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After six seasons, audiences said goodbye to the Arnold family as ABC aired the series finale of The Wonder Years. It’s a two-part episode that was aired together on May 12, 1993. Directed by Arthur Albert. With Fred Savage, Dan Lauria, Alley Mills, Olivia d'Abo. When his parents go away for the weekend, Kevin decides to invite the guys over for a night of poker. When their poker night gets boring, they decide to invite more people over, turning Kevin's house into an out-of-control party. In this, the penultimate episode of The Wonder Years, adult Kevin lets us know right from the get-go that usually, things don’t turn out as you plan. Let’s keep that in mind. It’s the summer of 1973 and Kevin’s toiling away in Jack’s furniture factory and chafing under manager Wayne’s gaze, along with his father’s micro managing. The Wonder Years (1988–1993). New Years 8.2 6 Jan. Poker 7.9 24 Mar. The Little Women 8 31 Mar. Download Mega Hit Poker: Texas Holdem version app-details.html for PC - free download Mega Hit Poker: Texas Holdem for PC/Mac/Windows 7,8,10, Nokia, Blackberry, Xiaomi, Huawei, Oppo - free download Mega Hit Poker: Texas Holdem Android app, install Android apk app for PC, download free android apk files at choilieng.com.

The Wonder Years
Season 5
Country of originUnited States
No. of episodes24
Release
Original networkABC
Original releaseOctober 2, 1991 –
May 13, 1992
Season chronology
Previous
Season 4
List of The Wonder Years episodes

The fifth season of The Wonder Years aired on ABC from October 2, 1991 to May 13, 1992. In this season many changes were made to the show. For example, Kevin and Paul go to a new school and Kevin's voice changes. This season took place during Kevin's 1971–72 school year.

Episodes[edit]

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateProd.
code
701'The Lake'Michael DinnerMark LevinOctober 2, 199102S0059101

The Arnolds spend their summer vacation at Lake Wenatchee with the Pfeiffers, with both fathers trying their hand at fishing. Kevin and Paul quickly become bored, so they decide to take a tour of the small town when Kevin spots a beautiful young girl. That night they pay Wayne and his new buddy Dave 'Wart' Wirtschafter (Scott Menville) for a night at the drive-in to see Planet of the Apes. The beautiful girl Kevin saw earlier, now introduced as Cara (Lisa Gerber), also shows up at the drive-in; and Kevin decides to introduce himself and have a conversation with her. For the rest of his one-week vacation, Kevin spends all his evenings with Cara, leaving his family and 'Mr. Hormones' Paul (with his 25-cent condom in tow) behind, and romance develops between the two. But with the vacation coming to an end, Kevin and Cara realize that their summer romance must end as quickly as it began.

Guest-starring:Scott Menville as Wayne's new friend Dave 'Wart' Wirtschafter; Lisa Gerber as Cara.

Recurring guest: Torrey Ann Cook as Debbie Pfeiffer.
712'Day One'Daniel SternDenise Moss & Sy DukaneOctober 9, 199102S0059102

It's Kevin's first day of tenth grade at McKinley High School. Feeling alone without his best friend Paul, the day goes from bad to worse. First, Kevin meets an old bothersome fourth grade classmate, Stuart Cartesian, whose not-so-decent reminiscing turns off a would-be pretty girlfriend for Kevin. Later at lunch, Kevin finds Winnie alone, but before Kevin can make his way to the table to join her, she is surrounded by the football team. Soon after, Wayne and Wart give Kevin a 'royal flush' because he accidentally stepped on the sacred school seal. Finally, Kevin's U.S. Government teacher Mr. (Arlo) Bottner (Scott Jaeck) begins a vendetta against him when he disobeys 'Bottner's Rules' in class. Kevin rips out a page from his spiral notebook—a sound Bottner despises; and to his surprise, his classmates do the same. Kevin realizes maybe he's not so alone after all.

Guest-starring:Scott Jaeck as Kevin's government teacher Mr. Bottner.

Recurring guest:Scott Menville as Wart.
723'The Hardware Store'Ken TopolskyCraig HoffmanOctober 16, 199102S0059103
After Jack gets him a summer job at Harris & Sons Hardware in town, Kevin dislikes the way his boss, Mr. Harris, orders him around. Meanwhile; Kevin, Paul, and their new friend Lewis begin hanging out at Hillcrest Mall and they see a classmate, Robby Cashion, surrounded by girls while working at the Burger Cage, which of course inspires Kevin to want to work there, too. Kevin tries to quit his job at the hardware store several times, but Mr. Harris offers to pay Kevin more than what the Burger Cage would offer him, making him feel obligated to stay. Later, when Kevin sees that his father would rather go to the mall because it's more convenient, he realizes that the world is passing his slow-paced employer by. So Kevin takes the job at Burger Cage (although he quits there a month later), and in later life he remembers the old-fashioned service ethic that Mr. Harris represented.
734'Frank and Denise'David GreenwaltDavid GreenwaltOctober 23, 199102S0059104
Kevin meets Frank Stanavukovic and Denise Lavel, better known as Frank 'The Stank' and Denise 'The Grease,' a couple whose love soared above all others at his high school. However, their long-time romance is on the rocks, and Kevin finds himself in the middle, especially after he helps Denise understand the Jonathan Swift poem 'Cadenus and Vanessa' in poetry class. Frank becomes agitated by it, but soon finds out it's not Kevin's fault; it's his own, and he starts to open up to Denise. At the drive-thru where Denise works, Kevin has Frank recite poetry, but when that doesn't work he instead sings a verse from his favorite song 'If I Were A Carpenter,' which gets their relationship back on track.
745'Full Moon Rising'Ken TopolskyMark B. PerryOctober 30, 199102S0059105

