Wed, Jan 8, 1997
Drew is worried when he hears about a hurricane hitting Florida near where his parents live. Unexpectedly, his parents show up at his place and admit they've been traveling in their Winnebago because they lost their house. Worst of all, Beulah lost her life savings in a land development scam. Drew plans to let them stay over for a few weeks until the lawsuit is settled but is torn about what to do when his parents lose the case.
Wed, Jan 15, 1997
Drew is getting fed up with the filthy, unsafe conditions in Oswald and Lewis' apartment and threatens to take their landlord to court. But when the landlord finds out Drew has been living with the guys without a lease, he evicts all of them. The three of them end up on Kate's doorstep and she reluctantly agrees to let them stay with her for a few days. Everyone pressures Drew to stand up to his parents once and for all and take back his house.
Wed, Jan 29, 1997
After realizing there is no way to profit from Buzz Beer, the gang decides to shut down the brewery and throw a party with free beer to get rid of their supply. Drew meets a woman at the Warsaw and invites her to the party but can't remember her name or number. Mimi puts a flier about Drew's party in the Winfred-Louder newspaper as revenge for an earlier prank. Drew's hopes of finding his mystery woman dwindle when everyone in the city of Cleveland (including the mayor, Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar, Little Richard, and Joe Walsh) shows up at his house for the party.
Wed, Feb 5, 1997
Oswald and Lewis plan their usual prank war for Drew's birthday and tease Kate for not being able to compete with their elaborate jokes. Meanwhile, Drew volunteers to update the store's training films in hopes of earning a promotion. Kate hopes to win the prank war by tampering with Drew's training video and showing it at his birthday party. Unfortunately, Drew unknowingly takes the tampered tape to work and presents it to the board.
Wed, Feb 12, 1997
Drew's down-payment on a car bounces because of a bad check at a garage sale. He finds out the woman who wrote the check was Kyra, his junior-high girlfriend. She claims her roommate wrote checks from her account to cover his gambling debt. Drew invites Kyra to stay with him but begins to doubt her when his car is repossessed after her second check bounces.
Wed, Feb 19, 1997
Winfred-Louder employees risk their lives get to work each day because the crosswalk from the parking deck to the store is at an intersection near the freeway. When a member of the Optimists Club is severely injured while trying to cross, Drew demands the store build a skywalk to the employee garage. When his complaints are ignored and Lewis and Oswald are hurt while trying to cross, Drew decides to take drastic measures by going on a hunger strike.
Wed, Feb 26, 1997
Drew returns disheveled and frustrated after a convention in Las Vegas. After losing his luggage and all of his money, a waitress named Diane took pity on him and they went out for drinks. She took Drew to a rock and roll chapel to get married and he went through with it, thinking it was a drunken prank. Unfortunately, the ceremony was legal. Diane admits she needed to get re-married in order to keep custody of her two kids. She convinces Drew to pose as her husband for a week to fool the social worker.
Wed, Mar 5, 1997
Drew finds out Speedy's hip problem is getting worse but there's hope in a new operation that could restore the dog to his old self. The problem is the operation costs $2700. Nora recommends Drew use his company insurance to pay for it. Winfred-Louder has same-sex health benefits; all Drew would have to do is claim the operation is for his lover. Drew agrees but ends up having to prove he is gay by hiring Oswald to play his lover "Aaron".
Wed, Mar 19, 1997
Earl is released from prison and swears he's a changed man. Drew is ill at ease when Earl moves in next-door and starts watching his every move. Earl claims he is observing Drew so he can assimilate back into society. Eventually, Earl starts dressing like Drew and even remodels his house to look exactly like Drew's. Everything comes to a head when Earl pulls a gun on Drew and the gang, admitting he wants to kill Drew and take over his life.
Wed, Apr 2, 1997
The gang discovers someone else is marketing a coffee-flavored beer called Cap-Beer-Cino. The owner, Chris Vanderkamp, openly admits stealing the idea but has enough lawyers to keep him in the clear. Cap-Beer-Cino becomes a sensation at the Warsaw, which leaves the gang desperate for business.
Wed, Apr 30, 1997
When the employee representative to the board is forced to retire, Drew, Mimi, and Larry are thrilled over the possibility of taking over the position that offers a considerable raise and requires little work. The competition to impress Mr. Wick, Mrs. Louder, and the board of directors turns from friendly rivalry to an outright brawl.
Wed, May 7, 1997
Kate is annoyed the guys offered a date with her as a prize in a contest for Buzz Beer. Mr. Wick finds the winning bottle cap and Kate reluctantly goes through with the date. The guys are stunned when Kate and Wick seemingly fall for each other. Little do they know, Kate and Wick are playing a prank as revenge for the contest. However, Mr. Wick may not be pretending.
Wed, May 14, 1997
After a disastrous trip to New York to sell Buzz Beer, the gang makes a shocking discovery: The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) has been replaced as the weekend midnight movie with The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994), leading to a drag-off in the streets with Mimi and her Priscilla cronies.
