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While searching for a rare part for his beloved turntable, Hilton bumps into an old friend from his bachelor days, Fred. When Hilton and Fred start reminiscing about how they double-dated sisters Mattie and Roberta Singleton, Hilton decides to play matchmaker and prompts Fred into learning whatever became of Mattie. Even now, years later, Fred can't help wondering what might have happened if they remained a couple.... and, thanks to Hilton, he may finally get a chance to find out.

Hilton and Ruth recall their first date many years ago. Their flashbacks are done through animated sequences, and of course, both of them have widely different versions of what happened.

Hilton's steaming when a klutzy customer spills coffee on her dress, admits it's her own fault---and then sues the Flower Cafe for $3000.

Hilton is sentenced to a life without pork chops, barbeque ribs and bacon when a doctor's visit reveals a too-high cholesterol count. A mouth-watering meal for Hilton now consists of tofu, steamed broccoli and ""not-wurst"" imitation hot dogs. New Jersey Nets player Jayson Williams guest stars as Jurnee's teacher, who adds his two-cents on the subject of of Hilton's eating habits.

When Griffin accompanies Hilton to ""Grandparents Day"" at Jurnee's school and adds his two cents to the science lesson, it quickly becomes apparent that he is a natural at teaching and holding the kids' interest. Who would have thought?? Hilton is thrilled that Griffin has uncovered a talent for this most noble profession, while Erica is more than ticked off when she learns that Griffin achieved a higher GPA than she did in college. At first resistant to the idea of working hard for little pay and loads of responsibility, Griffin is ultimately swept up with the idea of molding the minds of America's young -- heaven help them.

When Ruth's high school friend Charlene comes to town for a visit during her worldwide singing tour, she gives Ruth the chance to sing with ""The Charlites"" at a charity function and accomplish her unfulfilled dream of a glamorous night in showbiz. Years earlier, Ruth passed on a chance to join Charlene in trying to make it big as a singer. Charlene went on to become an international superstar -- and Ruth stayed at home with Hilton. But now that Ruth has a chance for a turn in the spotlight, she plans to seize the moment -- that is, if she can get out of bed after the painful dancing rehearsals. Meanwhile, Hilton has begun his latest business venture -- putting together craft kits to make the 'Bunny in the Hutch.'

When Ruth and Pauline ""just happen"" to spot a used pregnancy test in Erica's garbage and then ""just happen"" to see the positive results, they assume that Erica is expecting, but Hilton comes to another conclusion. It's bad enough that Erica has temporarily moved in with her folks while her new Manhattan apartment is being renovated, but Hilton is allergic to her cat. Then, when her married friend Stephanie comes to visit and leaves her positive pregnancy test in the garbage can -- everyone reacts in the wrong way. Ruthie and Pauline think that Erica's having the baby, Hilton is proud that he and Ruth are going to be parents again, and Ruth and Hilton end up thinking that Griffin is actually the father of Erica's nonexistent child.

Griffin is helping Hilton fix the bathroom door when Wendy arrives very upset and looking for Pauline, her godmother. Before she leaves Hilton has given her $45 to help pay her overdue phone bill. Later Pauline learns that Wendy is in debt for over $15,000, and she's determined to teach Wendy some fiscal responsibility, and she tells Hilton it will be a long time before he sees any of his money. Hilton goes to the bank and learns that not only has his bank has merged with another bank, but also that the computers are down and he can't withdraw any money. After a long, frustrating wait, Hilton uses the ATM machine outside the bank, and, instead of the $50 he requested, the machine gives him $11,000. Hilton is tempted to take the money and run. When Ruthie comes home, Hilton expects a compliment for fixing the door, but instead she discovers a huge scratch that Griffin has made in the wall. When Ruthie learns about Wendy and all her debts, she says she'll forgive the scratch in the wall

Hilton tries to convince the Social Security Administration that he is not dead.

Griffin's trust in his new girlfriend Anita is put to the test when her job as a conference planner puts her smack in the middle of a young millionaires' convention, on the season finale. Rather than heeding Hilton's advice to give Anita some space, Griffin decides to pop in on the convention and find out for himself how loyal Anita is -- which prompts Hilton to reminisce about the anxious time he spent away from Ruth, soon after they first met, agonizing over whether or not she was thinking of him as often as he was of her. ""Prequel Monday"" kicks off with an animated flashback sequence of Hilton as an enlisted Navy man.

Hilton is caught in the middle when his curmudgeonly friend, Tim, stages a rent strike against his landlord.

Griffin contemplates quitting the teaching profession when his first day as a substitute teacher is a disaster. The Lucases lend themselves out as mock students so that Griffin can practice his teaching techniques on them -- although their misguided attempt to help might just turn him off teaching forever.

