Dwayne and Walter go to North Carolina to recruit a basketball player. Jaleesa is not impressed by Col. Taylor's ability to repair the broken heater in Gilbert Hall.

Whitley struggles to find the right job after graduation. Dwayne plays host to a new student.

Denise is sure her English paper deserved an “A,” but discovers the difference between high school and college when her professor gives her a “D.” When she comes home from college for the weekend, Denise must explain to her parents why her grades are faltering. Also, when Clair takes to her bed with a pinched nerve, Theo helps out with the family chores - much to Cliff's amazement.

While Clair is away, Cliff takes care of the family, which now includes a lost puppy that Rudy found. Cliff agrees to keep the dog until the weekend, when the family flies to Washington, DC to meet Clair. Meanwhile, Vanessa sulks and mopes around the house because he family's trip falls on the same weekend as her friend's big party. But Cliff insists that Vanessa go with the rest of the family.

When Cliff’s father and his old Army buddies join Cliff in a pinochle game, Cliff is frustrated because the older men keep talking about the Army and won't let Cliff get in a word about his days in the Navy. Cliff becomes further exasperated when his father pulls one of his notorious pinochle hoaxes, with Cliff as the victim. Also, Vanessa is excited about her date with Tyrone, until she decides she also wants to date another boy.

When Clair and her mother-in-law go to Hillman College to visit Denise, Cliff and his father, Russell, are left in charge of the kids. Russell is pleasantly surprised to see first-hand what a good father Cliff is. Needless to say, all does not go smoothly when Clair is away: Russell helps out when Theo has girl problems; Rudy has a spat with her "boyfriend" Kenny; the sidewalk outside the Huxtable home is in dire need of repair; and a tired Cliff is summoned to deliver two babies.

Alonzo asks Khadijah to move in with him, but she asks for some time to consider this major life decision. Alonzo refuses to relent, constantly sending her flowers and other gifts at the office. When another shipment of flowers comes in, Khadijah is shocked when the "deliveryman" turns out to be Scooter, who had been calling her almost daily for several weeks. He announces that he is in town for a job interview, and hopes to pick up where he left off with Khadijah. Khadijah is faced with a quandary when Alonzo and Scooter show up at her apartment at the same time. She retreats to the kitchen, and Alonzo follows her. She admits that she has feelings for Scooter, and that she isn't ready for the type of commitment Alonzo is seeking. They decide to break up. When Khadijah returns to the living room, she fears that Scooter has also left. However, he had only gone upstairs to help an eavesdropping Regine get her hair out of a vent. Khadijah and Scooter decide to begin dating. Max is suspended when she recommends that her wealthy client seek a pre-nuptial agreement (without receiving approval from the partners), and the woman's fiancé dumps her. She seeks support from Khadijah, who ignores Max because she is busy dealing with her suitors. Overton is furious when Kyle tries to dispose of a reclining chair that he had salvaged. Synclaire takes him to an all-night '70s film festival to take his mind off the argument. The next morning, Kyle and Max wake up naked in Overton's chair.

Kyle and Max must deal with the consequences of their drunken night together. Kyle manages to sneak Max out of the apartment without detection; but everyone becomes suspicious when they show up at the group's rooftop gathering singing the same song, and seem hesitant to insult one another. After Kyle returns to his apartment with Overton, he and Max each confess what has happened. Overton suggests that Kyle find out if what he and Max share is love or hate. Kyle asks Max to dinner, and she accepts. This horrifies Regine, as she fears that she would be left as the only target for all of Max's scorn and ridicule. She bets Khadijah, Synclaire, Overton and Scooter (who has found a job in New York) on the outcome of the date. Kyle asks Max why she is so reluctant to open up to anyone, and she admits that she needs to protect herself from getting hurt. She nixes a relationship with Kyle because she would miss their antagonism too much. They dance and have a nice evening, but Regine wins her bet.

Regine grows weary of her tendency to date vain, tiresome men. She feels as though she is just going through the motions. Synclaire gives her a brochure about a seminar intended to help women break their dependence on men. When Regine attends her first session, she is shocked to find that Max is taking the class. The instructor assigns the students to take themselves on a date, but Regine and Max are so bored alone that they decide to go out together. Max explains that she took the seminar because she was not fulfilled by her one-night stands, and realized she had hit rock bottom when she slept with Kyle. She tells Regine that there is nothing wrong with seeking a relationship, as long as you don't base your self-worth on whether you have a man. They agree that they are doing just fine spending the evening without men. It is then revealed that Max and Regine are at a strip club. Overton sends Synclaire gifts from a secret admirer, but decides to call it off when she constantly speculates about the man's identity (and actually starts to believe that the King of Jordan is her admirer).

