Clair (Phylicia Rashad) is furious when Theo (Malcolm-Jamal Warner) brings home a report card with four D's. He tells Cliff (Bill Cosby) that he has no intention of going to college, as he feels that he is destined to be a "regular person." Cliff uses Monopoly money to teach him about the economic realities that many blue-collar workers must face. He assures Theo that he only wants him to try his best. Cliff is alarmed to meet Denise's (Lisa Bonet) latest beau, a former merchant marine who once spent time in a Turkish prison.

When Rudy's (Keshia Knight Pulliam) pet goldfish Lamont dies, Cliff tries to bring the family together for a funeral in the bathroom. The ceremony ends when Rudy gets bored and leaves to watch TV.

Theo wants to impress a girl by wearing an expensive shirt by designer Gordon Gartrelle. Since Cliff and Clair will not pay for it, Denise offers to make a copy of the shirt for him.

Cliff's father, Russell (Earle Hyman), pays a visit and begins questioning Cliff about the kids' college choices. He asks Denise about Hillman, his and Cliff's alma mater. Denise is dead-set against it at first, until Russell tells her that males outnumber females there.

While Clair cares for a friend's baby, she begins to consider having another. Cliff desperately tries to talk her out of it, claiming that babies are "false advertising." Clair's mother, Carrie (Ethel Ayler), then reminds her that the older you are when you have kids, the older you'll be if they end up having to come back and live at home.

Vanessa plays the clarinet in the school's orchestra. Though she tries her best and practices daily, she simply cannot play the instrument. She plays an embarrassing solo at the school concert, but her parents support her anyway.

Denise has a new boyfriend, David James, but is reluctant to bring him home. She fears that Cliff will, as always, make fun of the boy and ruin her chances with him. Cliff and Clair are initially impressed with David until he expresses some unwanted opinions about medicine and the law at dinner.

Sondra (Sabrina LeBeauf), the eldest Huxtable child, makes her first appearance when she comes home for Thanksgiving. She plans on going to Paris for the summer, and hopes that her parents will support the decision.

Theo gets his ear pierced to impress a girl. After Denise warns him that it might be infected, he goes to Cliff for treatment. Cliff hopes that Grandpa Huxtable will lecture Theo, but he instead relates the story of how Cliff tried to slick back his hair to impress Clair but ended up burning it off. Then Cliff's mother Anna (Clarice Taylor) reminds Russell of the time that he chose to get her name tattooed across his chest but ended up with a scar when he tried to remove it upon realizing that the artist had accidentally written another girl's name.

Cliff is set to receive an important award, but a woman goes into labor right before the ceremony. Theo delivers his speech for him.

Cliff tries to impress Denise's friends by teaching them how to jitterbug. Some of Clair's friends also show off their dance moves. Soon, the house is full of dancers.

Clair discovers a marijuana joint in one of Theo's school books. She and Cliff confront him about it and accept his explanation that another boy slipped it into his book without his knowledge. Theo confronts the boy and brings him home to confess in order to remove any doubt about whether he was telling the truth. Theo and the boy start to become friends.

Vanessa is placed in an advanced science class. She creates a model of the solar system, but learns that she will have to work harder than ever if she hopes to succeed.

A mechanic tries to cheat Sondra, prompting Clair to confront him. Cliff and Clair also pretend to hit on each other in court.

Guest stars: Shawn Elliott as Mr. Wilson, Alan North as Judge and David Smyrl as the man in court - his first of three different characters he portrayed on the show.

Cliff's college track coach contacts him and asks him to run in a charity event between Hillman and its rival, Norton College. "Combustible Huxtable" begins training, but soon learns that he is not the runner he was all those years ago.

Cliff and Clair receive a visit from an old friend and discover that he has a new girlfriend that is half his age. They are initially suspicious, but learn that judging by appearances isn't always right.

