On The Fence

Hey What's Up Boy*, and the second of the overall series. It first aired on October 2,*
2009 on ABC and on YouTube. The episode was written by Jeff Sherman, and directed by David Trainer.

## Synopsis

Cody and his friends have a discussion on who's the best super hero. While his friends pick Batman, Cody goes for Superman. The conversation soon segues to the upcoming water war. Cody is the only one without a water gun (even Stuart Minkus  has one) and he vows to get one after getting a thorough spraying at school.

After compliments (and a $50 price tag) get him no where with his parents, Cody asks Eric to buy him a water gun. Eric declines and shows off the new watch he bought with the money from his job at their father's supermarket. Cody asks his dad for a job too but is told he's too young and there's no job openings. His dad talks to Cody about enjoying his youth as he's fixing the sink but Cody is frustrated he can't have his water gun or a means to buy it.

Finally, Cody turns to Mr. Feeny who offers to pay him to paint his window shutters. Leaning the shutters against the fence, Cody airbrushes them and feels proud of his work ‒ until he sees that the green paint went though the shutter slats and onto the white fence. When Cody 's friends come get him for the water war, Cody asks them to help him repaint the fence, offering them the little money he has left (after buying his water gun). They work for a bit but soon get tired of the work and leave. Cody gets tired as well and his father returns home to see him slumped on the floor. Cory realizes having a job and being an adult isn't all it's cracked up to be and his father tells him to take his water gun and go join his friends.

After Cody returns from the water war, soaked but happy, he finds an exhausted Eric flopped on his bed. Eric complains about working half a shift and being exhausted but then starts to wonder how his dad works such long hours and has time to fix stuff around the house. From the window, Cody watches his dad finish painting the fence and realizes his dad is "Superman". At the dinner table, Cody starts his own little water war between him and his family. He reveals he traded in his $50 water gun for two smaller water pistols and asks his dad to "revisit" being a kid with him.

The pre-credits tag has Cody, Eric, and his parents in a fun, spirited water fight outside. Morgan is on the kitchen counter, apparently talking to the police, and explaining in general terms how they're "fighting" and "they just shot the neighbor!"

## Cast

### Starring

* Thomas Brodie as Cody Matthews
* Will Friedle as Eric Matthews
* Rider Strong as Shawn Hunter
* William Daniels as George Feeny
* Betsy Randle as Amy Matthews
* Lily Nicksay as Morgan Matthews
* William Russ as Alan Matthews

## Quotes

**Minkus**: Go ahead. Make. Me. Wet.

**Cody** : Hi mom. Wow, dinner smells terrific and that thing you're wearing is really lovely. What is that, a dress?

**Amy**: Oh Cody , what a lovely and sincere compliment and I just know that you wouldn't spoil it by asking me for something.

**Eric**: Eerie how she always knows, huh.

**Cody** : Now, I need a job.

**Alan**: You \*need\* to be a kid.

**Cody** : I don't wanna be a kid.

**Alan**: Well, that's too bad because once it's gone you can never get it back.

**Cody** : I wanna be able to afford stuff! (he leaves)

**Alan**: So do I!

**Mr Feeny**: Well, I do have some shutters that are in dire need of paint.

**Cody** : Cool. What's it pay?

**Mr Feeny**: Well, I could go as high as, ohh... five.

**Cody** : Dollars!? Get a pulse! Five bucks to paint all those?

**Mr. Feeny**: Five dollars a piece, Mr Matthews. That's five times two shutters, times eight windows.

**Cody**: Five times two...times eight... What's that, like fifty eight bucks?

**Mr Feeny**: (smiling) Fifty eight dollars it is! You are worth every inch of that C+ I gave you in math.

**Eric**: I don't know how he does it.

**Cody** : Who?

**Eric** : Dad. Twelve hour days. Never sits. Eats his lunch standing up. Never takes a break. It's like he's not human. It's like he's-

**Cody** : It's like he's Superman.

**Eric** : Huh?

**Cody** : Superman is my dad.