# Married... with Children season 2

This is a list of episodes for the second season (1987–88) of the television series Married... with Children.
At the beginning of this season, Kelly is portrayed as a girl of reasonable intelligence (though she is often teased by Bud for her promiscuity and bleached hair). By the end, however, her character obtains her trademark stupidity that will become both a plot device and comic focus for the rest of the series. This season also contains the first use of the "Bundy Cheer" and the first instance of the Bundys leaving Chicago to go on vacation. Although Buck is portrayed in later seasons as having been with the Bundys since he was a pup, it's implied by Peg that they've had him for only three years and Al states that he's actually Bud's pet; he even "speaks" once ("Buck Can Do It"), something that becomes a regular feature beginning in the fourth season. Michael Faustino (David's younger brother), makes the first of five guest appearances during the course of the series.
The actor, singer, and drag queen Divine was scheduled to tape a guest appearance on March 7, 1988, as Uncle Otto in the second season wrap-up episode "All in the Family". After spending all the previous day at Sunset Gower Studios for rehearsals, Divine returned to his hotel that evening, where he dined with friends at the hotel restaurant before returning to his room. Shortly before midnight, he died in his sleep, at age 42, of an enlarged heart. In the event, Divine's role was played by James 'Gypsy' Haake and the credits ended with "This episode is dedicated to the memory of Divine 1945-1988".
Amanda Bearse, Christina Applegate and David Garrison each missed two episodes this season.

