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The Wonder Years - The Workplace (S1E4)
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.
| Runtime (min) | 21 |
|---|---|
| TMDB Rating | 1.0 (2 votes) |
| Air Date | 2021-10-13 |
| Genres | Comedy, Drama, Family |
| TV Rating | TV-PG |
| Network(s) | ABC |
Storyline
It's "Take Your Son to Work Day," and Dean is excited to accompany his father Bill to band practice at a music studio. The day takes an unexpected turn when adult conversations and situations at the studio prove inappropriate for a child, prompting Bill to call Lillian to pick Dean up early. What begins as a disappointment becomes an eye-opening experience for Dean when he arrives at his mother's workplace.
At Lillian's office, Dean gets his first real glimpse into what his mother does during the school day. He observes her professionalism, her responsibilities, and the respect she commands in her career. The experience gives Dean a new perspective on his mother beyond her role at home, and he develops a deeper appreciation for her ambition and the work she does outside of being a parent. The episode explores the balance working parents strike and how children's understanding of their parents evolves as they mature.
What kids learn
This episode teaches children that their parents have full, complex lives beyond the home and family. Dean learns that his mother isn't just someone who takes care of him—she's a professional with her own career, goals, and identity. Young viewers see that respecting a parent's work and ambitions is an important part of appreciating who they are as complete people.
The episode also addresses the reality that not all adult spaces are appropriate for children. When Dean encounters situations at the music studio that aren't suitable for him, the show demonstrates that it's okay for parents to recognize when an environment isn't right for their child and make adjustments. This teaches kids that boundaries exist for good reasons and that asking for help or changing plans isn't a failure.
Additionally, children learn about the value of observation and curiosity. Dean's willingness to watch and learn at his mother's office, rather than complain about the change in plans, allows him to gain new insight and respect. The episode encourages kids to be open to unexpected experiences and to recognize that disappointments can sometimes lead to meaningful discoveries.
Parents' top 5 questions
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What happens at the music studio that makes it inappropriate for Dean? | The episode refers to "grown folks' business" at the music studio that prompts Bill to call Lillian to pick Dean up. While the show doesn't explicitly detail what occurs, the implication is that adult conversations, language, or situations arise that Bill recognizes aren't suitable for his son to witness. This becomes a teaching moment about recognizing when environments aren't appropriate for children. |
| How does Dean react when his day with his father gets cut short? | Dean's initial disappointment at leaving the music studio early transforms into curiosity and engagement when he arrives at his mother's workplace. Rather than dwelling on the change of plans, he becomes genuinely interested in observing what Lillian does professionally. His ability to adapt and find value in the unexpected situation demonstrates emotional maturity and openness to new experiences. |
| What does Dean learn about his mother's career in this episode? | Dean gains concrete understanding of his mother's professional role, responsibilities, and the respect she commands in her workplace. He observes her competence and ambition firsthand, which gives him a new appreciation for her identity beyond being his parent. The experience helps him see Lillian as a complete person with her own goals and achievements, deepening his respect for her. |
| Is this episode a good conversation starter about working parents? | Yes, this episode provides an excellent opportunity to discuss how parents balance work and family life. It shows children that their parents have important roles outside the home and helps them understand that careers are meaningful parts of their parents' identities. The episode can prompt conversations about what each parent does at work and why their jobs matter to them personally and professionally. |
| What age-appropriate lessons does the episode teach about workplace boundaries? | The episode demonstrates that different environments have different rules and expectations. When Bill recognizes the music studio isn't appropriate for Dean, he makes a responsible parenting decision without shame or over-explanation. This teaches children that adults sometimes need spaces where kids aren't present, and that's normal and healthy. It also shows that good parents adjust plans when situations change unexpectedly. |
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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