| Designing Mothers | |
| Season 6, episode 11 | |
 | |
| Air date | December 8, 1992 |
| Writer(s) | Sarit Katz & Gloria Ketterer |
| Director | Joel Zwick |
| Previous | I'm Not D.J. |
| Next | A Very Tanner Christmas |
Designing Mothers is episode eleven in season six of Full House. It originally aired on December 8, 1992.
[]
In the kitchen, Becky is trying to get Nicky and Alex to try tasting Lima beans, but the twins refuse them. When the doorbell rings, she tells the boys that if they eat the beans, they can have dessert. When her aunt goes to the door, Michelle shows them what she knows. She calls Comet over and he eats the beans. Then, she says to be cool so their mom will not know. Becky comes back with a package and asks her niece how she got them to eat the beans. Michelle just says, "It's a kid thing." But, with Comet's head over the plate (then licking his mouth), Becky could surmise what had happened.
Synopsis[]
Vicky Larson introduces Danny to her mother, Liz Larson, an interior decorator who is in town to accept a decorating award. When Vicky gets a call from her office, Kimmy asks Danny if he is going to marry Vicky since Liz is meeting him.
Meanwhile, Joey and Jesse hear a rumor that Alison "The Axe" Axelrod, the new manager of KFLH, plans to fire everyone and change the station's format to classical music, but it turns out to be a false rumor. Becky cheers both of them up by mentioning her role on Good Morning, Omaha as a farm reporter (appropriately, see Quotes).
Elsewhere, Kimmy wants Steve to hook her up with one of his fellow wrestling teammates. However, one guy is seeing someone, another is not over his last girlfriend, and all of the other ones "know her," implying that she is no one's type.
Liz gives Stephanie and Michelle's room a new look (from new beds to Michelle's rainbow-colored name over her bed, from new wallpaper to new colors and designs, and even a new table and chairs), which is okay with Danny. But he goes ballistic when Liz mentions the word "marriage" while referring to him and Vicky. It seems that he is afraid of any changes of that kind. Danny and Vicky have an argument, and she walks out.
Later that night, the younger girls decide they want to sleep in D.J.'s room, as they still have fear sleeping in their own room due to the events of the previous day. Referring to their newly-redesigned room as the "breakup room", they think Danny still feels miserable. But Danny is still as happy as ever as he leaves. However, the girls still think that he is miserable, and are in shock (as the audience groans over this).
The girls do not want them to break up, so the next day, Stephanie and Michelle fake an emergency, saying that Michelle's head is stuck in the backyard fence, as a way to trick Vicky into coming over to the house so that she and Danny can work things out. Vicky shows up with the fire department, and one of the firefighters tricks Michelle into showing that her head is not really stuck. When Danny shows up in a scuba diving outfit, Vicky talks to him, and he tells her what Liz said about marriage. He tells her (as the inspirational music plays) that everything is changing so fast that he does not know how to deal with it—even mentioning that he had been using the same oven mitt for 12 years.
But the change she's talking about regards their relationship. She assures him by telling him that change is not necessarily a bad thing, and that, like him, she is not ready for marriage yet. She also mentions that while change is a difficult thing, it is needed to make their relationship grow. He realizes that she's right, and they need to deal with change together, instead of individually. They decide to not break up, and they give each other a hug (and the audience gives an "aw", just as the music stops). And speaking of change, Danny realizes he needs to change out of his scuba outfit ASAP, but he notices she's standing on his right flipper! They go back into the house so she can help him change (as the audience applauds and the EP credits appear).
Guest star[]
This is the first of two episodes where Martha Quinn plays Alison Axelrod (the other being "The Dating Game"). Quinn is best known as one of the original VJs on MTV in the 1980s. She also played herself in season five's "Captain Video (Part 2)".
Quotes[]
Becky: When I was on Good Morning, Omaha, I had to do the farm reports as 'Becky, the milkmaid.' They made me sign off with a pig call. Sooieee! [Comet runs in.] Not a porker, but close.
[The girls' room is the first stop on Liz's tour of the Tanner house.]
Danny: So, Liz... what do you think?
Liz: Oh, window seat, corridor... This room has all the classic features.
Stephanie: Mrs. Larson, how would you decorate this room for, say, an heiress or a princess? Or [in this case] a 5th grader and her sister?
Danny: Hold on, girls. Mrs. Larson's not at work today.
Liz: Oh, no, no. It's perfectly alright. Now... in here, I think I would splash these wall with bright colors.
Michelle: I did that with my finger paints. Daddy didn't like it.
Liz: And I'd use contrasting patterns to make the room vibrate with youth and excitement.
Stephanie: Perfect. She [Michelle] has youth, and I have excitement. So Dad, do you think we can splash this room and make it vibrate with youth and excitement? Please, please?
Danny: Girls, why change a perfectly good room? Let's not have change for the sake of change. [And the girls groan and moan, not understanding what kind of change he wants.]
Liz: You know, Danny, I see clients like you all the time. Some people are just uncomfortable with change.
Danny: I'm not uncomfortable with change. I change my socks every day. Twice, if it's humid.
[Liz has a big surprise... a redesigned girls' room, and the girls are awe-struck when they see it (as shown in the infobox photo).]
Both girls: Wow!
Michelle: Wow, do I get to live here?
Stephanie: Mrs. Larson, it's so beautiful! Thank you so much!
Liz: You're welcome, my darlings.
Vicky: Mom, it's stunning! Danny, isn't it stunning?
Danny: I-I... I am stunned.
[D.J. is in her room in bed reading a book, when there's a knock on her door.]
D.J.: Enter.
Stephanie: I can't sleep in that room.
D.J.: Why not? Vicky's mom just redecorated it for you. It's beautiful.
Stephanie: I know. But I can't go back in there.
D.J.: What? Where are you gonna sleep?
Michelle: [with her bedding] This will do.
D.J.: You too? [Her sisters put their pillows on top of hers, and that forces her to take action.] Oh, no. Forget it. Dad! We have a situation here!
Michelle: Don't worry. When Stephanie snores, just pinch her nose.
[And in comes their dad with a resolution... hopefully.]
D.J.: Get them out, please.
Danny: Steph, Michelle, why aren't you in your new room?
Stephanie: Dad, we can't go back in there.
Michelle: That's the breakup room. It made you and Vicki fight.
Stephanie: How can we go back in there knowing how miserable it made you?
Danny: Miserable? No, no, no, no, no. I--No, I'm happy. I'm--I'm--I'm thrilled. I'm just shy of giddy. Yeah, 'cause you know, all those weekends I used to get excited about doing things with Vicky, now I can get excited about other things – really cool things – that I-I can do all by myself.
Trivia[]
- The episode title is a take on the sitcom Designing Women (1986–1993)
- This shows a big change in the design of the girls' room from the basic way it was since the beginning of the series
- The second episode to teach about picky eaters and how to get them to eat new foods (season 2's "Joey Gets Tough" is the other)