When Kevin has a date with classmate Cindy (Heather McComb), his friends Randy and Purdle make fun of him for having his mom drive Kevin and his dates everywhere. Kevin and his friends then approach Ricky Halsenbach (Scott Nemes), the first kid in their class to turn sixteen and get his driver's license, to chauffeur them around. Kevin then breaks his date with Cindy, making up a lie that his grandmother is ill to go cruising with his friends on a Friday night; but their glorious night fades when they encounter a group of guys in a Mustang, who go around mooning people. Shortly afterwards, Kevin runs into Cindy at Zesty's Drive-in, who catches Kevin in a lie and becomes crushed. Later, Ricky is challenged by the guys in the Mustang to a drag race, but dutifully stops at a four-way stop sign. And if all that wasn't bad enough, Purdle moons Kevin's parents of all people at a traffic light, causing Kevin to flip out in extreme anger and embarrassment. As the boys decide to go home, a final insult was added to their injury as the car runs out of gas, leaving them to push the car home; but in spite of it all, the guys realize their night out was an adventure and agree to do it again next Friday.

Guest-starring:Heather McComb as Cindy; Scott Nemes in his first appearance as Ricky Holsenbach.
756'Triangle'Daniel SternSy RosenNovember 6, 199102S0059106

Kevin creates a dilemma with Wayne and his new girlfriend, Sandy (Carla Gugino), after Sandy falls for Kevin while watching an episode of Sonny and Cher on TV, thereby beginning a secret relationship between them. Kevin feels Wayne is not the right guy for Sandy, thinking she's too smart and beautiful for him. But when Kevin notices Sandy making Wayne a better person, he backs off. Later, Kevin asks a schoolmate, Alice Pedermeir (Lindsay Sloane), to the school dance, but she already has a date. Meanwhile, Sandy prefers to be with the younger, more sensitive brother; so she breaks up with Wayne in the parking lot at the dance. Now Kevin is faced with an ultimatum—ditch his brother to be with his ex-girlfriend or comfort his big brother when he needs it the most. Kevin realizes that blood is thicker than water, putting family first, and leaves Sandy to dance with another guy.

Guest-starring:Lindsay Sloane as Alice Pedermeir; Carla Gugino as Wayne's new girlfriend Sandy.
767'Soccer'Thomas SchlammeMark LevinNovember 20, 199102S0059107

When Kevin tries out for the football team and gets cut because of his size, he discovers the new sport of soccer, where the school's misfit team welcome him. After meeting disgruntled coach Pops 'The Bear' McIntyre (Paul Dooley), who is best known for his championship football days, Kevin joins the team. The players train as best they can, but Kevin soon becomes frustrated with the team's lackluster coach and their team's lack of skills. On game day, their high hopes are dashed when faced with a superior opponent. But Pops takes interest again after hearing Kevin's inspirational speech, and even though they lose 19–0, the team chemistry is what's important.

Guest-starring:Brice Beckham as Nick Bott; Paul Dooley as Pops 'The Bear' McIntyre.
778'Dinner Out'Bryan GordonGina GoldmanDecember 4, 199102S0059108

Sixth months after Jack and Karen's fallout (from 'The House That Jack Built' in Season 4), Norma decides to try to reconcile their relationship. To celebrate Jack's 43rd birthday, the family decides to go out to dinner at Briarcliff Lodge, a restaurant of Jack's choosing, and Kevin decides to secretly surprise the family by picking up the tab with his summer job savings. However, dinner doesn't go as planned: For starters, Karen arrives separately with live-in boyfriend Michael—on his souped-up motorcycle, much to Jack's chagrin. Then the Maitre D' seats the Arnolds—and Michael—at a small table that's too cramped up for them, and Jack continues to spar with Karen over Michael. The high point of the night is when Norma presents Jack with a photo album gift, but things go downhill from there. Afterwards, however, stubborn Jack and headstrong Karen feel badly about the farce and reconcile in the end. This makes Kevin realize that what his father really needed for his birthday was his daughter's goodwill more so than gifts.

Recurring guest:David Schwimmer as Michael.
789'Christmas Party'Jim McBrideSy Dukane & Denise MossDecember 11, 199102S0059110
The Arnolds host their annual Christmas party, but they notice that things just aren't as fun as they used to be. Jack's old golf buddy Lou arrives with his wife, Jeanne (Carol Mansell), but he has now stopped drinking. Al Wannamaker has a coughing attack after Kevin's impromptu Jimmy Cagney imitation. Jack's old war buddy Bill Foster arrives with his new young girlfriend Carol (Kimberley Kates) instead of Marsha, his now ex-wife. To top it all off, Ed Ermin, the 'King of Lawns,' is caught smoking marijuana in the basement. Meanwhile, Kevin and Wayne are sent to the supermarket; and when they return they find their parents alone and curled up by the fire; they realize, also, that the old days are gone, and the present-day Kevin narrates that this party was the last such party his parents had.
7910'Pfeiffers' Pfortune'Ken TopolskyMark B. PerryDecember 18, 199102S0059109

Tension arises between the Arnolds and the Pfeiffers after Alvin (Paul's father) makes a windfall gain by investing in beach front property; and a jealous Jack is irked by Alvin's spending spree: a color TV with remote, a riding mower, a swimming pool, and a country club membership. This situation also puts Kevin and Paul's friendship to the test as well, heightened when Kevin learns that Jack also could have joined the investment deal. At the country club, the 'cold war' continues while Kevin and Paul are playing tennis. Kevin envisions in his mind a butler giving a stylishly-dressed Paul a tennis ball on a silver platter. Kevin then inadvertently hits Paul in the head by slamming a ball into him. Back at poolside, Paul is nursing his head as Norma graciously proposes a goodwill toast celebrating the Pfeiffers' success. However, Alvin begins sobbing and tells everyone that he has actually lost everything. Back home, Kevin decides to meet Paul, apologizes about the stray tennis ball that hit Paul, and they patch things up. Paul then drops out of prep school and joins Kevin at McKinley High.

