Trying to get enough money to buy Mama a birthday present is not as easy as it sounds for Raj. This leads him to some dice playing but Mama breaks it up and confiscates the money he won. In a last attempt, Raj, Rerun and Dwayne try to walk out of the store with a blouse after writing an IOU.

Mama's shady ex-husband, Bill re-enters her life and she's sure he's come around to squeeze some money out of her. Mama's suspicions are right but Raj is on to his father's game and finds his $200 dollars for writing school to be in danger of being snatched.

After seeing a TV show, Rerun becomes obsessed with wanting to join a dance group, The Rockets. Miraculously, at the audition, he's accepted but Dwayne soon discovers, Rerun wasn't accepted because he could dance, but because he's overweight.

Rerun has his heart set on getting the role in a hamburger commercial. However, once down at the audition the producers find Dee to be better suited despite the fact that she can't stand the taste of them. An even bigger problem arises when Mama's permission is needed for her to do the commercial, but she's in Phoenix.

Dwayne has his eye on a new girl, Nancy but he's too shy to talk to her, so he gets Raj too. However, that turns into a mistake for Dwayne because this leads to Raj falling for Nancy. Raj is left with guilt and one angry friend.

Raj has sold a kid's story to a children's magazine and to celebrate, throws a party. However, Shirley is reluctant to come because she doesn't want to show up without a date. This leads Raj and Rerun to take steps to get her a date. Raj goes so far as to get her one through an escort service and Rerun cons his brother into asking her.

With Mama planning to work on Christmas, Raj and Dee agree to have Christmas dinner at Bill's apartment. However, Mama is able to get out of working at the last minute and soon discovers that the kids have plans and she finds herself facing a lonesome Christmas.

Raj is tutoring Patrice Williams in exchange for one of the puppies that her dog, Susie is soon to have. However, confusion erupts in the Thomas household, when Dee overhears a conversation between Raj, Dwayne and Rerun which leads her to believe Raj has gotten a girl pregnant.

Mama is fired from her job as a maid for the Turner household after she's accused of stealing Mrs. Turner's diamond ring. However, Raj sets out to clear Mama and quickly discovers Mr. Turner may be a more likely suspect in the theft.

Raj writes a story for a new TV show, Central Avenue and can't wait to find out if the producers will buy it. However, Raj is in for a shock on the night the show premieres. It seems the producers have stolen his story and he goes straight down to their offices prepared to sue.

Raj lands in the hospital and is afraid to face impending surgery. Meanwhile, his roommate is a grouchy ex-baseball player whom Dee befriends and learns that he has kept up a bitter feud between himself and his daughter all because she married a white man.

Raj has become a practical joker and delights in playing tricks on his teacher, Miss Collins. However, when he goes overboard, he finds himself suspended from school and to avoid getting Mama involved in the situation, he turns to his father, who quickly discovers the joys of parenting.

When the bank manager arrives at Rob's Place to discuss his application for a loan, Shirley insults him which ends with Rob firing her. This leads Raj, Dwayne and Rerun to help Shirley find a new job even though she has very few skills.

Needing extra money, Mama agrees to take on a boarder who will stay in Dee's room while she reluctantly agrees to share a room with Mama. However, everyone is in for a surprise when Bill asks to take the room and even more surprising, Mama agrees to let him move in.

Raj has been dying for a date with a girl but soon finds that there is a hitch, in order to go out with her, he needs to find a date for her cousin, Brenda. Dwayne agrees but soon finds himself to be a corner in a love triangle, when Brenda's pushy ex-boyfriend threatens his well-being if he continues to see her.

Mama has two tickets to a Stevie Wonder concert and she gives them to Raj. However, Raj now has one tough decision to make, to take Dwayne or Rerun to the concert. Meanwhile, Mama makes a decision on a boarder, who introduces his girlfriend to the family.

After a school lecture about hypertension, Raj begins spending more and more time down at the free clinic. This leads Dee to sneak a peek at his diary to see if she can find a clue to ""what's wrong with Raj.""

Dee gets a surprise when she gets a phone call from her prison pen pal, Judy Crane, who is getting out of jail and needs a place to stay. Dee talks Mama into allowing Judy to stay with them unknown to all of them that Judy is really on the run after escaping.

Shirley is all excited when she gets a call from her sister, Norma who's coming to town for a visit. However, Shirley is in for a big surprise when she discovers Norma is six months pregnant and Norma is in for an even bigger surprise when she gets a phone call from her fiancee telling her it's over.

Rerun is marched to the alter by a new girl in school.

A reluctant friend of Dee's is having problems at home and is too shy to talk to the school counselor, so Dee goes in her place but this leads the counselor to believe that Dee is the one with the problems.

Raj has just gotten a new delivery bike for his job at the supermarket but just as he's leaving Rob's Place he becomes involved in a car accident that totals his new bike and leads to a lawsuit.

When most of his articles are rejected from being in the school newspaper, an outraged, Raj decides to begin an underground newspaper with Rerun and Dwayne helping him. However, when school officials discover what he's doing, Raj is threatened with expulsion.

Shirley applies for a job as a secretary at a balloon company and quickly finds herself coming face to face with racial discrimination when the president hires both her, who has a lack of qualifications and another woman who just happens to be white and has plenty of secretarial skills.

Dwayne's father is running for city councilman and has a great deal of support from the community including a man, Ted, who's been a friend of the family for years. However, Dwayne is infuriated when his dad unexpectedly fires Ted.