Still Standing

- Season 2

(2005)

Judy is upset because Lauren is taking all easy classes like basic math instead of algebra in high school and she's afraid she will not get into college. When Linda is joining the family for dinner, Judy is venting her frustrations regarding Lauren to her. Linda says that in her psychology class she's learned the best way to deal with a teen is to negotiate with her. Judy scoffs at Linda's suggestion, and she made Lauren take algebra, but the problem is, Lauren is not even trying and Judy is tired of fighting with her. Bill decides to go to her room and be "Big Angry ...

Bill tries to spend more father-son time with Brian by teaching him how to drive.

Judy gets involved with the PTA at school and Brian starts growing up.

After complaining that Bill and Judy never give them money, Brian and Lauren get jobs. Brian connects more with his new boss than he ever did with Bill. Now that she is babysitting, Lauren does more for that family than she ever did at home, upsetting Judy.

As Brian is happily decked out in his new cheerleader sweater, Lauren is bummed. She used to be popular, but now in high school she's no longer getting accepted in anything she auditions for, lately the Fall dance show. Rather than have Lauren resort to taking up the clarinet again, Judy drags Bill to visit the school dance teacher. While there, Bill meets up with Madelyne the new drama teacher, a former classmate with whom Bill had a passionate summer fling 20 years ago. Following this happy reunion, Lauren gets a small part in the school play. Coincidence? Bill ...

Lauren is starting to hang around some new friends; Caitlin, Amber and Jenna. In addition, she's quit choir and Becca is no longer her best friend. While at the mall with her new friends, Lauren is accused of shoplifting a bracelet. Lauren denies it and she says she was trying it on and forgot about it. Bill is willing to give her the benefit of the doubt, but Judy is convinced she did it, because she did the same thing when she was Lauren's age. When Bill and Judy are going out, Judy goes to Lauren's room to borrow some lipstick; She finds an MP3 player under her bed...

As Bill's 40th birthday approaches, Brian's issues of a delicate and personal nature become issues of trust after Bill discloses complete details of their recent man to man talk to Judy.

Bill and Judy intentionally and unintentionally interfere with Brian and Lauren's personal lives. After it backfires, they try to fix their mistakes.

Lauren writes a paper her role model; aunt Linda. Judy feels unfulfilled because she's not the creative type. Bill makes an effort to stop insulting Linda.

During a potluck at Lauren's boyfriend's house, Bill and Judy unknowingly buy tickets to his parent's church production of Godspell. They lie to get out of going but then run into the Dad on their way to Ozzfest.

It would be the year to have Christmas dinner at Judy's parents' house except they go away on a cruise vacation, leaving Judy to think she can finally start some traditional Miller Family dinners at her own home for change, but she doesn't count on Bill's mom using emotional blackmail on her son to get the dinner moved to her apartment, instead. Meanwhile, Linda decides to help the downtrodden over the holidays by putting an ugly duckling from work through a makeover, and several unfortunate incidents keep Tina traumatized about Santa Claus.

Judy fakes being sick so her Mom will take care of the daily tasks around the house. Bill discovers Judy's secret and decides to join her in the deception.

Brian is the high-school basketball team's statistician and looks like he's friends with them. While picking up the team who are quite drunk, Bill finds out that they call Brian "Jeeves", short for "Jeeves Our Helper Monkey" and made him their errand boy and chauffeur. Bill angrily lets all the players' parents know that they're drunk. While talking to Brian, Bill and Judy learn that being named "Jeeves" is no big deal and that being an errand boy has its perks. But now they've changed the nickname to "Narc" and he's no longer the statistician but demoted to the team ...

Bill's father makes a visit

Bill flirts with a waitress at an exclusive in town, making Judy upset and tricks him.

Much to Bill's delight, his mother Louise has a new man in her life - Johnny. Bill's happy since he doesn't have to drive Louise on errands or take her shopping anymore and can be at home relaxing on "Couchy" (the family's couch: his words). After Bill and Judy meet him at a Chinese restaurant and later for dessert at their place, Judy isn't sure about him, thinking Johnny may have grabbed her butt. Unsure if she should tell Bill and Louise, she confides in Linda. Bill eventually finds about this. Judy decides that, since everyone will be at her and Bill's house for ...

It's St Patrick's Day and the Miller family will be participating in the parade. Brian,along with Donald and Hakim, are designing and building a float. While working on the float to Bill's dismay, since Bill wishes Brian was more like Fitz's son Scotty, who's the captain of the high school baseball team. When Hakim has to go home and Donald has to take him, Judy suggests to Bill that he should help Brian out and be more involved in his life and interests. Bill decides to get out of it by having Scotty help instead. While helping out, Brian discovers that Scotty is gay...

Brian is in a panic because the PSATs are coming soon and when he did a practice test, Hakim did better. He wants to get a tutor, but his parents can't afford one. Judy suggests that he should get a job to pay for it and work at Bill's job at Berensen's. While working there, Brian is assigned to clean the stockroom and he gets that done quickly and with efficiency. This upsets "Mack" and "Fitz", because what he did, might make them work harder. Brian is constantly worrying about doing a good job and about the PSATs, so Bill convinces and teaches Brian to relax and ...

Boyfriend issues lead to man issues. Linda attends AA meetings just to be near Danny W, her latest interest, while Lauren plays basketball to be with Robbie, a boy who accuses her of cheating when she regularly bests him on the court. Judy, having just given the family car an oil change, explains that men don't like women who can do everything better - unlike Bill. At hearing this, Bill explains that he "gives" Judy some of the "lesser" man duties. Even so, Bill feels the need to prove his manliness for a change and answers Tina's call to kill a spider in her room. He...

Ted and Kathy Halverson have turned their basement into what he refers to as "Teen Scene," where the kids can hang out and play games. To respect the kids' privacy, they have installed what they call a Parent Bell, where they ring it and shout "parent on deck" whenever they enter. Lauren likes it because Kathy makes great snacks, listens and offers great advice. Judy says she wants to do this as well, because she wants Lauren to come to her for advice. She and Bill set up the garage as a hangout house. Once the kids are hanging out at the Millers, Ted is jealous that ...

Brian and Lauren are getting along, and a pile of fake I.D.'s and stashed cash in Brian's bedroom only confirm for Judy and Bill that they're both up to something, but trying to find out what, exactly, only shows up their shortcomings as parents.

Bill and Judy want Tina to go to a birthday party held at Willie Gault's, a 1985 Chicago Bear house. But Tina doesn't, she wants to go to her best friends birthday party.

Brian is selected to participate in the accelerated math program at Norhwestern University. In addition, he starts playing drums in a band at the student union with some others in his college class. Judy gets upset and worried when Brian starts coming home each night past his curfew and scolds him, using many of the parental clichés everyone has heard. When Judy grounds Brian, he becomes very defiant. Bill talks to Brian while Brian is in the garage unpacking his drums, telling Brian another parental cliché - "my house my rules." Consequently, Brian moves into the...