The Michael J. Fox Show Episode 1.09 Homecoming

Mike and Annie are doing some expunging of toys in Graham's room. At some point, when you have a million toys and you only play with about six, the rest have to go. Mike wonders why Graham doesn't love his folks more, considering they bought all this stuff for him, but Annie knows that's just how parenting works. When Mike and Annie leave Graham's room with two boxfuls of toys, Graham immediately notices their absence upon reentering his bedroom. When Graham confronts his parents, Annie tells him it's only right that they give the things they don't use to someone - or something - that would appreciate the items more!

Mike is worried about Ian's latest foray into the business world. The dropping out of college was one thing, but now Ian's selling cheap suits like a mafioso and planning to go to his high school homecoming dance for the third straight year. When Ian tells his father he's going out of his way to pick up a cheap tuxedo for the dance, Mike jumps on the opportunity to drive with his son... except what Ian doesn't know is that Mike has a detour in mind! On their way to the tuxedo store, Mike makes a "wrong turn," and before Ian even notices the mistake, they're halfway to Cornell. Maybe in the time it takes to get there, Mike can convince Ian that college is the best place for him at this point in his life.

Meanwhile, Leigh accidentally spills the beans to Annie about all the fun times she's been having with Eve. Leigh and Eve talk about everything - Eve's latest boyfriends, her homecoming dress selection, coping with her ex, everything. Annie didn't even know about half of these things and begins to worry that her decision to give Eve space was the wrong move. To counteract her ignorance, Annie plans a girls' night with Eve, but when Leigh crashes it, Annie's plans are halted. Eve and Leigh connect over Leigh's crazy, sexually charged stories from her younger days. When Annie tries to be a part of the conversation, she only further embarrasses herself with Eve by telling a sexual story involving her father... and a motorcycle. Eve is beyond disgusted.

Graham misinterprets his parents' donation of his old toys as a green light to round up every neglected item around the house and deliver them to a local donation drop-off. Graham holds nothing back as he scoops up old novels, entire juice pressers, a GPS system - if he hasn't seen anyone use it, and it fits inside his brown box, Graham throws it in. When Annie finds out about this, she tries to scold Graham for giving away all of their stuff without asking, but soon realizes he has a good perspective. Though it might not have been ideal for him to give the stuff away, Annie knows Graham's heart is in the right place and decides to give back one of the toys she took from his room. Graham makes good use of his raggedy toy by strapping it to a firework and shooting it off the roof of the apartment complex.

Ian can't believe his dad kidnapped him. On top of that, his phone can't find service, so his high school girlfriend must be worried sick about him! Mike gets legitimately lost on the way to Cornell, and as the two argue over directions, Mike accidentally runs over a deer. Ian immediately wants to put the suffering deer out of its misery, but Michael worries that's just his son making rash decisions, like leaving college after failing one class. Ian tells his dad he didn't give up on college; he just wanted to do his own thing. As the two trek through the woods, Ian opens up to Mike; it was hard growing up with such an "inspirational" dad, who was always optimistic despite his illness. Ian wants to be his own man, and he's trying his hardest... he just wishes Mike could see that.

All Annie wanted was for Eve to feel comfortable opening up to her mother about her life. So maybe she overdid it with the motorcycle story, but her intentions were good. Mike gets Ian back home in time for the dance, in his tux and everything. As Mike and Annie chaperone, Ian accidentally sets his tux sleeve on fire. Later, Mike realizes you can't make your kids do what you want after a certain age. And despite that, they could still turn out spectacular. But no matter what, they'll eventually find their way home. As Mike wonders if that's just the eternal optimist in him, Eve comes home from her after-party in tears; instead of confiding in Leigh, she rushes into Annie's arms.