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.
- Picks up essential narrative continuity directly following the events of Growing Pains Season 2.
- Character alliances, factions, and personal loyalties undergo significant shifts under escalating stakes.
- Addresses unresolved cliffhangers and thematic mysteries introduced during previous seasons.
- Establishes the primary seasonal conflict that drives serialized character arcs toward the finale.
Episode Guide
Season 3 Progress Shield
Aloha
Sep 18, 1987 · 46 min
The family is stranded in Maui. Ben videotapes Mike and Carol's Hawaiian romances.
Not Necessarily the News
Sep 29, 1987 · 25 min
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 · 25 min
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 · 24 min
Ben asks Carol's advice on getting a new bike from their parents.
A Star is Born
Oct 27, 1987 · 25 min
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 · 25 min
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 · 25 min
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 · 25 min
After their success in the school play, Mike and Monica set their sights on a Broadway audition for ""Our Town.""
The Scarlet Letter
Dec 1, 1987 · 24 min
An unearned "A" makes Carol doubt her academic record.
A Reason to Live
Dec 8, 1987 · 25 min
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 · 25 min
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 · 25 min
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 · 25 min
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 · 25 min
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 · 24 min
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 · 25 min
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 · 25 min
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 · 24 min
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 · 46 min
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 · 25 min
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 · 25 min
Jason, Carol, Mike and Boner are arrested in the demonstration over the dismissal of Coach Lubbock.
Graduation Day
May 4, 1988 · 25 min
At Mike's high-school graduation, family members recall moments when it seemed like his graduation would never take place.