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The Wonder Years - The Valentine’s Day Dance (S1E13)
Dean’s plans to ask Keisa to the Valentine’s Day Dance are foiled when another boy asks her out first after a new makeover makes her the talk of the school. Meanwhile, Bill and Lillian make Kim sign up for a Big Sister program to have extracurricular activities for her college applications.
| Runtime (min) | 21 |
|---|---|
| TMDB Rating | 1.0 (1 votes) |
| Air Date | 2022-02-02 |
| Genres | Comedy, Drama, Family |
| TV Rating | TV-PG |
| Network(s) | ABC |
Storyline
Dean has his heart set on asking Keisa to the school's Valentine's Day Dance, but his plans are upended when Keisa debuts a new makeover that transforms her into the most talked-about girl at school. Her fresh look attracts attention from other boys, and before Dean can work up the courage to ask her, another student beats him to it. Dean must navigate his disappointment while watching Keisa enjoy her newfound popularity and grapple with whether he missed his chance or if there's still hope for the dance.
In a parallel storyline, Dean's parents Bill and Lillian pressure his older sister Kim to join a Big Sister mentoring program. Their motivation is purely practical: they want Kim to pad her college applications with meaningful extracurricular activities. Kim initially resists the obligation, viewing it as just another item on her parents' checklist for her future. The episode explores the tension between doing something because it looks good on paper versus finding genuine purpose in helping others, as Kim begins her role as a mentor with mixed feelings about the arrangement.
What kids learn
This episode teaches children about the importance of timing and courage when it comes to expressing their feelings. Dean's hesitation costs him the opportunity to ask Keisa to the dance, demonstrating that waiting too long to act on something important can mean missing out. Young viewers learn that taking initiative and being brave enough to be vulnerable are essential skills, even when the outcome isn't guaranteed.
The storyline also addresses how people's perceptions can change based on superficial factors like appearance. Keisa's makeover suddenly makes her popular, raising questions about whether people are valuing her for who she's always been or simply responding to her new look. Children can reflect on the difference between genuine appreciation for a person and attention based on surface-level changes.
Through Kim's Big Sister assignment, the episode explores the difference between going through the motions and finding authentic meaning in service. Kids learn that activities undertaken solely for external validation—like college applications—can feel hollow, but that helping others can become genuinely rewarding when approached with the right mindset. The tension between obligation and authentic connection offers a valuable lesson about finding purpose beyond checking boxes.
Parents' top 5 questions
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| How should I talk to my child about what to do when someone else asks their crush out first? | Use Dean's experience to discuss resilience and perspective. Explain that disappointment is a normal part of growing up and that one missed opportunity doesn't mean future chances won't come. Help your child understand that they can learn from the experience—perhaps about acting more quickly next time or recognizing that timing matters. Emphasize that Keisa made her own choice and that respecting her decision is important, even when it's disappointing. This is also a good moment to discuss how friendships can continue even when romantic hopes don't work out. |
| What does this episode teach about how appearance affects social status in middle school? | Keisa's sudden popularity after her makeover illustrates how middle schoolers often respond to physical changes and conformity to beauty standards. This creates an opportunity to discuss with your child how superficial attention differs from genuine friendship and respect. Talk about valuing people for their character, interests, and kindness rather than their looks. You can also explore how Keisa might feel about this new attention—whether it's flattering or uncomfortable—and whether the friendships formed this way are likely to be lasting and authentic. |
| Is it okay to have my child do volunteer work primarily for college applications? | Kim's storyline raises this exact tension. While colleges do value community service, the episode suggests that purely transactional volunteering can feel hollow for everyone involved. The best approach is helping your child find service opportunities that align with their genuine interests or expose them to new perspectives. When young people connect authentically with the cause or the people they're helping, the experience becomes meaningful beyond the application benefit. Discuss with your child how they can approach required activities with an open mind and find real purpose in them. |
