Ep 5. Paternal Affairs

Doug and Carrie Heffernan are the King and Queen of their Queens, New York, neighborhood, but they are constantly fighting over little things. In season one, episode five, called "Paternal Affairs," the couple deals with a new source of tension. It all starts when the Heffernans go to a family dinner at the home of Carrie's father, Arthur, played by Jerry Stiller.

Arthur has always been a difficult, high-maintenance person, but he manages to outdo himself at this dinner. He complains about everything, including the food, the wine, and the company. When his bored guests start leaving early, he decides to bring up an old family feud to liven things up. He accuses his cousin of stealing a stuffed bear from him years ago.

After the dinner, Carrie is so fed up with her father that she doesn't want to see him again for a while. Doug tries to defend Arthur, but he soon realizes that his father-in-law might be right: the stolen bear is in Doug's and Carrie's attic. Doug admits that he took it when he was drunk years ago, but he didn't remember until now.

Now Doug has to decide whether to tell Carrie and rekindle her father's anger, or to keep the secret and risk getting caught. He tries to hide the bear, but he can't find a good hiding spot. To make matters worse, Arthur keeps calling him and coming over uninvited, demanding to know what's going on.

Meanwhile, Carrie is dealing with her own father-issues. When she was a teenager, she found out that Arthur had an affair with a family friend, and she has been resentful ever since. She confides in her friend Deacon about her anger and her fears of repeating her father's mistakes. Deacon advises her to talk to Arthur and forgive him, but Carrie is not ready yet.

As the tension builds up, Doug decides to come clean and tell Carrie the truth. She is understandably angry and disappointed in him, but she appreciates his honesty. However, when Arthur finds out, he is overjoyed, as if this old bear is the most important thing in his life.

In the end, Doug and Carrie make up, and Arthur and his cousin reconcile over the bear, but the family tension remains. Doug realizes that being a part of the Heffernan family is not always easy, but it's worth it for the love and support he gets in return.