It's All About Me

Connie worries that Mitch will join the FBI because Odyssey seems dull to him. When Trent DeWhite asks whether he should accept an invitation to the school biology club despite his brother’s ridicule, Mitch helps Connie encourage him to follow his own interests. Impressed by Mitch’s calm advice, Connie invents a Kids’ Radio call-in program for him. She hopes an exciting local project will give him another reason to remain in town.

Mitch doubts that he knows enough about ordinary relationships to advise anyone, but Whit supports the idea and Connie promises to produce the program from inside the studio. Mitch agrees to become Dr. Wise, while Connie remains off the air to help him answer difficult questions.

At school, Trent finishes a biology project but finds the classroom locked when its skeleton must be returned. Jared offers to handle it. Unable to enter the room, he opens Rodney Rathbone’s locker through a weak point in the lock and leaves the skeleton inside as an accidental joke. The next morning, Rodney shoves another student and opens the locker to hide his hat. The falling skeleton terrifies him in front of everyone.

Students call the unknown trickster Prank Man, and Liz begins an investigation for the school newspaper. Jared loves hearing the prank described as brilliant and its creator as a genius, but he pretends the anonymous hero is too humble to seek attention. Trent knows Jared caused it, though neither boy admits the truth publicly.

Ask Dr. Wise begins awkwardly. Mitch suggests building a homemade lock when Marvin complains that his sister takes his comic books, and Connie immediately cuts to a commercial. She gives Mitch a wiser response: speak with his parents and share the comics with his sister so she does not feel excluded. Other callers ask about cooking, stains, and decorating, and nearly every answer comes from Connie during another hurried break.

The program soon receives an enthusiastic review praising Mitch as a sensible, creative expert on everything from fashion to furniture. Connie receives no credit for supplying his answers; the writer mentions her only as a pushy producer who interrupts too often. Although Mitch readily says the success belongs to her, public admiration begins centering on him, and Connie resents it.

When Liz calls for help identifying Prank Man, Mitch suggests checking the skeleton sign-out sheet. Connie wants him to steer Liz toward more important reporting, but he takes control of the broadcast and continues offering investigative ideas. The school record names Trent because he borrowed the skeleton for his project, so Liz publishes his name on the front page. Jared is furious that Trent receives the fame for Jared’s supposed genius.

Jared arranges to correct the record without openly claiming credit. He places one of his audio journals in Liz’s locker with an anonymous note. The recording captures him deciding to put the skeleton in Rodney’s locker, and Liz identifies him as the true Prank Man. Jared claims someone stole the tape and exposed him, allowing him to enjoy the attention while pretending he wanted secrecy.

Connie makes herself Mitch’s on-air partner under the title Professor Brilliant. When a caller asks for fashion advice but specifically wants Dr. Wise to answer, Connie openly argues with both caller and host. She insists that the program belongs to her because she conceived it and supplied the knowledge behind Mitch’s reputation. Mitch reminds her that she pushed him into hosting in the first place. Their dispute leaves them barely speaking.

Whit asks Connie whether receiving credit is worth damaging her relationship with Mitch. She realizes that being recognized has become more important than the reason she wanted to help. After apologizing, she and Mitch repair their friendship and go rollerblading together.

Liz intends to identify the person who planted the tape by having Mitch examine fingerprints on the note. Jared panics and breaks into her locker to steal the evidence, but Liz catches him. She realizes that he has lied about his humility and secretly pointed the investigation toward himself. Once the complete truth spreads, the school replaces his heroic nickname with Pathetic Man.

Jared is humiliated, but Mitch advises him to laugh at himself so the teasing will lose its power. Connie and Jared still doubt Mitch’s fashion sense and immediately begin discussing their own solution, yet both have confronted the same mistake. Each wanted attention for something that began as an attempt to help, and each learns that chasing personal glory can turn a good action into a threat to trust.