The Bernie Mac Show

- Season 1

(2001)

After his sister goes into rehab, Bernie decides to take her children into his home. While trying to get them settled into their new surroundings, Bernie quickly realizes that raising children may be a bigger task than he expected.

After Bryana's birthday party the kids get sick. Bernie Mac is determined to go to Las Vegas, so he takes every precaution he can take but in the end still gets sick and has to spend the day with Bryana at home.

Jordan is getting bullied at school, so Bernie Mac teaches him how to stand up to them. But his tactics turn Jordan into even bigger bully. Even more interesting we see that Bernie Mac is an even bigger bully.

In this episode, Wanda neglects to tell Bernie that a group of children are coming for a play date. Bernie spends the day entertaining three ladies, stay-at-home wives of men that work with Wanda. At a company picnic, Bernie realizes that Wanda's boss thinks that he's a stay-at-home Dad... Let the pontificating begin!

Bernie Mac makes the family go to church one Sunday. But not even after a long service Bernie Mac is the one wanting it to end. Later, he gets suckered into one of their outside programs that watch/monitor his home life.

Now that the kids are here to stay, Bernie Mac starts really laying the smack down after the kids (in his viewpoint) have been treating his house like a free hotel.

Bernie Mac loves Christmas and is eager to give a Mac family Christmas to the kids. The kids just want a dog and Uncle Bernie will not allow that, so the kids start treating Bernie unkindly. Bernie struggles with what to do because of their attitude. An angel, in the form of a dog, pays a visit and the kids learn the meaning of selflessness.

Separate schools have been chosen for each of the kids, with their individual needs in mind. Baby Girl's school lets each child decide what they wish to learn. A Catholic school with its strict discipline is chosen for Jordan and an all-round school for Nessa. When the first day of school begins, Bernie discovers the hard work of getting them there, presentable and prepared.

A nasty heat wave in the dead winter of January hits the town. Tempers flare, including Aunt Wanda. After the A\C breaks, Bernie Mac really starts losing it. Eventually, just when things seem to cool down, the kids lock him out of the house, giving him a taste of his own medicine.

Wanda has vacation saved up and it's 'use it or lose it time'. She decides she'd like to spend the week, caring for and bonding with the children. At first it's much more than she expected, but ends the week wanting a child of her own. Bernie Mac 'puts his foot down'.

Bernie discovers that Vanessa has been undermining his authority over the younger children. He decides to retaliate only to find out that the situation isn't what he thought it to be.

Uncle Bernie has a curio cabinet full of his trophies from school and has permitted Bryana's certificate to be placed in it. Jordan is desperate to earn a trophy to be placed there also. Everyone on the football team gets a trophy, so Jordan joins the team. Jordan earns a special trophy, while putting his manhood on the line for the team.

Bernie Mac gets to go on a morning radio show for a week. But what he says there gets the people close to him very upset. Towards the end of the week, he gets a taste of his own medicine.

At age 44, with a house full of kids, Bernie Mac starts to feel his age. He attempts to fight it, but it's a losing battle.

After an attempted robbery, Bernie Mac starts getting over-protective. But his techniques seem dangerous and rather paranoid. In the end though, he learns that anything can happen anywhere and you can't just shut yourself away from it; you have to live your life.

Bernie Mac is embarassed how far his kids are lagging behind the children of the family of Vanessa's friend. Bernie vows to offer no more mindless videos, but complete 'immersion in education'.

Brad Cooley is called back, after the Wellington teacher catches Bernie Mac exploding at Jordan and Bryana repeated said a dirty word at school (one of course she overheard from no other than Bernie Mac).

This story mainly focuses on three subplots. First Bernie Mac keeps interfering with Vanessa's pool party because there are boys there. Secondly, Jordan has a play date with a friend, but Bernie suspects that the friend has gay dads. In each of these Bernie worries when they get too close. In the third part, Vanessa and Jordan (with Bryana's help) keep interrupting Wanda's and Bernie's romantic night.

After coming home from being on the road for a week Bernie Mac wants nothing else to do but to go to sleep. But that suddenly changes when he gets invited to a Clippers/Bulls game as he has Jordan fake an asthma attack so they can sneak off to the game. Jordan though later thinks he should come clean to Aunt Wanda, but Bernie says bending the truth is OK sometimes to get what you want. Very bad advice for Jordan. Even more interesting, we learn the whole family tells lies.

After getting dumped, Bernie's friend Kelly moves in. At first it doesn't go well, but eventually he starts helping out and getting along well with the kids. But soon Bernie thinks he's becoming a permanent role model for the kids, and taking Bernie's place.

Due to a death in the family, Bernie Mac must take a trip back home and will take Wanda and the kids. Vanessa is keen to see her mother while there. When they arrive for visiting hours at the rehab center, the kids' mother is nowhere to be found.

While the rest of the family is out seeing Chicago, Vanessa calls and leaves a message for her mother and goes out to meet friends. Her friends fight with her, take her shoes and leave her alone. Vanessa's mother returns her call and agrees to meet her in a half-hour. Bernie shares a story with Nessa about his own father, that he's never shared with anyone.