Freddie organizes a mentorship program for teenagers detained at juvenile hall. They can receive parole by completing a week-long project. Dwayne is assigned two young gang members, who continually fight after learning that they are from rival sets. Much of the tension stems from the fact that members of one boy's gang killed the other's cousin. Dwayne tries to get the boys to turn away from violence and set some goals, but they don't think they have anything to live for. He tries to talk to their parents, with disastrous results. Billy's proud but violent father does not appreciate Dwayne's interference; he shoves him around and threatens him. Dwayne again emphasizes the fact that the boys can have futures; he tells them that they should not place limits on themselves because of the environment around them. Dwayne eventually gets through to them, as they perform a rap song that preaches for an end to violence. Billy's father listens to his son's performance and seems somewhat impressed.

While Dwayne is out of town, Whitley buys a $700 business suit for a job interview. She fails to get the job, and accidentally stains the suit, which she had planned to return the next day. Freddie recommends that Whitley file for unemployment. Whitley irritates a claims officer with her self-important attitude and ignorance about the workings of the unemployment office. Whitley grows tired of being given the run-around and decides to get the money on her own. She sells several appliances and takes a phone sales job. The girls discuss Terry McMillan's Waiting to Exhale in their women's literature group. Dorian impresses Lena when he crashes the group meeting with Terrell. Charmaine constantly brags about her relationship with Lance and mocks her friends for not having boyfriends. However, Lena comforts Charmaine after Lance chickens out of a visit and breaks up with her over the phone. Ron and Freddie struggle to find time alone together.

Freddie's free-spirited mother visits, and annoys her daughter by spending all of her time counseling Freddie's friends. She exposes the bitterness that Kim is harboring over Freddie's relationship with Ron. Joni's appearance leaves Freddie confused about her life and stirs old feelings in Shazza. Ron spies Shazza kissing Freddie outside the Pit. Whitley takes a job at the International Cottage of Flapjacks to earn money for Dwayne's Christmas present. She finds herself completely overwhelmed, and gets no help from the owner's lazy daughter. Freddie confronts her mother at ICOF and demands advice. Joni explains that she lets her daughter make her own choices because she does not want to follow in the footsteps of Freddie's grandmother, who condemned Joni for having an interracial relationship. Ron appears and asks Freddie to make up her mind. She runs into his arms, as Whitley loudly launches into "Joy to the World." Whitley gets fired on her first day, but Dwayne consoles her with a puppy.

Whitley takes a job substitute teaching for an unruly remedial class at a run-down junior high school. The students are completely out of control the first day, then suddenly behave themselves perfectly. Whitley discovers that they all purposely failed their tests. She considers giving up, but instead challenges the students to prove their intelligence. At the principal's suggestion, she uses her own background to cover the material left out of the outdated textbooks. Dorian finally asks Lena on a date. He stuns her by revealing that he does not believe in pre-marital sex. She decides that she is still interested in having a relationship with him.

Sondra and Elvin visit the family on their way to the theater, just as Theo "Monster Man" Huxtable practices for a big wrestling match. When Elvin volunteers to teach Theo some expert wrestling moves, he has to break it to Sondra that he won’t be able to go to the theater with her. The family, thinking Elvin's decision will lead to one of Sondra and Elvin’s infamous fights, is shocked when Sondra readily agrees that Elvin should do whatever he feels like doing.

Grandpa and Grandma Huxtable go all-out to entertain Rudy when the youngster spends the night at their home. Meanwhile, with Cliff and Theo left alone in the house, Cliff decides to hold the first meeting of the Huxtable Men's Club. But their plans are thwarted when Theo has a surprise visitor - the girl of his dreams, Lana Herman.

After observing the depressing lack of talent at the cafe's open mike night, the group persuades Kyle to sing the following week. Overton agrees to perform his stand-up comedy act in exchange for Kyle's participation. Kyle starts out well as he performs "When I Fall in Love," but begins stuttering when Max enters in a low-cut gown and sits directly in front of him. He runs out of the cafe, thus ensuring Overton's victory. Max teases him mercilessly about his failure, while Overton believes that Kyle's unresolved feelings for Max are responsible for the incident. He urges him to get back on stage to prove himself. Kyle delivers a brilliant performance of "My Funny Valentine." He sings most of the song directly to a swooning Max. While the girls needle Max, Kyle thanks Overton for his advice, which he believes has freed him from Max's influence. At that moment, Max looks over her shoulder and smiles at Kyle seductively. He returns her gaze. "Oh Lord! There they go again!" Overton sighs. Regine tries an unusual method to help Khadijah overcome her fear of public speaking for an interview with Black Visionaries.

