Ep 3. Stan Knows Best

Stan Smith is a CIA agent who takes his job of protecting America very seriously. He lives with his wife Francine, teenage daughter Hayley, young son Steve and a talking goldfish named Klaus. In the third episode of season one, titled "Stan Knows Best," Stan's overbearing parenting style is put to the test when he tries to teach Steve how to be a man.

The episode begins with Steve at school, where he is mocked and bullied by his classmates for not being manly enough. He tries to impress them by talking about his dad's cool CIA job, but they are unimpressed because they don't believe him. When Steve tells Stan about the incident, Stan decides that it's time to teach Steve how to be a man and toughen him up.

Francine is initially supportive of Stan's plan, but she quickly realizes that he is taking things too far. Stan tries to teach Steve how to catch and kill a fish, but gets frustrated when Steve can't do it. He then tries to teach him how to shave, but ends up cutting Steve's face and causing him to bleed profusely. Francine steps in and tells Stan to ease up, but he refuses to listen.

Meanwhile, Hayley is trying to make a documentary about her dad for a school project, but is having trouble finding material. She decides to interview Klaus, who reveals that he is actually a German Olympic skier who was turned into a goldfish by the CIA as part of a secret experiment. Hayley is skeptical, but Klaus insists that it's true.

Back at home, Stan continues to push Steve to be more manly. He takes him on a camping trip and forces him to sleep outside in the cold, even though Steve is clearly uncomfortable. When Steve expresses his displeasure, Stan tells him that he needs to toughen up and stop being a "wuss."

When they return home, Francine has had enough of Stan's behavior. She confronts him and tells him that he is being too hard on Steve and that he needs to back off. Stan reluctantly agrees, but is clearly disappointed.

In the end, Steve decides that he doesn't need to be a stereotypical "man" in order to be happy. He tells his classmates that he doesn't care if they think he's not manly enough, and they end up accepting him for who he is. Meanwhile, Klaus continues to insist that he was once a human, but Hayley and the rest of the family mostly dismiss him as crazy.

"Stan Knows Best" is a hilarious and heartwarming episode that showcases the complex dynamics of the Smith family. While Stan's intentions are good, his misguided attempts to help Steve only end up causing more harm than good. The episode serves as a reminder that everyone has their own definition of what it means to be "manly," and that it's important to accept people for who they are rather than trying to force them to conform to societal expectations.