| How can I help my child build courage to express their feelings to someone they like? | Dean's hesitation is relatable for many young people who fear rejection. Encourage your child by normalizing the nervousness that comes with vulnerability and emphasizing that expressing interest is brave, regardless of the outcome. Role-play scenarios or discuss low-pressure ways to show interest, like friendly conversation or small gestures. Remind them that rejection isn't a reflection of their worth and that taking the risk teaches valuable lessons about courage. Celebrate their bravery in trying, not just the result, to build confidence for future situations. |
| What age-appropriate conversations about dating does this episode open up? | The Valentine's Day Dance setting provides a natural entry point for discussing age-appropriate dating and social events. Talk with your child about what attending a dance with someone means at their age—usually just spending time together in a group setting rather than serious dating. Discuss expectations, boundaries, and how to handle both asking someone and being asked. The episode also allows you to explore feelings of jealousy, disappointment, and excitement in a safe fictional context, helping your child process these emotions before encountering them in real life. |
Writing
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Directing
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| Season # | Episode # | Episode Name |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Struggling to figure out where he fits in, Dean decides to pursue his calling as "The Great Uniter" and attempts to organize the first integrated baseball game between his team and his friend Brad's team. |
| 1 | 2 | While Dean reckons with his first taste of heartbreak and betrayal, the adults in his life are overly empathetic and assume his grief is from mourning current events. |
| 1 | 3 | Dean stumbles upon some “racy literature” and shares it with friends at school. When he is caught by the school principal, Bill and Lillian navigate uncharted territory as parents and Dean learns that manhood isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. |
| 1 | 4 | It’s “Take Your Son to Work Day” and Dean heads to band practice with Bill. But the “grown folks’ business” at the music studio prompts Lillian to have to pick up Dean. While at her office, Dean finally learns what his mom does while he’s at school all day, gaining a newfound respect for her career and ambition. |
| 1 | 5 | Dean is reluctant to attend the annual church lock-in until Kim tells him it’s where she got her first kiss. He enlists his friends to help him pair up with Keisa, but his plans are thwarted when he instead gets paired up with the pastor’s daughter, Charlene. |
| 1 | 6 | When Coach Long and Bill take the boys on a camping trip as part of their newly formed scout troop, their starkly different approaches to the outdoors show Dean that his father isn’t good at everything. As a thunderstorm threatens an eerie quest through the woods, Bill leans into his expertise to save the day. |
| 1 | 7 | As Kim’s campaign for a car coincides with the need to take Grandaddy Clisby’s keys away, Bill proposes a solution that is only pleasing to him: Kim can drive, so long as she takes her grandfather and Dean around town. Later on at the mall, Dean is worried about seeming uncool when Clisby ends up chaperoning him and his friends, but Clisby has a few crowd-pleasing tricks up his sleeve. |
| 1 | 8 | After seeing Dean bullied by Michael after school Lillian goes to confront his parents and learns he needs more compassion than discipline. Much to Dean’s dismay, she takes Michael under her wing and helps him with his project for the science fair – an event where Dean typically excels |
| 1 | 9 | Dean can’t wait to spend Christmas with his older brother, Bruce, when he returns home from Vietnam. But adjusting to life back in Montgomery comes with unexpected challenges for Bruce, and the rest of the Williams family rely on their favorite holiday traditions to bring cheer |
| 1 | 10 | Bill and Lillian decide to join high society club Lads & Ladies as a way to introduce Kim and Dean to positive influences in the community. Bill, Kim and Dean fit right in, but things take a turn when Lillian is treated differently for being a working mom. |
| 1 | 11 | Brad works through his nerves preparing for his bar mitzvah speech while Dean ends his friendship with Keisa when Charlene tells him he can’t be friends with other girls. Things come to a head when the whole group comes together to celebrate Brad’s bar mitzvah. |
| 1 | 12 | When Dean loses his position as first chair saxophone in the school band, Bill lays the pressure on him to earn it back. |