Recurring guest: Torrey Anne Cook as Debbie Pfeiffer.
8011'Road Test'Thomas SchlammeCraig HoffmanJanuary 8, 199202S0059111

Kevin seems to be a natural at driving, except for one problem—his inability to parallel park. This troubles him in driver's education class, especially when other student drivers—under the watchful eye of Coach Meecham (Michael Gregory)--have no problem with it. Then one day Jack has Kevin drive him downtown to run an errand so that he can stay in practice for his upcoming road test, but Kevin freezes up in fear when Jack has him parallel park in front of the store. Kevin's tension continues to build until he lies to his parents about getting his driver's license, even though they celebrate by giving him a cake and a set of spare keys to the car. Determined to secretly practice, Kevin sneaks out of bed in the middle of the night to try to use the car to parallel park; but only ends up running over the lawn mower, damaging it in the process. Jack comes out to see what's happened, and Kevin finally confesses all. In the end, Kevin gets his license with his father's help, but is subsequently grounded for a month for damaging the mower.

Guest-starring:Michael Gregory as Coach Meecham, Alicia Silverstone as Jessica

Recurring guest:Lindsay Sloane as Alice Pedermier.
8112'Grandpa's Car'Michael DinnerMark LevinJanuary 15, 199202S0059112

After having several recent auto accidents that led to a license suspension, Grandpa Arnold (David Huddleston) refuses to listen to his family's concerns and refrain from driving while suspended. Frustrated, Grandpa finally asks Kevin to drive him back home, but resumes driving the car a short time later anyway. Their road trip takes many unexpected turns as Grandpa wishes to relive his cruising days, traveling to his favorite diners and roadside attractions. For the first time, Kevin notices Grandpa's old age catching up with him; and while reminiscing about the old days and not paying attention to the road, he nearly crashes the car. Grandpa finally accepts the fact that he's getting too old to drive and sells Kevin his 1965 Oldsmobile Cutlass--for one dollar. Now Kevin will always remember his first car because it was his grandfather's last.

