Allie meets and chats with Kate's blind date, David (Kelsey Grammer), while Kate gets ready. Although they didn't have a terrible time, Kate and David decide not to pursue a relationship. The surprise comes when David calls Kate...to ask if it would be all right to call Allie for a date. After a long discussion with Kate, Allie agrees to the date. Unfortunately, Allie realizes that, since this is her first date since her divorce, she's a bit rusty when it comes to dinner conversation and things don't go well.[1]
When Allie and Kate challenge Emma to do a more creative project for school, she decides to make a documentary about her life at home, including all the conflicts and dramas that come with "The Changing World of Divorce".
Chip is labeled a sissy for living with four women, so Charles starts to spend more time with him -- which makes Chip want to live with him instead of Allie. But when Charles cancels a camping trip, it's up to Kate and Allie to take his place.
Kate convinces Allie to go into business selling her grandmother's "secret" cakes. As business picks up, Kate and Allie grow tiresome of their new hectic business adventure.
Kate and Allie fight over Allie's moving her belongings from storage into the apartment, and Kate reads Allie's diary and finds out that Allie once kissed Kate's boyfriend in high school.
Kate and Allie look after a friend's newborn baby, which starts Kate wondering whether she wants another baby. But when the baby's absentee father shows up, they learn that the baby's mother is preventing him from seeing the baby.
A plumber fixes the kitchen faucet and asks Kate out on a date, but both of them begin to wonder whether they are too different to ever have a meaningful relationship.
NOTE: First appearance of Gregory Salata as Ted Bartelo, Kate's on-again/off-again boyfriend.
Kate gets Allie hired at her travel agency, but when Kate saves Allie's job after she messes up, Allie begins to resent Kate portraying herself as a hero to everyone she tells the story to.
Kate and Allie attend their high school reunion, and are forced to deal with a snobbish socialite (Patricia Richardson) who tormented Allie when they were classmates.
While eating out together, Kate and Allie are given a mink coat by an irate woman angry with her lover. Kate is reluctant to return the coat once the woman tries to reclaim it.
Allie and Jennie are given a weekend trip to Paris when Charles gets the flu and can't go, but when Allie gets sick too, the "perfect weekend" is in jeopardy for both women.
Allie is frazzled while trying to prepare for Thanksgiving dinner, especially since Charles' new wife, Claire (Wendie Malick), will be meeting her for the first time.
Kate's friend -- a demanding corporate executive -- arrives and stays at the house, causing Allie to doubt the strength of her own friendship with Kate.
Allie buys Kate a dress, which she intends to return after wearing it to a party, but problems arise when the dress gets dirty and then gets misplaced while at the dry cleaners.
Allie's boyfriend sends a singing telegram to the house, but the actor is followed by his parents who criticize him for not following in the family business.
Allie worries about being put on television after one of Kate's old friends (Paul Gleason) wants to make a television series about Kate and Allie's non-traditional family unit. Dick Cavett appears as himself.
Kate's cousin Shirley introduces the ladies to a man (David Rasche) who takes an interest in both of them, so Kate and Allie devise a scheme to force him to choose between them.
Kate's former boyfriend (and almost fiancee) returns, leading Kate to contemplate different future scenarios of how her life (and the lives of her friends and family) might change with the choices she's faced with.
Fed up with her inability to cook, Kate gets cooking lessons from a woman who is both a teacher and a student at Allie's school. Guest Stars Lindsay Wagner, Sam Freed, Barbara Barrie, and Mercedes Ruehl. NOTE: Second appearance by Sam Freed, as another character before appearing as Bob Barsky, future boyfriend, then husband of Allie. This episode was also used to spin off a pilot for a series that was never realized.
Emma becomes the object of a new student (Ricky Paull Goldin)'s affections, but she sees his advances as nothing but troublesome and annoying. Guest starring Stephen Baldwin as one of the classroom students (uncredited).
Kate and Allie find a wallet with money in it, and when the owner pays them money for returning it, Allie finds it difficult to spend the money on something special for herself.
Notes: This was the first of a series of episodes with introductory dialogues between Kate and Allie's children, rather than Kate and Allie. Those introductions that included Kate and Allie during this period had Kate engaged in activities which served to hide her pregnant condition (e.g., playing on a see saw).
Chip becomes the target of a bully, and Allie learns that peaceful negotiations aren't always the answer. David Groh guest stars as the bully's father.
Notes: This is the first episode where Kate is seen in a hospital bed, which was used as a storyline to hide the fact that Susan Saint James was pregnant at the time. Most likely to compensate for Susan's inability to appear standing in profile.
Allie checks into a hospital bed beside Kate to have a mole removed, and proceeds to scare herself about what else might be wrong with her. Guest starring William H. Macy as an orderly.
After a successful school talent show performance, Allie gets Jennie a part singing on a low-rated cable show (and proceeds to drive Jennie crazy with all her overbearing coaching). Guest stars in this and the subsequent episode are Andrea Martin as the cable show's executive producer, Grant Shaud as the director and Bill Cobbs as the cameraman.
Allie meets an ex-football player, Bob Barsky, at the supermarket. Bob wants to take Allie on a weekend date to Boston. NOTE: This is the third appearance of Sam Freed, but first appearance as Bob Barsky, future boyfriend, then husband of Allie.
Kate convinces Allie to come with her to a singles bar, where three regulars make a bet as to who can pick up Allie first. Christopher Murney, featured as one of the three regulars, also appeared as a different character in the series finale.