When Hilton offers to make Jurnee's Thanksgiving Day Parade turkey costume from scratch, it comes out to be just that.... a turkey of a costume. So imagine Hilton's joy when the queen of domesticity, Martha Stewart, shows up at the coffee shop bearing the most realistic looking turkey outfit that anyone's ever seen and leaves it behind by mistake. But, when Martha Stewart returns asking if anyone has seen the costume, will Hilton's guilt get the best of him... or will Jurnee be the best-dressed turkey in the parade?

After Jurnee expresses her fondness for schoolmate Kevin and he retaliates by shoving her on the school playground, amateur psychologist Hilton explains his theory of how ""playground scarring"" can affect a woman for life. According to Hilton, when women are unable to trust, unable to commit, their problems can always be traced back to a bad playground experience when they were deeply humiliated by a boy they liked. To this day, Ruth has problems with trust because of a certain Kenneth P. Watson, who purposely teetered when he should have tottered, requiring a young Ruth to get stitches. When it comes to Jurnee, however, Hilton is determined not to have history repeat itself.

A major argument erupts when Ruth accidentally discovers that Erica has been hiding all the gifts she has given her over the years. When Ruth confronts Erica about only pretending to like the gifts that Ruth put so much time and care into buying, it sparks the disagreement. On the one hand, Ruth feels that she doesn't know her own daughter, and on the flip side, Erica feels that her mother doesn't bother to learn about her likes and dislikes. Although Hilton desperately wants to stay out of their argument, he is left with no alternative and attempts to coerce the women into a joint shopping trip. The goal -- buy something that is pleasing to them both without driving him over the edge.

Hilton is devastated to learn that Erica is breaking up with her latest boyfriend, Gil -- a handsome, well-educated jazz musician who is everything that Hilton could ever want in a guy and more. When Erica and Gil mutually decide to call it quits, it's Hilton who takes the news the hardest since he's developed his own meaningful relationship with Gil -- primarily because he represents the jazzman Hilton always wanted to be. How will Hilton go on? All he does is sit by the phone and wait for Gil to call! It's true that break-ups can be hard -- but usually for the two people involved.

Griffin and Erica work out a financial deal to move into Griffin's house on a landlord-tenant basis -- thus giving Hilton and Ruth back their privacy – only to have Griffin's house accidentally burn to the ground. Hilton's visions of spending romantic evenings alone with Ruth are over before they've even begun. And, when Erica and Griffin realize that everything destroyed in the fire was either borrowed, rented or on loan, they decide it's time to grow up and start taking ""ownership"" of their lives.

Downsizing at the airport forces Hilton to retire.

Due to a hospital mix-up, Hilton gets the colonoscopy that was meant for his cousin. When Hilton's cousin, Earl Lucas, goes to the hospital for a colonoscopy, Hilton decides to be at his side for support. But when the nurses confuse the two men, Hilton ends up in a most uncompromising position in full view of medical students and an internet audience. Meanwhile, back at the Lucas house, Erica finds her childhood set of jacks in an old box and she, Ruth and Pauline keep Earl's wife, Lillian, busy with some rather fierce competition.

The walls come tumbling down this year for Hilton Lucas more ways than one. First, there's the so-called ""fourth wall,"" the theatrical term for the imaginary line that separates actors from the audience. Starting with tonight's second-season opener, Cosby crosses that line as Hilton addresses viewers, takes them into his confidence and even mugs at the camera over plot developments. And he's got a lot to react to, beginning with two new tenants. Daughter Erica moves back home; and neighbor Griffin loses his shirt in a record deal and takes up residence in the Lucas attic, which he begins to renovate. There goes another wall. After Hilton encourages Erica and Griffin to ""take risks and pursue their dreams,"" they do just that and the results become Hilton's nightmare. Erica quits her high-paying job at the law firm and moves home to save money and study to become a chef, and Griffin has to move into the Lucas attic after a business deal goes bad -- forcing him to rent out the lovely hous

Griffin, Erica and Darien try to convince a drug-addicted friend to enter rehab.

For a school paper, Keisha discovers intriqing facts about Ruth's past.

A foster child in Erica's class wants to move in with the Lucases.

To wrest control of his block from lowlifes (like the burglars who targeted him), Hilton forms a neighborhood-watch program (of sorts). Now watch the watch commander lose control and cause crime instead of preventing it: he intimidates a man who has just been mugged, has an innocent woman's car towed away, and then must explain why a missing elderly woman is found unconscious in the Lucas dining room.

