Why they ripped off the name of another TV show for the title of the August 1st episode of “Secret Life” is quite the mystery. There was an ongoing theme about the upcoming senior dance, but the dance’s theme was “Teens are the Parents of Tomorrow” so what did that have to do with the stars? … and there was also a lot on alcoholism and Adrian’s pregnancy plot.

The episode opens with Jack asking Grace to go to the dance with him as a friend, right in front of Daniel who pretty much lets Jack know he’s off the wall. Adrian is all ready to plead and cajole Ben into going, but to her surprise, he readily agrees. “Why not,” Ben says, “from now until August, we’re married so if you want to go to the dance, let’s go to the dance. It’s not that big a deal.” Amy tries to get Ricky to ask her to go. Fail. “I wanna go,” she whines to John after Ricky leaves.

Nora returns to work at the butcher shop because Leo fired her, but Nora tells Bunny she quit. Ricky confronts Nora about her relapse. “Why do you care,” she asks. “You’re my mother,” he replies, “you haven’t always been a mother to me, but you’re my mother and I care.” Nora confesses to Ricky that Leo really did fire her. When Nora says “one day at a time” wasn’t really working for her, Ricky insists she go back to AA and work the program. Nora wryly laughs at his know-it-all attitude, saying: “You don’t know anything about it.” She tries to point out he’s not the boss of her, but he swears it’s her last chance to be involved in his life. Is it tough love or more Ricky on the edge?

Leo drops in on Ben and Adrian and drops a bombshell on Ben. His mother and maternal grandparents were alcoholics. Leo hoped he would never have to reveal that to Ben. and that Ben would just be a teetotaler his entire life just because Leo said so. Yeah, okay. Leo also explains why he can’t trust loose cannon Nora, who showed up at the office against his specific instructions.

Ruben scares Amy half to death as she is doing laundry in her parents’ home, popping up in the kitchen half-dressed. He had some problems with Cindy and George let him stay over. As Ruben goes to make up with Cindy, Adrian is there looking for something to wear to the dance. Adrian senses her parents need to talk so she goes next door to talk to Amy, who pretends to Adrian that she is cool with not going to dance. As Adrian strokes John’s hair, she says: “He’s so cute. I can’t wait till Ben and I have a baby.” She realizes what she has let slip, looks up at Amy and adds: “someday.” Too late.

As Amy calls Grace to sound the alarm, Daniel gets permission for Grace to sleep over his house. Kathleen suggests he consider not having sex with Grace, but doesn’t forbid it. LOL. Wouldn’t most parents just forbid her to sleep over his house period? Grace admits to Amy she knows Adrian is trying to get pregnant again, and suggests she get Ricky to tell Ben. Meantime, Leo calls Bunny and tells her what he’s told Ben. Leo’s concerns about TMI don’t seem to extend to the butcher shop. Bunny tells Ricky about Ben’s mother. “Maybe the two of you have more in common than anyone thought.”

Amy tells Ricky about Adrian’s plan so he’ll speak to Ben, but Ricky opts out and tells Leo, who is shocked. “Adrian,” he shakes his head, “What is she thinking?”

Daniel and Grace discuss marriage and Jack over Chinese food. Grace asks him if he would let Jack take her to the senior dance. “What do you think?” Daniel asks. We think yeah as long as he can supervise since Grace and Jack go to the dance and he shows up and cuts in. That came off like a test.

Amy gets her way and at the dance, Ricky claims he had feelings for her at band camp. Ben tells Adrian how beautiful she is. Adrian see a big green light for a wild evening of sex, but Ben shines a red light on that. Lauren is babysitting John and in case you didn’t know actress Camille Winbush is also a singer, when her old boyfriend, Jesse, shows up, she bursts into song. Renee Olstead, who plays Lauren’s best friend Madison is also a singer, so perhaps she will get her own solo in a future episode, or they can duet.

The episode ends with Nora attending AA: “I’m Nora and I’m an alcoholic,” she confesses, “I took my first drink at a a dance in high school and I took my last drink last night.

Send in the Clowns

Rachel and Tom explain to her kids, Bonnie and Ronnie, that Milton is coming over to get to know them. Milton shows up in a clown outfit, which sends the kids off screaming. They’re afraid of clowns. After they get some make-up remover from Kathleen, Milton teaches the kiddies how to play poker. Milton suggests to Rachel that they go out soon without the kids, then realizing that might be a bad move, says they can come too. Rachel says they can ask Tom’s mother, “Grandma Kathleen” to babysit. She’s certainly feels at home in that household, doesn’t she?  Milton snorts at her calling “that broad in there” Grandma, and then quickly retracts that statement. Rachel says she will have to work on him, “but not too much,” since she obviously finds his rough edges charming. But isn’t he a little too old for her? Tom is too young for her. Maybe she can end up with Jack, who was even reduced to asking “Grandma Kathleen” to go to the dance with him before Grace agreed to fill in.