Rudy invites all her friends over for a slumber party. It's Cliff job to watch over them, and he demonstrates some unique games to wrangle the youngsters. In the end, Russell drops by and demonstrates the perfect way to deal with kids — bribe them.

Guest stars: First appearance of Peter Costa as Peter, the Huxtables' neighbor; Earle Hyman as Russell; Alicia Keys (billed under her given name of Alicia Cook)

The Huxtables volunteer at a local community center. When an abused boy comes to the center, director Tony Castillo does his best to help him.

Guest stars: Tony Orlando as Tony Castillo, Alexis Cruz as Enrique Tarron, Ada Maris as Selena Cruz, Angela Bassett as Mrs. Mitchell, Lisa Mordente as Expectant Mother #1 and David Smyrl as Chester - his second of 3 different characters he played on the show.

Cliff is turning 48 and, as usual, he is trying to find out what his birthday present is ahead of time. Clair, with the help of the kids, orchestrates a huge ruse that fools him. In the end, he is surprised when he receives a visit from Lena Horne.

For Russell and Anna's 49th wedding anniversary, the family commissions a portrait of the couple as newlyweds and offers them a cruise to Europe. Later in the evening, the whole family performs Ray Charles "Night Time Is the Right Time", with Theo, Rudy, and Cliff each lip-synching a solo.

Sondra breaks up with her boyfriend Elvin and is depressed, taking it out on the family. Cliff and Clair aren't exactly unhappy: they find him annoying. Elvin arrives with flowers and tries to apologize, but he ends up annoying Clair with more of his sexist rhetoric.

Guest star: Geoffrey Owens as Elvin Tibideaux

When friend Suzanne accompanies Denise to observe the Huxtables' normal behavior, a smitten Theo behaves far from normally.

Vanessa has a crush on Robert Forman, who comes to her Halloween party. Daydreaming about her love, she drops an entire tray of glasses and embarrasses herself in front of the guests.

Denise wants to buy a car. She plans to use her savings to do so, but Cliff and Clair quickly point out flaws in her plan. The answer to everyone's problems comes from friend Mr. Lucas, who has an old car he is willing to sell. Denise proves herself to be a good driver, and the car is hers.

Clair's sister Sarah gets engaged.

Denise asks Cliff to talk to her friend, who has a medical problem. Cliff diagnoses the girl as having a mild bladder infection but learns that she was wary of telling her parents for fear she was pregnant. Cliff and Clair decide to show the kids that they can tell them anything, but the children quickly point out that their parents will just get angry. Cliff admits that anger is part of dealing with problems, but tells the children that no matter what, they will be loved.

Guest star: Stacey Dash as Michelle, Denise's friend

Clair bids on a painting by her great-uncle that her grandmother had once owned, hoping to bring it back into the Huxtable family after 30 years. Attempting to win her favor, Elvin tries to bake her a cake but fails miserably; he then gets advice from Cliff on how to pass himself off as a good cook.

Guest star: Geoffrey Owens as Elvin Tibideaux, John L. Marion (then-chairman of Sotheby's) as the auctioneer.

Vanessa tries to hide a poor test grade from Cliff and Clair, then gets into a fight with Denise after borrowing a sweater from her without asking. In the end, Rudy's choice of television viewing, Martin Luther King's "I Have A Dream" speech, reminds the whole family of what a real problem is.

Theo and his friend Cockroach scheme to pass a test on Shakespeare's "Macbeth", which neither one has read. They instead rent a recording of the play, which comes with its own consequences. Their savior comes in the form of "Cleveland Notes" (a reference to CliffsNotes).

Peter goes to the dentist and has Rudy come along for moral support, so he won't be afraid.

Guest star: Danny Kaye

Russell gets to play again with the band he was a member of years ago.

After an exhausting midnight shift at the hospital and a night's sleep, all Cliff wants is to read his paper in peace. However, the children have taken over every room in the house.

Theo's math teacher has a baby. Cockroach shows a different side of himself.

