Junior and Nina are on FaceTime as they plan the We Are Family sleepover. Nina, having just met Charro (with a brief cameo by an actress-singer), asks if Junior has invited his father. Meanwhile, Junior is busy brainstorming schemes to convince Poppa to join the family sleepover.
At Poppa's, Ivy and Poppa are busy recording their podcast. Poppa recounts his day—a day filled with plenty of sleep—while Ivy teases him that he isn’t just sleeping; he’s practically hibernating. Poppa muses about liking the idea of people without actually enjoying their company. Junior attempts to join the fun, but the door is locked. As Poppa rushes to secure the back door, Junior finds his own way in by climbing through an upstairs window and theatrically rolling down the stairs. He even overplays the invitation to Ivy, acting as if making it exclusive will finally lure Poppa in—but Poppa remains completely uninterested.
Poppa’s clearly onto Junior’s antics, and he and Ivy discuss the situation as she continues to try convincing him to come along. Later, at Junior’s home, he tells Nina that Poppa is practically salivating at the idea of the party. The actual games kick off. Poppa is later seen peering out his window with binoculars, declaring that without a formal invitation, he’s not going to show up. Ivy decides to attend anyway, though Poppa warns her that she’ll only really know how she feels once she’s been “LaFonzo’ed”—a jab at that much-maligned distant relative no one seems to like.
Desperate, Junior pulls out all the stops—even having his daughter impersonate Poppa with a fake beard to stir up some jealousy. When that tactic falls flat, he switches to negotiation. Enter JJ, who arrives bearing a bottle of single malt scotch as a peace offering, suggesting a man-to-man chat. Knowing Poppa’s secret fondness for Limburger cheese, which JJ conveniently has, they make an even trade. In the end, JJ leaves without Poppa coming along.
Not to be deterred, Junior then decides it’s time to bring in the big guns—a real “dragon” in the form of Catherine. She boldly steps in and challenges Poppa, reminding him that he always says no to Junior and never supports him in sports, plays, or any of his endeavors. Poppa sticks to his guns, insisting he won’t attend unless Junior personally invites him. In a final bid, Junior sends over the kids, whom Poppa promptly bribes with ice cream. When that doesn't work, Junior finally extends the invitation himself, and to everyone’s surprise, Poppa agrees with a simple “yes.” Yet, Junior remains skeptical of his sudden change of heart.
This all leads to another heartfelt conversation, revealing that Poppa’s reluctance may stem from old wounds—he was teased as a child, and it seems he’s developed a deep-seated fear of rejection that Junior might have inherited. Despite the emotional undercurrents, the family ends up having a good time overall—a decent, funny episode that could do without some of the clumsy slapstick moments that never seem to work.
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