Recurring guest:David Huddleston as Grandpa Arnold.
8213'Kodachrome'David GreenwaltGina GoldmanJanuary 29, 199202S0059113
Kevin's new English teacher Miss Shaw (Lanei Chapman) is a young, active teacher fresh out of grad school. In her idealism, she decides not to adhere to regular teaching practice—a move that makes her well-respected among most of her students, including Kevin. While the class enjoys her unorthodox curriculum and grading system ('P' for pass, 'NP' for no pass), it doesn't sit well with parents and school principal Dr. Valenti (Richard Fancy). Dr. Valenti informs Miss Shaw that she must conform to departmental guidelines. Thinking the young activist in Miss Shaw will fight the system, Kevin is surprised when she tells him that 'It's just not worth it' and resigns, leaving Kevin unsure of what to make of the situation.
8314'Private Butthead'Nick MarckSy RosenFebruary 5, 199202S0059114
While cramming again for his SATs, Wayne begins to give up on the prospect of going to college. Meanwhile, Kevin thinks of his own future when his guidance counselor, Mrs. Ruebner (Pat Crawford Brown), also urges him to start planning for college. Finally, rather than taking the tests again; Wayne, along with his buddy Wart, decides to join the Army instead. With the Vietnam War still raging in 1972, the family is afraid that Wayne could be shipped off in combat. Although Jack objects to his son's decision; Wayne—since he is now 18 years old—is allowed to go and take the physical. However, Wayne is rejected due to psoriasis while Wart is accepted, then sent to basic at Fort Polk in Louisiana, and two months later shipped off to Vietnam.
8415'Of Mastodons and Men'Thomas SchlammeMark LevinFebruary 12, 199202S0059116
Kevin is caught between spending time with Julie Aidem (Wendy Cox) a girl he's been dating, and hanging out with the guys. Although Kevin admires Julie's cool dad Ben (Lyman Ward), he notices that her mother June (Sandy Faison) has Ben on a short leash, and he soon realizes Julie is doing the same with Kevin. Suddenly Kevin feels trapped, and he ditches Julie to play football with the guys; however, Julie shows up at the Arnolds', wanting Kevin to go steady with her. Julie then wants Kevin to formally announce their courtship at the Aidem dinner table; but he can't bring himself to do so, especially after Ben tells him about Duke, his old black lab, that ran away the day he proposed to June. Kevin then sternly breaks off his and Julie's relationship in front of her family, devastating Julie in the process, and returns to doing what most 16-year-old boys like to do: hanging out with the guys.
8516'Double Double Date'Peter BaldwinSy Rosen & Mark B. PerryFebruary 26, 199202S0059115
Kevin becomes smitten with new Swedishexchange student Inga Finnstrom (Shevonne Durkin), and asks Winnie to introduce her; and in return, Winnie asks Kevin to fix her up with Matt Stevens. Things seem to go well initially, but become awkward when Matt suggests they double date for the spring formal. On the way to the dance, tensions rise between Kevin and Winnie, until Matt asks Inga for a dance leaving Kevin and Winnie alone on the dance floor. While slow dancing, something strange happens between Kevin and Winnie and they are soon brought close together once again. They then ditch their dim-witted dates and go to a secluded parking spot outside of town, but both find it hard to make a move and wind up kissing each other—on the eye. Both understand that they need more time, particularly since there is still much they have yet to learn about themselves.
8617'Hero'Stephen CraggDavid GreenwaltMarch 11, 199202S0059117
McKinley High's basketball team is having a great season thanks to their star player, Bobby Riddle (James Caviezel) and advance to postseason play upon winning their conference championship of 1972. Kevin and his school are caught up in the euphoria. Jack, however, is more practical, telling Kevin he needs to focus on his studies instead. On the night of the playoffs, Jack decides to accompany Kevin to the game. He enjoys the first half, but Kevin is annoyed when the team loses and is embarrassed when Bobby tells him to leave him alone. On the way home, at a diner, Jack teaches Kevin a valuable lesson he never forgets, when he says 'It's not easy being a hero.'--his father wasn't talking about Bobby, he was talking about himself.
8718'Lunch Stories'Ken TopolskySy Dukane & Denise MossMarch 18, 199202S0059118
The present-day Kevin recalls a typical lunch period at McKinley High through a montage of events—academic crises, romances, and problem-solving. For example, Kevin is asked by Winnie to donate blood, while Ricky has to complete a thousand word paper on the A Day in the Life of a Citizen in Ancient Rome. Paul gets sloppy Joe sauce on his white pants right before a big debate, and Chuck wants to ask Shelia McCaffry out on a date, but when he finally does, his constant twitching turns her off. Wayne tries to win a $20 bet by finding the name of a kid known only as 'Maniac' – he succeeds but 'Florence' threatens to kill him if he tells. Kevin is also pressured into ditching school to see The Devil in Miss Jones with three troublemakers, Jimmy Donnelly (Seth Green), Joey Spinoza, and Neal Pemish, but they are caught by Dr. Valenti and blame Kevin – only for Winnie to save the day when she mentions donating blood.
8819'Carnal Knowledge'Nancy CoopersteinDavid GreenwaltMarch 25, 199202S0059119
Kevin and his friends plan to sneak in to see the R-rated movie Carnal Knowledge with Ann-Margret, because it contains erotic scenes. Paul reveals that he will be having dinner with his mother's old college roommate and her college-age daughter Beth (Kawena Charlot) that night and can't make it. After Kevin, Ricky, and Chuck sneak in and subsequently get kicked out of the theater, Paul reveals his own 'carnal knowledge' to Kevin when he tells him he had his first sexual encounter with Beth, leaving him confused at exactly what happened. At first Kevin is upset when Paul doesn't disclose any details, then he inadvertently reveals Paul's secret to his friends. However, when Paul confesses he can't cope with a casual relationship, Kevin helps out and accompanies him to the airport to say goodbye to Beth. Even though Paul didn't have the chance to meet Beth there before she boarded the plane (he thought he did see her through the plane window, however), he still appreciates Kevin, his long-time best friend, who'll do anything for him
8920'The Lost Weekend'Arthur AlbertStory by : Rob Cohen
Teleplay by : Sivert Glarum & Stephen Jenkins
April 8, 199202S0059120

When Kevin's parents leave town for the weekend—and Wayne leaves the house, also—Kevin's friends talk him into letting them come over for a night of poker. When their poker game becomes boring, Chuck decides to invite a girl he likes, and Ricky also steps up and invites Alice. Unfortunately for Kevin, Alice also invites her friends, who bring or invite their siblings or friends, eventually causing things to get out of hand, and a wild party ensues. As supplies run low, Kevin and Chuck make a run to a convenience store in an attempt to purchase alcoholic beverages; but the clerk (Michael G. Hagerty) doesn't fall for Chuck's fake ID. When they return; they find total chaos, as the house is now trashed. Kevin futilely spends three hours cleaning up afterwards, but his parents return early and are shocked by what they find, and automatically blame Wayne. But Kevin is taken aback when Wayne takes the rap for the carnage—but Kevin has to wash and wax Wayne's car in exchange for getting off scot-free.

Recurring guest:Lindsay Sloane as Alice Pedermier.
9021'Stormy Weather'Ken TopolskyDenise Moss & Sy DukaneApril 22, 199202S0059121
When Karen unexpectedly comes home in the middle of the night, the rest of the family soon learns she and Michael had a fight, and of her plan to move back home. Karen then asks Jack to collect her belongings from hers and Michael's house and Kevin and Wayne are soon roped in, too. After collecting Karen's belongings, Jack tells Michael he didn't want to see them living like this, but Michael divulges the reason for the fight—he had asked Karen to marry him. Michael then follows Jack and the boys home to see Karen, but she again rebuffs his overtures since she doesn't believe in the 'antiquated, male-centered institution' of marriage. She then asks him to leave; however, when Michael returns with his tent and pitches it on the Arnolds' front lawn, he stands in the dark in the pouring rain waiting for Karen to come out. Eventually, Karen realizes how much Michael loves her and goes outside to make up—and ten days later, she asks Michael to marry her.
9122'The Wedding'Peter BaldwinMark B. PerryApril 29, 199202S0059122

With their wedding day approaching; Karen and Michael, despite Norma's enthusiasm, decide against a traditional ceremony. Instead, they plan a hippie wedding with an IndianMaharishi and all their friends in the backyard. However, Kevin becomes uncomfortable when Michael confides in him he got a job in Alaska and they are planning to move there right after the ceremony. But Karen has yet to find a good moment to tell her parents, and when Jack makes a touching speech, Karen's friend Earth Mother delivers a cake that has written on it in decorative cake icing 'Alaska or Bust.' In the confusion and tension, Karen then tells her parents she and Michael have their own life, and they have to let them go and live it. They ultimately agree, particularly when Jack recalls that he took his own bride far from her family. Jack and Norma then allow their first-born daughter out into the real world, reminding her that irrespective of where she is, they will never let her go.