After Theo claims that he will have no problem making it in the "real world", the Huxtables convert their house to the "Real World Apartments" to teach him a lesson.

Cliff plays pinochle with his father, one of his former teachers, and a friend. Theo buys a cheap ring for his girlfriend, Tanya.

In a charity run, Cliff races at the Penn Relays with "Tailwind" Turner, but his time in the lead is about to be cut short.

Special guest star: Valerie Brisco-Hooks, Bill Cosby's real wife, Camille Cosby (uncredited)

It is Russell and Anna's 50th wedding anniversary, so the Huxtables perform James Brown's "I Got the Feelin'".

Theo writes a report on the March on Washington. But gets a poor grade and is asked to redo his project. Much to his surprise he learns more about the march from his family than he did from books. Meanwhile, Vanessa is worried about asking a boy to the turn-around dance.

Theo and Cockroach decide they want to learn to fly, but Cliff doesn't want to waste his money on another dream of his son's. Meanwhile, Rudy comes home with a new friend apparently named "Bud."

Vanessa invites the captains of her school's pep squad to her house, but after she tells them how much Clair spent on a painting, the girls at school begin to call Vanessa a stuck-up rich girl. Meanwhile, Rudy asks Theo to teach her how to play checkers, and Cliff pays a visit to the local electronics store just for a new remote, or so Clair thinks.

Denise's college career starts with a D, but Denise is to scared to show her parents. Clair needs to rest in bed because of a pinched nerve. Rudy portrays "the wind" in a school play.

Guest star: Rosalind Cash as Dr. Hughes

Elvin helps Theo with some wrestling moves, although he and Sondra have made plans for the weekend. Elvin reveals that he is thinking of marrying Sondra.

Guest star: Geoffrey Owens as Elvin Tibideaux

Cliff establishes the Huxtable Men's Club when the women are away to help Theo get over his sadness of a lost date. Vanessa is very excited that big sister Denise is letting her go to the Village with Denise's college friends.

Cliff buys a new car. Rudy cuts some animal pictures out of Cliff's expensive books for school.

Guest stars: Gilbert Gottfried and Sinbad

Cliff is called to the hospital for three simultaneous deliveries.

Rudy gets hurt from Theo's rough games. Rudy cries, and Theo gets punished. Clair goes to a doctor and gets the same advice that Cliff gave her. Cliff learns that the woman who cleans up the Doctor's Lounge at the hospital.

Denise holds a bridal shower for her pregnant and bride-to-be friend Veronica but finds out some disturbing information.

Cliff's 50th birthday has all kinds of surprises.

When Sondra and Elvin announce their engagement, Clair and the children use the news to play a practical joke on Cliff, who launches a counteroffensive of his own.

Cliff's navy friend comes to visit. Cockroach shaves his head to be in a rock video.

Clair's sister decides she wants to be a mother. Cliff takes Rudy and her friends out to eat at a fancy restaurant.

The Huxtable family goes to Hillman College to attend a ceremony in honor of its president's retirement.

Guest stars: Joe Seneca and Gloria Foster

Theo and Cockroach come home unusually late from a track meet, and they both deny anything out of the ordinary happened. Theo continuously lies about what happened, especially after a call from his principal comes while he's not home. A suspicious Clair, attorney at law, holds a mock trial against Theo and Cockroach in order to get to the bottom of what happened.

While setting up the house as a "haunted house" for Halloween, Cliff discovers he lost a power drill that his neighbor loaned for him.

Theo must read Julius Caesar for school but complains that it is boring. Russell and his friends read scenes from the play aloud, and Theo is enthralled. Later, the men read from a story that Rudy wrote.

Guest stars: Lisa Bonet as Denise Huxtable, Christopher Plummer, Roscoe Lee Browne

Rudy goes to an older widowed lady's house each afternoon to have tea and play cards, but notices that she refuses to take her daily medication for diabetes. She tells Cliff, who devises a plan to try to convince her that she needs meds to live.

