Ep 19. Surprise Artie

Arthur Spooner, Carrie's father, an eccentric and irritating man, is on his way back to the retirement home. Doug gets a last minute call from the home informing him that Arthur is being kicked out for covering someone in a sweet substance. Desperate to keep his father-in-law out of his house, Doug devises a plan to fool Arthur into thinking he has enough money to afford a top-class retirement home. With Carrie's sister who is very wealthy, in town, Doug tries his best to get her to contribute some cash but things don't go as he had planned. Meanwhile, Arthur is staying at Holly's house and getting her to do his laundry. The episode unveils with Doug trying his best to convince Holly's boyfriend to lend him money to show to Arthur. The boyfriend is reluctant and instead Doug is forced to show Arthur a brochure of a pay-per-month retirement home. Arthur refuses to go there and decides to stay with Doug and Carrie.

Doug realizes that he has made a huge mistake but has no choice but to let Arthur stay with them, while they come up with a plan to deal with Arthur's eccentricities. The couple begin to brainstorm options for Arthur but nothing seems to stick. It is then, in a hilarious turn of events, that Doug comes up with the idea to send Arthur away for a week to a 'bed-and-breakfast' in Pennsylvania. The B&B has a lot of activities that Arthur may enjoy. However, when the gang arrives at the B&B, Doug realizes that he has made another mistake as the activities are all designed to prevent them from sitting down and watching TV. Arthur, irritated and frustrated with the situation, drinks all of the coffee and ingests a handful of chocolate bars, causing him to feel unwell.

The situation takes a turn for the worse when Arthur starts to hallucinate. Carrie is convinced that this is due to a bump on the head he received from a falling book earlier in the day but Doug seems to think it is due to Arthur's age. The couple quickly pack Arthur into the car and head back to Queens to the hospital where they learn that Arthur has no serious physical ailment but is experiencing a reaction to the copious amounts of caffeine and chocolate that he consumed earlier.

After some amount of trouble, Doug drops off Arthur at the retirement home and thanks the caretakers for taking him in. Arthur is not too thrilled about staying there, but it is revealed later that he is enjoying himself and has even found a new hobby; painting. Carrie, relieved and happy that her father is doing better, decides to visit him in his new home. She is pleasantly surprised when she finds out that he has painted a portrait of her when she was a child.

Overall, this episode is a classic example of the struggles of adulting with aging parents and how tricky it can be to balance their needs with ours. The comic turns and twists add a flavor to the story and make it an entertaining watch. A must-watch for those who want to enjoy a slice of life comedy-drama.