Denise Hatcher, Khadijah's high school basketball rival, comes to the Flavor office to complain about a sportswriter's comments about her coaching ability. They begin to argue about an incident in an all-star game in which they were teammates. Denise is still bitter because Khadijah was named MVP after scoring the winning basket by supposedly stepping on Denise's foot and stealing a pass intended for her. Denise challenges Khadijah to a game of one-on-one, with the MVP trophy going to the winner. While Khadijah is at the gym with Overton and Scooter, Denise shows up and throws down a thunderous dunk. Khadijah is ready to call off the game, but Max and Synclaire urge her not to quit. Khadijah trains hard, but is still hopelessly overmatched. During a time-out, Denise tries to get a weary Khadijah to concede, and boasts that she will shut her out. A rejuvenated Khadijah picks up her defense, then steals the ball and scores at the buzzer. Denise says she respects Khadijah's effort, and admits that she probably deserved to be MVP. Synclaire begins spending a lot of time on-line, and invites her new friends to the game (including jazz musician Branford Marsalis).

When police respond to reports of a car crash, they find Floyd McLean dead behind the wheel—but not from injuries sustained in the collision. As police dig deeper into the case, they unravel the story of a family man with a lifetime of secrets that just may have gotten him killed.

A family’s worst nightmare becomes a reality when a loving husband and father is attacked in the dead of the night. After the brutal stabbing of Damario Morris, his wife tries to protect their children from the horrible truth, but as the facts of the case emerge, nothing can shield them from the truth.

Dayton, Ohio is on edge after a spree of random shootings terrorize the city on Christmas. As police frantically search for clues, they uncover evidence that the brutal crimes may be connected to a band of unlikely young killers, whose thirst for blood results from a teenage love gone wrong.

A double-homicide in a California neighborhood leaves investigators tracking a case with more questions than answers. When a high-speed car chase leads them to a pretty 17-year-old girl, it is clear she is willing to do wrong to impress her Mr. Right.

After an 18-year-old woman is gunned down in cold blood, detectives discover a mysterious man has been pitting the shooter and the victm against each other. As detectives investigate, they uncover a story of two young women who played with fire - and both ended up getting burned for their man.

Dwayne and Walter go to North Carolina to recruit a basketball player. Jaleesa is not impressed by Col. Taylor's ability to repair the broken heater in Gilbert Hall.

Whitley struggles to find the right job after graduation. Dwayne plays host to a new student.

Whitley thinks everyone has forgotten her 21st birthday, so she throws her own party. Jaleesa is upset when she sees Walter on a date.

Walter discovers that Kim is working a night job to make ends meet and tells Whitley and Freddie, who ask everyone to stuff the tip jar at the Pit. Dwayne and Ron appear in a commercial to earn some extra cash.

Denise is sure her English paper deserved an “A,” but discovers the difference between high school and college when her professor gives her a “D.” When she comes home from college for the weekend, Denise must explain to her parents why her grades are faltering. Also, when Clair takes to her bed with a pinched nerve, Theo helps out with the family chores - much to Cliff's amazement.

While Clair is away, Cliff takes care of the family, which now includes a lost puppy that Rudy found. Cliff agrees to keep the dog until the weekend, when the family flies to Washington, DC to meet Clair. Meanwhile, Vanessa sulks and mopes around the house because he family's trip falls on the same weekend as her friend's big party. But Cliff insists that Vanessa go with the rest of the family.

When Cliff’s father and his old Army buddies join Cliff in a pinochle game, Cliff is frustrated because the older men keep talking about the Army and won't let Cliff get in a word about his days in the Navy. Cliff becomes further exasperated when his father pulls one of his notorious pinochle hoaxes, with Cliff as the victim. Also, Vanessa is excited about her date with Tyrone, until she decides she also wants to date another boy.

