Growing Pains: Season 3
Season 3 Lore Primer
Key plot threads, lore context, and character stakes you need to remember before diving into this season.
- Directly follows the overarching narrative developments of Growing Pains Season 2.
- Faction dynamics and core character alliances shift under escalating external stakes.
- Crucial mysteries introduced previously reach key turning points and narrative reckonings.
- Sets up serialized story arcs that build directly toward the climactic season finale.
Episode Guide
Season 3 Progress Shield
Aloha
Sep 18, 1987
The family is stranded in Maui. Ben videotapes Mike and Carol's Hawaiian romances.
Not Necessarily the News
Sep 29, 1987
The family scrambles to help find an out-of-work Maggie a job after she turns into Super Mom, preparing oversize meals and assigning new chores.
Michaelgate
Oct 6, 1987
Mike is unaware that he's been nominated for student-body president because he's "a sure loser."
Big Brother is Not Watching
Oct 13, 1987
Ben asks Carol's advice on getting a new bike from their parents.
A Star is Born
Oct 27, 1987
A star is born when Mike lands a leading role in the school play opposite the lovely Monica.
Who's Zoomin' Who?
Nov 10, 1987
Bobby's annoying habits make Carol look elsewhere for the man of her dreams -- just in time for her to notice a new student.
This is Your Life
Nov 17, 1987
During a tonsillectomy, Ben has an out-of-body experience, dreaming that he escapes with a friendly cabbie, only to find a new Ben has replaced him at home.
Broadway Bound
Nov 24, 1987
After their success in the school play, Mike and Monica set their sights on a Broadway audition for ""Our Town.""
A Reason to Live
Dec 8, 1987
A troubled student named Jill volunteers to work on a school project with Mike and Boner. This, however, is a subterfuge: Jill has been contemplating suicide due to some very serio
Nasty Habits
Dec 15, 1987
Maggie and Jason try to keep Mike in his room to complete an English paper, but Mike's mind is of course elsewhere.
The Marrying Kind
Jan 5, 1988
Reason flies out the window when Bobby and his parents arrive at the Seavers' for dinner and a special announcement -- that Bobby and Carol are engaged.
State of the Union
Jan 12, 1988
Maggie fumes over the many irritants that seem to be driving her and Jason apart -- until unexpected news sheds light on the situation.
The Mom Who Knew Too Much
Jan 26, 1988
Maggie and Carol share confidences at the beauty salon, but later Carol learns to her chagrin that a secret isn't safe with Maggie.
Great Expectations
Feb 9, 1988
A letter from the girl he met in Hawaii has Mike scheming to fly to Los Angeles to see her without his parents' knowing.
Dance Fever (1)
Mar 1, 1988
At the school dance, Mike gets a girl and Carol gets raked over the coals. Meanwhile, Ben's adventure goes awry.
Dance Fever (2)
Mar 2, 1988
Great expectations turn sour at the Dewey High dance after Mike hears Lydia's voice; and Ben and Stinky find themselves in a seedy diner eyeing a pinball machine that pays real mon
Bringing Up Baby
Mar 9, 1988
The Seavers begin to make room for baby, relegating Ben to the guest quarters and making the others lament the changes bound to come. Meanwhile, Maggie grasps for a way to tell her
The Obscure Objects of Our Desire
Mar 30, 1988
Spring-cleaning breathes new life into the family's household objects, and each has a story to tell.
How the West Was Won (1)
Apr 20, 1988
Mike and Boner learn that Coach Lubbock has been fired, prompting them to organize a protest.
How the West Was Won (2)
Apr 26, 1988
Jason, Carol, Mike and Boner are arrested in the demonstration over the dismissal of Coach Lubbock.
Graduation Day
May 4, 1988
At Mike's high-school graduation, family members recall moments when it seemed like his graduation would never take place.