Overview of 'The Nanny' Season 4

Episode 1 - The Tart with Heart

Release Date: 1996-09-18

Fran and Maxwell return from their trip to Paris, and Fran couldn't be happier. Just as they are about to get home, Mr. Sheffield takes back saying "I love you" to Fran, and she is devastated. C.C. takes advantage of the fact that Fran is vulnerable and says Maxwell probably only hired her for her looks, which is accidentally confirmed by Max when he tries to compliment Fran. She decides to go to a singles bar with Val and meets a blind guy. The idea of dating a blind man sounds nice to Fran, since it'll serve as a proof that she isn't just a pretty face. After she is dumped by the blind guy, she and Mr. Sheffield decide to remain just friends.

Episode 2 - The Cradle Robbers

Release Date: 1996-09-25

Mr. Sheffield is furious when he finds out Maggie is seeing a 25 year-old boy. He wants Fran to make it stop, but won't listen to her when she tells him to see a doctor for his hearing problem. Fran decides to chaperone Maggie on her (last) date with John, but she completely forgets Mr. Sheffield's orders when she meets John's gorgeous friend Mark, who is interested in Fran. Still, she has to fix Maggie's problem, so she decides to let it flow and wait until she gets tired of John, which doesn't take long to happen. Too bad it means that Fran will have to drop her 25 year-old as well. Meanwhile, C.C. misses an incredible opportunity of dinner with Max when she falls asleep (the result of a caffeine trick Niles pulled on her).

Episode 3 - The Bird's Nest

Release Date: 1996-09-25

Fran takes Gracie to the Loehmann's Semi Annual Red Star Clearance and has to fight over a green sweater with another woman. Back at the mansion, Brighton is having some problems with his science grade and Maxwell tells him he'll be sent to military school shall his grades not rise. He also tells Fran not to help him with his science project, but of course Fran doesn't listen to him. They decide to warm up a bird's eggs with lights and make a report on the birth, but Fran forget the lights on and the eggs hard boil. Now she has to ask Brighton's teacher for an extension, and what a surprise when she turns out to be the same lady Fran stole the green sweater from.

Episode 4 - The Rosie Show

Release Date: 1996-10-09

Fran and Val go to The Rosie O'Donnell Show and Fran is picked out of the audience to talk to Rosie. She's so natural and funny that Rosie asks her to come on the show as a regular guest to give parenting advises. C.C. jumps in as her agent, and Fran starts to have a taste of life as a celebrity. Maxwell gets scared of losing her and makes up a story about a dream he had where a ghost told him something horrible would happen to Fran if she didn't quit the Rosie Show. Fran gets fired and is replaced by a retired couple from Florida.

Episode 5 - Freida Needa Man

Release Date: 1996-10-16

Fran's aunt Freida has gone broke and moves into the Sheffield residence. The only way Fran can turn this around is if she convinces Freida's rich boyfriend Fred to propose to her. Fred doesn't think of himself as an exciting man, so Fran decides to teach him dance lessons. He has a heart attack and falls on Fran, just as Freida walks in. After the situation is cleared, everything seems to be fine again until Fred tells Fran he's in love with her. She almost puts a stop to the wedding, if Mr. Sheffield hadn't interfered. Fred has another heart attack, but this time everything ends up just fine.

Episode 6 - Me and Mrs. Joan

Release Date: 1996-10-30

Maxwell's father is in town and Fran decides to help end the Sheffield family feud inviting James Sheffield over for dinner. He brings Joan with him, his old secretary for whom he left Max's mother. Maxwell is outraged at his father's selfishness during dinner, while Fran keeps wondering why can't Maxwell act more like his father and marry the help.

Episode 7 - The Taxman Cometh

Release Date: 1996-11-06

Jay Leno leaves his dog under the cares of Mr. Sheffield. Meanwhile, Fran is being audited for her taxes, and not even flirting and champagne can help her out. She calls Mr. Sheffield for help, and they go to the INS office to prove Fran's income taxes. The hearing doesn't go too good until Jay Leno shows up, making the appeals officer happy enough to dismiss the case.

