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Season 3
250px-Full House - Season 3
Country of origin: United States
No. of episodes: 24
Broadcast
Original channel: ABC
Original run: September 22, 1989 – May 4, 1990
Home video release
DVD release date: April 4, 2006
Season chronology
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"Season 2"
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"Season 4"

Season three of the family sitcom Full House originally aired on ABC between September 22, 1989 and May 4, 1990. From this season onward, Lori Loughlin is credited in the opening credits.

Plot[]

In season three, Danny and Rebecca's talk show takes a spike in popularity, meanwhile Jesse and Rebecca begin dating while Jesse prepares to leave his rebellious ways in the past. In the meantime, Joey searches for ways to launch his comedy career. In this season, Michelle goes from 3 to 3 1/2 and is in pre-school, Stephanie is 7 and is in second grade, and D.J. goes from 12 to 13 and is in seventh grade at junior high.

Main characters[]

Episodes[]

# Image Title Date Aired
1
"Tanner's Island"
September 22, 1989

To celebrate the two-year anniversary of the day when Jesse and Joey moved in, Danny surprises the family (and Becky) with a special trip to Hawaii. Everyone is looking forward to soaking up some rays and having a great time, but Danny's pre-planned Clipboard of Fun puts a bit of a damper on things. Joey is determined to connect with a beautiful hula dancer that he meets on the first day, and Becky is not too pleased when her Elvis-obsessed boyfriend behaves like a complete wannabe throughout the vacation. The family friction reaches a new level when everyone gets stranded on an island because they didn't tie the rope on the boat (Gilligan's Island-style), and with the adults fight practically every minute of the day, the kids might need to do a little role reversal with the grown-ups.

2
"Back to School Blues"
September 29, 1989

As the new school year begins, second-grader Stephanie is nervous about being without her older sister, who is now headed for junior high. Unfortunately for D.J., 7th grade causes more than a few problems. Separated from her best friend and forced to eat lunch alone in a telephone booth after she discovers she is dressed like a teacher that everybody hates, she and Kimmy concoct a plan to fit in with the popular girls, but their methods don't exactly fly well with Danny, Joey, and Jesse. Meanwhile, to impress a client, Joey and Jesse dabble in some golf-a sport that does not exactly come naturally to Jesse.

3
"Breaking Up is Hard to Do (in 22 Minutes)"
October 6, 1989

After enduring a rough horseback riding excursion with Becky, a frustrated Jesse refuses to participate in any future visits to the stable. Angry that he isn't willing to take part in more things that she enjoys, Becky breaks even by skipping Jesse's music rehearsal, and when the two get into a heated argument, it looks their relationship may be reaching the end. Upon hearing the news of their breakup, D.J.—who has formed a strong bond with Becky—teams up with Stephanie to get the grown-ups back together. Meanwhile, Stephanie is elated when she finally loses her tooth, and after placing it under her pillow for the tooth fairy, she wakes up to a $20 bill on her bed. Also, the guys try to teach Michelle how to share after a bad play date. In the next episode, Stephanie's artificial tooth was placed in after losing her real tooth.

4
"Nerd for a Day"
October 13, 1989

When Jesse learns that Stephanie has been joining her classmates in making fun of another child, he takes up the responsibility of encouraging his young niece to apologize and change her behavior. She goes along with it to obey her uncle, but when Walter Berman (a.k.a. "Duckface") believes that Stephanie may have romantic for him, she resents Jesse's involvement in the situation-until one little incident teaches Stephanie how much it hurts to be the target of teasing. Meanwhile, D.J. selects Michelle as he subject for a unique school assignment, and Joey temporarily steps in for Becky as Danny's co-host on Wake Up, San Francisco.

