Ep 18. Punch Thy Neighbor

Rob and Laura Petrie have a new neighbor, Jerry Helper, who is causing quite a stir in their suburban neighborhood. While fellow neighbor Millie doesn't seem to mind him much, Rose Marie's character keeps trying to avoid him whenever possible. Rob starts to take issue with their new neighbor as well, because he won't stop borrowing things from their house, especially his coveted tool kit. Rob is finally fed up with all of Jerry's borrowing and asks for his tool kit back. Jerry responds with an unconvincing lie that he hasn't seen it in days.

Laura comes up with an idea to take their children to the park to get away from Jerry, but soon discovers that he has followed them there. At the park, Laura witnesses Jerry pick on a small boy for being overweight and decides she cannot stand by and watch anymore. Laura boldly confronts Jerry and tells him that his behavior is unacceptable. Jerry apologizes and explains that he acted that way because he was feeling down about his own weight. Laura makes him promise to never do it again, and he agrees.

Later, Rob comes home to find his tool kit on the porch, along with a note of apology from Jerry. Rob decides to forgive Jerry and invites him over to their house for drinks. The four neighbors spend the evening together, bonding over their new friendship and swapping stories about their lives.

Overall, the episode explores themes of neighborly kindness, confrontation, and forgiveness. While it may seem like a simple story on the surface, the episode serves as a reminder that sometimes it's the small gestures of kindness that have the biggest impact on those around us. It also illustrates the importance of standing up for what is right, even if it means confronting someone we may not want to. The episode ultimately shows that forgiveness and understanding can bring people together, no matter how different they may seem at first glance.