Step by Step - Season 3

Dana's new boyfriend, Daniel, convinces her to be in a local play he is directing. Coincidentally, Cody is working on the set of the show and Daniel convinces Cody to join the acting team as well. They become Romeo and Juliet, and Dana is unable to do a good job, because she cannot see any redeeming qualities in Cody. Then Daniel fires Dana saying, ""The show is the most important thing."" Cody then quits saying, ""People are the most important thing""; which Dana finds ""loyal, generous, and giving."" She finally sees redeeming qualities in Cody.

A nearby family is going out of town and they want Dana to ""house-sit."" Carol is extremely uncomfortable with Dana leaving, but Frank talks her into it so when she goes to college, Carol will be ready. Everyone has trouble adjusting. Cody gives his plant, Gordo, to Dana so she will have someone to talk to. JT complains that the remaining Fosters (Karen and Mark) do not slam him good enough. Frank discovers he misses Dana as if she were his own. Most of all, though, Dana discovers after catching herself talking to Gordo repeatedly,that she does not like being alone.

While at church with the Fosters (and NOT the Lamberts), Carol invites the pastor and his wife over for Sunday lunch. The Lambert's notice that he is a normal guy, and Frank promises that the Lamberts will be there next week. Cody and his friends, Slasher and Death, come too because the Pastor is into bikes. The only problem is that a big televised Packer's game is on that week. While at church, JT sneaks away to watch the game, Frank follows him up and falls through the ceiling. Frank agrees to fix the roof and go to church from now on. The very next week he observes Cody, Slasher, and Death singing, ""Pharaoh, Pharaoh""-- a ballad of the Israelites to the tune of ""Louie, Louie.""

JT and his friend Doug find out that they have a book report due on Monday. Mark tells them that he has read and written reports on at least 10 of the books on their list. JT and Doug get into Mark's computer, get the reports, and decide to sell the extra reports to the football team. Dana finds out and convinces Mark to change the reports into bogus reports. Consequently, Dana has to help JT write his real report. Slasher and his wife, Debbie, go on a trip and leave their baby son Harley with ""Uncle"" Cody. Carol ends up wanting to have another baby and seeing that Cody is a natural father.

JT is struggling with Algebra and Frank will not let him cheat. Dana doesn't like not having power and having to walk places. JT and Dana agree that being a parent is easier, whereas Frank and Carol think being a teenager is a breeze. They agree to switch places and bet a month's allowance on what is easier. After 2 days, all four agree that both are difficult and become satisfied with what they are. Meanwhile, Cody discovers that Slasher got married by putting an ad in a hot rod magazine. He decides to do the same and gets a response with a personalized License plate.

Mark is depressed about getting an ""A"" on a test, rather than an ""A+."" Frank tries to loosen him up by getting him a video game. Mark does loosen up, but his grades slip, he starts fights, and he becomes addicted to the game. Frank and Carol send him to a support group. There, he recognizes his addiction and begins to work it out. In the meantime, Cody goes to the health food store to obtain a cure for his cold. In the parking lot, he buys a booklet teaching him how to cure himself with the powers of his mind. Dana mocks him, despite the fact that using his newfound powers enable Cody to think of Karen wearing a turtleneck to hide her hickey. Dana, however, when she is unable to get rid of a cold, tries it herself (when no one else can see, of course).

JT discovers that although Cody is the best motorcycle repairman in town, he charges everyone $9. JT convinces him to start his own business with a bigger shop. Cody has trouble getting a loan until Slasher ""convinces"" the banker by threatening to move his multi-million dollar account elsewhere. Cody, however, does not like the new business because he does not get to work on the bikes himself. Frank and Carol are celebrating an anniversary and again are fighting over presents. This time they agree to buy a present, but to limit it to $25. Both exceed the limit and end up struggling to buy a more expensive present than the other one. Brendan makes them an anniversary card, because he did not have the money to buy one. This ends the struggle.

Lucille is in the shop being repaired so Cody stays in the Lambert living room. After Cody does his wash in the kitchen and loses his ant farm on the couch, the family is ready for him to move back into his van. Lucille, however, dies on the greaserack. Frank and Carol are relieved, however, when Cody tells them he is ready to be out as well. He decides to move into a stationary Lucille reasoning that many people live perfectly normal lives in non-moving structures. At the same time, Karen is interested in a guy who volunteers at a homeless shelter so she goes there one Saturday. He takes his girlfriend out, though, and Karen ends up spending a whole day at the shelter for ""nothing."" After a heart-to-heart with Carol, Karen decides that she needs to adjust her priorities.