Guest Star: Eileen Heckart

Theo and Vanessa lose track of Rudy in a mall while Clair enters a squash exhibition.

Guest stars: Louis Nye as a rival entrant

Theo and Cockroach have tickets to appear on television on the dance show "Dance Mania", but are told that only one of them can enter the studio during the filming because of fire laws. Theo miscalculates by offering to let Cockroach go in (thinking he'll refuse) and gets angry when Cockroach takes him up on the offer.

Vaudeville is shown to Rudy and her friends, who are unimpressed.

Clair drags Cliff to her book club meeting, and he's the lone male there. Much to Clair's surprise, Cliff knows quite a bit about the book in question. Meanwhile, the kids attempt a sleepover at Sondra and Elvin's run-down studio apartment but are overwhelmed by the noise and lack of utilities.

Rudy has to play the violin in music class at school but gets jealous because she thinks her classmates' instruments are more fun.

Rudy writes a fairy tale, and the colorful story is acted out in her fantasy. Members of the family play the roles of a village full of happy people and a mean group that ruins their fun. At the end of the episode, Rudy declares that when she becomes "president of the world", she will put a stop to all mean people. Cliff and Clair proceed to watch news reports of weapons' testing and bombings, and urge her to "hurry, because we need you right now."

Cliff and a friend play pétanque.

A friend of Clair's has marital problems; Cliff takes a "mini vacation" in the house as Theo, Rudy, and Vanessa try to stamp each other with riddles.

Denise comes home from college, but seems to have more time with her friends than for the family.

Theo, Danny, and Smitty go to great lengths to impress their dates for the senior prom but fail disastrously; Cliff and Clair relive their own prom.

With Denise returning to college for her junior year and Theo moving into on-campus accommodations, Cliff and Clair's goal of zero children living at home by the year 2000 begins to look attainable. But they receive a severe setback when Denise decides to drop out of Hillman and Theo forgets to mail in his check to reserve a dormitory room at NYU. Fearing that their nest will never be emptied, a melancholy Cliff proposes that he and Clair leave the house, let the children have it and, unlike General MacArthur, never return.

Cliff follows up his "lost weekend" food binge with a day of emergency fasting for his annual blood test and physical. Despite his yeoman performance on the treadmill, the results indicate that his overindulgence in hoagies, chocolate soda and strawberry cheesecake must cease. Meanwhile, Denise is not fazed in the least by her firing from the record company. She picks herself up, dusts herself off, orders a large cheese pie – and then gets hired on as a waitress in the pizza parlor.

Cliff and Clair visit Elvin and Sondra for dinner, but find life in the couple's cramped apartment sorely lacking: inedible food, unclean tap water, malfunctioning appliances, and noise and distractions from the neighbors. With their first grandchild due to be born into this environment, Cliff and Clair try to persuade Elvin and Sondra to accept some help in finding a larger, safer apartment.

Vanessa falls victim to a rumor circulating around school that her boyfriend Roy has broken off their romance. Rudy offers her some sisterly advice. As her anxiety builds, Vanessa becomes increasingly clumsy. Meanwhile, Denise's prospective employer, a photojournalist who is preparing a book on pygmy tribes, persuades Cliff and Clair to allow Denise to accompany her to Africa.

Guest star: Lisa Bonet as Denise Huxtable

Bedlam erupts in the Huxtable kitchen when Sondra goes into labor. In his confusion, Elvin drives off to the hospital without her. When he and Sondra drive to the hospital, Sondra is forced to drive the car. Everyone gathers in the hospital waiting room to hear the surprise news – Sondra has delivered twins! Named Winnie and Nelson. Also, Elvin will be going back to medical school. Meanwhile, on the Huxtable's residence, Theo has second thoughts about his girlfriend, Justine, when he meets Julia, the beautiful co-ed who is dating his friend Howard. When Cliff and Clair returned home, she is trying to figure out what a "Grandma" is. Also, they enjoy the Spaghetti and meatballs, cooked by Theo and Howard.