5
"Granny Tanny"
October 20, 1989

When Danny's mother (Doris Roberts) arrives for an extended visit, the family realizes that as a divorced woman with independent children, Claire's recent retirement has left her feeling useless. To help her through this difficult time, Danny convinces everyone to act as if they can't function without Grandma. Leaving a few dirty dishes in the sink and allowing Claire to pick out a new bed for Michelle seem relatively harmless, but the little plan backfires when Claire decides that she should move in permanently. Will her precious baby boy have the courage to confront her with the truth about his foolish behavior? Meanwhile, Michelle is initially thrilled about getting out of her crib and having a brand-new "big girl bed," but when she gets scared, Jesse ends up having to sleep with her through the first night.

6
"Star Search"
November 3, 1989

After watching a fateful videotape from his college days, Joey is reminded of a little deal he made with himself several years ago: if he didn't become a successful comedian within ten years, he would drop it all and try something new. With his self-implemented deadline just two weeks away, Joey goes full-force with his practicing and, with the loving support of his family, lands a spot on an upcoming episode of Star Search. Joey is up against some of the best talent in the area, but with his own unique abilities, will he manage to endure the pressure and pull off a victory?

Special guest star: Ed McMahon as himself

7
"And They Call It Puppy Love"
November 10, 1989

It's been obvious for a while that the Tanner family could use a dog, but when an Ohio-native golden retriever shows up in the backyard, Joey and the kids do their best to hide "Minnie" from Danny and Jesse. The secret is eventually unleashed, of course, but the family faces an even bigger issue when they find out that Minnie is expecting puppies. Meanwhile, Jesse has trouble staying focused on studying for a license renewal, and after Minnie gives birth, her owner arrives to bring them all home-but not before making a special offer to the Tanners.

Note: This episode introduces Comet, the family dog.

8
"Divorce Court"
November 17, 1989

Family discord is not usually in high supply within the Tanner household, but trouble begins when D.J. and Stephanie-who haven't been getting along too well recently-duke it out over privacy issues in their shared bedroom. Frustrated that her big sister doesn't appreciate her, Stephanie impulsively moves in with little Michelle, a decision she soon regrets. Of course, the kids aren't the only ones at odds with each other; Danny, Jesse, and Joey go on live air with Wake Up, San Francisco, challenge one another to a footrace, and set out to prove who is the most physically strong. After the race, the boys attempt to play court to meditate the situation between Stephanie and D.J.

9
"Dr. Dare Rides Again"
November 24, 1989

When one of Jesse's former buddies drops in unexpectedly, it is a nostalgic trip down memory lane as they reminisce about their reckless days from the past. Initially, it is all in good fun when Pete teases Jesse about "going from Dr. Dare to Dr. Seuss", but Jesse—who misses being young and wants to prove that he's still in touch with his old wild spirit—nearly risks everything when he plans to attempt a dangerous motorcycling stunt. Meanwhile, Michelle is not too happy when Comet laps up her ice cream.

Guest star: Scott Baio

10
"The Greatest Birthday on Earth"
December 1, 1989

With Michelle's birthday quickly approaching, the entire family is enthusiastic about planning her circus party-all except for Jesse, that is, who has never been very fond of clowns. D.J. dresses up as a lion trainer, with Comet as her subject, and Stephanie eagerly attempts to improve her juggling skills. Disaster hits when Jesse takes Stephanie and Michelle with him to the gas station on the morning of the big day, and as a sea of kids show up at the Tanner house expecting entertainment, Jesse—who is locked in a dirty gas station with his two young nieces—must come up with some creative solutions to cheer up the birthday girl.

11
"Aftershocks"
December 8, 1989

In the wake of a frightening earthquake, Danny is initially will to deny Stephanie's excessive clinginess. It all seem relatively harmless to him at first, but Danny finally recognizes the seriousness of the situation when his distraught daughter won't even let him go on a business dinner for a few hours. Unable to get Stephanie to share her feelings with him, Danny reluctantly agrees that this is not something that a dad can handle on his own. Meanwhile, D.J.—who wakes up one morning with a zit on her nose—nervously anticipates her role in a school play.

