Man With a Plan – Adam Steps Up

On this week’s episode of “Man with a Plan,” Adam (Matt LeBlanc) drops off his three kids at school. Adam is shocked to see his eldest daughter Kate (Grace Kaufman) crushing on popular boy Royce (Nick Alvarez). His “Kate what’s up?” is upsetting to Adam and he shuts down the flirtation real fast and the boy is eager to flee. Of course, Kate is humiliated and walks off in a huff a minute later. Adam is baffled why his daughter is upset with him and seeks validation from his friends Marie (Jessica Chaffin) and Lowell (Matt Cook) that he did the right thing.

At home, Adam tells his wife Andi (Liza Snyder) what happened with Kate and she is upset that she missed it. Since she went back to work after being a stay-at-home mom for thirteen years, Andi has to balance between two worlds and she is feeling the effects of missing out on everyday events in her children’s lives as well as major milestones. She advises her husband to “open up” more with Kate. If Adam wants his relationship with their daughter to evolve, he has to willing to talk to her on a more “deeper and mature level.” The problem is that Adam does not want to.

Although he is reluctant, Adam makes the effort anyway. He approaches Kate on the couch and uses corny phrases like “in the mood to kick it” and “gab-sesh” that he found reading teen magazines. He pushes the corniest over the line when he asks his daughter if Royce is a “hottie or nottie.” Like any teenager, Kate obviously does not want to talk about the boy she likes with her dad. Adam cuts to the chase and acknowledges that she is growing up, but points out that boys are only interested in one thing: sex. Kate has enough so she escapes to her room.

At his construction company, Adam talks to his older brother and business partner Don (Kevin Nealon) about his conversation with Andi about Kate. Don disagrees with Andi. He tells his younger brother to avoid the “feelings” talk at all costs. Instead, he suggests that Adam take Kate to go see the monster trucks which is an activity Kate enjoyed when she was younger. Adam quickly agrees. Don invites himself to tag along as a way to “fill the awkward silences,” but honestly he wants to see monster trucks.

Back at home, Andi decides to take the two younger children to the zoo while Adam, Kate and Don go see the monster trucks. Emme (Hala Finley) has a new toy called Purr Baby. It is a plush talking cat toy that looks demented. She wants to bring the toy and Andi agrees. After Andi and the kids leave, Adam calls Kate and says it is time to go when Don arrives. Kate comes out of her room and tells her dad that she does not feel like going. Frustrated, Don tells her loudly to get in the car. Adam repeats the statement, but in a less commanding voice. Kate will not budge and says to her dad that he cannot force her to go. At his wit’s end, Adam tells her that he is trying to spend time with her and she is not making any effort. She retorts that not everything is about his feelings. With his patience gone, Adam tells her to go to her room.

Andi is driving to the zoo and she tries to have her own milestones with the kids but it is off to a rocky start. The money she gave to her son Teddy (Matthew McCann) so he could buy his own snack flew out the window. She checks the car navigator and it tells her that the zoo is two hours away because of the traffic. Also, Emme’s new favorite toy will not shut up.

Back at the house, Adam complains to Don about Kate’s behavior. Kate texts him that she is freaking out because she got her first period. This makes Adam freak out to his brother who decides to exit Adam’s house immediately.

Panicked, Adam races to the fridge and grabs an ice pack and Gatorade. When he reaches Kate’s room, he asks her if she needs anything. Fortunately, Andi already made her a kit so she does not need him to run to the store. She tells him that she texted Andi, but there was no reply. Adam assures her that he will call Andi again. Glad that he can be useful and get some help from Andi, he races downstairs to call. Unfortunately, Andi left her cell phone at home so Adam is on his own. He leaves an angry voicemail venting his frustrations with Andi for not being there. He breaks the news to Kate who is disappointed. Both of them assumed Andi would be the one dealing with this. Kate ends up being the one to comfort an overwhelmed Adam and gives him the ice pack and Gatorade to calm him down.

Back in the car, Andi is not enjoying her time with the kids. Purr Baby is annoying them and traffic is still at a snail’s pace.

Since Andi is not available, Adam tries to get advice from other moms he knows. After his third message to Marie, he hears a knock on the door. Unfortunately, it is not Marie but Lowell. Kate hears the noise and assumes that her mom is back. She is upset that her father told others about her period and goes back to her room. In a surprising twist, Lowell ends up being the one to tell Adam to toughen up and be there to support to Kate. He says, “Parenting isn’t about having the right answers. It’s about being there.”

Somehow, Purr Baby fell asleep and everyone in the car is relieved. When Teddy says he needs to use the restroom, the toy wakes up and starts yodeling. Frustrated, Andi tells Emme to close her eyes and hands her coffee mug to Teddy so he can relieve himself. Teddy proudly says that this is the first time he has peed in the car. It turns out that Andi got a milestone, but it was not one she wanted.

Adam sees Kate on the couch and sits down. He admits to her that he was scared when he got her text because he did not know what to do or how to help. He explains how he still sees her as his little girl. He realizes that even though it is scary to see her growing up, he is proud of the woman she is becoming. This makes Kate emotional and ends with them having a cute father/daughter hug. She assures him that she is feeling better.

Teddy and Emme race into the house and Teddy is excited to share that his milestone with them. When Adam walks into the kitchen, an angry and frustrated Andi tells Adam to drown Emme’s annoying toy using her coffee cup. Later, Adam told her that he got the job done. Even as the toy was split into two with Adam’s table saw, it was still laughing. Andi is disappointed that her failed attempt to experience the kids’ milestones made her miss the biggest one of all. Adam assures her that everything with Kate was fine and does not mention his freakout.

In the closer, Adam and Emme are at the kitchen table when Don stops by with a present. Purr Baby is back! Don could not resist and had to buy the toy. Adam suggests they leave Purr Baby on the table and go get ice-cream. After they left, Andi comes into the kitchen and is stunned to see and hear Purr Baby. It does not take her long to run away.