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Private Notes
When Mel feels like he is losing his identity because of his marriage, he and Malena act on volatile advice from the marriage veterans, Dean and Sheri. Meanwhile, Reggie panics when he realizes that his relationship with Bobbi has progressed to the stage at which she feels comfortable answering his telephone.
Bobbi is all set to celebrate the one-year anniversary of her divorce -- until she learns that she's still legally married; Sheri and Dean work out with a personal trainer.
Dean takes a liking to the men-only barbershop frequented by Mel, where Dean's NFL experience makes him more popular than Mel; Malena gives a test.
Sheri and Dean cause sleep disorders in each other; Mel gets wild at an office party; Reggie reluctantly stays over at Bobbi's place.
Sheri secretly arranges for Dean to appear on a football talk show, where he's humiliated by a replay from his inglorious gridiron career. Cameo by NFL great Walter Payton.
Bobbi is suspicious when her sister shows no interest in Reggie; Sheri blames Mel for the ill fate of a migratory bird.
Malena is given the ""Shining Star"" award by an association of psychiatrists, but Mel is worried that she's so busy she's going to burn out.
Mel invites Malena to the Bears game to score some ""goodwill"" points, throwing Reggie for a loss when she actually agrees to go. Meanwhile, Sheri and Dean have a sexy tradition of their own, but this year they end up freezing in Mel and Malena's hot tub.
When Sheri's friend Tom comes for a visit, Sheri expects Dean to be very jealous, as usual. However, he trusts Sheri--until her complicated series of lies is exposed. Meanwhile, Mel and Dean plan to beat Tom in a poker game, but Bobbi and Malena end up being the big winners when they join the game.
When Sheri asks Malena to run with her in a local footrace, Malena only agrees after Sheri promises not to be overly competitive. However, as usual, Sheri's competitive personality emerges, and the friendly race turns into all-out war. Malena cheats in order to teach Sheri a lesson. Meanwhile, Mel refuses to hire a plumber to stop the sink from dripping incessantly, prompting Dean to teach him the rules of the suburbs.
Bobbi wants to have sex with Reggie without using a condom, but Reggie is reticent, even though Bobbi uses birth-control pills and both partners have been tested for disease. Meanwhile, Mel has trouble getting his mail delivered until Dean teaches him more rules of the suburbs--this time regarding how to treat civil servants.
Mel invites Reggie to stay with him and Malena because the heat's out at his place, but Mel's left cold when Reggie and Malena warm up to each other.
When Dean invites Mel to go away for a golfing weekend with him, Mel and Malena become anxious about surviving their first weekend apart since getting married. Sheri comforts Malena with an old-fashioned slumber party, while Dean and Mel have a bad time. Meanwhile, waiting for Reggie outside a ""men only"" barbershop, Bobbi gets mugged.
Dean makes a major advance in his career when his boss names him team leader of a project to design a shopping mall. However, his job is jeopardized when Sheri stages a protest at the groundbreaking ceremony over the planned destruction of a rare tree. Meanwhile, when Mel gets sick, he pretends that he wants his mother to come and take care of him. Determined to prove that he doesn't need his mommy, Malena nurses her man back to health. But Mel tricked Malena: his mother never pampered him when he was ill.
Reggie participates in a bachelor auction for a youth charity, along with Tavis Smiley, commentator for the Black Entertainment Television network. Bobbi tries to remain calm, but she gets upset when the bidding for Reggie becomes competitive. eanwhile, Mel and Dean's macho competitiveness intrudes on their marriages when they gamble over the outcome of a miniature golf game between Malena and Sheri.
As Mel and Malena's first wedding anniversary approaches, Mel wants to plan something truly memorable for the occasion. Dean warns him not to do anything that he cannot easily outdo next year. Malena's obsession with re-creating the night Mel proposed marriage--complete with the most insignificant details--threatens to disrupt the celebration. Meanwhile, after accidentally snacking on the ceremonial leftover piece of Mel and Malena's wedding cake, Reggie tries to atone by helping Sheri bake a new cake to match it.
During high school, Sheri became enamored with Dean when she saw ""Dean loves Sheri"" painted on the town water tower. Now, she learns of Dean's fear of heights and finds out that he paid someone to make the graffito. Sheri is so upset that Dean confronts his fear and climbs the water tower himself to leave another love message, since the tower has since been repainted. He finds Sheri up there preparing to paint a message for him, and they reconcile. Meanwhile, Malena is frustrated that Mel has never done anything romantic enough to warrant eternal gratitude. Also, Bobbi rejects an offer to put Thor-Chi-Chi, her and Reggie's dog, in a movie. However, Reggie cannot resist the temptation of stardom for the animal.
Exasperated by Mel's beat-up Porsche sports car, Malena urges him to buy a more family-oriented vehicle. Unfortunately, when Sheri meddles, the result is an impractical minivan that neither Mel nor Malena really wants. Sheri helps rectify the situation, and Mel ends up with his old Porsche again. Meanwhile, Reggie resents that Bobbi is distracted by her new business of selling gift baskets in addition to her teaching career. Hoping to overwhelm her and cause her to stop making the baskets, Reggie pretends to be a wealthy customer and makes a huge order. Eventually, a disappointed Bobbi learns the truth but admits that she is exhausted from the extra work.
When Malena's overbearing mother Mona visits, Mel begs Malena to be conciliatory to avoid a family fight. It doesn't work. Mona rearranges Malena's life and causes tension in her daughter's marriage. When Malena confronts Mona about her domineering attitude, Mona becomes indignant. But Mel reminds Malena that while Malena has her husband to love, Mona is alone. Meanwhile, Reggie carries around a $1,000 bill he received as a tip at the restaurant in order to show it to his friends. After he mistakenly places the bill in the church's collection plate, Reggie tries to get it back but soon enjoys being the church hero. Later, he publicly admits that he did not intend to be so generous. Pastor Hicks appreciates Reggie's honesty--but keeps the money for the church. Also, Dean becomes exasperated while trying to teach German to an overeager Sheri.
Insecurity causes problems in all three couples' relationships: Malena resents Mel's wearing a sexy shirt given to him by a former girlfriend; Sheri thinks Dean prefers looking at stars through his telescope to making love with her; and Bobbi becomes furious after witnessing Reggie apparently giving jewelry to a beautiful woman.
Malena teaches Mel the art of avoiding a pick-up when she finds phone numbers in his pocket after his boys' night out. But the morning after getting drunk in the bar, Reggie wakes up naked and tied to the bed of his lascivious employee Eunetta.
Mel and Malena's neighbor Mark announces that Deborah is pregnant. With the overly ambitious help of her assistant, Lana, Malena plans a celebration and forces the guys to come too. To Sheri's surprise, Dean has a great time looking at the cute gifts of children's clothing and choosing baby names with Deborah. Meanwhile, no longer dating Bobbi, Reggie brings a sexy date to the baby party, trying to make Bobbi jealous; but Bobbi has a handsome date of her own.
