List of Step By Step Episodes - Season 5: 1995–96

J.T. and Rich go on a double date to the drive-in. But J.T. thinks twice after he finds out who Rich wants to take, Al. After a while it's clear J.T. can't handle it, so he and Al have a talk. Where she tells J.T. she no longer needs him to protect her. Cody sets up Dana with Brad Pitt from Legends of the Fall, but it turns out to be the Brad Pit that played dead body #2. Mark and his friends are depressed about their controlling mothers. They try to prove their manhood by smoking stogies, and Mark gets sick. So Frank offers to take him and his friends camping to do some manly things.

Notes: This is the first appearance of Jason Marsden as Rich Halke, who would become a regular starting with season six.

• Angela Watson is not in this episode.

Frank and Carol become frustrated with their children constantly asking them to run their errands and small favors. Eventually, they lose their patience and implement a rule where the children must do everything for themselves and not to bother them. The rule is put to the test when Brendan — wanting to go on a trip with his soccer team to watch a Green Bay Packers game — decides not to "bother" his parents to have them sign a permission slip allowing him to go. Meanwhile, aspiring country singer Karen is approached by a man claiming to be a record producer, who promises to take her demo tape to a major studio in exchange for a $500 fee. However, the naïve Karen later realizes she was ripped off and that she will probably never recover her money ... much less, become a big star. Dana gives her sister some solace by getting her song played on a local radio station. Also, Cody wishes a kalashnikov but ends with a Russian bride instead.

Notes: Angela Watson covers the Patty Loveless song "Blame It on Your Heart".

• This would be the last storyline for the character of Brendan Lambert. Josh Byrne's character would be reduced to 30-second, one-liner-type appearances before being dropped entirely during the 1997-1998 season.

Dana admires an abstract, feminist artist, Jayne McNeil (Melanie Wilson) and is honored to be chose to pose for her. Knowing she will be a part of what be a great work, she agrees to pose nude. Since Dana is convinced that the work will be abstract, and she will not be recognizable, she proudly invites Frank, Carol, Karen and Al to a charity auction where it will be unveiled. Unfortunately, the painter decided to change styles to Photo-realism, and the painting is obviously Dana. Carol is determined to outbid the "perverts," but Frank does not allow her to top $100,000. Also, Frank tries to kill a rat (but Cody's advice don't help him) while J.T. dates a mafia man's daughter.

J.T. has a huge test coming up in one of his classes, and his friend is able to get a copy of the test. J.T. decides not to cheat on the test, but rather to study for it. J.T. ends up getting a B on the test, and when he and his friend get their books mixed up, Frank sees the cheat sheet and tells J.T. he is both disappointed and he will no longer pay for J.T.'s schooling. Later, Frank overhears J.T.'s friend returning for the book and he apologizes and they make up. Carol tries to prevent Al to make a tattoo. Also, Cody buys some cookies from girl scouts.

Dana, Karen, and Al go to a ski lodge for a weekend and meet 3 good looking guys one of whom is the prince of Calderone. The prince (Karen's) wants people to like him for who he is, and henceforth makes his bodyguard (Dana's) claim to be the prince. Also, Rich implies the family with a luck chain letter while Carol gives shampoo to everybody. At the end, Rich and Brendan were the only one who respected the chain and didn't use the shampoo while the rest of the family end with red hair.

J.T. and Rich eagerly apply and are hired at a restaurant (which Dana and her feminist friends had planned to protest against) with sexy waitress. They learn how bad harassment really is in those places, but they get in one final night of not caring. Frank converts part of the basement into a lounge using items he bought from a closed tavern. While the men love it, Carol has a serious accident with a one of the lounge's "toys". The closer shows interesting riding on the toy by everybody, especially Dana. Flash sleeps on the Lamberts' couch while his apartment is being fumigated. He brings a lot of energy to the house and the lounge.