Clair hopes an exercise instructor, known as "The Bonecrusher", will help her fit into her new evening gown. Clair throws herself into the workouts, but her efforts are undermined by a mischievous Cliff. It seems he is so upset that she has not told him about her plan to lose five pounds in a week that he will pull every underhanded trick in his book to "test" her willpower – including the ultimate temptation: guacamole and corn chips.

Clair's television career gets off to a rousing start when she is invited to be a guest panelist on a Sunday morning current events talk show. She is a big hit with the producers, but cannot stand the three insufferable chauvinists on the panel with her. Meanwhile, poor Cliff is suffering prewithdrawal pains; Clair has purchased a beautiful new sofa for the living room and his favorite old sofa and chair are to be banished from the house. In a moving finale, Cliff bids a sentimental farewell to his "old friends".

Cliff and Clair take a well-earned break from kids and chores, depositing Rudy at Grandma's, dropping Vanessa at a friend's house and heading for the Poconos. That leaves Theo alone in the house for the weekend. When his friends hear about it, they organized a party. But, somehow, the "intimate gathering" of close friends turns into an open house for hundreds, most of them strangers. The house is soon trashed, leaving Theo to face the wrath of Cliff, who wonders why there is "no place in America to get rid of your kid".

Cliff tracks down the only living relative of his unmarried patient, who is about to deliver her first child. Her grandfather, a 67-year-old former boxer named Ray Palomino is reluctant to get involved because he is afraid that his secret of being illiterate will be discovered. But thanks to an emotional delivery room meeting with his lovely granddaughter, some prodding from Cliff and a waiting room encounter with a retired English teacher who offers to coach him, the ex-fighter vows to make a "comeback".

Time marches on, but some things never change. Cliff rents his favorite children's movies for Rudy's party, but Rudy prefers more contemporary titles. Rudy patiently explains the facts of life, "It's a New Age. Dad – get with it!" and asks for permission to go to bed when she feels like it, instead of at 9:30. Crafty Cliff agrees, knowing full well that Rudy's enthusiasm for staying awake all night will wane in a week. She actually lasts four days, but not without first seeing (and borrowing hard-boiled dialogue from) every late night 1930s gangster movie on the tube.

Theo wants the freedom to date other women, but when his girlfriend Justine shows up at the college hangout with another guy, Theo's attitude turns her off. He tries turning to a voodoo expert, Dr. Lotus, for help in removing Scott from the picture, but he cannot afford the doctor's hefty fee. When Theo asks Dad for the money, Cliff has a much better (and cheaper) idea. He applies an old (and unbelievably messy) Huxtable family concoction to Theo's hands and face that is guaranteed to get Justine back – and teach Theo a valuable lesson.

Cliff proudly introduces Elvin and Theo to his former basketball coach. The boys ask the coach why Cliff is so "sour on basketball." The coach is intrigued, but Cliff will not tell him – until Clair pulls out a videotape of his last "game." This charity game at the hospital between a team of male doctors and a team of female lab technicians shows Cliff at his winded, flat-footed worst on the court and at his most underhanded and devious between whistles. Nancy Lieberman heads the women's team, while Walt Hazzard, Dave DeBusschere and Senator Bill Bradley lead the men. Also, Rudy and Vanessa admire an athletic Cliff in an old photo album and Cliff and Clair reminisce about his "glory days".

When Rudy interferes with Theo and Justine's chocolate mousse-making in the kitchen, Theo complains to Cliff that they are constantly being interrupted and are never alone. Cliff suggests that Theo take Justine to a long foreign film with subtitles if he really wants to be alone with her. When they cannot find one, Justine decides to work to pick up extra money and Theo agrees to help a beautiful drama student rehearse a play. But he gets carried away during a love scene and Justine breaks off their romance. Cliff advises Theo to beg, plead and then "go to the next level" if he wants to get her back. But even Theo's howling like a dog and groveling at her feet fails to change Justine's mind.

