan Moore | May 6, 1997 | |
| 25 | "Grace's New Job" | David Trainer | Sid Youngers | May 7, 1997 | |
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Grace gets a new job at an advertising company and shockingly, her misery brings something new and improved. | |||||
Season 5: 1997–1998
| # | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Smells Like Victory" | Gary Halvorson | Tom Straw | November 25, 1997 | |
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Grace arrives home very late from her job in St. Louis and finds the kids still up, the house in disarray, Jean asleep on the sofa and Libby cleaning the kitchen. The next day Grace gets an unexpected work assignment and Libby must cancel her plans to go to the bookstore with Grace. Later they all go to a construction site where a bridge is being built, to see the large tractors. At the site, they're approached by an African American man who Jean thinks is about to mug them, but he's D.C., the owner of the company that's building the bridge. They talk briefly, and when Patrick gets his arm caught in a piece of equipment, D.C. rescues him and gives Grace some grief about working out of town and not being around for her kids. On Sunday night, as Grace is preparing to leave for St. Louis, she realizes it's getting more and more difficult for her to leave her family. When everyone gets up in the morning, Grace is there cooking breakfast. She's quit her job. | |||||
| 2 | "Grace Under Construction" | James Hampton | Matt Ember | December 2, 1997 | |
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Grace is in search of a job and Libby is worried that they're going to be poor again. Russell knows D.C. is looking for an assistant and suggests that he hire Grace, but D.C. says Grace talks too much and would give him attitude. He relents and offers Grace the job. She arrives at work and immediately begins making suggestions. D.C. says he'd like her to do what she was hired for and do it quietly. He's afraid she'll never be able to keep her mouth shut and thinks he'll probably have to fire her before the end of the day. But when D. C. realizes that Grace has saved the company several hundred dollars by effectively dealing with a stubborn delivery man, he says she can hang around for a while. Wade tells Grace that he and Nadine have been fighting over the phone since she's been at her mother's. Grace suggests that he put his feelings in writing, but he misunderstands and sends an angry letter to Nadine. And Grace introduces Wade to Dot, who tells him he needs a haircut. | |||||
| 3 | "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" | Phil Ramuno | Mark Solomon | December 9, 1997 | |
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Wade's back from Colorado and tells Grace that he and Nadine are splitting up. He also tells her he's heard that some kids were partying down by the quarry, and it's possible Quentin may have been there. Libby tells Grace that Quentin has a new girlfriend. When Grace questions Quentin, he volunteers nothing and accuses her of not trusting him. Grace tells Quentin she'll try to back off a bit, but he'll have to meet her halfway. He admits that he and his girlfriend Laurie stopped by the party, but they didn't drink and they're not having sex. Grace is greatly relieved until Russell accidentally reveals that Quentin's been in the pharmacy buying condoms. When Grace confronts Quentin, he's on the defensive and demands his privacy. She tells him she just wants to be there for him and give him the benefit of some life lessons she's learned. | |||||
| 4 | "Mother Christmas" | Ron Moseley | Stephanie Phillips | December 16, 1997 | |
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Louise, Grace's mom, arrives for the holidays, surprising everyone. Louise has definite ideas about how little girls are to be brought up and she disapproves of Libby's tomboy behavior. Her mission is to turn Libby into a demure young lady, and she starts with a present to Libby of ballet slippers. Grace has no use for Louise's attempts to mold Libby into the lady that Grace never was. She likes the strong, independent Libby and doesn't want her to change. And Libby is feeling quite uncomfortable from all the pressure she's getting from her grandmother. Meanwhile, Russell is selling ""Photos With Santa"" at the pharmacy with Quentin doing the photography, but Russell's disappointed when Dot refuses to pose in a silly elf costume | |||||
| 5 | "A River Runs Through Him" | David Trainer | Paul Raley | December 23, 1997 | |
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Jean is upset, complaining that the new bridge will cut off Emmet's (grave) view of the river, so Grace suggests that she move the grave site. Jimmy and Quentin attempt to do that and Russell takes Dot to the gambling boat, but won't gamble. | |||||
| 6 | "Finders Keepers" | David Trainer | Ed Yeager | December 23, 1997 | |