Guest starring Jon Frear as Brett, Frank Lloyd as Rainbow, Karen Massey as Wind, and Gerry Bednob as Maharishi.
9223'Back to the Lake'Michael DinnerMark LevinMay 6, 199202S0059123

As summer begins, Wayne gets a job at Jack's company NORCOM, working on the loading dock. Kevin is frustrated with missing out on a leisurely summer since his parents are pressuring him get a summer job, also. With Winnie working at a diner and Paul working as an assistant manager at a Chinese restaurant; Kevin finally takes a remedial position at the Chinese restaurant as well. One day, while cleaning his room, Kevin finds a card from Cara, his summer fling from last year; and on the way to work with Paul the next day, Kevin spontaneously decides to go back to the lake with hopes of reuniting with Cara. But Cara isn't thrilled to see Kevin and wonders why he came, since he never replied to her Christmas card. Cara then leaves, and the next day (the boys having spent the night in the car) tells Kevin that she now has a boyfriend. Kevin then wonders why he ever tried to get back together with Cara in the first place, when he still has Winnie.

Recurring guest: Lisa Gerber as Cara.
9324'Broken Hearts and Burgers'Ken TopolskyCraig HoffmanMay 13, 199202S0059124

When a jealous Winnie thinks Kevin had gotten a little too friendly with a waitress (Sarah Dammann) at Fatso's drive-in, she berates Kevin and abandons him at the table and joins her friends for the rest of the night. Even though Kevin explains that it was just a misunderstanding, he remembers back to a lot of ups and downs he had with Winnie and other girls he knew in his past (through clips from past episodes). Although his friends and Wayne try to help him out, it's no use, and Kevin has to patch things up with Winnie himself. By the end of the evening, Kevin speaks from his heart by telling Winnie that she's the only girl he ever cares and thinks about. But Winnie's heard enough and takes Kevin into her arms with a passionate kiss—all she wanted to hear was some honesty.

Recurring guests: Scott Nemes as Ricky Halsenbach, Andy Berman as Chuck Coleman, Michael Tricario as Randy Mitchell

Guest star: Sarah Dammann as the unnamed waitress

References[edit]

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The Wonder Years (1988–93) was American television series that was aired on ABC. The series depicts the social and family life of an adolescent boy growing up in a suburban middle-class family, and takes place from 1968–1973.

Homecoming [6.1][edit]

Narrator: There was a road that ran near the edge of my town. Out where the suburbs were still farms. I used to go there nights, that autumn of nineteen-seventy-two. I was sixteen. I had a girl. I had a car. I had a job. I was full of night... and life. I just wasn't ready to go home. That year, I traveled streets I'd never known before. I pushed against the limits of my suburban life. I had no idea exactly what lay ahead. All I knew was... I was running out of time. And I was gonna bust if something didn't happen... soon. In nineteen-seventy-two, the country was at war. With its armies... with its ideals... with itself. The dreams of the '60's were battling a new decade. And things were happening everywhere. Well, almost everywhere.
Mr. Deeks: Open your books to chapter six, section thirteen. The rise of post-agricultural Europe.
Narrator: Eleventh-grade. The no-man's land of public education.
Narrator: They say men are children, but sometimes children are men; maybe that's where the confusion lies... All I knew was that night the world suddenly seemed very big and I felt very small, so I did what I could...1972 was a crazy time. Kids played football, drove cars, went to school, celebrated life; while soldiers, heroes, their brothers struggled to find their way home from war; and young boys watched and grew wiser in their dreams.

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Fishing [6.2][edit]

Narrator: The hardest part of growing up is having the ones you've always turned to, turn to you.
Narrator: We'd come this far. No sense turning back, now. We fished the rest of that day. We didn't catch much. Dad said he'd like to move up here, and open a bait shop. I told him it was a great idea. I think he believed it. And in the end... I guess we finally figured out why we'd come here in the first place. We'd come... to say goodbye.

Scenes from a Wedding [6.3][edit]

Narrator: It seems to me, a wedding means something different to everyone. To some, it's an occasion for simple pleasures. And for others, a wedding's implications are more profound. For some... it's a time for contemplation. For others, a time for regrets. A chance to measure just how far we've come in life... against the promise of those just starting out.
Narrator: It was a testament to romance at its finest and most pure. It was a declaration of virtue. Simple, and gracious, and real. And after a day of infidelities... some proposed and planned, some more subtle... I felt for the first time... that someone believed in something a little different. In love. In commitment. In each other. It almost made me glad to be there. I guess you could say that weddings mean a lot of things to a lot of people. We might cry at the romance unfulfilled in our own lives. And shrink at the unseen compromises our lives have held for us. But weddings also bring out hope. And promise. And possibility. After all, as we choose our partners... some of us make our choices for life. And some of us dance with just one of many. And sometimes - for the lucky ones - we remember why we picked who we did. And after years of fighting over burnt toast...and bounced checks... we might, for a brief moment... look at each other as we once did - before kids, and mortgages and routine conspired against us. And others are content to postpone their choices... knowing somehow, that the future, like that Saturday afternoon, will tempt us with dances - both slow, and fast.