Guest star: Tichina Arnold

The kids launch Clair's 46th birthday with a candle in her morning grapefruit and a litany of references to how good she "still" looks. Cliff continues the assault with a description of how 50 is "right around the corner" and with a big sign that wishes her an (oops) "Happy 64th Birthday." Plácido Domingo provides one bright spot as he sings Bésame Mucho to her, but later, she must sit through an irreverent serenade from Cliff and a family "tribute" called When Mom Was My Age. The final indignity: Cliff tempts her to abandon her diet for not one but three calorie-laden whipped cream cakes. Overwhelmed at last, Clair plunges hungrily into one of the cakes – without a fork!

When Theo's friend Denny finds an expensive watch on the street, Theo and the gang suggest he give it to Jade, his new high-class girlfriend, to impress her. It works like a charm until the police show up and reveal that the watch was stolen days earlier. When Jade refuses to give up this "symbol of Denny's love," the police haul her into the station for questioning. Denny is forced to admit that he found the watch and Jade dumps him so Denny, Theo and the gang find themselves dateless on Saturday night. They take refuge in the Huxtable basement, pretending to be having a good time without their women, until Cliff's rambling non-sequiturs finally drive them out into the night.

Guest stars: Don Reed as Theo's friend Mitchell. Reed previously appeared as Chip St. Charles in four episodes of A Different World.

Theo wants to go to Egypt for an archaeological dig, so he brings the hosting professor to dinner to help convince his parents to spend $1,500.

Denise surprises Cliff and Clair by returning home a week early from Africa. But even more surprisingly, she brings with her a new husband, naval officer Martin Kendall, and his 3-year-old daughter, Olivia. Not only has she neglected to tell her parents about her marriage, she never even told them about Martin's existence. It doesn't take Cliff long to figure out where the newlyweds plan to live until Martin's naval housing is approved.

Cliff's story about how he and his roommates cleaned their floors in college inspires Theo and his buddies to strap soapy sponges to their butts and slide across the kitchen floor. Unfortunately, their landlord (who lives directly beneath them) is not amused by their ingenuity. Theo and his friends are evicted, spurring Cliff into immediate action to have them reinstated (lest Theo be forced to return to the Huxtable's already overcrowded house).

Guest star: Anthony Quinn

Vanessa and her girlfriends are asking for trouble when they play the alphabet game with a bottle of bourbon. Vanessa chug-a-lugs her way to a miserable night of sickness and through a nasty hangover the next day. But Cliff and Clair decide to hammer the lesson home even further. They devise an alphabet game of their own that includes Rudy, four shot glasses, a bottle of booze (really tea) and a confused and extremely reluctant Vanessa.

Even after raising three daughters, Cliff's in over his head when Rudy reports her first "boy trouble." Clarence, the boy she likes, likes her. But his friends taunt him about it, so he treats Rudy badly to quiet them. Clarence and Rudy's relationship quickly deteriorates from a love match to teasing, name-calling and a knock-down, drag-out fight. Cliff tries to give Rudy his facts-of-life speech (the one about boys being like helicopters and girls being like geraniums). But at the school dance, the wise Mrs. McGee pairs Rudy and Clarence and they mend fences all on their own.

Guest star: Elaine Stritch

Cliff's ingestion of a sausage hero immediately before bedtime brings on a dream in which spores contaminate the U.S. water supply (except in New Jersey) and impregnate thousands of men, including Cliff, Elvin and Martin. Theo, the only unwed mother-to-be, soon joins them. They commiserate and console each other, but their solace is short-lived. Contractions send them all to the hospital and into the most bizarre delivery room.