When a mysterious, "personal and private" letter for Charles accidentally arrives in Allie's mail, she resists the temptation to open it; while sleeping, she dreams of her and Allie appearing in similar scenarios as characters from I Love Lucy and The Mary Tyler Moore Show.
Allie, Emma, Kate and Jennie all trade bad day stories while figuring out who is the recipient and sender of a package of flowers with an apologetic card. Ricki Lake appears as one of two girls who verbally harass Emma.
While Jennie breaks up with Jason, Emma finally finds her boyfriend in Evin (Richard Joseph Paul) who dropped the K from his actual name because he thought Kevin "sounded too suburban." The relationship turns into a nightmare for hip, freethinking Kate when Evin turns out to be an arrogant, condescending Yuppie with a five-year plan for life.
Kate and Allie decide to take a proactive stand and improve relations with their mothers. Guest starring Scotty Bloch as Joan, Allie's mother, and Marian Seldes as Marion, Kate's mother.
A series of unfortunate events while trying to get home leaves Allie alone, penniless and on the other side of New York City. The only episode almost entirely filmed outdoors on location, it was produced in cooperation with the Coalition for the Homeless.[85]
Kate fixes her friend up with her ex, Ted, while her friend fixes Kate up with her ex. They all meet at the ballet, and as the friend and her ex get back together, Kate and Ted decide to give their relationship another shot. This episode marks the return of Gregory Salata as Ted.
Emma moves into the dorm at Columbia University, while Jennie is still stuck back at the apartment at Greenwich Village. Chip intercedes on Jennie’s behalf and convinces Allie to allow Jennie more freedom of movement.
Kate, Allie, and the kids decide not to have a traditional Christmas, and instead take odd jobs throughout December as "Santa's Helpers" for other families in order to pay for a ski trip. Guest starring Debra Jo Rupp as a toy store clerk.
Kate and Allie are taken to court by a female client (Patricia Elliott) because they accidentally revealed to her husband that she was having an affair.
Jennie tries to win the affections of band manager Howard (Jonathan Scherick) by auditioning for the role of lead singer. The band Local Heroes is also featured.
Kate and Allie hope to spend a peaceful weekend in the woods with their boyfriends, but the cabin is too rustic and an escaped convict is loose in the area.
Huge Paul Newman fan Allie gets carried away in her attempt to meet the actor, aggravating a movie crew attempting to film a scene at the front door of the apartment.
Chip brings home a pet mouse which escapes from his cage and terrorizes Kate and Allie...and even Bob!
NOTE: This is the last appearance of Ari Meyers as Emma McArdle, aside from clips and flashbacks, until "The Clip Show", but her name remains in the credits until the end of the fifth season.
Kate and Allie are hired by an extremely demanding male client, while Jennie prepares a presentation on how women have been exploited in the workplace over the last century.
After Bob proposes, Allie begins debating whether to get married for a second time. Meanwhile, Kate has already arranged an engagement party and has invited Allie's domineering mother and Charles, her former husband.
100
24
"The Clip Show"
Bill Persky
Story by : Anne Flett & Chuck Ranberg Teleplay by : Bob Randall & Bill Persky
For the 100th show of the series, the main actors from Kate & Allie reminisce about their favourite moments from the series, including a series of bloopers.
NOTE: This is the final appearance of Ari Meyers on the show, appearing as herself with the rest of the cast during the retrospective.
Allie and Bob finally get married, but not before both their parents interfere and make a shambles of the wedding rehearsal.
NOTE: First episode that Ari Meyers' name is removed from the opening credits, although she hadn't been in an episode since "The Mouse That Squeaked" from the previous season until the season-ending "The Clip Show".
While Bob is in Washington doing the nightly sports portion of the local news, Allie becomes concerned about the female anchor's apparent flirting with Bob on the air.
With an ex-husband with a hit television series and a daughter away at college, Kate decides to do something productive too...and join the Peace Corps in Africa.
Jennie's move into the dorm and her new boyfriend, Ben, seems to be a perfect situation, according to Allie. But when an unexpected visit to the dorm reveals the truth about their relationship, the situation escalates into a possible wedding. Kate and Allie attempt to show Jennie and Ben that a rushed matrimony could lead to problems in their future, despite the young couple discovering a few truths beforehand. Guest star Dylan Walsh (Nip/Tuck) as Ben.
Kate and Allie's business brings them a rich penthouse client in their own building who wants a husband just like Bob. In a dream sequence, Allie devises a plan to divorce Bob, have him marry the client, and then divorce her in order to get the payment offered. However, even in a dream, things go hilariously awry and result in a murder! Guest star Cynthia Harris as Laurel Jordan.
Allie and Bob try to set up Kate with a friend of Bob's named Tim, a successful television station owner. Allie believes he is perfect for Kate. After several dates, Kate discovers that, although Tim is a wonderful guy, she really doesn't feel anything for him. Despite her feelings, Kate still wants to pursue Tim and is hoping she will "learn to love him". Meanwhile, Chip falls for a girl in the building. Guest star Jay O. Sanders as Tim.
An English professor (Franc Luz) who once dated Allie invites her to his new play, but goes out with Kate instead. The storyline was similar to that of Season 3's "Allie's Affair."
122
22
"What a Wonderful Episode" "It's a Wonderful Episode a.k.a. Kate and Allie Go to Hell"