Episode 8 - An Affair to Dismember

Release Date: 1996-11-13

Nigel Sheffield arrives in New York, but since Maxwell is too busy to spend time with him he has Fran show him around town. They go out to nightclubs and parties, and Fran starts acting very happy for finally having a social life â€“ something she complained about not having since she started working at the house. Nigel surprises Fran when he proposes to her and asks her to leave with him aboard a luxurious boat. Doubtful, she thinks about her relationship with Maxwell, its past and its future. In one hand she has the man she really loves, who hasn't made a move in 3 years. In the other hand, a rich, good looking and single man, everything she always hoped for. She chooses to go with Nigel, but unfortunately she misses the boat and has to go back home. Maxwell arrives and takes care of Fran, who twisted her ankle on her way back. Some things are just meant (not) to be.

Episode 9 - Tattoo

Release Date: 1996-11-20

While Fran is trying to convince Maggie not to get a tattoo, Val slips in front of everybody that Fran got herself a tattoo when they were teenagers. Sylvia tells Fran she'll have to have it removed if she wants to be buried in a Jewish cemetery when she dies; and Mr. Sehffield is dying to know where her tattoo is. Fran, of course, faces that as another opportunity for romance with Mr. Sheffield, so she arranges the whole family to go on a trip to the Bermudas, where she can put on a tiny bikini and reveal where her tattoo is. But in the last minute she changes her mind, and the two have a very exciting ping pong game instead.

Episode 10 - The Car Show

Release Date: 1996-12-11

Maggie wants a new car, but since her father won't give her one she convinces Fran to enter a beauty pageant to win one for her. In the contest, Fran has to drive a stick shift car, which she doesn't know how to, so Mr. Sheffield takes her up to the country to teach her. But Fran gets traumatized after running over a bunny, which causes her to lose the contest. To cheer her up, Maxwell invites her to go with them to the charity dinner at Barbara Streisand's house. On their way there, Mr. Sheffield has a stomachache, forcing Fran to drive. Later she realizes it was all a plan of his to make her get over her trauma. Now she has to go to Barbara's again, but to return the boot and purse she stole from her.

Episode 11 - Hurricane Fran

Release Date: 1996-12-18

Fran decides to spend her holidays away with Val, but this time just the two of them, no Mr. Sheffield, no kids, nobody but the two single gals. A hurricane hits the island, making Fran's dream vacations a living hell. She returns home early to find a lonely Maxwell, who later takes the entire family on a cruise around the Greek Islands.

Episode 12 - Danny's Dead and Who's Got the Will?

Release Date: 1997-01-08

Danny Imperiali, Fran's former fiance, is dead. At his funeral (while comforting Danny's widow Heather Biblow), she meets a Jewish man who is ignored by his former lover's family and got nothing after he died. Afraid the same thing will happen to her, Fran stands up for herself and imposes Mr. Sheffield to do something. Afraid his grandmother (who's in town visiting), might judge him and remove him from her will, Mr. Sheffield does nothing, so Fran quits. When he realizes he might have lost Fran forever, Mr. Sheffield goes after her and takes back taking back saying he loved her.

Episode 13 - Kissing Cousins

Release Date: 1997-01-15

Fran meets an incredible man at a singles bar. He's Jewish, he's a doctor, he's rich, he's everything Fran ever dreamed of in a man. But during her cousin's wedding - where she was a bridesmaid - Fran discovers that Mr. Perfect is her cousin! Seeing Fran devastated, Mr. Sheffield decides to send her to a therapist, and the therapist says Fran has an obsession about getting married. Fran decides to stop chasing men around, just to make Mr. Sheffield guilty.

Episode 14 - The Fifth Wheel

Release Date: 1997-01-29

Fran decides to stop chasing men like Dr. Miller told her. Sylvia doesn't like that at all and blames Mr. Sheffield for her daughter staying single forever. Fran, Val and Ms. Babcock decide to go out together on a "girls night", with no pressure to find a man, but after Val and C.C. get dates, Fran finds herself as a fifth wheel on their double date. Alone, embarrassed and depressed, Fran goes home trying to act as if she had a great time with them, but can't. Once again, Mr. Sheffield and Fran find themselves alone, comforting each other. Meanwhile, Dr. Miller tries hypnosis with Sylvia but that doesn't go too well.

