The introduction to the life and times of Danny and Gretchen Bonaduce. We learn that Danny and Gretchen meet on a blind date, and married seven hours later during a night of drunkness and passion. Danny and Gretchen go to couples therapy to begin to try and work out their issues, Danny confesses that he has had an affair in the past.
In this episode things appear to be on the mend in the Bonaduce household as the family is functioning “normally” once again. But beware; underneath the happy surface, trouble is brewing.
During this episode we along with Dr. Garry discover that Danny has quiet a problem with anger. We learn that Danny runs, works out and even takes karate in an effort to channel some of his excess anxiety.
Danny is becoming frustrated with Gretchen's lack of intimacy. Gretchen plans for her 40th Birthday party.
We see Danny on the streets of Hollywood, he was ringing Gretchen's cell phone off the hook trying frantically to warn her against having male strippers at her 40th Birthday ........
As Danny spends another night of drinking himself to sleep, Gretchen sneaks off to therapy looking for answers. She reveals to Dr. Garry that the drinking, steroids and painkillers have taken control of Danny and her house has turned upside down. Dr. Garry confronts Danny off camera and demands that he check into rehab. Danny reluctantly agrees. However, before entering, he decides to tattoo his first day of sobriety onto his arm as a gesture of his commitment to get well. Though difficult and frightening, Danny explains to his children that he must go away to get well, but loves them and will return. As Gretchen drives away from the rehab center, leaving Danny standing alone in front of the De-tox center, they both have an expression of impending doom.
In the first weeks in treatment, the rehab team is attempting to get Danny to come to a healthier place. Not just physically, but mentally as well: Breathing exercises, yoga, spiritual-counseling - anything to get him to slow his mind down. But expectedly, Danny is resisting the program. Fits and tantrums stunt his early progress. Eventually however, Danny begins to warm up to some of their more `new age' methods and he at least attempts to play nice. But when the facility decides it's time to bring Gretchen in for a couples exercise, the sparks begin to fly as Danny becomes enraged with Gretchen's lack of trust for him and he threatens to leave rehab.
When we last saw Danny, he was storming away from a couples exercise and threatening to leave rehab. As far as Danny's concerned, he doesn't want to be at rehab, and if Gretchen isn't going to trust him regardless of what he does - why stay? Gretchen begs him to stay for the sake of their marriage. Her reinforcement of their commitment sparks a change in Danny. In the coming weeks, he begins to show real signs of progress. Eventually, the rehab staff feels he's ready to see his children. Not a moment to soon for Isabella, who's been acting up and acting out because of how much she misses her daddy. When the two see each other for the first time in weeks, Danny vows that he will never leave her for thirty days again. And for Gretchen, he makes a solemn vow to become a better husband and father.
After 30 days of drug and alcohol rehabilitation, Danny seems like a new man. He's sober, reflective and feeling equipped to return home. But, for the first time in months, Danny is in a position to examine his marriage with a clear eye. He concludes that at its core, their relationship is a union between two very different people with conflicting romantic and sexual appetites. Coupled with his already fragile state of mind, this revelation leads Danny to portend troubled waters ahead.
Danny and Gretchen are both struggling to understand the others language of love. Danny wants overt, passionate gestures while Gretchen feels silly when romance gets sappy. At one point, Gretchen cavalierly chides him that maybe he should `be with someone else.' This seemingly minor infraction leads to a exagerated reaction and Danny decides to move out.
On the verge of moving out of his home and possibly leaving his wife, Danny realizes that he has a great life worth keeping, but the small thing that's missing is just so important. Dr. Garry tries to get through to him one last time that Gretchen is not the woman Danny wants her to be. Still unconvinced, Danny has high hopes for his Father's Day present. But true to form, Gretchen botches the romantic element again. After a bout of anger, Danny finally realizes that Gretchen can't speak his language, and he can't ask her to. Will they now live happily ever after?
At the onset of season two, we see the impact that 'Breaking Bonaduce' has had on Danny and Gretchen's lives. In fact, the show is successful enough to get international distribution. So in order to keep the momentum moving forward, Danny agrees to help promote the show in Mexico City. On his trip, he visits a dubbing house where 'Breaking Bonaduce is being translated into Spanish. But because Danny has never seen the show before, after viewing an episode from last season in which Gretchen has strippers at her birthday party, Danny goes into a tailspin.
Danny begins acting manic and belligerent in reaction to a season one episode he viewed for the first time in Mexico. Because of this, Dr. Garry refuses to continue therapy with him and Gretchen decides to kick him out of the house. Danny is spiraling down fast. As he hits rock bottom, his AA group stages an intervention, accusing him of relapse behavior. Danny's sponsor Jason forces him to take a drug test and refuses to leave his side for 72 hours. During that time, Danny vents his frustrations to his consoling friend while Gretchen does her best to calm her concerned children.
Danny has been out of the house for a while when he gets the news that he's been awarded 'Harvard Lampoon's Man of the Year'. Ironically enough, Valentine's Day is his first opportunity to ask Gretchen to come with him to Boston despite' the troubles they've been having. Gretchen has mixed emotions, but eventually agrees. Initially, things are going well at Harvard. In fact, the Bonaduces' appear to be on a course for reconciliation. That is until Gretchen refuses to sleep with Danny the night he accepts his award. This sends him into a tirade that leaves Gretchen feeling like her only option is to file for divorce.
Back in Los Angeles, Danny is as frightened as he's ever been that he's going to lose his family because of his behavior. This sobering thought leads him back to his MD Psychiatrist to get his medication levels checked and updated. But even with Danny's attempts to manage his bi-polar episodes, Gretchen is still one step from filing divorce papers. Danny decides his only option is to work his way back into her good graces by easing her parental duties, and spending some much needed time with his children.
Gretchen has seen steady progress in Danny over the past few weeks. So she offers him a probationary period back in the house, provided he's willing to stay in their guest room. Danny is concerned about how this will look to his kids. Right on cue, after only a few nights, Isabella accuses him of becoming soft. Thrown by this, Danny decides to get in the boxing ring with a heavyweight contender just to prove to himself that he hasn't become weak. Unfortunately, even though the heavyweight beats him silly, his dissatisfaction with the guest room grows stronger. With nowhere to turn, Danny begins a search for God.
Danny is not happy about being in the guest room and is beginning to go stir crazy in his little cell. At the same time, he knows, ultimately, he's made his bed. So Danny continues his parental duties, and even agrees to baby-sit while Gretchen has a ladies night out, all in hopes of getting out of the guestroom. A further visit to their pastor for a re-affirmation of their love of God and each other finally brings Danny and Gretchen back together.
Danny has reassumed his position as husband and father, and things appear to be quiet and back to normal. However, Gretchen's band is scheduled to play another gig, and discussions resurface about Danny's angry behavior the last time she performed. It's agreed that Danny still harbors many of the behaviors his abusive father has imparted to him. In an effort to gain some sense of closure, Danny visits his father's grave and then a psychic to see if there's any value in communication into the great beyond. What Danny learns from the psychic spooks him, leading him into temptation to drink at Gretchen's gig.
Danny is convinced that the only thing that can save him is God so he dives head first into the church, leaving all his friends and loved ones to wonder, is this real, or is this desperation.