Khadijah hires Bobby Bonilla of the New York Mets to pen a weekly column for Flavor, just as her employees are poised to walk out over low salaries and poor working conditions. Bobby defends Khadijah, until he interprets her request for a hold on salaries as a salary cap (a major sticking point in the baseball labor dispute) and supports the strike. Khadijah insists that money is too tight to give raises, but Max warns her that she is on the verge of losing Flavor. Khadijah re-arranges her finances and agrees to give a modest salary increase. Inspired by a local video clerk's screenwriting success, Kyle and Regine try to pen an action/adventure screenplay.

A handsome young man from Synclaire's psychology class kisses her during a study session. Synclaire pushes him away, but is still gripped by guilt. She blurts out her indiscretion during a special evening Overton had planned for their first anniversary as a couple. Overton goes ballistic, storms out of the restaurant, and refuses to talk to her. Concerned for her cousin's well being, Khadijah sends Kyle up to the apartment to check on her. He finds Overton and Synclaire's clothes strewn throughout the living room. Meanwhile, Regine is livid when Max snags a coat she had left outside the apartment to donate to charity. Max begins wearing it constantly to spite her.

Overton and Regine get caught in a blizzard after he picks her up at the boutique. Max fears that she may be pregnant with "stand-by" boyfriend Michael's child. A concerned Kyle races to the store for a test, partially to get away from an ill-advised one-night stand--an annoying efficiency expert. Everyone is relieved when it turns out to be a false alarm. Regine receives word of the possible pregnancy when she calls the apartment, but cannot get the full scoop before the cellular batteries go out. Tired of Regine's whining, Overton finally slices up his precious bean bag chair and uses its contents for traction to get the van back on the road.

Carl Winslow experiences guilt over a hostage who was shot a year ago while he was on duty as a police officer. Steve Urkel bribes Laura Winslow to go out on a date with him.

Steve Urkel steals an orangutan from a lab, hiding him at the Winslows' house.Lieutenant Murtagh forces Carl to use a state-of-the-art treadmill to get in shape, not realizing that one of his enemies has wired it with a bomb. Carl is forced to keep exercising or be blown up.

After a painful divorce, a single mother didn’t expect to ever love again. But after a charming stranger wins her heart, she becomes desperate to do anything to keep her new man’s love – including betraying the innocent ones she cares for the most.

When her father passes away, a beautiful young woman finds solace in a new boyfriend. But when he ropes her into one of his criminal schemes, she finds herself in the midst of a brutal blood bath.

Sparks fly when a young mother reunites with her childhood crush. But her new man is guarding a deadly secret that will put her, and her son’s, lives in danger. When she gets caught in the crosshairs, she must choose—either save her man or herself.

A heartbreak sends a vivacious mother of seven into the arms of a wealthy gentleman. After nearly a decade together, she discovers the monster under the mask, a notorious gang leader being hunted by the FBI leaving a trail of bodies behind him.

Freddie organizes a mentorship program for teenagers detained at juvenile hall. They can receive parole by completing a week-long project. Dwayne is assigned two young gang members, who continually fight after learning that they are from rival sets. Much of the tension stems from the fact that members of one boy's gang killed the other's cousin. Dwayne tries to get the boys to turn away from violence and set some goals, but they don't think they have anything to live for. He tries to talk to their parents, with disastrous results. Billy's proud but violent father does not appreciate Dwayne's interference; he shoves him around and threatens him. Dwayne again emphasizes the fact that the boys can have futures; he tells them that they should not place limits on themselves because of the environment around them. Dwayne eventually gets through to them, as they perform a rap song that preaches for an end to violence. Billy's father listens to his son's performance and seems somewhat impressed.

While Dwayne is out of town, Whitley buys a $700 business suit for a job interview. She fails to get the job, and accidentally stains the suit, which she had planned to return the next day. Freddie recommends that Whitley file for unemployment. Whitley irritates a claims officer with her self-important attitude and ignorance about the workings of the unemployment office. Whitley grows tired of being given the run-around and decides to get the money on her own. She sells several appliances and takes a phone sales job. The girls discuss Terry McMillan's Waiting to Exhale in their women's literature group. Dorian impresses Lena when he crashes the group meeting with Terrell. Charmaine constantly brags about her relationship with Lance and mocks her friends for not having boyfriends. However, Lena comforts Charmaine after Lance chickens out of a visit and breaks up with her over the phone. Ron and Freddie struggle to find time alone together.