Episode 15 - The Nose Knows

Release Date: 1997-02-05

Fran freaks out on Mr. Sheffield after he brings home a model and makes out with her in the living room. Dr. Miller says Fran is upset because she is thinking of Maxwell as her husband, not as her employer. At the movies, she runs into Dr. Miller, but is shocked to see him picking his nose. She is so disgusted that she thinks of never seeing him again. Mr. Sheffield worries about her and confronts Dr. Miller about his actions, but gets very embarrassed when he finds out the ""inappropriate behavior"" Sylvia told him about wasn't what he had in mind. Meanwhile, C.C. is dumped by her boyfriend and asks Niles to escort her to an awards show, and the two end up having a very pleasant night out.

Episode 16 - The Bank Robbery

Release Date: 1997-02-12

It's Valentine's Day, and Maxwell decides to diffuse the whole "love" situation with Fran by giving her a gag greeting card. Big mistake. Later, Fran and Sylvia are at the bank when it gets held up. News of the hold-up quickly gets back to the Sheffield household. What the hostages at the bank quickly find out is that the bank robber, Leslie Tilbert, is a meek man and an inept bank robber. Leslie is actually a kind man who is facing some personal stresses, to which Fran can relate. Fran becomes Leslie's negotiator with the authorities, and Leslie becomes Fran's negotiator with Maxwell and his faux pas with the greeting card. If nothing else, the bank robbery has shown Maxwell how he really feels about Fran and he lets her and the world know. Leslie's fate is not as good as he takes Sylvia as his final hostage.

Episode 17 - Samson, He Denied Her

Release Date: 1997-02-19

Mr. Sheffield calls from the limo saying he has to make up to Fran a mistake he made 6 months ago. She's very excited thinking he might take back taking back saying he loved her, but for her misery he only wanted to pay her extra money he got from tax refund. Tired of living on high expectations, Fran decides to take some time off the house and joins C.C. on jury duty. How surprised is Fran when the case is about a woman who chopped off her boss's hair just because he told her he loved her then took it back. Fran manages to convince the jury that the woman is not guilty, and finds out later that the man married the his employee. Meanwhile, Sylvia takes over Fran's job as the nanny, and the entire family starts to feel hungry since Sylvia is an eating machine.

Episode 18 - The Facts of Lice

Release Date: 1997-03-05

After Niles is depressed about his life as a butler, he begins to act strange and while he is cleaning, he drops a piece of paper containing a list of items that convinces Fran that Niles is possibly a murderer due to his recent strange behavior and the contents of his list. A search of his room confirms her suspicions. During a stormy night, Maxwell takes the children out for dinner leaving Fran and Niles alone. Niles approaches Fran and she thinks Niles is about to murder her. He confronts Fran about how she knows what he is up to when in fact he is simply writing a play.

Episode 19 - Fran's Roots

Release Date: 1997-03-12

A woman calls Fran saying she might be her mother due to a mix up that happened in the hospital the day she was born. Doubtful, Fran goes to Sylvia to ask her about the day she was born, and finds out the story might be true after Sylvia says she left her for a moment while chasing for food. Terrified that her whole life might have been a lie, Fran invites the strange woman to her house, and for her surprise, she turns out to be black. Still, after Fran pays a visit to Lila Baker's huge mansion, Fran insists that she might be her daughter, since her late husband was Jewish, but the DNA test proofs not. Fran is really Sylvia's daughter, which is something Sylvia only gets after spending some time pleasuring herself with the wonderful food Lila has at her house. Meanwhile, Niles tries to convince Maxwell to sell one of his plays to CBS so C.C. has to move to LA.

Episode 20 - The Nanny and the Hunk Producer

Release Date: 1997-04-02

After winning the Tony Award for play of the year - for "The Widower", beating his lifetime rival, Andrew Lloyd Webber - a tabloid starts to publish fake stories about Mr. Sheffield and Fran having an affair since Maxwell's honeymoon. Maggie is very upset about it, and won't believe it's not true. Fran's upset not by the fact that it's a fake story, but that the story said she was 40. Maxwell and Fran go to the tabloid to confront the journalist, but he assures them he won't print any more stories about them, since they were the lowest selling edition in 5 years! Meanwhile, Niles is upset because Maxwell didn't invite him to the cast party, and Dr. Miller convinces Mr. Sheffield to give him a "Butler of the Year" award.

