The War at Home

- Season 2

(2007)

An all-too-familiar episode in sit-com plots, as the kids are returning to school. But when Dave and Vicky plan on re-claiming the house as their own during a quick lunch, they catch Hillary skipping and hiding out at home. Larry tries out a new personality, and Mike plans on dumping his girlfriend, which screws up Dave's plans on a friendship with the girlfriend's father.

Dave steps on his kids dreams: Larry, who wants to be the president of his chess club; and Hillary, who wants to be a pop star, while Vicky thinks they should leave them alone to dream.

When Dave agrees to take Larry and Kenny to a comic-book convention, he finds that it goes beyond just dropping them off at the event. Meanwhile, Vicky attempts to change Hillary's mind regarding spending the night at a boy's house.

After reluctantly agreeing to buy Hillary a car of her own, Dave and Vicky keep her busy running errands all the time through a car contract.

Dave is so fed up with Hillary lying that he gives her her own rein when he and Vicky find out she is dating an older man.

Dave suspects Hillary cheated on her SAT's and Vicky receives an invite to dinner for herself and Dave from a married couple with an open marriage.

Hillary takes matters into her own hands when Mike goes to her in search of illegal drugs. Dave realizes how he looks when he thinks he spots his own daughter in a just-received dirty movie.

Larry and his friend, Kenny are forced into separation by their fathers when the two adults argue over their adjacent property line.

Dave is struggling with three family crisis at a time. Vicky wants more joined activities with him, but he refuses. Mike shows Dave Hillary's video blog on which she mentions all family members except Dave.

Dave tries to get Larry and Mike to strengthen their relationship as brothers; Hillary tries to get a blind guy interested in her.

Kenny confronts Dave after hearing that he thinks he's gay, and ends up coming out of the closet to him. Dave suggests to him that he tell his parents, but when Kenny tells them, they kick him out of the house. Meanwhile, Hillary goes on a date with a blind guy she met at the coffeehouse, but she quickly gets tired of having to describe everything to him.

Kenny becomes a member of the family, while Dave fights to get into a new office after a fellow co-worker suddenly passes.

Dave starts to put pressure on Hillary for her to do well on her college admissions interview by setting up mock interviews, which only makes her even more nervous. Meanwhile, Vicky organizes a movie night for the family, and they end up watching Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth. Finding the film very profound, Dave forces the entire family to live in an eco-friendly existence, but takes things too far.

Money crunch time hits Dave's household and he places the kids under strict allowance, which prompts them to come up with ways of making more money. When Vicki wants new boots, she gives Dave a taste of his own medicine with cheaper beer.

After Larry is suspended from school for having pot. Vicky discovers it was Dave's pot and tells him to join Pot Smoker Anonymous, where the principal that suspended him is there.

When Vicki's mom gets a marriage proposal, Dave finds out that her intended was not faithful to his mother-in-law during the bachelor party and keeps his mouth shut just to get the family an all expense paid vacation to the wedding in the Carribbean.

When the school bans Kenny and his date from attending the Sadie Hawkins Dance, Dave complicates matters further when he inadvertently informs the principal that Kenny is living with him and not his own parents, resulting in interference from Social Services and their attempts to place Kenny in foster care. Dave also gives Hillary advice on getting back together with her old boyfriend, which only alienates Hillary and exhilarates Dave.

Dave decides he wants to start his own company after his job lowers their commission rate. Hilary decides she wants to go into the army after not being accepted to any colleges. Larry puts off his permit test.

A music executive wants to meet with Larry after hearing some songs he uploaded online. Hilary tells Taye she loves him. Mike is trying to put on weight.

Vicky's plan for a living will meets with some resistance from Dave, and a bitter fight ensues, leaving the kids wondering if they'll all end up in divorce court.

Larry rejects the idea of being put on medication, much to the dismay of his parents. Dave finds a pill of his own hard to take when he finds out his daughter isn't "daddy's little girl" anymore.

Because of failing gym class, Hillary risks not graduating high school. Feeling that their nest is emptying a little bit, Dave and Vicky feel the need to keep it that way, resulting in both of them agreeing to have no more children and taking steps to prevent that from happening. But in the end, Hillary graduates and a shock for Dave and Vicky unfolds.