Freddie's free-spirited mother visits, and annoys her daughter by spending all of her time counseling Freddie's friends. She exposes the bitterness that Kim is harboring over Freddie's relationship with Ron. Joni's appearance leaves Freddie confused about her life and stirs old feelings in Shazza. Ron spies Shazza kissing Freddie outside the Pit. Whitley takes a job at the International Cottage of Flapjacks to earn money for Dwayne's Christmas present. She finds herself completely overwhelmed, and gets no help from the owner's lazy daughter. Freddie confronts her mother at ICOF and demands advice. Joni explains that she lets her daughter make her own choices because she does not want to follow in the footsteps of Freddie's grandmother, who condemned Joni for having an interracial relationship. Ron appears and asks Freddie to make up her mind. She runs into his arms, as Whitley loudly launches into "Joy to the World." Whitley gets fired on her first day, but Dwayne consoles her with a puppy.

Whitley takes a job substitute teaching for an unruly remedial class at a run-down junior high school. The students are completely out of control the first day, then suddenly behave themselves perfectly. Whitley discovers that they all purposely failed their tests. She considers giving up, but instead challenges the students to prove their intelligence. At the principal's suggestion, she uses her own background to cover the material left out of the outdated textbooks. Dorian finally asks Lena on a date. He stuns her by revealing that he does not believe in pre-marital sex. She decides that she is still interested in having a relationship with him.

Sondra and Elvin visit the family on their way to the theater, just as Theo "Monster Man" Huxtable practices for a big wrestling match. When Elvin volunteers to teach Theo some expert wrestling moves, he has to break it to Sondra that he won’t be able to go to the theater with her. The family, thinking Elvin's decision will lead to one of Sondra and Elvin’s infamous fights, is shocked when Sondra readily agrees that Elvin should do whatever he feels like doing.

Grandpa and Grandma Huxtable go all-out to entertain Rudy when the youngster spends the night at their home. Meanwhile, with Cliff and Theo left alone in the house, Cliff decides to hold the first meeting of the Huxtable Men's Club. But their plans are thwarted when Theo has a surprise visitor - the girl of his dreams, Lana Herman.

A thrifty Cliff pretends to be a man of meager means when he shops for a new car. But his attempt to hustle the salesman fails when a window shopper recognizes the disguised Cliff as Dr. Huxtable. Meanwhile, Rudy cuts pictures out of a book for a school project, unaware that she’s destroying Cliff's prized encyclopedia collection.

Denise impatiently waits at home for her blind date, but is confused when Cliff leaves with the boy she thought she was to meet. And when Vanessa's ex-boyfriend, Robert, comes over and finds her in the company of two other guys, the lovesick teenager begs Cliff to help him win Vanessa back.

When Sudanese immigrant Anna Angok is found strangled to death in her apartment, police take the lack of forced entry as a sign that Anna may have known her killer. And as they dig deeper, they uncover a past full of trauma and violence.

An Army sergeant home on leave is gunned down on New Year’s Eve, and police suspect it may have been over beef with someone from his past. But an unexpected tip to investigators, and new insights from Mara S. Campo and Carlos Greer prove otherwise.

Violence is nothing new to Richmond, California. But when one of its young football stars is gunned down in cold blood by a bloodthirsty teenage killer, the city fights back to stop the emergence of a ruthless teenage gang before it strikes again.

By the time gifted high school senior Anna List made it to her senior year, she not only had a bright future but she had also found love. But a violent attack upon her leads investigators inside a secretive world of teen romance and mental illness. And while a winter storm rages on, a community can do little to stop this runaway train from its tragic destination.

Jasmine starts getting serious with Terrence, a new guy she’s dating. Unfortunately, she soon finds out that he’s a very wanted drug dealer. Meanwhile, Imunique keeps getting distracted from passing her real estate exam… but finally does!

Returning a favor, Latrell lets his friend Armando crash at the condo for a few nights after a fight with his girlfriend. However, Armando turns out to be the guest from hell, eating all his food and damaging prized possessions. Meanwhile, Bridget finds a ring in Delroy’s office and assumes he’s planning on proposing.

Even though she doesn’t trust her, Imunique agrees to throw a bachelorette party for DeMiracle’s fiancée, DeLovely. At the party Imunique catches DeLovely cheating on DeMiracle with a male stripper. When DeMiracle doesn’t believe Imunique, she has to put her on “The Hot Seat”, Latrell’s new internet show that involves a polygraph machine.