For Better or For Worse

Eugene and Katrina are getting married - again! Their second wedding was supposed to be a simple ceremony for the friends who missed the first one, but Katrina's mother Millie takes over everything from the flowers to the dress, and Connie, determined to prove she can throw a grand wedding, piles on ice sculptures, doves, a swan, and a full orchestra. Meanwhile, Eugene overhears that Katrina dreams of a bold, romantic rescuer... and starts to fear he's exactly the opposite. So on the wedding morning he "kidnaps" his bride in a rented convertible full of lilacs and drives her up the rough mountain road to Shadow Canyon to prove her knight in shining armor is real. Then a tire blows, miles from help - and Eugene left the jack behind to make room for a picnic. With storm clouds gathering over the ceremony, no phone signal, and Katrina still in her bedroom slippers, the bride and groom are stranded with only hours until they're due to say "I do."

Found on Eugene Returns! Album 44 · 12 episodes

The run See every episode

0564 A Most Intriguing Question A government agent's arrival, a secretive all-night invention, and a mysteriously running Imagination Station convince Whit's friends he's hiding something dangerous - and they're determined to find out what.

0565 A Most Surprising Answer When Eugene returns to Odyssey a stranger to his own past, his friends must find out whether love can reach memories that science locked away.

0566 A Most Extraordinary Conclusion With every experiment exhausted and his friends' borrowed memories failing to feel like his own, Eugene makes one last desperate attempt to reclaim the life he's forgotten.

0567 Two Friends and a Truck When Eugene borrows Bernard's beloved old pickup for his big move, a minor mishap sets off a chain of accidents, cover-ups, and comic misunderstandings that puts their friendship to the test.

0568 The Power of One A Kids' Radio broadcast reimagines the Bible's most famous underdogs - from a shepherd facing a giant to a secret-agent apostle - to discover where real strength comes from.

0569 The Invisible Dog When Lester introduces his friends to a dog only he can perceive, Trent sets out to disprove it with logic while Whit suspects the invisible companion is hiding something deeper.

1 of 2 0570 For Better or For Worse Eugene and Katrina's plan to renew their vows in front of friends spirals out of control as an overbearing mother, a competitive wedding planner, and Eugene's quest to be a romantic hero collide.

2 of 2 0571 For Better or For Worse Eugene's romantic rescue attempt strands him and Katrina on a mountain while fires, storms, and a runaway swan dismantle the elaborate wedding waiting for them back at the church.

0572 Odyssey Sings! When a cynical TV talent show comes to Odyssey hunting for stars and spectacle, Connie and Tamika learn that the judges' verdicts aren't the ones that matter.

0573 Back to Abnormal Returning to Odyssey after a long absence, Eugene discovers his old jobs and skills are no longer needed - while young Grady schemes against his mother's new work schedule - and both must learn what to do when life refuses to go back to the way it was.

1 of 3 0574 Prisoners of Fear A missionary couple parachutes into an isolated African village said to be cursed, where the locals mistake the newcomer for a legendary figure who vanished long ago.

2 of 3 0575 Prisoners of Fear After learning the truth behind his parents' long-ago disappearance, Eugene defies a village's deadly curse to search for them in hostile territory.

3 of 3 0576 Prisoners of Fear Trapped in a cell in a remote jungle village, Eugene follows a trail of clues about his father's fate - and uncovers the truth behind the curse that has kept an entire tribe isolated for decades.

Featured characters

Minor characters & crew 4 more roles

1 featured character

Bart Rathbone Walker Edmiston

3 supporting roles

Doris Rathbone Julia Kazarian P. A. Announcer Bob Luttrell Millie Shanks Julia Kazarian

Made by

Chris Anthony Host Kathy Buchanan Writer Marshal Younger Director · Producer Bob Luttrell Sound Designer · Producer Bob Hoose Producer Dave Arnold Executive Producer

The story

Read the full synopsis 3 min

Eugene and Katrina decide to hold a second wedding so the Odyssey friends who missed their hurried first ceremony can witness them renew their vows. What begins as a modest celebration rapidly expands under Connie's wedding-planning business. Bernard, Whit, and Tom submit to tuxedo fittings and agree to stand beside Eugene as groomsmen.

Two days before the ceremony, Katrina's mother, Millie Shanks, insists that family tradition requires an outdoor wedding. She hires Bart and Rodney Rathbone to prepare a park on short notice, then changes the flowers, cake, music, location, and even Katrina's dress. Katrina had wanted a church ceremony and her own gown, but agrees to wear Millie's heirloom dress because planning the wedding has brought her widowed mother out of a long period of sadness.

Katrina privately admits that Millie's constant interference is driving her crazy. She misses the way her father could handle difficult situations and tells Eugene that he always knew how to come to the rescue. Eugene suggests enduring the changes for the sake of everyone who could not celebrate their marriage the first time, but her words linger in his mind.

At Eugene's groom's party, Bernard and Tom tease him about his untraditional habits. Whit tries to quiet them, yet even he admits that some women dream of a strong, romantic rescuer. Eugene begins wondering whether his intelligence and sensitivity make him the opposite of the husband Katrina needs.

Eugene asks Connie to judge the vows he has written. His words are sincere but so formal that Connie thinks they sound more like official paperwork than love. She offers to rewrite them in romantic language and promises that they will still express his meaning, only better.

Millie then belittles Connie's ability to manage a grand Shanks wedding. Determined to prove herself, Connie abandons simplicity and orders an ice sculpture, a fountain with a live swan, hundreds of doves, masses of white candles, and a large orchestra. Bernard and Tom struggle to meet demands that keep growing by the hour.

On the wedding morning, Eugene arrives at Katrina's home in a rented convertible filled with lilacs. He announces that he is kidnapping her for a romantic drive, hoping to imitate the bold gestures his friends described. Katrina is touched and agrees, though a malfunctioning heated seat quickly forces her into the back of the car.

At the park, dark clouds gather and the forecast gives a ninety-percent chance of rain. Connie wants to move the ceremony back inside the church, but Millie insists that rain never falls on a Shanks wedding. Connie prepares an indoor alternative anyway while both planners burden Whit and the others with conflicting instructions.

Eugene drives toward a scenic overlook at Shadow Canyon, even though the rental convertible is not made for the rough mountain road. Katrina urges him to turn back in time for the wedding, but Eugene is determined to prove that her knight in shining armor can complete the romantic adventure.

A tire finally blows miles from help. Eugene has removed the jack to make room for a blanket and picnic sandwiches, and neither he nor Katrina can obtain a cell-phone signal. With the bride still in her bedroom slippers and their ceremony only hours away, they stand beside the disabled car wondering how they will possibly return in time.