I never got why Abby married Tom

This show wasn't the Brady Bunch. When a woman marries a man with 8 kids, there's going to be problems.

Where there's life there's hope and where there's hope there's crosby

In defense of the producers, they did throw in a line indicating that Joan had died "about a year ago." It was a few months in real time, but in the story he did not start dating until a year had passed. If you can imagine raising eight kids alone, you might better understand his reason for wanting to get married again ASAP.

Re: Joan's death...I do believe she died in a plane crash as she was on assignment as a freelance photographer. (The actress, Diana Hyland, died of cancer).

OK, while the network jumped the gun a bit marrying them off so quickly, I liked the idea of Tom and Abby.I DO think, however, they could've waited until either the end of s2 or beginning of s3 to marry them.

Abby was good for Tom and those kids. She had a relationship with just about all of them...even the oldest of them although they really did not need a lot of "mothering". There are quite a few episodes in this series where you really see how much of an impact she has on that family....especially Nicholas, Tommy and Elizabeth. One of my favorite episodes is "Big Shoes, Little Feet" because Abby is the only one to really 'get it' why Nicholas was having such a difficult time. There is another one, I forget the name, but Abby is subbing at the high school, and Tommy is almost being bullied into cheating. Good scene between Abby and Tommy.

Another really good episode if "The Graduates"...the episode when Elizabeth is graduating form high school and Joanie, from college. Joanie was having a really difficult time because she was missing her mom. She and Abby get into it but in the end the make up scene is worth it because it was very good dialogue between Step-mother and step-daughter.

As for the episode in question, I THINK that is the ep "Ten Ships Sailing in the Night" or something like that...another good ep. It is not that Abby doesn't want to bother with whatever Tom is complaining about. In fact, many times Abby is the one to sacrifice her day in some way. It is that she is a mom/teacher/doctorate student. She only has so much time in her already busy day to study. She is also trying to help run a household and work part time. Most often in the series, Abby is there for her hubby and kids. Tom, when working, is usually to be left alone until he's done. That has been the rule. Although on occasion, the kids will break the rule to run into the study for advice.

“Success is nothing without someone you love to share it with” –Brian to Tracy in Mahogany

I soured on the show when Abby joined the family, and the kids couldn't have been meaner to her, short of poisoning her food or sticking a rattlesnake in her bed.

My buddies nicknamed the show Eight is Too Much & The Next One We'll Abort

The goldfish stays in the picture!

I liked Tom who put up with her punk nephew and her annoying parents.