When Clair and her mother-in-law go to Hillman College to visit Denise, Cliff and his father, Russell, are left in charge of the kids. Russell is pleasantly surprised to see first-hand what a good father Cliff is. Needless to say, all does not go smoothly when Clair is away: Russell helps out when Theo has girl problems; Rudy has a spat with her "boyfriend" Kenny; the sidewalk outside the Huxtable home is in dire need of repair; and a tired Cliff is summoned to deliver two babies.

Overton wins a contest from McColgan's shaving cream and receives a chance to take a 3-point shot for $10,000 at halftime of a Knicks game. Synclaire seems to be a jinx, as he misses every shot when she steps into the gym, and regains his form the second she leaves. Even slipping a photo of her into his gym bag is enough to bring on the curse. Synclaire refuses to go to the Knick game because she doesn't want to ruin Overton's chance at the money. Overton makes the shot, then calls Synclaire and reveals (on television) that he had worn a T-shirt of the couple together. Meanwhile, Max "borrows" a dress that Regine had designed for Palo Alto and wears it to a function at the mayor's house. Regine tries to warn her that it is a tear-away dress for a catfight scene, but thinks better of it. Max repairs the dress and apologizes to Regine, but also undertakes a long list of vengeful acts against her (including setting her up with RuPaul).

Max's mother, Nina, comes to town to accept an award. Max is confused when her mother insists on staying at her apartment and trying to bond with her, as they never had a particularly close relationship. When her mother decides to reveal that she once had an affair, Max can take no more. She explains that she has always been grateful to her mother for giving her the space she needed to become her own person; things cannot change completely overnight. Nina shows up at the courtroom to console Max after she loses a case, and they decide to build their relationship slowly. Kyle is perplexed as to why Nina has not even been told of his existence. Khadijah finds actor Dean Cain's wallet in a cab, and learns that he will not work until he has retrieved the lucky receipt from the breakfast he ate the day he auditioned for Lois and Clark. She refuses to return the wallet to anyone but Cain himself.

A discouraged Synclaire is unsure about auditioning for an infomercial for a dashboard grill, but Max encourages her to follow her acting aspirations. Regine volunteers Max to drive Synclaire to the audition in order to keep her from hanging around the apartment on her day off. Max confronts the director when he dismisses Synclaire without allowing her to say her lines. He is so impressed by Max's spunk that he gives her the part. Synclaire accuses Max of robbing her of her dream, and begins to lose faith in their friendship. When Synclaire tries to walk off the set during the taping, Max calls her up to the stage as a skeptical customer. They pull off the performance beautifully, but are fired because the director feels there is no place for spontaneity in an infomercial. Synclaire thanks Max for restoring her belief in her acting ability. Overton is wracked with guilt when he continually dreams about the R&B group TLC after falling asleep during its videos.

After Regine brags about her influence on Palo Alto, Synclaire drops by the set unexpectedly in the hopes that Regine can help her land a part. Regine is humiliated when none of the actors are aware of her existence, and the director refers to her as "the odor-eater girl." Regine apologizes for lying; but explains that, although her work is not glamorous, she thoroughly enjoys it. Synclaire agrees to keep her true status a secret. When one of the extras gets fired, Regine slips Synclaire into a scene as the Grim Reaper. Meanwhile, Khadijah asks Max to pen a column about the legal profession for Flavor. Max objects when Khadijah edits the article, prompting Khadijah to note that Max cannot deal with criticism. It is only Overton's editing skills that stave off a feud.

Overton invites everyone to spend Christmas at the Canadian cabin his family frequented during his childhood. He is disgusted to find that the area is now a tourist attraction, complete with an amusement park. He has several run-ins with an overzealous Mountie (who cites him for fishing without a license and trying to chop down a protected tree), and Synclaire accidentally turns his Santa suit pink in the wash. Khadijah challenges Kyle and Max to be civil to one another throughout the trip, but all bets are off when she shows him up by buying him a laser disc player after they'd agreed to a twenty-dollar spending limit on gifts. Regine dumps her date when he assumes she will be sleeping with him, then accidentally reveals that he is about to be fired from the soap opera. Regine is not pleased when Khadijah cheers him up and helps him get home. Synclaire tells Overton that what made the Christmases of his youth special was the presence of loved ones, not the cabin. The others, including a reconciled Kyle and Max, join them outside. The Mountie tries to give Overton a ticket for an illegal campfire, but will back off for a date with Khadijah. She declines so that Regine can have a shot at him.