## Episodes

| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | Prod. code | Rating (households) |
| 14 | 1 | "Poppy's by the Tree" | Linda Day | Michael G. Moye & Ron Leavitt | September 28, 1987 (1987-09-28) | 202 | 3.7 |
| 15 | 2 | "Poppy's by the Tree" | Linda Day | Michael G. Moye & Ron Leavitt | September 28, 1987 (1987-09-28) | 203 | 3.7 |
| The Bundys vacation in Dumpwater, Florida, where they are stalked by an axe murderer on the loose. Note: this is the first episode of the series not to have a still shot of Al and Peg on the couch during the end credits. ||||||||
| 16 | 3 | "If I Were a Rich Man" | Linda Day | Sandy Sprung & Marcy Vosburgh | October 5, 1987 (1987-10-05) | 204 | 2.7 |
| After a million dollars is reported missing from Steve's bank, Peggy and the kids assume that Al stole the money so they can be rich. ||||||||
| 17 | 4 | "Buck Can Do It" | Linda Day | Michael G. Moye & Ron Leavitt | October 12, 1987 (1987-10-12) | 201 | 5.8 |
| When news hits of the neighborhood dogs getting pregnant by Buck (who's getting out through the hole in the fence that Al hasn't bothered to repair), and especially after their neighbor Pittman threatens to sue because Buck impregnated his poodle, Peg and Marcy conclude that Buck should be neutered and even Bud is perfectly okay with it. Al has second thoughts after having a dream where a walking, talking and beer-drinking Buck (played by Derek McGrath) is angry at Al for not doing enough to stop this. When two killers who resemble the horror franchises characters of Leatherface and Jason Voorhees arrive, and Buck won't attack them to save Al, he realizes he must distract Peg from taking Buck to the vet by telling her he's in the mood for sex. Note: Christina Applegate does not appear in this episode. ||||||||
| 18 | 5 | "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" | Linda Day | Tracy Gamble & Richard Vaczy | October 19, 1987 (1987-10-19) | 206 | 5.5 |
| 19 | 6 | "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" | Linda Day | Tracy Gamble & Richard Vaczy | October 19, 1987 (1987-10-19) | 207 | 5.5 |
| After arguing with Steve over ogling at a sexy repairwoman, Marcy goes with Peg to a male strip club, where Marcy loses her wedding ring in the pants of one of the dancers. While Al discovers that Peg has been spending her time (and his money) at the male strip club, Marcy struggles not to tell Steve where her wedding ring is, until the male dancer Marcy was with comes to their door to bring it back. ||||||||
| 20 | 7 | "For Whom the Bell Tolls" | Linda Day | Richard Gurman & Katherine Green | October 26, 1987 (1987-10-26) | 205 | 3.7 |
| The Bundys struggle with not having phone service after Al refuses to pay for a phone call to Canada. Al is also furious about the crime light installed in the neighborhood which shines on his face at night. ||||||||
| 21 | 8 | "Born to Walk" | Linda Day | John Vorhaus | November 2, 1987 (1987-11-02) | 208 | 4.0 |
| Kelly passes her driver's test while Al fails his. Meanwhile, Steve gets into betting on horse races. ||||||||
| 22 | 9 | "Alley of the Dolls" | Linda Day | Sandy Sprung & Marcy Vosburgh | November 9, 1987 (1987-11-09) | 209 | 4.8 |
| Al and his family (with the unwilling help of Steve and Marcy) bowl against Peggy's high school rival and her family. ||||||||
| 23 | 10 | "The Razor's Edge" | Gerry Cohen | Ellen L. Fogle | November 16, 1987 (1987-11-16) | 210 | N/A |
| When Steve refuses to shave his beard and Marcy refuses to have sex with him, Steve moves in with Al and Peggy. He cooks and cleans, so Al doesn't want him to move back. Peg is jealous and wants him to move back. So, Al and Peg start manipulating them. ||||||||
| 24 | 11 | "How Do You Spell Revenge?" | Linda Day | Ralph R. Farquhar | November 23, 1987 (1987-11-23) | 211 | 5.0 |
| Al tries to recruit Kelly onto his baseball team to replace Peg, but Kelly is in love with a boy who wants her to get a tattoo. His father turns out to be Peg's ex. Note: David Garrison and Amanda Bearse do not appear in this episode. ||||||||
| 25 | 12 | "Earth Angel" | Linda Day | Ellen L. Fogle | December 7, 1987 (1987-12-07) | 212 | 4.0 |
| A pretty blond aspiring artist stays with the Bundys and makes life for everyone (except for Marcy) better. Marcy plots to get rid of her. ||||||||
| 26 | 13 | "You Better Watch Out" | Linda Day | Katherine Green & Richard Gurman | December 21, 1987 (1987-12-21) | 213 | 3.9 |
| A Christmas stunt at Chicago's Lakeside Mall opening goes awry when the man playing Santa crash-lands on the Bundys' yard and dies. Al must deal with the crowd of kids who still believe in Santa Claus. Michael Faustino guests. ||||||||
| 27 | 14 | "Guys and Dolls" | Linda Day | Sandy Sprung & Marcy Vosburgh | January 11, 1988 (1988-01-11) | 214 | 4.3 |
| To curb Bud's destructive behavior after Bud gets in trouble for using a picture of Kelly in a bikini for a school project, Al and Steve get Bud to take up baseball card-collecting as a hobby, but the men get caught up in it and sell Marcy's collectible Barbie doll to get the money for some rare baseball cards. ||||||||
| 28 | 15 | "Build a Better Mousetrap" | Linda Day | Story by : J. Stanford Parker Teleplay by : Michael G. Moye & Ron Leavitt | January 25, 1988 (1988-01-25) | 215 | 5.1 |
| A mouse is running loose in the Bundy house, prompting Peg to face her childhood fear of mice and Al to wreck the house in his attempt to catch the pest. ||||||||
| 29 | 16 | "Master the Possibilities" | Linda Day | Michael G. Moye & Ron Leavitt | February 8, 1988 (1988-02-08) | 216 | 5.0 |
| Al discovers a way out of his financial problems when, after Marcy tells him that you can legally keep and use anything that's been sent to you, he finds out that a credit card has been sent to Buck the dog and Al and Peg use the card under Buck's name. Note: Christina Applegate does not appear in this episode. The non-appearance is written off as Kelly staying with Peg's mom and going out on a "double date" (which, for Kelly, is her dating two guys simultaneously). ||||||||
| 30 | 17 | "Peggy Loves Al, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah" | Gerry Cohen | Ralph R. Farquhar | February 15, 1988 (1988-02-15) | 217 | 4.7 |
| On Valentine's Day, Bud awaits his first Valentine (which he thinks is a trick cooked up by Kelly), Kelly must choose one Valentine from the many boys who are attracted to her, Steve plans to take Marcy to Hawaii, Marcy plans to pop out from a cake naked, and Peg wants Al to say "I love you" to her. ||||||||
| 31 | 18 | "The Great Escape" | Linda Day | Ellen L. Fogle | February 22, 1988 (1988-02-22) | 218 | 5.7 |
| Kelly is grounded for getting poor grades in school and must stay with her family at the shoe store while the house is being fumigated for termites, prompting Kelly to plan an escape so she can go see a concert. Note: David Garrison and Amanda Bearse do not appear in this episode. ||||||||
| 32 | 19 | "Impo-Dent" | Gerry Cohen | Sandy Sprung & Marcy Vosburgh | February 29, 1988 (1988-02-29) | 219 | 5.3 |
| While Steve is away, Marcy drives Steve's new Mercedes (without his permission) and crashes it. When Steve finds out, he becomes impotent and fails to satisfy Marcy in bed. A sinister plan between Al and Steve unfolds later. ||||||||
| 33 | 20 | "Just Married... with Children" | Linda Day | Ellen L. Fogle | March 7, 1988 (1988-03-07) | 220 | 4.6 |
| Al and Peg pose as Steve and Marcy to get on a sadistic game show called How Do I Love Thee, but find themselves facing off against Steve and Marcy (who are on the game show as Al and Peg). Note: Ed O'Neill's wife Catherine Rusoff appears as Mona, the wife from the other couple Al and Peg face in the game show. ||||||||
| 34 | 21 | "Father Lode" | Linda Day | Jerry Perzigian | March 14, 1988 (1988-03-14) | 221 | 5.7 |
| Al tries to keep his race track winnings a secret, while Peg starts taking money from Al's wallet. ||||||||
| 35 | 22 | "All in the Family" | Linda Day | Marcy Vosburgh & Sandy Sprung | May 2, 1988 (1988-05-02) | 222 | 6.0 |
| Al has a nightmare when Peg informs him that her insane relatives are visiting. ||||||||