I agree with the last reviewer, and never gave it much thought. Yes, the writers of ALL IN THE FAMILY, which would premier not too long after this episode, may have taken some (serious) notes from episodes of this classic show. Let's face it, MY THREE SONS was generational, having been on the air for years and hit a wide variety of topics, though on the lighter side.
Chip and Polly return to LA and get situated in their new digs, however Polly's dad is the proverbial nay sayer, only to cause more confusion, especially for his daughter. The question we all asked back in the day, would Tom (Norman Alden) have treated a son the same way? And that was the underlying story many times on ALL IN THE FAMILY.
One thing for sure, Alden's character was not too popular among us kids back in the day. Interestingly, Norman Alden went on to play villains on cop shows, such as MANNIX and CANNON in the 70s, nevertheless a respected actor who had a very long career.
Without giving too much away, there is a happy ending. Very good writing on the part of George Tibbles and excellent direction by Fred De Cordova, as usual, who got some excellent performances from Ronnie Troup.
And I'll say it again, Fred MacMurray and Beverly Garland made a super mom and dad.
Best of SEASON 11 EPISODE 9 remastered color.