Season synopsis
Contains spoilers for this season and earlier seasons.
Bedrock’s familiar mix of work troubles and get-rich schemes continues, but Fred and Wilma’s household begins to change. Fred tries to help Barney after he loses his job, only to find his neighbor elevated to an executive quarry post because Barney is related to Mr. Slate. Elsewhere, Fred’s inventions, sports ambitions and attempts to help Wilma’s charity benefit set off their usual complications. The larger shift starts when Wilma’s indirect explanation that a child will stay with them leads Fred to believe she is pregnant. His surprise at how pleased he feels is soon followed by Wilma’s actual announcement that she is expecting.
Fred’s initial discomfort with babies resurfaces when he voices it while Barney is caring for his nephew, but Wilma is already preparing to tell him their news. Mrs. Slaghoople visits after learning of the pregnancy, and Fred looks for extra work to pay for a crib while trying to keep the peace with his mother-in-law. The build-up culminates when Wilma goes into labor and gives birth to Pebbles. Fred then takes on the anxious work of caring for the newborn, including losing track of her briefly while he tries to manage household duties. Later, his worry about Barney’s influence on Pebbles prompts him to move the family to a higher-status neighborhood, testing how far he will go to shape his daughter’s upbringing.