Guest star: Nancy Dussault

12
"Joey & Stacey and...Oh, Yeah, Jesse"
December 15, 1989

Jesse concocts an idea for a commercial and teams up with Joey to pitch it to their client, but it is soon rejected. When one of the commercial's backup singers notices how Jesse takes charge and shoots down every attempt that Joey makes to offer his input, she encourages Joey to be bolder and makes himself heard. Joey soon forms a romantic relationship with Stacey, and her support prompts him to introduce his own commercial idea without consulting Jesse first. Furious when Joey's presentation is lapped up by their client, a jealous Jesse gets into a huge fight with Joey-developments that could stand to destroy their friendship. Back at home, Stephanie is devastated when Comet chews up her beloved Mr. Bear, and by watching her two sisters step in to help repair the damage, Jesse just might be motivated to clean up the mess that he has made.

13
"No More Mr. Dumb Guy"
January 5, 1990

Jesse is invited by Becky to a literature soiree, but he declines, believing that his lack of formal education wouldn't serve him too well among the other guests. Later, when Jesse feels threatened by a handsome and apparently flirtatious former professor of Becky's, he shows up at the event with an attitude that just might destroy his relationship with his girlfriend. Back at the Tanner house, Danny is thrilled when a co-worker graciously accepts his invitation for a dinner date, and D.J. and Stephanie live to regret bringing their little sister into the verbal insult business.

14
"Misadventures in Babysitting"
January 12, 1990

Eager to have her very own phone line installed in her bedroom, D.J. proposes that she do some babysitting to help pay for it-a plan that Danny is willing to consider. Spending an evening with Brian does not seem too difficult at first, but he gets his head stuck between the stairwell railings. Back at the Tanner house, Stephanie experiences her own babysitting woes when she is placed in charge of Michelle, and an innocent card-playing session with some buddies gets Jesse in some hot water with Becky and Danny unsuccessfully being a "guy" for a night.

15
"Lust in the Dust"
January 26, 1990

Stephanie's beautiful young dancing instructor seems like the ideal match for free agent Danny, but because he has a reputation for finding multiple reasons not to put himself out there, his daughters take it upon themselves to arrange a little date at the house. Sure enough, after sparks fly between them at the lunch table, Danny and Karen spend a wonderful day together, but there is just one thing about this girl that may send Danny running as fast as he can. Meanwhile, Jesse is miserably late for an important rehearsal because his keys are missing, and the notoriously sneaky Michelle is branded as the culprit.

16
"Bye, Bye Birdie"
February 2, 1990

Michelle is too eager to sleep the night before her first day of preschool, and when she finally arrives in the classroom the next morning, her happiness is squashed when she is involved in an unfortunate incident with the class bird. Feeling that nobody likes her, Michelle stubbornly refuses to go back-an idea that Jesse accepts, since he understands what it is like to be an outcast at school. After Danny makes it clear that this is not a viable option, the adults must devise a plan to ease young Michelle back into the preschool that once excited her. Meanwhile, Stephanie gets herself in some hot water when her latest attempts to read D.J.'s diary backfire miserably.

17
"13 Candles"
February 9, 1990

When her birthday arrives, D.J. celebrates with a fabulous boy-girl party at the house. The friendly and handsome Kevin Gwynn is in attendance, but when D.J. is too shy to talk to him, Kimmy conspires with the rest of the guests to arrange for Kevin to lock lips with the birthday girl. After the plan backfires, thanks to her eavesdropping father, uncle, and bodyguard, D.J. is left feeling humiliated. Who will step in to comfort her in the absence of her mother?

18
"Mr. Egghead"
February 16, 1990

Joey is anxious to prove himself as the new star of the educational children's show Mr. Egghead, but what he does not seem to understand is that the job requires a little more than just liking kids. With Stephanie's second grade class serving as the audience for a test run show that will determine Joey's eligibility for the position, an experiment goes wrong and leaves Stephanie with a broken nose-the day before she is scheduled to have her Class Picture Day! Meanwhile, while Stephanie laments over the inevitable teasing that she will encounter at school, Danny and D.J. must use all the tricks in the book to appeal a driving ticket that they received while on the road.

