Unhooking Henry

"Unhooking Henry" is the 22nd episode in the third season of Punky Brewster.

Summary
In the middle of taking out the garbage, Punky finds an empty sleeping pill bottle. Henry admits that he's been taking sleeping pills for the past six months because of his back sprain. Of course, a back sprain doesn't take six months to heal, so Henry has developed an addiction to the pills. Henry resolves to quit, but he's re-filling the prescription within the night and delivered the same night by a delivery man (Meshach Taylor). Punky and Betty attempt to help him sleep naturally in order to cure the habit, but more than 48 sleepless hours pass before Henry makes one last desperate effort to get sleeping pills. Punky has to physically hold Henry from the pills, and that snaps Henry out of it long enough to dump his supply of sleeping pills down the drain of the kitchen sink. Punky explains to Henry that she wants him to be around for a long time. Henry understands, and he ends up getting six hours of sleep.

Trivia

 * This is the second episode that focuses on drugs followed by Just Say No & Under the Influence.
 * This is the first to focus on drug abuse.
 * This episode is the season finale to Season 3.

Cast

 * Soleil Moon Frye as Punky Brewster
 * Cherie Johnson as Cherie Johnson
 * George Gaynes as Henry Warnimont
 * Susie Garrett as Betty Johnson
 * Ami Foster as Margaux Kramer
 * Sandy as Brandon "the Wonder Dog"
 * Meshach Taylor as Delivery Man