Cliff & Clair are excited about Sondra & Elvin's plans for grad school, but when they return from their honeymoon, the newlyweds announce other plans. Elvin & Sondra plan to open a wilderness store.
Clair is concerned when Theo comes home late after a cross country meet and the principal calls the house. She decides to investigate what happened by holding a mock trial.
Cliff has a hard time saying goodbye to his old water heater while Rudy and Clair get into a fight because Clair won't let Rudy wear a summer dress to a winter birthday party.
Theo & Walter are studying Shakespeare for school but are not enthused. Cliff decides to have barbecue for dinner and invites family and friends. When Russell hears about the Shakespeare situation, he and his friend read part a play.
Theo's friend gets into an altercation which gets Theo sent to a police station in Coney Island. The altercation gets Cliff and Clair into a fight, and they completely forget about Theo's punishment.
The Huxtables have a problem when they find out the old woman Rudy visits with refuses to take her medication and becomes forgetful; everybody makes several humorous attempts to convince Mrs. Hickson why she needs to take her pills.
Sondra & Elvin have their first marital spat, but it is Elvin who runs home to the parents - Sondra's parents! As Elvin gives his side of the story, flashbacks are shown about Sondra's different boyfriends and their first meeting of Elvin.
The Huxtables head to the mall where Clair enters her garden squash in a contest. Theo and Vanessa are in charge of watching Rudy but they lose track of her. Rudy meets a girl her age and they play together.
Cliff is excited to take Rudy and six of her friends to see a Salute to Vaudeville show. They are the only ones in the audience. The children are not the best audience and are not impressed.
Clair's book club invites their spouses to attend a meeting, but Cliff is the only man that shows up. Despite Clair's doubts, Cliff read the book and joins the discussion. Sondra & Elvin have Theo, Vanessa, and Rudy over for a sleepover.
Theo works on his psychic abilities but does not have much success. Rudy thinks her teacher hates her and tells her parents her problems. One of which is a music recital where she has to play the violin instead of a more fun instrument.
One of Theo's high school friends has cancer and is in the hospital. Theo is hesitant to visit him because it is depressing. Sondra is on a trip without Elvin and he is lonely.
Vanessa tries out for drum major but keeps getting blocked. Theo finds out it is because no girl has ever been drum major and tries to help. A musician friend of Russell's is in town for a show. Russell tries to repay a debt to his friend.
One tile falls from the bathroom wall, and as Cliff tries to repair it, the problem gets bigger. Clair asks friends of Sondra & Elvin to repair it before Cliff destroys the house when he tries to repair it.
Rudy reads a story she wrote to Cliff and Clair about a happy land where the residents are taken prisoner by the evil king and his men, as acted out in a fantasy sequence by all the characters.
The Harmons, friends of the Huxtables, come over for a visit. Cliff and Dr. Harmon get into a heated game of petanque while Theo tries to impress their daughter.
Cliff has worked straight for 22 days, so he takes a day off. While he rests at home, Theo, Vanessa, and Rudy try to stump each other with constant riddles. Clair's friend has marital problems and asks Clair for advice.
Theo goes fishing with Cliff and Russell and hooks onto the body of a dead mobster, becoming the object of a local news story. Rudy and Kenny try to hide the fact from Clair that they're taking care of baby birds that have been abandoned.
