"Eight is Enough" - "The Graduates" Quiz

Answer: Elizabeth and Joanie

Joanie was graduating from college and Elizabeth was graduating from high school.

Answer: Tom

Mr. Randall, Tom's publisher, was originally asked to give the speech. However, when he found out he couldn't do it, Mr. Randall called Tom to ask him to give the speech instead - with only two days notice. Tom spent most of the episode sequestered in his den trying to write the speech.

Tom asked Donna, his secretary, for her opinion on his first draft. She hated it, but loved that Elizabeth's graduation really did mean a lot to Tom. He claimed it was a way to let himself know that his children were growing up, as there were times when he wondered if he'd ever be able to raise his family.

Answer: drop a water balloon on a teacher

Elizabeth and a few of her friends thought it would be a great prank to drop a water balloon down the stairwell as Miss Ryder, whose nickname was 'Stonewall,' was on the stairwell. The kids dropped the balloon and ran, but were seen by a custodian. The first girl caught ratted out everyone else.

The vice principal informed all the participants that graduation would be held, however the five participants would not be allowed to attend.

Answer: Abby

Elizabeth first came to Abby about not being allowed to graduate. Elizabeth claimed that she and her friends tossed the water balloon and now wasn't allowed to graduate. She said it wasn't fair because of her stellar record and that previous year's seniors had done much worse, but hadn't had to suffer such a tough punishment.

Abby offered to go talk to the school's vice principal on Elizabeth's behalf, before talking to Tom. Elizabeth told Abby that the vice principal ate mothers for lunch, so Abby said she wouldn't go as a mother but as an professional educator.

Answer: no

Tom had a sign on the door to his den that said 'do not disturb' as he was working on the commencement speech. Abby knocked on the door and said she had to talk to him, but Tom wouldn't let her come in. She gave up and started to go upstairs when Joanie caught her and asked for Abby's advice. Abby claimed she'd had a hard day and just wanted a hot bath and would talk to Joanie later. Joanie muttered that she needed an appointment to speak with Abby. Abby asked Joanie to repeat herself and was a bit upset at Joanie's attitude toward her.

Answer: lifeguard

Tommy believed that lifeguard was the best summer job. He could work on his tan and look at girls in bikinis, all the while making $4 an hour!

Answer: cut his hair

Tommy got the job, but the boss asked Tommy to cut his hair so it was no longer than 2 inches. The boss preferred a 'GI' cut, though. Tommy suggested he could wear a swim cap, and his boss said that was fine - as long as his hair was under 2 inches. Tommy debated whether or not the job was worth cutting his hair for, and ended up at the barbershop with Nicholas. The barber was just about to make the first cut when Tommy chickened out and ran out.

While Tommy was debating whether or not to take the job, he asked Tom for his advice. (Tom let Tommy come into the den in order to get a youth perspective on his speech.) Tom was overjoyed to hear that Tommy wanted a hair cut - he even said it was on par with Elizabeth and Joanie graduating.

Answer: no

Abby went down to the school to talk with the vice principal. The vice principal asked if Abby was Elizabeth's mother, and Abby replied she was only the step-mother. Then the vice principal mentioned that he'd seen her in his office before for the other children. Abby corrected him, mentioning it was the first time. She offered that maybe she looked familiar as she was the substitute teacher for an English class at the school for a few weeks.

The vice principal quickly learned that Elizabeth hadn't told Abby the whole story about the water balloon incident. Elizabeth failed to mention that Miss Ryder was injured in the prank and what was originally thought to be simple bruises ended up being a broken ankle requiring surgery.

Answer: go to the hospital

Abby confronted Elizabeth about how she and her friends had injured the teacher. Abby told Elizabeth that she agreed with the vice principal and that Elizabeth would have to live with what happened, whether she meant to injure the teacher or not. Elizabeth was upset and asked if she could please go to graduation. After all, her father was Tom Bradford and he was going to speak at commencement. Abby then asked how Elizabeth would feel if the vice principal had daughter and she was only allowed to go to graduation because she was his daughter. Elizabeth agreed that it wouldn't be fair. Abby then told Elizabeth she could start making things right by visiting the teacher in the hospital.