Episode 21 - The Passed-Over Story

Release Date: 1997-04-09

Fran's high school classmate, Morgan Faulkner, is hired by Mr. Sheffield as the star of his upcoming play. This causes Fran to get a bit envy, seeing how Morgan's life turned out great while she is just a nanny. On top of that, Maggie decides not to go to college and become Morgan's personal assistant (just what Fran needed. She's rich, beautiful, famous, and now she's stealing her children!), but Fran manages to talk her out of it. Meanwhile, the entire family is invited to Passover at the Fine's, and Niles quickly learns the secrets of the Jewish cuisine.

Episode 22 - No Muse is Good Muse

Release Date: 1997-04-23

After watching Tasha's (a new female rock star) video on MTV, Fran decides to write lyrics of her own about her misery and suffering and make it big on showbiz. Discouraged by Mr. Sheffield, Fran decides to hand her lyrics to Tasha no matter what, and even passes herself as hotel maid with Val just to meet Tasha. When she finally does, Tasha is so interested in reaching out and listening to what the people have to say that she actually hangs out with Fran. Unfortunately, Fran's song is no good, but her misery is good enough for Tasha, who uses Fran as her muse â€“ until Mr. Sheffield tells Fran he misses her and Fran turns happy, which makes Tasha turn to Val for inspiration (after all, Val lives with her parents, is over 30 and single).

Episode 23 - You Bette Your Life

Release Date: 1997-04-30

Fran offers herself for the charity auction Mr. Sheffield is putting together with Bette Midler. A gifted 10 year old pianist, son of a big time investor, wins the auction and gets to have Fran as his babysitter for 5,000 dollars. Fran takes him to Yetta's retirement home and while entertaining the elderly with his piano skills, one senior collapses and dies in front of the kid. Shocked, he says he will never play again, and his father cancels the 5 million he promised to invest. Bette Midler goes to the mansion herself to teach Fran a lesson, but luckily Gracie picked up a few things from Fran over the past 4 years, which is enough to convince the kid to play again and his father not to back out on the investment.

Episode 24 - The Heather Biblow Story

Release Date: 1997-05-07

Fran is shocked to learn that her biggest rival, Heather Biblow (who stole her fiancé and her job) is starring on her favorite soap opera, "The Young and the Restless". Heather invites Fran and Val over to her Malibu beach house, where she can rub it on their faces how successful she is. Fran and Val visit the studios, where they run across some of their favorite celebrities. Heather has a really hard time memorizing the lines, and Fran doesn't think twice before jumping at the chance of finally stealing something from Heather: her daytime TV job. Fran is hired to replace her, and calls the mansion saying she won't return. C.C. is happy at first, but quickly realizes she needs Ms. Fine back when Maxwell hires a new nanny: Heather Biblow. Fran is so upset with the thought of Heather in the house that she is fired from the show and returns to NY to get her job back.

Episode 25 - The Boca Story

Release Date: 1997-05-14

Sylvia decides to invest in a condo in Boca. This much anticipated fact that should come as a blessing for Fran upsets her deeply, and Dr. Miller says it's because deep down she doesn't want her mother to leave. Mr. Sheffield thinks if he takes Fran to see the condo she'll accept the idea, and just when Fran finally realized how much peace she'd get from that, they discover there isn't any condo, only a swamp. Fran's devastated (specially when Sylvia interrupts her fantasy from coming true), but at least she won't have to separate from her mother yet. Meanwhile, Niles feels bad for being the only one of his friends who's still single.

Episode 26 - Fran's Gotta Have It

Release Date: 1997-05-21

Mr. Sheffield is going to London to convince Celine Dion into doing Broadway. Fran decides to go after him and take advantage of the romantic scenario to solve their situation once and for all. After a romantic afternoon together, Max and Fran go back to the hotel and almost sleep together, if it wasn't for him backing out in the last minute. Insulted, offended and tired of all the cat and mouse play, Fran decides to leave him before it's too late for her to marry anybody. But they receive a phone call from NY saying that Niles just suffered a heart attack. Fran decides to stay and help while Niles recovers, giving Mr. Sheffield another chance to make a commitment. Meanwhile, C.C. is surprisingly sad after Niles's attack and even drops by at the hospital to bring him some flowers. She reveals to Fran that deep down she doesn't hate Niles as much as it seems.