Episode #103 "Buyer's Remorse"

Pamela's studying for her manicurist exam when Bill arrives and comments on Butch's car that's just arrived from LA. Leave it to a tutti-frutti, says Bill, to buy a BMW. Butch goes to see Charlie and asks to take him out to dinner. Charlie says he can't; he's hanging out with his friend Larry, maybe to watch a movie or go to a club. Frustrated, Butch tells Elizabeth that Charlie always seems to be busy. Elizabeth reminds Butch that he's Charlie's dad. Why would Charlie want to hang out with him? Butch offers to give Charlie a ride, and they soon find themselves in a car salesman's office. Charlie's thrilled; he can't believe his good luck. The salesman is ruggedly handsome, and even Charlie realizes that Butch is attracted to him. Butch acknowledges this but insists it didn't affect the negotiation. A few minutes later, Charlie has a car. Bill can't shut up about Butch's "foreign piece of junk," and at first refuses when Butch suggests that his parents should take it out for a spin. But he relents when Butch says that maybe he's afraid. Robbie is beside himself with excitement when Butch tells him he's getting Charlie's old car to work on. Pamela isn't thrilled with this development and insists that Butch explain to Robbie that owning a junk car comes with a lot of responsibility. Bill drives Butch's BMW as Joan plays with the car's many gadgets. Joan tells him he looks twenty years younger behind that wheel. They're in no hurry to take the car back to Butch. Butch is talking with Elizabeth, and it quickly becomes clear that she isn't too happy about Charlie's car. But it's not actually the car that's the problem. She thinks that Butch is trying to buy his son's love. Butch denies it, but she reminds him of when he was working late a lot and thought Charlie hated him; he brought home a big train set for Charlie. Charlie comes in and suggests that he and Butch go to dinner. Suddenly he's not too busy to go out with his dad. At dinner, Butch suggests that the only reason Charlie is there is because he got the car. Charlie only lamely disagrees. Butch can't believe that Elizabeth was right. He was trying to buy Charlie's love. The car's going back, he tells Charlie. Charlie is speechless. Butch tells Pamela he's taking the car back from Robbie and explains why. Bill says it's not about love; it's about how you turn out Bill's dad made him strong, and that's why he lived him. Bill then tries to sneak out without giving Butch his keys back. When Pamela breaks the news about the car to Robbie, he locks himself in the car and says he's never coming out. Butch calms him down by offering to teach him how to make gunpowder or maybe take him out for ice cream instead. Butch takes the car back to the dealer but loses five hundred bucks on the deal. He can't believe he was ever attracted to that salesman. And Bill tries to make a deal with Butch. He'll pay to have Charlie's old car repaired and throw in his Le Sabre for Butch to drive if Butch will hand over the BMW. That, says Bill, would take the sting out of having a gay son.