Step by Step: Season 5
Season 5 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 Step by Step Season 4.
- 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 5 Progress Shield
Little Sister Don'tcha
Sep 22, 1995
J.T. and Rich are excited about going on dates, but J.T. didn't expect Al to be invited.
Three Girls and a Baby
Sep 29, 1995
With Frank and Carol out for dinner, Dana, Karen and Al are left to watch their new baby sister.
Party Animal
Oct 13, 1995
Cody, J.T. and Mark suspect their new neighbor is a jewel thief. Meanwhile, Dana moves out and loosens up a little too much.
Midnight Caller
Oct 20, 1995
While working on the Family Helpline, J.T. and Dana mishandle a call from a troubled teen.
Maid to Order
Oct 27, 1995
J.T. hires an aspiring model to be the family's maid; and Carol gets overly involved in Karen's cheerleading tryouts.
Don't Ask
Nov 3, 1995
Tired of the kids acting "either lazy, selfish or brain-dead," Frank and Carol order them to fend for themselves.
Hello, Mister Chips
Nov 10, 1995
Al takes a job at a cookie store and has to work alongside the company mascot, Mr. Chips the chimpanzee.
Roadie
Nov 17, 1995
Cody's a roadie---"the coolest job in the world"---for singer Christi Rose, who asks him to become her bodyguard.
The Wall
Nov 24, 1995
Mark scores points for the guys on the "geek wall" at a dance; Dana attempts to stir interest in a feminist study group; Frank and Carol experience a day at a health spa.
Baby Come Back
Dec 1, 1995
J.T. and Al have dollar signs in their eyes when they take Lily to audition for a commercial.
The Fight Before Christmas
Dec 15, 1995
Frank and Carol set up Al on a blind date with their friends' equally reticent son.
What's Wrong with This Picture?
Jan 5, 1996
J.T. receives an offer he can't refuse: the chance to go out with a gangster's daughter.
Beautiful Ladies of Wrestling
Jan 12, 1996
To win Super Bowl tickets, Frank and J.T. dress up as cheerleaders and face off against a pair of women wrestlers named Assault and Battery.
Torn Between Two Mothers
Jan 26, 1996
When Frank's mother and Carol can't agree on child-rearing philosophies, Frank's caught in the middle of the power struggle.
Snow Bunnies
Feb 2, 1996
Al feels compelled to check up on Matt when she learns he'll be on a ski trip with Stephanie "Love Boat" Leifer.
Secret Admirer
Feb 9, 1996
Carol gets really ticked when Frank buys her a fake designer watch for Valentine's Day.
Forever Young
Feb 16, 1996
A flirtatious girl disproves J.T.'s claim that a guy "would never trash a friendship over some stupid chick."
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?
Feb 23, 1996
Dana brings her boyfriend Fleming home, and he promptly psychoanalyzes Frank.
Do the Right Thing
Mar 8, 1996
J.T. decides to rely on brain power to boost his grades rather than use a cheat sheet procured by his friend Rich.
The Bodyguard Formerly Known as Prince
Mar 15, 1996
Dana, Karen and Al meet a prince and his two assistants on a ski weekend, but the girls don't know which is the real royal.
Major Pain
Apr 26, 1996
Dana, J.T. and Rich take career-placement tests; Frank deals with an overly eager employee.
We're Going to Disney World (1)
May 3, 1996
Frank's mom treats everyone to a trip to Disney World, but there's some unexpected baggage---Rich and Flash.
We're Going to Disney World (2)
May 10, 1996
During a trip to Disney World, Flash tries to break a record for visiting every attraction.
Men at Work
May 17, 1996
When the local bar goes belly-up, Frank buys everything so he can turn his basement into a lounge for his guy friends.