Tue, Sep 23, 1997
Drew worries his physique is holding him back at work when Mr. Wick picks a robust employee to attend a convention in Hawaii instead of him. A guy at the Warsaw overhears Drew's plight and claims to have the solution: a weight-loss pill that activates when taken with beer. He offers Drew a free bottle if he poses for before and after pictures. Days later, Drew is horrified to see his shirtless "before" photo on a billboard in town.
Wed, Sep 24, 1997
As a violent storm looms over Cleveland, the store lets all employees with families go home early to spend time with their kids, leaving the single employees to fend for themselves at work. Upset over the situation, Drew proposes creating a union for single employees. Everyone runs for cover in the basement as a tornado approaches but Mr. Wick is caught in the store right as the twister strikes. Mimi sees a golden opportunity when she finds Mr. Wick traumatized and disoriented the next day.
Wed, Oct 1, 1997
Drew decides to turn over a new leaf by becoming more assertive. He taps into the boardroom to see the footage of his meeting and hear his evaluation. Drew ends up getting more than he bargained for when he and Mimi see Larry and Mrs. Louder having sex in the boardroom. Meanwhile, Mimi still has a confused Mr. Wick living at her house and Kate and Oswald begin secretly dating.
Wed, Oct 8, 1997
Just when Mr. Wick is getting back on his feet, Mimi tricks him into thinking another storm has hit the city. She continues to run the store by signing Mr. Wick's name on all the orders. Drew becomes suspicious of Wick's disappearance so Mimi issues a memo that says he's fired. With a heavy heart over losing his job, Drew keeps pursuing real estate agent Nicki Fifer (who thinks he's a loser for being unemployed) while Kate and Oswald break the news about their relationship.
Wed, Oct 15, 1997
The government seizes Drew's house after Larry's antics in the previous episode. They plan to sell it at auction. Drew gets an idea from Nicki to declare bankruptcy on the house to get out of debt and then have Lewis bid on it on Drew's behalf. Tensions erupt as Drew has a difficult time accepting Kate and Oswald as a couple.
Wed, Oct 29, 1997
Drew is amazed to find out Nicki was overweight in the past but managed to lose 85 pounds. In support of her strict diet, Drew vows to lose 10 pounds. Mimi mocks Drew and claims Nicki lied about her past to pressure Drew into losing weight because she's embarrassed of his appearance. Doubt begins creeping into Drew's mind so he starts searching for proof of Nicki's past weight troubles.
Wed, Nov 5, 1997
Drew wins the Batmobile in a contest at a fast food restaurant. Nicki and the gang are amazed Drew was offered $200,000 in lieu of the car but turned it down. Drew's outlandish prize starts to cause problems in his relationship with Nicki when she refuses to let him drive the Batmobile when they meet her parents for a dinner date.
Top-rated
Wed, Nov 12, 1997
Mr. Wick is roped into dog-sitting Mrs. Louder's prized show dog; it's very valuable because of its unique coat and breeding capabilities. Wick ditches the responsibility by leaving the dog with Drew without consulting him. Kate drops the dog off at Drew's and doesn't have time to leave a note. When Drew gets home, he assumes the dog is a stray and takes it to the vet. Kate returns later and is horrified to find the dog shaved and neutered.
Wed, Nov 19, 1997
Drew's older brother Steve pays a surprise visit; he's down on his luck after going through a broken engagement and losing his job. Kate convinces Drew to give Steve a job in the cosmetics department. One afternoon at work, Drew is astounded to find his brother dressed in women's clothes, complete with a wig; Steve reveals he is a cross-dresser. Upon this discovery, Mr. Wick demands Drew fire Steve immediately.
Wed, Nov 26, 1997
The gang decides to get the old band back together for a battle of the bands contest at the Warsaw. Kate desperately wants to be lead vocalist but the guys are hesitant because she's an awful singer. The guys run into Herb, an old high school rival, who is confident his band will crush Drew's in the contest. The gang is determined to win but the guys know they won't if they let Kate sing.
Wed, Dec 3, 1997
Drew's pastor convinces him to volunteer at a seniors' center, where the residents have a reputation for being difficult. Mr. Wick hears about it and convinces Mrs. Louder to require all the employees to "volunteer" at retirement homes for the good publicity. Gus, a resident at the retirement home, talks Drew into taking the seniors to the store so they help with inventory. Gus takes a bunch of photographs and tells a local news station that Drew is abusing the residents. The elderly start picketing Winfred-Louder and Drew is at risk for losing his job.
Wed, Dec 17, 1997
Winfred-Louder holds a desk-decorating contest for the employees, with the winner receiving two tickets to the Bahamas. Drew creates an entirely edible cubicle and Kate dances on top of her desk. Mr. Wick calls them co-winners and gives them each a ticket. Drew is worried about being alone with Kate because of his feelings for her in the past. Lewis accidentally spills the beans about Drew's fears, which leads an enraged Oswald to stow away on a courier flight to the Bahamas in order to confront Drew.