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Libby wants to go to Washington on a class trip, but Grace can't afford to send her. A tornado has hit Victory and there has been much destruction: the church steeple blew off, and an armored car from the casino took a direct hit and money flew all over town. After the storm, Quentin finds a cloth bag by the house with two-hundred-thousand-dollars in it. Everyone has an idea about how they could use the money, but Grace makes it clear that they'll be returning it. The casino management calls a press conference to thank the Kellys for returning the money, but when Grace hands over the bag, twenty-thousand -dollars is missing. Grace is interrogated for hours. She's afraid Jimmy took the money, and Wade makes her furious by hinting that maybe she took it herself. But when Grace finds the missing money in the cookie jar, Jean confesses she took the money to help the church rebuild. As Grace returns the rest of the money, she cleverly tells a TV reporter that the casino has offered to pay for | |||||
| 7 | "Riverboat Queen" | James Hampton | Nick LeRose | December 30, 1997 | |
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D.C. has a chance to bid on a hotel job for one of the biggest developers in the Midwest. Grace tells him he's going to have to make an extra effort to schmooze the guy and make him feel at ease, even though it isn't D.C.'s style. D.C. tells Grace she should join them for dinner. At dinner with Davis Walsh, the developer, things are a bit awkward, but Davis seems attracted to Grace. Davis is paged and excuses himself, and D.C. tells Grace she should play up to Davis for the sake of their getting the job. Grace immediately learns that it's actually D.C. that Davis is attracted to. When Davis again leave the table, Grace tells D.C. that he's the one who's going to have to do a little flirting. Russell has good feelings about his new relationship with Dot, who has agreed to a second date with him. At dinner with Russell, Dot tells him she likes being with him but wants things to move slowly. Russell agrees, but he's busted when a strolling hypnotist puts him under and he tells the whole r | |||||
| 8 | "The Victory Tree" | David Trainer | Mark Legan | December 30, 1997 | |
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Libby visits the bridge construction site on a field trip and discovers that the Victory Tree that holds a significant place in the town's history is to be cut down. She's very upset, so Grace suggests she start a letter writing campaign to save the tree. Libby even stages a demonstration at the site, which makes D.C. irate that construction has been halted. He thinks the whole thing is Grace's fault because she's the one who suggested the field trip. Libby's amazed that Grace doesn't share her concern for the tree; but Grace tells her the bridge is important too, both for the town and for their family. A town meeting is called to discuss the fate of the tree. When D.C. tells everyone that the bridge represents thirty- million-dollars in revenue for the town, it's certain that the Victory Tree is doomed, but Grace demands that Libby also be allowed to have her say. Also, Russell has expanded his store and has built a fancy soda fountain. Russell used the town meeting as a chance to plu | |||||
| 9 | "Grace Under-funded" | David Trainer | Tom Reeder | January 6, 1998 | |
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Grace buys some new clothes for the first time in years and the next day learns that her paycheck will be late because D.C. is having trouble getting his payroll money from the government. On the way home from work, Grace's car catches fire, and will need a couple thousand-dollar's worth of repair. Jean volunteers to loan her the money, but the bank tells Jean that her account, which is also in Jimmy's name, has insufficient funds. There is a two-thousand-dollar withdrawal that Jean knows nothing about. When Grace and Jean investigate, they learn that Jimmy took the money to purchase swans, which he'd been persuaded were going to be the next food craze. Not knowing that swans fly, he built a pen with no top, and the swans flew away along with Jean's money. Meanwhile, a burglar has been hitting pharmacies in Victory, and Wade persuades Russell to let him set up a stake-out. And Grace and D.C. are forced to go to the federal building in St. Louis to take on the bureaucrats to get the mon | |||||
| 10 | "Digging Up the Dirt" | Ron Moseley | David Kemkey & Keith Leslie | January 13, 1998 | |
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When D.C. and Grace have a meeting in a motel with an equipment supplier, gossip that they're having an affair flies around Victory. Jean gets the news at the fabric store, Libby hears it while going door to door for the school candy sale, and Wade hears the rumor that D.C. was at a motel with a prostitute. D.C. is upset that the rumors will cause Grace's co-workers to suspect favoritism, but Grace refuses to let the situation bother her. She flippantly starts a couple of stories of her own – that Russell's adopted, that a certain teacher in town has posed for a nudie magazine, and that the Kellys' neighbor Earl has been burying bodies in the backyard. Things backfire on Grace when it's revealed that Russell is adopted but Floyd has never gotten around to telling him. Mrs. Sheffield sheepishly reveals to Grace that she may be the teacher in question; she did pose, but it was as an underwear model in the Sears catalogue. The police arrive at Earl's and dig up his backyard where he's bee | |||||
