Growing Pains: Season 4
Season 4 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 3.
- 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 4 Progress Shield
Fool for Love
Oct 19, 1988 · 25 min
Ben gets spooked at the prospect of asking a girl to a Halloween party; Jason becomes a disruptive force at Lamaze class.
Birth of a Seaver
Oct 26, 1988 · 25 min
Maggie goes into labor on Ben's 12th birthday and Ben confesses to a patient at the hospital that he's already feeling crowded.
Family Ties (1)
Nov 2, 1988 · 24 min
Mike has a showdown with Jason over his rights as an 18-year-old college student, and declares his freedom from parental rule.
Family Ties (2)
Nov 9, 1988 · 25 min
Landlord-tenant problems abound when Mike (Kirk Cameron) moves into the storage area over the family garage
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?
Nov 16, 1988 · 25 min
Jason sends his mother on a cruise to get her mind off her dead husband, but when she returns with a fiancé in tow, Jason finds it hard to accept the man who will "replace" his fat
Mom of the Year
Jan 25, 1989 · 25 min
Maggie prepares her "Working Mother of the Year" acceptance speech.
Feet of Clay
Feb 8, 1989 · 24 min
Maggie arranges for Ben to meet his favorite rock musician.
Anniversary from Hell
Feb 15, 1989 · 24 min
Guests bicker at the Seavers' 20th-anniversary party.
Fortunate Son
Feb 22, 1989 · 23 min
When Mike takes a job at a convenience store, his mother is worried about him working the dangerous night shift; but Mike is more concerned about the favoritism his racist boss sho
Double Standard
Mar 1, 1989 · 24 min
Jason punishes Carol and Ben unequally for the same offense when they are both caught after sneaking out for dates without permission.
The Recruiter
Mar 15, 1989 · 24 min
Carol doesn't want to attend her parents' alma mater.
Show Ninety -- Who Knew?
Mar 22, 1989 · 24 min
Jason intervenes when Mike gets bad grades in psychology.
Second Chance
Apr 12, 1989 · 24 min
After Carol disobeys Maggie and Jason by sneaking out to a bar with her college-aged boyfriend Sandy, she learns a valuable lesson when Sandy gets into an accident and ends up in t
The Looooove Boat (1)
Apr 26, 1989 · 24 min
Jason's mother plans to wed aboard a cruise ship.
The Looooove Boat (2)
May 3, 1989 · 24 min
Jason tries to mend his mother's broken wedding plans.