Sex and Economics [6.4][edit]

Narrator: Junior year was a time of... exploration. A time for expanding horizons, broadening perspectives, seeking answers to little-known questions. It was an opportunity to grapple with the great issues of our day, which as it happened, boiled down to only two. One was sex. Miss Farmer. Our social studies teacher. In one of the great cosmic ironies of our time... the board of education had hired her to mold and develop our formative young minds.
Narrator: In a world where everyone was taking advantage of everybody else... sex and economics were facts of life. For all of us. I continued to see Miss Farmer every day, but, somehow, it wasn't the same after that. After all, in a way, she had done me a favor - taught me a lesson in 'life'. To wit, when it came to beautiful women and money, it would always end like this - some guy would get stuck on a ladder in November... and some guy would end up alone. All I know for sure is, it took me six weeks to finish painting that house. It cost me two-hundred-and-fourteen dollars of my own hard-earned money. And the next spring, Mr. Kaplan put up aluminum siding.

Politics as Usual [6.5][edit]

Narrator: Every four years, our country is gripped by a case of temporary insanity. We call it... the presidential election. It's democracy defined. A chance for politicians who know better... to make promises they can't keep. And come November... it's a chance for us to believe them.
Radio Announcer: With the heavily Negro population of the District of Columbia and the rocksteady Democrat stronghold of Massachusetts, Senator McGovern has an early start by carrying those states.
Narrator: Maybe I was jaded to think Winnie was idealistic. That newscast spurred me on to go to party headquarters where I could see the thrill of victory.
[Kevin arrives at party headquarters to see a glum scene]
Narrator: Or the agony of defeat.
Scoreboard: McGov = 2 checks. Nixon = 49 checks.
Winnie: How could this be? How could this have happened?
Mike: Winnie, we have to face reality. McGovern never stood a chance. Now is the time to focus our efforts on the 1974 Congressional elections.
Narrator: I guess many hearts were broken across America that night. But only one I really cared about. But somehow, it didn't seem important, anymore - who was right, who was wrong. All that really seemed to matter was... After all, maybe in his own way, Mike was right. In politics, you live to fight another day. Sure, the 'sixties were gone, but sooner or later...there'd be other battles to fight. The thing is, that election forever changed the way my generation looked at politics. We discovered, no matter how painfully, that we could be part of the process. That we could believe. And even now, twenty years later, despite all the evidence to the contrary... I can remember that night. And still believe.

White Lies [6.6][edit]

Narrator: They say you can live a lifetime and never find love. So I guess I was lucky. Because true love crossed my path the first time I met the girl next door - Winnie Cooper. Winnie and I'd been together longer than any couple I knew. Still, history only goes so far. Kinda like Winnie. Unfortunately, the mathematics of the situation were open to interpretation. To me, they led forward, to that great unknown. But to Winnie, they led... back! See, the great thing about us was that we had this past together. The bad thing about us was that we had this past together. Not that I minded being part of Winnie's past. It's just, when it came to who I was... she seemed to regard me as a known quantity.
Narrator: They say hindsight's twenty-twenty, and I guess it's true. Because as I stood outside Winnie's house that night, I suddenly saw it all so clearly. I'd sold both of us short, by taking something that most people never have and throwing it away for something less. I'd been in such a hurry to impress people that didn't matter, I'd torn apart the only ones who did...us.

Wayne and Bonnie [6.7][edit]

Narrator: My father worked at NORCOM over half his life. And eventually... he rose to the ranks of middle management. Where every day, was filled with crisis... challenges... and Rol-Aids. Yep... through the years my father had given a lot to NORCOM. And now... he had given them... Wayne. My brother had been employed in the mail-room for about six months. Don't ask me how. And if his work-ethic didn't exactly match Dad's... at least he was trying to find a niche for himself. Make new acquaintances. Bonnie Douglas. She was twenty-three, funny, smart, and, oh yeah - divorced. It was no wonder Wayne felt the way he did. Whatever Dad felt about all of this... he was keeping it to himself. Like all the Arnold men... he had a lot of things on his mind.
Narrator: It was that simple. And it was that complex. Love can kill you. It can tear you apart. But if you're very lucky... it can bring you back together. Sometimes love is unexpected... and unpredictable. And sometimes... you just have to go with your heart. And hope for the best.

Kevin Delivers [6.8][edit]

Narrator: For most kids I went to high school with, Tuesday and Friday nights meant homework, hanging out, dating - the usual agonies and ecstasies of teenage life. For me, those nights meant something else. My high school job. I was 'Kevin Arnold - Chinese food delivery boy'. Where you found harried waiters, agile cooks, Peking ducks, and of course... Mr. Chong. After four months on the job, we'd finally learned how to communicate. He yelled...
Narrator: Working for Mr. Chong certainly wasn't the best job I ever had. The hours were long... the money was poor, and employee-management relations left a lot to be desired. But in its way, each night held a promise - of riches. And adventure.

The Test [6.9][edit]

Narrator: One thing a kid learns growing up, is that life... is a series of risks. It's a cause-and-effect relationship. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Still, with the proper guidance, we learn to deal with the risks. And pretty soon, we set out into the world... sure in our options, confident of our choices. Until, that is... eleventh-grade. The year of decisions. Around the middle of junior year... the risks increase. Almost overnight, the choices get harder. One guess why. The scholastic aptitude test. The living nightmare of American adolescents. Like some kind of biblical curse... the SAT's had descended on our class... reducing even the most-intelligent among us to a state of... flop-sweats.
Narrator: That afternoon, Dad and I took the tour. We talked furniture. We talked life. We made plans. And the next morning, at 8:00 AM, seventy-eight students gathered in the McKinley cafeteria to take what was supposed to be the most important test of their lives. Everyone had a different way of coping that day. Some were more effective than others. But for all the risks and choices, I was one step ahead of them. After all, I knew that this was just one test in thousands I'd be taking in my life. None of them final, none of them irrevocable. And the way I saw it, maybe life was a risk. But this time, I was ready.