| 11 | "Fire in the Hole" | Phil Ramuno | Paul Raley | January 20, 1998 | |
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Wade shows up with Dan Gabriel, his old commanding officer in Vietnam, who's now a covert operations/demolition expert. Dan and Grace begin a verbal sparring match almost immediately. He's a warrior and a hard-core conservative, and Grace hates everything he stands for. Later, Dan has no trouble winning over Jean, and he talks to Libby about how to use psychological intimidation to defend herself against a bully who put gum in her hair. An angry Grace tells Dan to keep himself and his violent approach to life away from her kids, but their conversation ends in a passionate kiss. Grace is horrified that she's madly attracted to a guy she hates, and it's obvious that Dan's equally attracted. But Dan dives into the river to do some demolition work for D.C. and doesn't come back out. Everyone assumes he's dead, but later, Dan, very much alive, appears at Grace's and tells her he faked his death because he needs to disappear for awhile, but he'll be back to see her. | |||||
| 12 | "Fall from Grace" | James Hampton & Howard Murray | Ben Gramin & Sonya Gay Bourn | February 3, 1998 | |
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At the construction site, Grace feels the resentment of her co-worker, Derrick, who wanted the job Grace has. Grace, who has asked D.C. for more responsibilities, is surprised when her old pal Vic from the oil refinery shows up and says he's desperate for a job. D.C. leaves the decision to Grace, who's on the spot because she knows that Vic is lazy. Feeling sorry for him, she tells him he can have the job, but warns him he can't let her down. Vic immediately begins to slack off and Derrick is smug that Grace has made a poor decision on hiring Vic. D.C. warns her that Vic better shape up or they'll both be out on the street, and points out that Vic is now up on a scaffold without a safety harness eating his lunch, even though lunch hour is long over. He tells Grace to go up and have Vic come down. Grace has vertigo but reluctantly goes after Vic. She orders him to put on a harness and come down and as he does, he falls to the ground and is rushed to the emergency room. Also, D.C. somewh | |||||
| 13 | "Grace Under Class" | James Hampton | Lois Bromfield | February 10, 1998 | |
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Grace stops by the pharmacy while Quentin's working at the soda fountain. Quentin's girlfriend Laurie is there, and Grace meets her for the first time. She also sees the expensive backpack Laurie has bought Quentin. Laurie has also bought Quentin expensive pants and a new camera. At home, Grace announces she's finally paid off her credit card and they're going to celebrate with a shrimp dinner. Quentin says to count him out since he's having dinner at the country club with Laurie and her parents. Grace voices her disapproval, and Quentin says she's just jealous that Laurie's family can buy him things that she can't. Grace meets Bev, Laurie's mother, and discovers that they agree about the presents to Quentin, and also find they have a lot in common. Maxine, a newly divorced woman, makes a pass at Russell at the pharmacy, and he's tempted, but instead he confesses to Dot that he's been thinking about someone else and feels guilty. Libby interviews D.C. for her school newspaper and voice | |||||
| 14 | "Down in the Boondocks" | Gary Halvorson | Janet Leahy | February 17, 1998 | |
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At the pharmacy, Russell and D.C. get into a disagreement about a watch D.C. tries on that breaks before he has a chance to buy it. Grace runs into Bev, Quentin's girlfriend's mother, at the pharmacy. Bev tells her she's feeling suffocated in her marriage; being rich isn't that great. Grace has a hard time relating to Bev's problems. Grace is at home being driven crazy by Libby's trumpet practicing when Bev comes by and announces she'd like to stay with Grace for a while to get back to her middle class roots. Grace agrees to let her, though Quentin's upset to have to live under the same roof with his girlfriend's mother. It soon becomes clear that Bev is having as much trouble adapting to life at the Kellys as they are having her there. She takes two showers in the morning and depletes all the hot water and uses four towels a day. Grace thinks Bev could solve all her problems with an honest talk with her husband, but Bev disagrees. Grace takes Bev out to a bar to show her how dismal si | |||||