Ruth must deal with a bunch of know-it-alls. Her husband Hilton ""knows"" that his community center boys' basketball team could beat her girls' team, and her star player Nikki ""knows"" that the game should be only about scoring the points. So when Ruth challenges Hilton to a boy/girl game, he has a lot to do to get his star players in shape, and Ruth must teach Nikki about teamwork. Hilton gets a lesson in what girls can do when WNBA ""New York Liberty"" team members Teresa Weatherspoon and Kym Hampton show-up at the gym for a clinic and run a couple of their finest plays.

The airline company that dismissed Hilton is now rehiring, and he's fired up to go back to work. But his impatience and confrontational attitude simply won't cut it. When the airline for which Hilton worked announces that it is hiring back thousands of laid-off employees, Hilton eagerly prepares for an interview, hoping to get his old job back. Wearing his best suit and armed with an album full of career highlights, Hilton is overjoyed at the prospect of working again. He spends the hours before his interview doing what he thinks are ordinary errands. However, he manages to get into a fight over fruit at the grocery, turn an eye exam at the HMO into a four ring circus, and witness a hit-and-run car accident -- that comes back to haunt him.

Hilton feels cheated that his company laid him off without even a goodbye party, but Ruthie tells him he's being childish. Hilton lands a job interview on Long Island, but when he tries to pick up his car at the repair shop, he encounters severe language barriers and the news that the car is beyond help. He grudgingly takes a senior citizens shuttle van to the interview, but it breaks down and he's stranded for hours. Hilton, with Pauline as his assistant, works on a magic act for a children's charity event as he continues to obsess about the party he isn't going to get. Later, on his way to another rehearsal at the children's center, which Ruthie has urged him to attend, he begins imagining that a surprise party is about to happen, but it doesn't. And when his company sends him a tacky pocket calendar, that's the final blow, but Ruthie presents him with a watch inscribed to her husband, ""who worked like a dog for his family for thirty years"".

After Hilton realizes that his life insurance was affected when his company was downsized, he applies for a different policy -- which requires an intense physical examination. The stakes are high for Hilton's physical -- if he fails, he will have no policy at all -- so it's time to really get in shape. He overdoes it at the local gym and then tries some of Pauline's personal remedies for good health -- like garlic cloves and relaxation tapes. Meanwhile, his new friend, Singh, the local taxi driver, appears much more interested in entertaining Pauline than in helping him.

In a White House public relations move, Hilton is chosen as the ideal ""common man"" to dine with the president. When Hilton calls in to a radio talk-show, the president's deputy communications director hears him and tracks him down to ask him if his family would like to have dinner with the president--on a date that conflicts with Ruth's plans for a relaxing weekend in the Poconos. As the Lucases get their home in tip-top shape for the visit, the media converges on them, and Pauline, Griffin, Singh and New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani try to convince Hilton that, as ""extended family,"" they really should be included in the evening's festivities.

When Hilton's friend Bradshaw, the down mattress and bedding ""king"", confides to Hilton that his business is in a bit of trouble, Hilton and Griffin brainstorm about ways to help him solve his problem. Singh is frustrated that even though he has deep feelings for Pauline, he is unable to tell her what's in his heart. Griffin continues his quest to get Erica to notice him. Pauline brings her friend Rupert, a buyer for a huge hotel chain, to dinner at Hilton and Ruth's, and Singh chooses that time to arrive and profess his love for Pauline. Ruth prods Hilton to get Bradshaw and Rupert together to give Bradshaw's business the boost it desperately needs.

After Griffin and Erica attend their high school reunion, Griffin realizes that their relationship is going nowhere and decides to make a clean break from her. When Griffin's old friends help him to see that his puppy-dogging after Erica has gotten him nowhere for almost 10 years, he decides that he's sick of being taken for granted and ready to move on with his life. But when he moves out of their apartment building, Erica has some realizations of her own. Meanwhile, ever-thrifty Hilton tries to install a personal satellite dish himself and encounters difficulties along the way

Thirty years after their plans for a formal wedding at an elegant hall had to be cancelled, Hilton and Ruth celebrate their wedding anniversary by renewing their vows at ""The Palace"" in an attempt to have the wedding they originally planned. Since Hilton's reserve unit was called up just two weeks before their planned formal wedding, he and Ruth had to cancel their plans and get married in traffic court. So, for their 30th anniversary, Hilton decides to give Ruth the wedding she always wanted -- complete with the minister who was supposed to marry them the first time.But things don't go exactly as planned -- Hilton ends up babysitting for Griffin's nephew Davy, he loses Ruth's wedding ring, and ""The Palace"" has turned into a Chinese restaurant with a busy take-out service.

Pressed by Ruth to address his ""unusual behavior,"" Hilton enters group therapy. Bad idea. Now he misbehaves by counseling an old crony, who promptly loses his job.

A plate that Hilton made as a gift for Ruth has been switched for one made by a famous abstract artist. It's worth some $15,000, and now, thanks to Pauline, it's missing.