Previous Episode | Next Episode
Original Airdate: 04/28/97
The reason why Eric wasn't there to pick up his sister is because he is at the pool hall waiting to meet a former police detective who was forced to leave the country and assume a new identity after testifying against a big crime ring. When Eric and the man, Wil, get to talking, Eric finds out that Wil's first priority is locating his son whom he was forced to give up for adoption for the baby's own safety. To Eric's astonishment, Wil's son is his new brother George.
Back at the house, Mary, Matt and Lucy try to prepare Jimmy Moon for meeting their grandparents. When Jimmy asks how bad it can be, Mary and Matt break into an impression of their grandparents, grilling Jimmy over the coals. Jimmy doesn't buy their performance.
Meanwhile, upstairs, The Colonel and his wife visit Julie in her room. They ask Julie what her plans are for the future and Julie says that she just got out of the recovery house and doesn't have any plans yet. Her parents invite Julie to go back east with them and stay with them but Julie fires off a comment toward The Colonel. As they leave the room, it is obvious that Julie is having a hard time believing her parents want anything to do with her.
George finds Happy and Simon out in the garage and tells Simon that he should call him "Uncle" out of respect. Simon obliges and says he will call George "Uncle" when he respects him. As George leaves the garage he tells Happy she can bite George... if she wants to.
Later that night over dinner, Eric tells everyone stories of how The Colonel beat up Mickey Mouse at Disneyland when he was a kid. Everybody is laughing and having a good time with the notable exception of Julie who says he should take George to another amusement park and beat up the characters there. Annie tells the Colonel that she has been building a row boat from a kit for him and George to take back with them. Upon seeing the boat, everyone begins to laugh, except for the Colonel who tells another war story to help Annie feel better.
That night when Eric and Annie go to bed, Eric tells Annie about George's father and Annie is heartbroken and wonders what is going to happen.
The next day, Jimmy Moon is introduced to Lucy's grandparents and they grill him over the coals in the exact fashion Mary and Matt did the previous day. Jimmy runs out of the house and the two grandparents laugh, hoping they didn't scare Jimmy too much. Eric breaks up their laughing and sits them down to tell them about George's father wanting the boy back. Eric's parents are outraged and tell Eric they will fight to keep George.
Eric arranges for George to meet his father. When George asks Wil when he is supposed to go and live with him, Wil says they can take it one step at a time. George tells his father he doesn't want to waste any time and they should start right away. He says thank you to Eric and says he will meet them out in the car. A minute goes by and Eric then runs into the parking lot - only to find that George has run off. Later that night, Eric finds George "robbing" the church and takes him back home after George tells him that he would rather live at the orphanage again than hurt everybody who cares about him.
That night, Eric's mom blames Julie for them losing George. When Annie intervenes, she apologizes saying she can't think straight. At that time, Julie blows up at her mother and then looks to Annie for support. Annie tells Julie they all need each other right now. Matt catches Julie that night sneaking down for a drink, saying she needs something. Matt points out the window towards the Colonel and tells Julie what she needs is out there in the boat. Julie is shocked to see the father she only knows as stone cold crying. The Colonel tells Julie he lost her and he lost Eric and now he is losing George. Julie climbs into the boat, puts her arms around her father for the first time in years, and tells her father he hasn't lost her.
Eric comes up with a plan that will allow Wil to move in with The Colonel's family and get a job back east where they can all be together. When George says he would rather fly in the airplane than drive with his father, Julie offers to ride back with Wil.