After posting an ad in a biker magazine, Cody finally meets his blind date,Bonnie.She turns out to have an adorable 8 year old named, Riley who Cody Immediately befriends.Bonnie and Cody have a great time,but there priorities are different.Bonnie needs a father for Riley so she proposes to Cody. Al is perplexed at her breast size. The rest of the family is busy arguing about the house decor.

Karen is interested in Michael, but is too scared to talk to him so she gets Dana to talk to him. Dana talks to him and gets to know him as he gets to know her. He asks her out and she cannot help but say yes. As they get closer, Dana must keep Karen in the dark. The Lambert kids find out by monitoring a telephone call. They convince Karen to start a fight. Karen tells Michael several lies (including the one about Dana only being 14 years old) things about Dana so Michael will dump her. Unfortunately for the Lamberts, Dana and Karen discuss the problem and turn on them instead of each other. In an unprecedented dialogue, Karen tells Dana how she envies her ""book"" smarts, while Dana tells Karen how she envies her ""street"" smarts. Karen and Dana team up to repay the Lamberts for listening in on telephone calls. After Frank refuses to dance with her, Carol ignores him. It is discovered that Frank does not know how to dance. Cody with excellent dancing skills teaches Frank to dance. Frank

After Carol presents an idea of exchanging fewer gifts, Frank announces he gets a 20% discount at Hartman's Toy Store because of his remodeling work there. Both believe one has picked up Brendan's train set and therefore, neither does. When they realize this on Christmas eve, they use Frank's key to get into the toy store and are leaving money in the register when Deputy Barney Feif notices them. They are taken to jail where they are detained. After the kids open all their presents without knowing where their parents were, Cody points out that Christmas should be about joy and loved ones. The kids realize their mistake, get concerned, and find out their parents are in jail. They bring food and caroling to the jail. Deputy Feif lets them out and they all go back home to celebrate Christmas, even Barney.

Carol has just bought a book named ""Ten Minutes Per Day to a Better Marriage."" The book advised to tell each other a big secret. Carol tells him about a secret bank account with a lot of money in it. Frank feels betrayed and goes to his office to spend the night. Upon seeking support from Cody, Frank discovers that he was unsure in other areas (he had not thrown away his little black book). They realize that in the end they are better off for having told each other. Karen just passed her drivers license exam, creating three drivers (Dana, JT, and Karen) and no car. They decide it is time to buy their own car, but they can only come up with $400. JT manages to find an old Volkswagen Bug for $400. The car is a disaster and although Cody works on it, it is barely driveable. Cody and JT sell it for parts and get $425, and they keep the 8 track player with a Sonny and Cher 8 track.

The boys at school tell Al they do not want to play with a girl; Frank tells Al to try to get more friends that are girls. Al begins to hang around with the only girls who she feels will be her friends. Al starts to wear combat uniforms, skip class, and stay out past curfew. Frank overreacts and the two get into a big argument. When Al's friends get her to steal Cody's guitar, Cody hears them and lets her take it. Cody points out to both Frank and Al that their relationship is vital. Carol sees the TV set being temporarily out of order, as a great time to start a desperate attempt at ""Family Fun Time."" The only thing Carol is able to get them to enjoy doing together is leaving. In the end, the TV is fixed and the Lambert boys are watching Baywatch again.

Cody reads so much that he ruins the stories (by telling the ending) for JT, Al, and Carol and desserts (by crushing it with a big box of books) for Dana. However, it does yield him a job as a story time reader for the little kids at the library. He makes the reading time tons of fun and even teaches one of Brendan's friends to read. While filling out their taxes, Frank realizes Carol made more money than he did the previous year. He gets frantic over not being the ""provider"" of the family so he looks for a part time job. He looks everywhere but ends up passing out coupons for a local fried chicken restaurant while dressed as a chicken. Carol is, however, able to convince him that he is a great companion and father and she is perfectly satisfied with that.

It's Mark's 13th birthday.While frank introduces him to the fine art of shaving,and Carol arranges a real party for him with music and girls.One of the girls is a lovely girl named Marissa,with who Mark falls in love with.But he's soon brokenhearted as he finds out her feelings for him are not quite the same as what he thought. J.T. passes his mechanics exam.But Dana feels if he can do it so can she.So she challenges him to a bet,that she can do it.

