Who's the Boss?: The Babysitter

Who's the Boss?: The Babysitter
ABC
January 28, 1986
Sitcom
DVD
B-

This is the episode where we finally see "the coolest boy in school," Chad McCann (Scott Grimes).  Angela and Tony are going to a PTA meeting and Angela reluctantly agrees to let Sam babysit Jonathan when Mona has a date.  Jonathan accidentally throws his grandmother's earrings down the sink.  So when Chad comes over, even though Sam isn't supposed to have any kids in the house, she lets him in when he says he can get the earrings.  Sam calls Marci to bring over her father's tools (I forget why Tony doesn't have any they can use), but of course all four of Sam's best friends show up, including Robin for the last time.  Sam gets in trouble when Tony catches everyone leaving, but when she covers for Jonathan, he uses an onion to cry and get both adults' sympathy.

Some notable things here:

• Angela says, when Tony approves of her outfit, something like "That takes care of the P.  Now how about the T & A?"  She means Parent, Teachers, Association, but he scolds her for the Mona-like raciness.
• None of the PTA members from "Tony for President" a few weeks later are present, so perhaps either Joanne Parker hasn't been elected yet or she was home sick or otherwise unavailable and the VP took over.
• Sam's friends aren't as annoying here, and at least Julia's stupidity does some good when she pours a pound of melted butter down the sink and frees Chad's trapped hand.
• It's unclear if Sam and Chad have yet gone out, but her friends awww when the two hug.
• When Angela and Tony discuss Sam sitting, they say, "Kitchen?"/"Kitchen," followed by "Eavesdrop?"/"Eavesdrop" from the kids, showing that this is becoming routine for the blended family.
• Sam tells Jonathan he's probably the closest she'll ever have to a brother.  Implying she doesn't think her dad will ever remarry and have more kids?  Or does she figure he'll marry Angela someday but not have more kids?  Anyway, she and Jonathan have a nice, sibling-like bond here, a contrast to their stormier friendship in later seasons.
• Tony and Angela figure out about the onion, but they're happy to see their kids act like siblings, so they let it go.
• This is the beginning of the end of Mona as the fun babysitter, such a feature of the first season or so.
• Tony makes a One Life to Live reference, Light's most notable TV experience to that point.

Michael Keys Hall, who plays Chad's father Mike, would return as a Prosecuting Attorney.  Bud Wiser wrote this episode.