Ep 12. The Real Rules

The Real O'Neals season 1 episode 12, titled "The Real Rules," follows the O'Neal family as they each create a set of rules to follow. Eileen (Martha Plimpton) insists on making new dinner rules after constantly dealing with bad behavior from her children during meals. She enlists the help of VP Murray (Matt Oberg) to put her rules in place, but her plan backfires when she discovers that his rules are more strict than she anticipated.

Meanwhile, Pat (Jay R. Ferguson) creates his own set of rules for school, resulting in tensions between him and Jimmy (Matt Shively). Shannon (Bebe Wood) decides to create rules for herself after realizing that she has lost her identity in trying to fit in with her friends. Kenny (Noah Galvin) finds himself struggling with his own set of rules after being told that he needs to break them to achieve his dreams.

As the family tries to navigate their new rules, they all discover that sometimes rules can be broken and that it's important to be true to yourself. The episode is a humorous and heartwarming exploration of family dynamics and self-discovery, with a strong message about the importance of individuality and honesty.