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Recap / The Wonder Years S 01 E 02 Swingers

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Swingers is the second episode from the first season of The Wonder Years.

Following the death of Winnie's brother Brian,Kevin starts to feel attraction for her. At the funeral, he imagines Brian there, initially thinking he's scolding him for trying to hook up with Winnie, only to realize he's supportive but suggests he wait.

Meanwhile, Coach Cutlip teaches sex education in gym class. Kevin, Paul, and the boys happily study their text books, but when Wayne sees the text book, he criticizes it and suggests they get a copy of Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Sex But Were Afraid to Ask. Kevin and Paul go to the bookstore and, not wanting to be seen by the clerk as perverts, they buy a couple more books as well. But when the clerk ends up being a woman, Kevin wants to give up the plan, only for Paul to hide the book inside his jacket (and, when buying the other two books, Kevin leaves a lot more money). Wayne ends up reading the book and Kevin fights with Wayne, only for Norma to find out that Kevin has the book. Norma is disappointed with Kevin... Because she thinks Kevin was looking in her dresser drawers.

Later, Kevin and Winnie hang out at the park, and Kevin decides that it's better not to rush into being an adult.

Includes examples of

  • Bittersweet Ending: Norma takes the book away before Kevin and Paul can read it, but Kevin decides he should value being a kid for as long as he can.
  • Brick Joke: Kevin and Paul return home from the bookstore and later wash dishes in only a few seconds as they hurry to read the book.
  • Cant Get Away With Nothing: Kevin and Paul basically steal the book because they don't want to be seen by the book store clerk buying the book (though they buy two additional books and leave a lot more money than the two books cost), but as soon as they get home, before they can read the book, Kevin gets called to lunch, Norma won't let Kevin be excused before he's finished and reminds him that it's his turn to wash the dishes. By the time Kevin and Paul go back to Kevin's room, Wayne has found the book and is reading it, leading to them fighting and Norma finding out that Kevin has the book (though she's more upset because she thinks it's her copy). So Kevin doesn't seem to get to read the book at all. However, the narrator says that he never heard either of his parents bring up the book again, so he must not have been too punished.
  • Cover Up Purchase: Kevin decides to buy two additional books and put "Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Sex" between the two, telling Paul that if they just buy the one book, the clerk will think they're perverts. When they see that the clerk is a woman, Kevin decides not to buy the book but Paul hides it in his coat and they give the clerk more money than what the two other books cost.
  • Imagine Spot: Kevin imagines Brian giving him advice in regards to hooking up with Winnie.
  • O.O.C. Is Serious Business: After Kevin decides against buying the book, Paul puts it in his coat so they can sneak it out. The narrator says that he had known Paul since the week he was born and this was the first time he'd seen such fire in his eyes.
  • Sex Miseducation Class: Mr. Cutlip delivers a sex ed lecture to the boys. He draws a (rather) inaccurate picture of uterus and ovaries on the blackboard, which boys compare to a cow's head. The boys expected something different and most of them just laugh.

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