5 Best Stephanie Tanner Episodes Of Full House (& 5 In Fuller House)

Full House is one of the best family sitcoms of the 1980s and 1990s, making audiences of all ages wish they were a part of the Tanner family. The cultural success of the show led to its revival in 2016 with the Netflix original series, Fuller House. 

Over the course of both shows, middle child Stephanie Tanner (Jodie Sweetin) won the hearts of millions, becoming a fan-favorite character on the show. Stephanie was relatable to millions of middle children, as she regularly got herself into trouble while trying to get her family to notice her. Despite this, Stephanie managed to be an amazing character in both iterations of the show.

10 Full House: “Honey, I Broke The House” (Season 3, Episode 20)

“Honey, I Broke The House” is one of Full House‘s best episodes of all time. Stephanie decides to play in Joey’s car while he’s gone, which quickly turns disastrous when she accidentally reverses into the kitchen. Afraid of the consequences, Stephanie runs away.

Stephanie goes on a wild emotional journey this episode, as she learns that running away from her problems is never the answer, even when her problems are huge. In fact, Stephanie gets punished more for running away than she does for crashing the car, which really helps cement the lesson.

9 Fuller House: “Mad Max” (Season 1, Episode 5)

Stephanie becomes the “wild child” of the family in Fuller House since she has become a successful D.J. instead of a mother like her older sister, D.J. Not use to having people care what she does, Stephanie learns a valuable lesson in “Mad Max” when she accidentally disappoints her nephew and fellow middle child, Max.

Like Jesse in Full House, Stephanie learns how much her nephews love her and how much she loves them. It really is one of Stephanie’s best moments in Fuller House because we get to see her offer the middle child attention, something she so desperately craved in her own childhood.

8 Full House: “Slumber Party” (Season 4, Episode 4)

The Tanner sisters managed quite well with the death of their mother, but sometimes, their mother’s absence really affected them. This was precisely the case in this episode, when Stephanie feels left out of the annual mother-daughter slumber party her Honeybee troupe has planned.

It was rare to see Stephanie grieve her mother’s death, which certainly makes this episode a special one. But it’s also great because Stephanie learns just how much her family cares about her, as Becky, Joey, and even D.J. step up to fill the void Pam’s death has left.

7 Fuller House: “Mom Interference” (Season 2, Episode 2)

It’s no secret that Stephanie and Kimmy Gibler never saw eye-to-eye, which is why it was so surprising to fans that Stephanie would end up falling for her young brother, Jimmy, in Fuller House. And yet, that’s exactly what happened in “Mom Interference.”

Stephanie never had the greatest luck when it came to love in Full House, so it was great to see her finally find someone who also showed an interest in her. It’s also a hilarious episode, as Stephanie grapples with the fact that she’s falling for a Gibler.

6 Full House: “Gotta Dance” (Season 5, Episode 8)

Of all the Tanner sisters, Stephanie is really the only one who had a hobby over the show’s successful run. In “Gotta Dance,” she begins to take her dancing hobby more seriously when her dance teacher tells her she has the potential to go pro. While this is exciting, Stephanie quickly learns that turning a hobby into a career sometimes mean taking the fun out of it.

“Gotta Dance” is a fun episode because it had two different memorable dance numbers. And it’s one of Stephanie’s best episodes because it’s one of the first times fans got to see her mature as a character.

5 Fuller House: “Break A Leg” (Season 3, Episode 2)

In “Break A Leg,” Stephanie has started working as an Uber driver after deciding to take a break from DJing. Not satisfied with her sister’s career choice, D.J. becomes Stephanie’s life coach. Though she means well, D.J. takes things too far during her first lesson, which ends with Stephanie breaking her ankle.

This Fuller House episode is one of the best episodes for fans who miss D.J. and Stephanie’s chaotic but loveable sister relationship. The two are in their true form as they bicker while trying to help each other out.

4 Full House: “I’m Not D.J.” (Season 6, Episode 10)

Stephanie, once again, speaks to middle children everywhere in “I’m Not D.J.” when she is forced to follow in D.J.’s footsteps in every aspect of her life. Tired of not being treated as an individual, Stephanie decides to let Kimmy pierce her ears since Danny won’t let her.

Stephanie is her best stubborn self in this episode as she tries to prove that she is an individual and should be treated as such. Though things don’t end up well for her ears, Stephanie does get everyone to realize that she doesn’t have to be D.J.’s mini-me all the time.

3 Fuller House: “Opening Night” (Season 4, Episode 13)

Stephanie goes through a lot in Fuller House. She changes careers, moves in with her sister, and learns she cannot carry her own children. However, for all the bad, there’s also a lot of good that happens to her, especially in “Opening Night,” when Stephanie finally becomes a mother via a surrogate and gets engaged in one of the best sitcom marriage proposals of all time.

Stephanie has always felt like the overlooked middle child, so seeing her finally getting to have her moment in the spotlight was well worth the wait. It’s also the best episode because Stephanie is truly and unapologetically happy and it’s one of the most heartwarming scenes in Fuller House.

2 Full House: “Making Out Is Hard To Do” (Season 8, Episode 3)

After lying about being invited to a “make out” party, Stephanie quickly realizes she’s out of her element and calls D.J. to come to pick her up. Unfortunately, Danny ends up showing up instead and things get worse before they get better.

Not only does Stephanie learn a valuable lesson in this episode, but she also teaches the audience one too: never be pressured into doing something you don’t want to do. Full House was known for teaching its audience corny but great lessons and that’s exactly what “Making Out Is Hard To Do” did.

1 Fuller House: “Cold Turkey” (Season 5, Episode 12)

Fuller House loved to pay homage to the original series, often by bringing back minor characters, but in “Cold Turkey,” the writers did more than just that. Stephanie has decided to cook Thanksgiving dinner for the family, but when she’s missing an ingredient, she decides to borrow Joey’s car. However, she’s so distracted that she ends up driving the car through the kitchen instead.

Seeing adult Stephanie make the same mistake young Stephanie did is hilarious and certainly left an impression on fans. It also shows that sometimes adults make childish mistakes, too, and that’s okay.

About The Author

Danielle Bruncati
(298 Articles Published)

Danielle Bruncati was born and raised in Southern California and has been a story-teller for as long as she can remember. She is currently a freelance writer for ScreenRant and is also pursuing a Master’s Degree in Television Writing and Producing from a top 10 film school. When she’s not writing, Danielle can be found binging the latest sitcom or teen tv series with her dog by her side or walking around Disneyland with a Mickey-shaped snack in hand.

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