| 1 | 13 | Dean’s plans to ask Keisa to the Valentine’s Day Dance are foiled when another boy asks her out first after a new makeover makes her the talk of the school. Meanwhile, Bill and Lillian make Kim sign up for a Big Sister program to have extracurricular activities for her college applications. |
| 1 | 14 | The family spends spring break with Lillian's parents in the countryside, and Dean lies to his cousins about city life in Montgomery to impress them. Meanwhile, Lillian helps to settle a land dispute between her parents and their neighbors to impress her difficult-to-please mother. |
| 1 | 15 | When their teacher goes on maternity leave, Dean, Cory and Keisa are excited to be taught by Mr. Brady, the school’s first Black teacher. Mr. Brady encourages the students to try out for the Knowledge Bowl team where Dean faces some unexpected challenges |
| 1 | 16 | When Dean learns that Corey’s dad, Coach Long, is in the doghouse, he struggles to keep this secret from his friend. |
| 1 | 17 | Kim is excited to start her new job as a waitress at the local diner, which Dean adopts as his local hangout. When Kim experiences drama with her friends, she finds unlikely allies in a tough coworker and her younger brother. |
| 1 | 18 | When Dean comes down with the chicken pox on his way to a hunting trip with Bill and Grandaddy Clisby, Lillian forces the three of them to quarantine together. Clisby pushes homemade remedies on them out of his mistrust of doctors, but he’s forced to reckon with this when Dean’s condition worsens. |
| 1 | 19 | Bruce returns home from Vietnam, and the family is shocked to find out he is dating an older woman with an 8-year-old son with whom he is eager to start his life. When they learn more about Bruce’s latest deployment, they begin to understand his survivors’ guilt and come together to support him. |
| 1 | 20 | Bill is excited to have made tenure at the university, only to find that his focus on career and family has cost him his spot in his band; Bruce adjusts to living at home. |
| 1 | 21 | Dean tries to impress Keisa's cool new boyfriend by inviting him and his friends to a party Kim is throwing while Bill and Lillian are away for the night; things get out of hand just as Bill and Lillian arrive home. |
| 1 | 22 | It's the end of the school year, and summer excitement is all around; Bill and Lillian each receive major career opportunities; Dean and Keisa take shelter together as a tornado tears through. |
| Season # | Episode # | Episode Name |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1 | It’s the summer of 1969, and Dean and Bill are experiencing new walks of life in New York City where Dean has tagged along for Bill’s career-making songwriting gig. Back in Montgomery, Lilian’s infamous sister, Jackie, pays a memorable visit. |
| 2 | 2 | Torn between his secret relationship with Keisa and his friendship with Broderick, Dean turns to Jackie for advice. Meanwhile, after her latest run-in with the law, Jackie decides to turn over a new leaf. |
| 2 | 3 | As Kim decides to take classes at Bill's college and date one of his star students, Bill must walk the line between teacher and dad; Dean and his friends join the football team where Dean finds himself in a tricky situation. |
| 2 | 4 | Bill and Lillian consider moving into the first integrated neighborhood in Montgomery; Dean develops a crush on Brad's mom during a sleepover at their house. |
| 2 | 5 | When Lillian joins the church choir, she discovers a new side to her mother-in-law; Kim encourages a guilt-ridden Dean to have an encounter with the supernatural. |
| 2 | 6 | After Bill befriends Dean's music teacher, Bill and Lillian attend a party at his house and the evening takes an unexpected turn. Meanwhile, with their parents away, Dean, Bruce and Kim make their own plans for the night. |
| 2 | 7 | In search of a new hobby, Dean joins the drama club - only to find himself mixed up in drama of his own. Bill and Kim grapple with Bruce's choice to campaign for a local politician. |
| 2 | 8 | After Lillian's boss announces budget cuts, she is forced to make a decision and enforce boundaries between her personal and professional life. Meanwhile, Dean and Cory's friendship hits a few speed bumps as they work together for the boxcar derby. |
| 2 | 9 | The Williams gather to celebrate Clisby's 75th birthday - including Bill's brother Melvin and his daughter Cassie. While Bill and Melvin try to one-up each other for Clisby's approval, Cassie shares big news with Lillian and Kim. |
| 2 | 10 | When the Williams family decides to go on a family vacation, Kim suggests a road trip to Austin College and Dean proposes a stop at Disneyland. After meeting up with his old bandmates, Bill reflects on his life choices. |
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