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.
- Picks up essential narrative continuity directly following the events of Step by Step Season 4.
- 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 5 Progress Shield
Little Sister Don'tcha
Sep 22, 1995 · 22 min
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 · 22 min
With Frank and Carol out for dinner, Dana, Karen and Al are left to watch their new baby sister.
Party Animal
Oct 13, 1995 · 22 min
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 · 22 min
While working on the Family Helpline, J.T. and Dana mishandle a call from a troubled teen.
Maid to Order
Oct 27, 1995 · 22 min
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 · 22 min
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 · 22 min
Al takes a job at a cookie store and has to work alongside the company mascot, Mr. Chips the chimpanzee.
Roadie
Nov 17, 1995 · 22 min
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 · 22 min
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 · 22 min
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 · 22 min
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 · 22 min
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 · 22 min
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 · 22 min
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 · 22 min
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 · 22 min
Carol gets really ticked when Frank buys her a fake designer watch for Valentine's Day.
Forever Young
Feb 16, 1996 · 22 min
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 · 22 min
Dana brings her boyfriend Fleming home, and he promptly psychoanalyzes Frank.
Do the Right Thing
Mar 8, 1996 · 22 min
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 · 22 min
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 · 22 min
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 · 22 min
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 · 22 min
During a trip to Disney World, Flash tries to break a record for visiting every attraction.
Men at Work
May 17, 1996 · 22 min
When the local bar goes belly-up, Frank buys everything so he can turn his basement into a lounge for his guy friends.