While at the TV station to visit her boyfriend, simple-minded weatherman Cole Front, Regine makes a date with a handsome older man named Warner Devant. When she later learns that Warner is Cole's father, she continues to see both men (she considers it a challenge); but has difficulty keeping track of their birthdays and likes and dislikes. The men eventually figure out what is going on, and show up at her door to confront her. Regine apologizes for the deception, and Cole orders her to choose between them. She picks Warner, causing Cole to have an on-air breakdown. Meanwhile, Overton, Max and Khadijah drive Kyle crazy when they invest money with his firm. He finally resigns as their broker, prompting one of his colleagues to thank him for the "suckers."

Ivan is injured while riding his bike across the ice at Rockefeller Center to make a rush delivery for Flavor, and loses his job. Synclaire encourages Khadijah to give him a job, but she is frightened by his devotion to her. After learning that Ivan is a top journalism student, she hires him as a copy aide. Khadijah grows tired of Ivan's ridiculous story ideas, so she sends him to a celebrity hairdressing convention. He returns with a tape recording that suggests that Rev. Jesse Jackson has accepted a cabinet position. Having earlier been scooped by the competition on a music industry shake-up, Khadijah decides to run the story without verification. She is humiliated to discover that Rev. Jackson was discussing the renovation of his home, and is forced to pull all the issues from the shelves. A distraught Ivan is ready to give up journalism, but Khadijah takes the blame. She explains that--while Ivan is too raw to know any better--she has years of experience, and should not have ignored basic procedure. Overton is stung when his close friend Jeff selects Kyle to be his newborn son's godfather. When Kyle realizes the responsibility involved, he seeks Overton's assistance.

Overton receives an unexpected visit from his beloved Uncle Tibby. He is not impressed with Synclaire, as he believes she is trying to "get her hooks" into Overton. He urges Overton to dump her immediately. Synclaire overhears this, and is deeply hurt. Overton assures her that he is not swayed by his uncle's opinion, and offers to prepare a special dinner to get Tibby to warm up to Synclaire. When Tibby continues to criticize her, Overton orders him to leave. He explains that he cannot go home, as his wife threw him out for offering his brutally honest opinion about her children's choir. He apologizes to Synclaire, and admits that the fact that she reminds him of his wife may have been to blame for his attitude. Overton and Synclaire urge him to call his wife and patch things up. Kyle reluctantly gives Max the expensive bracelet (engraved with the message, "To Max, Always on my mind. Kyle") he purchased before their break-up. She pawns it to buy fake crocodile skin boots, and taunts him. After Kyle repurchases it for his new flame, Regine notes that Max seems to have regrets.

A cable repairwoman flirts with Kyle and asks him to visit a museum. Max pushes him to go out with her, claiming that they are not in an exclusive relationship. Although the woman turns out to be an airhead, Kyle stresses that he is tired of being involved with a woman who refuses to respect him or show him any affection. He breaks up with Max. Regine takes her friends to a Brian McKnight concert after getting free tickets from a co-worker. Kyle and Max get thrown out after they get into a shouting match and nearly come to blows. In the security offices, they look back on their relationship. Max claims that she only cares about food, shelter, her career and good sex. Kyle tries to offer her a ride home, but she refuses to give in. Russell learns that he is to be deported back to Jamaica. He enlists the help of the Flavor staff, who can save him by proving that he is an essential employee. Their pathetic display fails to fool the INS officer, but Synclaire comes to the rescue by claiming that he is needed to help Flavor produce an issue in patois.

Khadijah takes a second job as a night security guard at an old-folks home to pay for improvements in Flavor, which faces stiff competition from a copycat magazine called Savor. These worries are compounded when she learns that Scooter is dating another woman. Khadijah develops insomnia, and behaves extremely erratically. She follows her mother's advice and begins seeing a psychiatrist, Dr. Bryce. She shows up at the office in a wig because she fears that her friends would treat her like a mental patient if they knew about her session (which proves to be true). Dr. Bryce notes that Khadijah seems to put everyone else's needs ahead of her own, and believes that she is suffering from a mild form of depression. Even when Savor flops, Khadijah's mood does not improve. She admits that she has begun to think about all she has sacrificed for her magazine, and wonders if it is worth it. She agrees to continue to see Dr. Bryce, but the doctor first instructs her to take a one-week vacation. Synclaire's gig as a clown at a child's party forces Overton to confront his clown phobia, which dates back to a nasty childhood incident involving a circus elephant.