Elizabeth went to the hospital, bringing flowers. Miss Ryder asked what Elizabeth wanted, and Elizabeth said she was sorry for what happened. Miss Ryder finally asked Elizabeth if she expected Miss Ryder to call the vice principal and speak on Elizabeth's behalf. Elizabeth said no, that at first she'd tried everything to be allowed to go to graduation but then realized it wouldn't be fair if she were allowed to go.

Answer: She couldn't figure out what to do with her life

Joanie spent the entire episode trying to figure out if she would go to grad school or if she should try acting. She thought maybe she should get her PhD as then she'd be able to perfect her craft and could always teach as a fall-back option. When Joanie finally got five minutes with Abby, she asked what she should do. Abby said that Joanie should know her thoughts on education (if you want more, go get it), but Joanie became impatient when Abby wouldn't give her a definitive answer on what she should do. Abby then tried telling Joanie it wasn't a problem to be solved in one day and that Joanie shouldn't be so dramatic.

Joanie took offense and blew up at Abby, claiming that she had to beg for some of Abby's time (Abby had been busy with Elizabeth's problem) and when she finally got some time, Abby had laughed at her. Then Joanie claimed that Abby had never liked her - and that Abby tip-toed around her because she reminded Abby of Tom's first wife. Abby then said Joanie's name and Joanie continued, saying that even Joanie's name reminded Abby of Joan and Abby couldn't help comparing herself to Joan. Abby, seeing she was going to get nowhere with Joanie in her state and not happy with Joanie's rudeness, asked Joanie to leave her room.

Answer: Miss Ryder

Tom was getting dressed to go to Elizabeth's graduation ceremony and Elizabeth asked to speak with him. She didn't actually tell him what happened, and Tom mentioned that Miss Ryder had called him to let him know that Elizabeth had been by to visit her at the hospital. Tom didn't seem upset about what happened, although he may have had time to calm down before this scene.

Answer: girly

Tommy slicked back his hair to see what it would look like if he cut it. Nicholas claimed it looked like a bowling ball. Then Tommy got a wig which Nicholas said looked like it was the wrong colour. Tommy claimed it wouldn't be noticeable by people who didn't know his true hair colour.

Then Nicholas offered his true opinion: it looked like Tommy was wearing Nicholas's dead hamster on his head.

Answer: yes

Abby was doing the laundry (it looked like the darks, for you trivia buffs) and Joanie offered to help. Abby rebuffed her, saying she had the laundry under control. Joanie then apologised, saying that she didn't really think Abby didn't like her. Abby then offered that she did leave Joanie alone, but only because it had only seemed Joanie wanted to be independent. Joanie then said she was upset because sometimes she just wanted her mother, but that wasn't possible and her relationship with Abby didn't really fill that void.

In the end, Abby said she didn't want to replace Joanie's mother, so the pair would base their relationship on friendship instead of being a mother-daughter relationship.

Answer: playing with his band

Tommy ended up getting a better job: playing with his band at a club all summer. It was the best job, he believed, as it would allow him to lay out at the pool all summer and he'd be able to make more money than if he had being a lifeguard.

Answer: give a speech

As Elizabeth did not attend her own graduation, the family (except David, who didn't appear in this episode possibly due to the fact that the following episode - "Marriage and Other Flights of Fancy" - would feature him heavily) held a mini-graduation for Elizabeth in the living room. Tom even gave the speech that Elizabeth missed.

Later on, Joanie said she was trying to decide whether or not to attend her graduation. She said the drama department was thinking about doing a picnic instead of going to graduation. Tom then decided that he would give a speech if Joanie didn't go to her graduation. Joanie decided she would attend her graduation instead.