Let Nothing You Dismay [6.10][edit]

Wonder Years Poster

Narrator: December, nineteen-seventy-two, was a time of change for my family. A time of strange occurrences. Improbable events. And, a fews surprises. After a twenty-year sabbatical in the kitchen... my mother was graduating from State College. We were all pretty proud of her. As for my father... after a half a lifetime at NORCOM... he decided to invest in the future. Well, the future of furniture, anyway.
Narrator: I guess some gifts are simple. They come from the heart... with a lifetime guarantee. And that afternoon... Christmas finally arrived. That Christmas Eve, I delivered egg rolls and pork lomein - for fifty cents more an hour. Then I turned right around and squandered the profits - on cashmere. Still, I think it was worth it. As for that big box, it turned out to be something much, much smaller. [Winnie gives Kevin a present] I hated it. I loathed it. I despised it. Then again, on the other hand... That night we skipped the customary dinner at home. Seemed there was a more fitting place to gather. We stayed up late. We talked about old times, new times. We ate turkey and dressing... and egg rolls. After all, the way I saw it, that year, we had a lot to celebrate.

New Years [6.11][edit]

Narrator: Over the years, a family develops a kind of character. A sense of heritage. A feeling of roots. For my family, those roots extended all the way to the back of our garage. It was kind of our Plymouth Rock. The final week of nineteen-seventy-two. Where I lived, it was a time of change. Most particularly in the person of... my new brother. Sure - maybe this looked like the same doofus I'd shared a room with for fifteen years... but in one way, he was different. Wayne was in love. And somehow... our garage was never gonna be the same again. Not that I begrudged the guy his good fortune. After all, he'd found the girl of his dreams. Bonnie Douglas. Twenty-three, divorced, and mother of one. But it wasn't what he'd done that was so perplexing... it was how he was doing it.
Narrator: So maybe that New Year's Eve 1972 didn't work out exactly like any of us planned. There was heartbreak we didn't anticipate, and events we couldn't have imagined. Still, it wasn't all bad; there was a magician. So, maybe there was a message in it all. The future was calling us. And no matter what, there was no turning back now.

Alice in Autoland [6.12][edit]

Narrator: Throughout time... there have been some pretty obnoxious couples. Couples who constantly bickered. Couples who had trouble communicating. But never, in the history of men and women... had there been a couple more horrifying, more terrifying, than... Alice Pedermeir... and Chuck Coleman. In the three months they'd been dating... they'd broken up twenty-seven times. A class record. Make that twenty-eight times. And in situations like these, there was one cardinal rule. Never, never, get in the middle of someone else's relationship. It was a tried-and-true theory. Leave well enough alone, and things would work out.
Narrator: I never did get that car. I got my old one back from 'Pistol Pete'. But I guess I did learn a few things from this mess. When it comes to couples, mind your own business. When it comes to women, you'll never understand them. And, when it comes to cars... always bring a wrench.

Ladies and Gentlemen... The Rolling Stones [6.13][edit]

Narrator: Teen logic. At sixteen, it was a tool we used with abandon. And this logic came in all shapes and sizes. We used it to help us through life's tough moments. It helped explain our behavioral oddities. But never was out logic more useful, then when it lent credence to a really hot rumor. It was a dull week in the winter of 'seventy-three. So the rumor had spread like wildfire. By junior year, I'd been down the old rumor-trail... one too many times. Maybe I was a little tough on the guy... but it was so clear to anyone with even a semblance of intelligence. Unfortunately... a semblance of intelligence was in short supply.
Poker
Narrator: And that's when I realized... there's all kinds of logic in this world. And a lot of it doesn't make any sense. That night, moved by the forces of teen logic, I'd stolen my dad's car... had a run-in with the police... a fight with my friends... and an accident. All in all... it was a great evening. Even if there were no Rolling Stones.

Unpacking [6.14][edit]

Narrator: By the middle of junior year, life at my school was becoming... routine. The teachers, the kids, the classes... they were all pretty much predictable. Most of them, anyway. Jeff Billings, the new kid in school. When it came to unpredictable - this guy had the lock. In the short time I'd known the kid, I'd learned this about him - he had brains, a sense of humor... He had... attitude. Yep, in a way, the guy had it all. Including a girlfriend I'd never met. Julie McDermott, the legendary goddess from another town.
Narrator: So... we went home. That day, I thought about a lot of things, like hometowns, like family - the shortcomings, the flaws, the arguments. Still, in the world of inconsistency and doubt... maybe home is what you make it. Like I said, most suburbs were about the same. Sure, some may have been a little bigger, and some may be have been a little greener... there was only one real difference. Only one of them... was yours.

Hulk Arnold [6.15][edit]

Narrator: At some point in your teenage years, if you're lucky, you make a discovery. You find out you're actually good at something. It's that critical juncture, where talent becomes...expertise - kinda. It's your chance to start or, end up flat on your face.
Coach: Why'd you let him pin you like that?
Narrator: Course, looking back, I probably just should have promised to do better. But instead -
Kevin: Yeah, well...you know, these shorts are really hard to wrestle in.
Narrator: ...I made excuses.

