i saw it when it be first broadcast and some of it again when rerun a year or two later . it make me very squidgy . the principal and producer weren not really comfortable with the material and it show . the only thread of the story that be credible be hope lange distress at have her son ( or adopt son . ) suddenly find out about his father ( or adoptive father . ) live in boyfriend . scott jacoby be horrendously miscast . the only way hope lange and hal holbrook could have have this ugly and obnoxious kid be to have take in the child of some ( unrelated ) friend . perhaps the other couple get kill in an auto accident who know . anyway and it would make sense for hal and hope not to have have any kid of their own and so this create a whole new backstory that be not explicitly deal with in the script . here they be stick with this pushy brat and and bend over backwards to be nice to him and smooth over his ruffled feeling and and they always get bupkis for their trouble . the pivotal scene be martin sheen bring out the birthday cake ( but it noawt moy boitday . kvetch the brat ) and then sheen have to swallow endless abuse and innuendo from the little creep and who ( let face it ) know the score from the moment he saw his father living in the same house with this other guy . this be another example of disjuncture between the actual script and the story a portrayed represent the scott jacoby character be an up to date and crudely aware little wiseguy and but the director and adult actor be go around pretend he this delicate flower who have a sheltered life . i imagine that the kid be a past master at subtle psychological blackmail . this new revelation just give him more ammunition . his poor adoptive parent . and the moral be represent don not adopt a kid who obviously not yours . you will get no thanks .