19
"Those Better Not Be the Days"
February 23, 1990

The girls' recent bouts of greediness are one thing, but when they stop saying "thank you" altogether, a new game in concocted to teach them a lesson. Everyone switches roles for the day, giving D.J. and Stephanie to opportunity to act as "parents" to Danny, Jesse, and Joey. When the plan backfires, the guys nervously imagine their long-term future as the kids' personal slaves. The result is a confrontation about the girls' behavior and they realize that the point of the game was show it. The girls finally apologize and promise to tone their greedy behavior down.

Note: Adult Michelle is played by Jayne Modean, Dave Coulier's then real-life wife.

20
"Honey, I Broke the House"
March 9, 1990

Stephanie climbs into Joey's brand-new car-and ends up crashing it through the kitchen wall. Terrified to face anyone, she decides that bolting Mexico might be the best opinion. Meanwhile, as everyone experiences very different reactions to the kitchen's newest little decoration, Jesse gets a bout of jealousy as Becky plans a date with a smooth-talking football stud.

21
"Just Say No Way"
March 30, 1990

After weeks of planning and organizing a school dance, D.J. is disappointed to learn that the scheduled band cannot perform. After convincing Jesse to lend his musical talents for the evening. D.J. preps herself for the big event by asking her crush, Kevin Gwynn, to be her escort (with a little unsolicited help from Stephanie). Trouble flares at the dance when Kevin seems uncomfortable and Jesse meets the questionable back-up band that D.J. arranged for him. Jesse is willing to be a good sport at first, but nothing can prevent this former "bad boy" from blowing up when he catches his young niece with a beer in her hand thinking that she was drinking when she really was not. Could D.J. really be handed in such a dangerous direction? Back at home, Joey presents Michelle with a tape recording of the popular children's song Baby Beluga—a decision that he lives to regret. Back at the school, Kevin tells Jesse and Danny that D.J. was not drinking, and that it was actually him and two other boys. She was trying to stop them. Jesse then apologizes to D.J. for falsely accusing her of drinking.

22
"Three Men and Another Baby"
April 13, 1990

Danny agrees to do some neighbors a favor by babysitting their baby son Tony for the day, but when Danny is too busy working to take care of the child, he asks Jesse to step in and help. Miraculously, Jesse warms up to Tony and starts bonding with him, but little Michelle is not too willing to share the attention of her doting uncle. Afraid that Jesse doesn't love her anymore, she takes drastic measures to make sure all eyes stay focused on her. Meanwhile, D.J. requests Joey's help in completing a tricky math problem, but when he can't seem to figure it out himself, he resorts to phoning in for some help from a very unlikely source: the Nut Store.

23
"Fraternity Reunion"
April 27, 1990

As Danny and Joey prepare for a 10-year reunion with their former college fraternity, they dress for the event. But instead of normal clothes, they dress in pearl earrings, fancy dressings, and even feminine hosiery! Oh, the things a couple of men will do to gain revenge on a sorority that stole their fraternity mascot a decade ago! D.J. and Kimmy watch the news for a school paper but Kimmy changes the channel to the Top 10 Video Countdown. The girls come up with a plan to bring the TV upstairs so they can watch two shows at the same time. At this point, Stephanie catches them in the act, and asks them to use the little TV in the bedroom instead. Kimmy accidentally ends up breaking the Tanners' television and is not allowed to have any contact with D.J. for three weeks. While trying to steal back their fraternity mascot, Danny and Joey wind up in jail, which means D.J. has to come and bail them out. With no one to watch Michelle and Stephanie, D.J. hires a very unlikely source to watch the girls. Meanwhile, Michelle learns to play the game of patty-cake.

24
"Our Very First Telethon"
May 4, 1990

A special "We Love Our Children" telethon features Danny as the host, and the rest of the family pitches in to make the next 24 hours successful by raising $1,000,000 for the fund. Jesse and his band perform, Joey exercises his comedy skills, and the adorable Tanner girls capture the heart of the telethon with their singing and dancing. As the monetary donations gradually rise, they hit a snag in the middle of the show when Danny suddenly falls asleep.

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