Cody acquires this strange ability to see things in the future accurately (although unclear and misleading at times). He goes to Chicago to protect Dana, and although he ruins her interview, he does help her out. Carol begins what Mark describes as ""aging"" by snoring- VERY loudly. She keeps everybody up several nights in a row, until Frank finally comes up with a plan (airport earmuffs for him and soundproofing the door for the kids).

Karen is having an interview at the mall for a jeans ad. The photographer is looking for a girl to promote the jeans ""with an attitude."" Al actually gets the job, which drives Karen crazy. Karen gets mad at Carol because she is not showing favoritism to her daughter (over her step-daughter). Carol is hurt and says that the whole Lambert/Foster family should be thought of as one family. Karen gets the point and is able to calm down Al with a ""family"" pep talk. Cody thinks he is the victim of some mysterious curse that makes him lucky at whatever he does, thus taking all the fun and excitement out of life. When Frank makes him play poker, the curse is re-activated. Cody wins $1,000 and a trip to the Bahamas, but breaks the curse by having an industrial accident in his van.

Frank and Carol decide to celebrate the anniversary of thier first encounter (on June 20, 1993),by taking a weekend trip,thus leaving the kids alone.Carol and Frank get stuck at the hotel where Frank once spent a weekend with a red-headed ex-girlfriend of his.Ofcourse Carol gets mad several times before they finally make up and head home. Mark laughs at the horror film (Chainsaw Slumberparty II) J.T.,Al and Brendan are watching.They decide to take revenge by making Mark think the house is haunted.

Urged by his parents to either apply to college or find a job, JT gets a part-time position as an assistant salesman in a used-car lot. Not only does he actually enjoy his new job, but it turns out that he's incredibly good at selling cars. He thanks Carol for getting him off his keister and making him get a job. He dreams of one day owning the car lot and gets in a commercial for the place. Dana is assigned to write an essay for her psychology class. After Mark and Karen's refusals, she has to hire Cody as a subject for her study. She writes that Cody is a nutcase, but her teacher claims that she is close-minded. She gets a ""D"" on the paper and has to do a makeup assignment on one person's dreams for a week, and although Cody volunteers, she refuses.

Worried about turning forty, Carol exercies and diets with Karen. When Karen steps out, Carol sees a commercial for Skinny Tabs and orders them. She loses three pounds, but possesses so much energy that she drives everybody crazy and is constantly talking and working. Frank tells her that he loves her for who she is, not just her body. Al has to write a report on Abe Lincoln, but all the books on him are checked out. Cody takes her to Madame Sonya and he encounters Lincoln. Al does not believe and therefore, she does not see Abe, but she has a great idea for her report-- Abe in the 20th Century. Cody gives Abe's golf scorecard to Carol for her birthday.

Cody is writing a 40's style mystery for his creative writing class. He gets an idea when Karen proclaims her diary is missing. His pun-filled story is played out by the Lambert/Foster family. Kitty Meow (Karen), who sings in the famous trio the Andrews step-sisters, lost her diary. The suspects are as follows: the other two Andrew's step-sisters (Dana and Al), the establishment's piano player (Brendan), comic (JT), and other singing act, Miss Honey Dew (Carol). With the help of the lab technician (Mark), Sam Spud (Cody) discovers it was Honey Dew. In real life, Al turns out to be the one who misplaced Karen's diary.

Cody's father comes to see him on his 21st birthday. He gives him a job as executive VP of his successful real estate business. Cody comes into the first meeting and disturbs everyone even coming up with an idea to build a mall on the beach that looks like a sandcastle. Upon advice from Frank, Cody decides to quit realizing,he will not be happy. Carol keeps setting up Dana and Karen with blind dates. They are all bad especially the latest one where the guys are dressed up like Beavis and Butthead and bring fake snot. They plot with Frank to pay Carol back. Afterward, they all agree to not have anymore blind dates. Carol reneges, though, and tries to get them to date a cute guy, but they refuse before seeing him and later try to get him.

After a little bad luck, JT is deceitfully set up with a 13-year-old. Dana, on the other hand, was able to get a date with the just broken up, best looking guy in school. At the prom, however, Dana is dumped for his ex-girlfriend. Dana is heartbroken-- not only because she lost her date, but also because she must dance the spotlight dance (as Student Body President) all by herself. JT comes to console her and offers to dance with her. Although the two walk out insulting each other under their breath, they gain an appreciation for each other. Brendan belts a boy who cheated off his paper at school. Carol, feeling terrible, invites the boy and his family over. The situation is not reconciled when the boy's parents cheat at monopoly. In fact, after Carol hears them insult Frank and Brendan, Carol belts the boy's dad.