Nose [6.16][edit]

Narrator: In high school, appearances are everything. The way you look. The way you wish you didn't look. Nobody is satisfied. Which is maybe why...throughout the halls and classrooms... we hear the one universal cry.
Ricky: What's wrong with me?
Narrator: Ricky Holsenbach. When it came to inferiority complexes, he had them all.
Narrator: And as Hayley set off hand-in-hand with her new beau... one question naturally came to mind.
Ricky: What's he got that I don't?
Narrator: And of course, there was only one answer. He had her. That night was almost like a fairy tale. A night filled with magic... and love... and princesses. And pumpkins. Maybe it was fitting. In a land of insecurity, where curly-haired kids wanted straight hair, and heavy kids wanted to lose weight... and skinny ones wanted to gain it, and everybody wanted to be somebody else... the one true beauty... was the girl who simply knew herself. And was happy... with what she knew.

Eclipse [6.17][edit]

Narrator: On the afternoon of March 21, 1973, at exactly 2.15 PM, a rare astronomical event occurred - a total eclipse of the sun. As the sun, the moon and the earth began to move in line... so did we. A field trip. It was a chance to bring education to the unwashed masses of the junior class. Like Harlan Abramson, McKinley's living monument to polyunsaturated fats. Or Mary Jo Genaro. Senior year, she became the first girl at McKinley to take her parole officer to the prom. Louis Lanahan. When mankind discovered fire, they had not quite counted on Louis. And so, in a cloud of smoke and a mighty Hi-ho, Silver!... we were on the way to the Nierman planetarium. Thirty-four students and one teacher on the road to higher education - such as it was. All in all it was the lead opportunity to exchange ideals outside the confines of the classroom. To expand the boundaries of higher education. To go where no man had gone before.
Narrator: I guess you can say that the laws of nature aren't always predictable. Still, when it came to matters of cause and effect... I think we managed to learn a thing or two. Perhaps that day, despite all the chaos, there really were cosmic forces at work. Forces so powerful, so profound, they defied all our attempts of rational explanation. I mean, hey, it had taken only five-thousand years to understand the moon... So, maybe, we were making progress. Then again, when it came down to it, may be, we learned enough for one day.

Poker [6.18][edit]

Narrator: If there's one way to describe adolescence... It might be this... It's a gamble. An adventure into the unexpected. A step into the unknown. It's a time of life that pits hope against fear. And logic against prayer. A game of luck... and opportunity. Not unlike, say, for instance... Poker.
Narrator: Those seventeen years... He knew what I meant. After all... Standing there on the edge of adulthood... we knew that the problems of men were not easily solved. That life was a risk. That growing up... was a gamble. That the time for bluffing, had passed. Still, ya never knew. With a little luck... Things just might turn out OK.

The Little Women [6.19][edit]

Narrator: By the spring of nineteen-seventy-three the women's liberation movement was in full force. Across America, a revolution was in progress, shedding old stereotypes... building new roles. It was a time of raised-consciousnesses and high expectations... a fight for equality and freedom. Women everywhere were facing difficult and complex choices. Take my mother for example. She was a woman of her time. A woman of accomplishments. A woman who was appreciated. Yep, you might say in everything she did, Mom commanded our utmost respect. And whether it was pouring our coffee, buttering our toast, or simply washing our socks... we Arnold men supported her, encouraged her... right up until that day, when...
Norma: I've decided to get a job.
Kevin: By the way, congratulations on your SAT scores.
Winnie: Thanks.
Narrator: I mean, no sense being pigheaded. The way I saw it - the world was big enough for all of us. And besides, so what if women could influence government, take over big business, alter domestic policy, dominate education, make the world a better place. In one important respect, we had still a lot to teach them. Yep, when it came to being jerks, they still had a lot to learn.

Reunion [6.20][edit]

Summer [6.21][edit]

Narrator: I guess things never turn out exactly the way you planned. I know they didn't with me. Still, like my dad used to say, 'Traffic's traffic; you go where life takes you.' I remember a time, a place, a particular fourth of July; the things I saw in that decade of war and change. I remember how it was growing up among people and places I loved. Most of all, I remember how it was to leave.

Independence Day [6.22][edit]

Narrator: Once upon a time, there was a girl I knew, who lived across the street. Brown hair, brown eyes. When she smiled, I smiled. When she cried, I cried. Every single thing that ever happened to me that mattered, in some way had to do with her. That day, Winnie and I promised each other that no matter what, that we'd always be together. It was a promise full of passion and truth and wisdom. It was the kind of promise that can only come from the hearts of the very young.
Narrator: The next day, Winnie and I came home, back to where we'd started. It was the 4th of July in that little suburban town. Somehow though, things were different. Our past was here, but our future was somewhere else. And we both knew, sooner or later, we had to go. It was the last July I ever spent in that town. The next year, after graduation, I was on my way. So was Paul. He went to Harvard, of course. Studied law. He's still allergic to everything. As for my father...well. We patched things up. Hey, we were family. For better or worse. One for all and all for one. Karen's son was born in that September. I gotta say, I think he looks like me. Poor kid. Mom, she did well: Business woman, board chairman, grandmother...cooker of mashed potatoes. Wayne stayed on in furniture. Wood seemed to suit him. In fact, he took over the factory two years later, when Dad passed away. Winnie left the next summer to study art history in Paris. Still, we never forgot our promise. We wrote to each other once a week for the next eight years. I was there to meet her, when she came home, with my wife and my first son, eight months old. Like I said, things never turn out exactly the way you planned. Growing up happens in a heartbeat. One day, you're in diapers; next day, you're gone. But the memories of childhood stay with you for the long haul. I remember a place...a town...a house...like a lot of other houses; a yard like a lot of other yards; on a street like a lot of other streets. And the thing is...after all these years, I still look back...with wonder.
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