On the first day of school, Mike finds himself with two dates to the school dance; Ben is intimidated by a school bully; Carol is bored with her classes.
Carol is excited when one of the most popular girls in school starts hanging around with her. However, it becomes evident that she is only after one thing- Mike.
Maggie and Jason recall how Ben got himself into hot water by calling a pornographic hotline and then lying by putting the blame on a neighborhood kid for giving out the number.
Maggie and Jason allow Mike to take a job at World of Burgers to prove he's ready for the responsibility of a car. When Mike gets fired, he can't bring himself to tell his parents.
Carol tutors the captain of the varsity football team, and is insulted that her parents trust them to be alone in her room, so she starts a rumor about herself.
Maggie insists that Mike be grounded for lying and then is caught in a lie of her own. Jason suggests that in order to teach Mike a lesson Maggie should ground herself, and she agrees. Meanwhile, Carol accompanies Jason to Atlantic City so concert tickets from Maggie's parents don't go to waste.
Maggie is thrilled when Carol is offered a chance to skip a grade in school, but then discovers that she may have sent her daughter the wrong message about her own life choices.
Mike is blackmailed by a girl who helped change his grade on an English test so he'd be allowed to go on a ski trip; Jason and Maggie have colds, and Carol runs the house a little too well for Jason's liking.
Carol is eager for Bobby to invite her to the Dewey High winter formal, but he doesn't seem interested. Meanwhile, Mike has three girls courting him to be their date for the dance.
When Carol has a slumber party, Ben and Mike can't resist scaring her friends; meanwhile, Maggie and Jason try to keep peace between her parents who've just made a dramatic lifestyle change.
While the rest of the Seavers spend the evening at home watching TV, Mike and his pals Eddie and Boner get invited to a party where cocaine is offered.
Maggie feels guilty about not spending enough time with Ben, so she helps organize his school carnival, and doesn't notice that Ben feels more neglected than before.
None of his father's lectures on the value of an education seem to effect Mike until he talks to a distraught expectant father; meanwhile, Jason delivers the baby -30,000 feet up. Dan Lauria ("The Wonder Years") guest stars.
When the furnace needs to be repaired, Jason insists on using Jimmy, their handyman, but Maggie feels he's too old. Then as things around the house start to fall apart it appears it's Jimmy's fault and Maggie insists that Jason let him go.
Maggie's offered a job so she and Jason goes out with the man and his wife. But when his wife arrives, she's shocked to see Jason. It seems she's been seeing Jason and using her maiden name. It seems her husband has ulterior motives for wanting to hire Maggie but because doctor-patient confidentiality Jason can't say anything.