Max and Khadijah grow weary of Regine's spineless boyfriend, John, so they joke about sending him a letter from Regine asking him to set her free. Max follows through with the plan, and Regine is devastated when John breaks up with her. Max and Khadijah go to John's house to explain the joke and ask him to take Regine back. They also suggest that he stand up for himself occasionally, rather than letting Regine walk all over him. Before John can come to the apartment to make up with Regine, she brings home her new boyfriend Keith, an artist who was painting a mural at the television studio. John arrives with flowers to tell Regine that their relationship is over, and begins pursuing Max. (He believes she sent the letter because she wanted him for herself.) Kyle's new girlfriend, Kimberly, begins coming on to Overton every time they are left alone together. Kyle refuses to believe this, but Kimberly freely admits to it when he confronts her on the roof. Kyle orders her to leave, and a belligerent Synclaire is more than happy to show her the door. Kimberly hooks up with the newly assertive John, although she doesn't seem to have changed her ways.

Kyle is devastated to learn that an historic jazz club, the Showboat, is to be demolished. All his friends chip in with his campaign to save the club. Kyle fantasizes about the club's heyday, with all of the characters assuming other roles. Kyle is a busboy with a dream of singing on stage; Max is Big Max, the sexist club owner who constantly comes on to him; Khadijah is Kay, the club's singer; Regine is Zelda Fitzsimmons, a diva who seems to be missing a few marbles; Synclaire is Claire, a no-nonsense bible thumper; and Overton is Hooch Jones, the moonshiner who wins her heart when she learns he is funding orphanage repairs. Big Max fires Kyle for refusing to sleep with her, but is forced to let him take the stage when Kay quits to pursue a film career. Before he can sing his first note, the police raid the club. After all efforts to save the Showboat prove fruitless, Kyle heads down to the club to say goodbye. He bribes the construction crew into allowing him a few moments alone. He fulfills his dream of singing on the Showboat stage, then tearfully says farewell to this piece of his musical heritage.

Max's college roommate, Shayla, comes to town for her wedding. Max is stunned to learn that Shayla's intended, Chris, is a woman. She is hurt that Shayla failed to disclose the fact that she is gay, particularly when she discovers that Khadijah had known the truth since college. Max behaves rudely at the bridal shower, prompting Shayla to confront her in the kitchen. When Max demands to know why she was shut out, Shayla confesses that she was in love with Max. Max announces that she will not attend the wedding, as she feels that their entire frienship was a lie. Khadijah disagrees, pointing out that Shayla hid her true feelings because she was afraid of losing Max's friendship. Max tracks Shayla down at the beauty parlor to apologize. Although she admits that she might have initially overreacted to the news, she wishes that Shayla had given her a chance to rise to the occasion. Meanwhile, Kyle refers Overton to his tailor, but soon fears that Overton has stolen his fashion "look."

Kyle receives a promotion, but becomes extremely disenchanted after realizing that he is no longer allowed any contact with clients; the entire job consists of attending meeting after meeting. When Kyle is asked to speak before a church youth group, a young man who has followed his career closely suggests that he use his creativity to make his job more interesting. Kyle proposes an intermediary position, in which he would be involved in middle management, yet still work with clients. He must take a pay cut, but feels it is worth it. Meanwhile, Max tests Regine's claim that she doesn't mind when Keith paints portraits of nude models by volunteering to pose. Regine finally admits her jealousy, and Keith agrees to work with her to put her mind at ease.

Jasmine lands a broadcasting gig in Alaska so Delroy is forced to hire a temp. The temp, however, accuses Delroy of sexual harassment and it’s up to Imunique to clear his name. And back in Alaska, Jasmine slowly finds out that she’s been catfished by the Naked Bunny Channel.

After a night at the movies, Latrell and Imunique get locked out of their condo. With no keys or cell phones, they have to spend the night in the hallway where they meet an array of wacky neighbors and strange visitors. After spending so much time together, Latrell and Imunique share a tender kiss.

Fabian realizes that Latrell’s new girlfriend is transgender and plots with the gang on how to break the news before he “seals the deal.” Imunique kisses him to sell the story that she broke them up because she was jealous. Meanwhile, Delroy and Macaroni Tony are on a roadtrip to Lake Tahoe and Delroy finds out Macaroni Tony used to date Bridget.