The Mighty Megalosaurus

Air date: 4/26/91

Earl tells Baby the events surrounding his birth. Fran has one wish in life: a new set of pots and pans with mesh screens for lids -- the better to keep dinner in the pot! Earl realizes that he can't afford to buy the simplest of pleasures for his family, which leads him to ask boss Richfield for a raise, with disastrous results. A chance meeting with the escaped "dinner" saves the day (and job) when dinner reappears as Earl's new supervisor at WESAYSO Development Corp.

img

The Mating Dance

Air date: 5/3/91

Earl shoulders household duties for a weekend, sending exhausted Fran to her mother's for a little rest and relaxation. When she returns to a frazzled Earl, singed baby and demolished household, Earl discovers that Fran's unhappiness doesn't stem from the kids--it's him! At Roy's suggestion, Earl takes a refresher course in the Mating Dance, attempting to once again woo and win his wife.

img

Hurling Day

Air date: 5/10/91

Earl is excited to throw Ethyl into the tar pits on her 72nd birthday, an old dinosaur tradition. Ethyl mentions that the tradition was started by an old dinosaur named Bob La Brea, which is also the name of the school Robbie and Charlene attend: Bob La Brea High School. The tradition specifies that men have the honor (and pleasure) of throwing their mother-in-law off a cliff.

img

High Noon

Air date: 5/17/91

Earl is challenged to fight to the death by Gary, a 50' Dilophosaurus who took a fancy to Fran in the frozen food section of the supermarket. Earl must decide whether or not to fight for what belongs to him, or to follow the law of the jungle and run like hell.

img

The Howling

Air date: 5/24/91

When male dinosaurs turn 15, they go through a rite-of-passage known as "The Howling", during which the youngsters join the adults on top of the mountain to howl at the new moon. Robbie doesn't see the point, and rebels. This sets off a chain of events, including the dissolution of Earl and Roy's friendship, which causes Robbie to understand that rituals that get dismissed as superstition are actually designed to protect the tribe. Robbie gains a new appreciation for being a dinosaur.