Join or Sign In
Sign in to customize your TV listings
By joining TV Guide, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy.
Dear John Season 1 Episodes
Season 1 Episode Guide
22 Episodes 1988 - 1989
Episode 1
Pilot
Thu, Oct 6, 198824 mins
John comes home to find out his wife left him. After a few days, his sister suggests he go to a meeting of a support group for the widowed, divorced, and single.
Episode 2
Ralph's Curse
Thu, Oct 27, 1988
The group has a party. Ralph is excited but doesn't show up. John and Kate are concerned. They find Ralph at home crying over the Curse of Tutankhamun.
Episode 3
Hello/Goodbye
Thu, Nov 3, 1988
Andrew Garberg comes to John claiming to be his son.
Episode 4
The Younger Girl
Thu, Nov 10, 1988
The group leaves John alone at a bar and he's approach by 23 year old hairdresser Karen. They met before but he can't remember her. She may be too much for him but that's the least of it.
Episode 5
Matthew's Dilemma
Thu, Nov 17, 1988
John's ex-wife Wendy stops by to discuss changes in their son's behavior. Matthew has been despondent and even wetting the bed. Wendy says his mood worsens as the weekend approaches. At Matthew's next visit John is attempting to find out why Matthew has been moody but Kirk comes by. He dazzles Matthew with tall tales about his being a secret agent. Matthew invites him to his birthday party. At the party, Matthew tells him he doesn't want to visit his father the next two Sundays. Before he finds out the reason, Kirk got into a fight with the clown entertaining the kids. The next day John picks Matthew up from his trumpet lesson. They sit down and Matthew tells him he doesn't like football. He likes soccer instead, and invites John to watch him in games the next two Sundays. They proceed to have a snack and credits roll.
Episode 6
Dear Mike
Thu, Nov 24, 1988
John's former best friend Mike gets dumped by John's ex-wife Wendy. Mike gets invited to the group by Louise while pretending to be Bill.
Episode 7
Politics as Usual
Thu, Dec 1, 1988
Kate is volunteering for Eleanor Guthrie running for congress. Louise, John, and Ralph join her. Kirk invites himself to the party.
Episode 8
Dancing in the Dark
Thu, Dec 15, 1988
John is looking forward to spending Christmas in his apartment with his young son, only to find out at the last minute that the boy is going to Disneyland instead. So John winds up spending Christmas in his apartment with his elderly neighbor, Mrs. Lumenski.
Episode 9
Was It Good for Me?
Thu, Jan 5, 1989
John and Kate spend the night together. And awake up in each other's arms embarrassed.
Episode 10
Honest John
Thu, Jan 12, 1989
John's ex-wife Wendy wants him to lie about their divorce to get their son Matthew into a Catholic school.
Episode 11
The Return of Ricky
Thu, Jan 19, 1989
The support group arranges for Ricky to play a concert in a small venue to boost his sagging morale over a faded career but Ricky is mortified to be outclassed when Freddie and the Dreamers perform.
Episode 12
Dream Babe
Thu, Jan 26, 1989
Kirk starts an awkward relation with an overly fawning young Japanese woman who stumbles into the support group while looking for English class at the center and John is often inconvenienced to translate.
Episode 13
Stand by Your Man
Thu, Feb 16, 1989
Cleavon Little's character, Tony Larkin, is new to the group. He shares a confidence with John after they bond hanging out outside of group and going to ball games. John is unsure of how to handle the fallout from Tony's information, but the group, sans Tony, visits him in his apartment and suggests what he should do. Excellent final scene set in a fancy restaurant. Great character by Cleavon. We lost him too soon. Wait for the topper final lines by John's principal from school played by Dakin Matthews. Highly rated episode and worthy of the rating.
Episode 14
Love and Marriage
Thu, Feb 23, 198930 mins
When Louise stomach begins to expand the group is curious as to who the father is and why isn't he helping her. She tells them that he doesn't yet know. So she decides to tell him and when she does he proposes. However, Louise is not sure if she wants to get married.
Episode 15
For a Friend
Thu, Mar 2, 1989
John's married friend Gary has his eye on Kate. He joins the group pretending to be a widower.
Episode 16
The Second Time Around
Thu, Mar 9, 1989
John reconnects with old flame Yvonne but the 30 years separation has left her an older grandmother. The memories don't match the reality.
Episode 17
The Last Dance
Thu, Mar 16, 1989
Pregnant Louise is away getting some bed rest. Ralph is afraid to go to a dance and too shy to meet Barbara, a teacher at the community center.
Episode 18
Sisters
Thu, Mar 30, 1989
Kate tells the group her sister is coming for a visit and she tells them that she always makes a play for every guy she's with. And when they tell Kate she's being paranoid, she decides to prove by introducing Kirk as her beau and to see if she makes a move. And when she doesn't, John takes her home with him. And when he talks about how he and Kate went out once, she comes on to him.
Episode 19
Gone Camping
Thu, Apr 6, 1989
John clashes with his ex-wife over visitation issues with their son Matthew. To maximize the time they have, John takes him to a cabin in the woods. When an epic snowfall traps them in, it looks as though he doesn't plan to return him.
Episode 20
Margo
Thu, Apr 27, 1989
A woman who just broke up with her husband joins the group. She tells them that they broke up because she found out he's a cross dresser. She tells them that they have an amicable relationship, that they go out together though he's in drag. And when people ask what they are, they say they're sisters getting together at the bar near the center after the meeting. John, who wasn't able to attend, goes to the bar and meets with a woman named Margo who says she's there to meet her sister who's at a support group at the center.
Episode 21
Friends and Lovers
Thu, May 4, 1989
John's work friend Ken comes to him about his failing marriage. John mistakenly lets slip some of Ken's lies to his wife. John's date falls through. Everything is going wrong. At a party, Louise sets John up with Liz.
Episode 22
Bound for Gloria
Thu, May 11, 1989
John brings Gloria to the group. It's six months since her husband died. Kirk's callousness actually helps and they start going out. Surprisingly, Gloria has Kirk all bound up.