Cliff's late-night eating habits finally bite back. His nightmare is filled with such Muppet characters as overstuffed talking sandwiches, back-talking refrigerator denizens and a bloodthirsty mob of creatures in the operating theater of Cliff's hospital. It seems that Cliff is scheduled to perform a delicate operation for their viewing pleasure, but he somehow winds up on the table as the patient, before waking up safe and sound in his own bed.

Guest stars: The Muppets, performed by Steve Whitmire, Dave Goelz, Richard Hunt, Kevin Clash, Fran Brill, voice-over by Cliff's friend Jeffery Engels (Wallace Shawn)

Phylicia Rashād, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Lisa Bonet, Tempestt Bledsoe, Keshia Knight Pulliam and Raven-Symoné host this special episode featuring bloopers from the past five seasons.

Vanessa and her girlfriends display bad judgment when they deceive their way into borrowing a car belonging to one of the girls' brothers and making a trip to Baltimore to see a rock concert behind their parents' backs. The journey is disastrous: the car is stolen and stripped at a stop in Delaware, a con artist cheats them out of their concert tickets after their bus ride, and a pickpocket takes all their travel money just before they decide to go home. The girls are saved by running into a friend of one of the girls' brothers who provides them with bus fare. Back at home, the girls' deception is gradually unraveled: the Huxtables see news reports of a dangerous fire near the house where the girls claimed they would be staying and that the concert is in Baltimore, and learn of the stolen car and the girls' failure to report it. In the end, all the misfortunes pale in comparison to the reception that awaits Vanessa upon her return home – Clair tells her daughter that she may never be trusted again and sends her to bed with a severe pending punishment. Meanwhile, Olivia tries to impress Cliff with some jokes.

Denise applies to a local college, only to be told that her Hillman credits will not be accepted. She will have to enter as a freshman and need a tutor. She bemoans the fact that they will not give her credit for her "life experiences" – such as marriage and living at home with her parents. Always on the lookout for a shortcut to success, Denise is enthused when she hears Olivia's teacher using rap music to teach the children to count. But she is deflated again when she volunteers to become the teacher's apprentice and is turned down because she is without a college degree.

Guest stars: Max Roach and Suzzanne Douglass

Olivia cannot understand why she must go to church when God obviously wants her to go to the zoo with her friend. But after spending some time with Cliff's visiting great aunt Gramtee (Minnie Gentry), Olivia decides that she would rather take part in the family's togetherness in church the next day. Mavis Staples leads the choir and church in a rousing song.

Cliff and Clair look forward to reclaiming the house as another school year begins. Vanessa is on her way to college, and Rudy is rushed off to school. But Rudy's afraid that her prepubescent body will not measure up with the other sixth-graders, and Olivia is starting her first day of pre-school. Finally, Cliff and Clair's peaceful afternoon is shattered when a weary Theo returns from his whirlwind, 17-day European tour.

Theo's plan to hire a stripper for brother-in-law Martin's belated bachelor party sets off sparks in the Huxtable house and ignites a fight between the men and women in the family. While the men call the striptease "traditional," the women consider it sexist and demeaning. Grandma and Grandpa Huxtable show up later and get involved in the quarreling. But by the time the battle wanes, its participants are in a romantic mood again. Is it the influence of reason or, as Cliff claims, the secret ingredient in his barbecue sauce?

Clair's teenage cousin Pam Tucker moves into the Huxtable home, triggering a period of adjustment for all concerned. Although she appreciates the upscale surroundings, Cliff and Clair's rules cause difficulty for the lifestyle she is accustomed to. Pam has already accepted an invitation from her boyfriend Slide, but is blocked by the Huxtables' curfew. However, while testing the waters, she begins to appreciate the value of the curfew and the wisdom of its enforcers.

Pam's boyfriend Slide wants to take their relationship to "the next level" but Pam has reservations. Cliff and Clair's advice strengthens Pam's resolve to take things at her own speed. But caught between his friends and his hormones, Slide keeps pressing until Pam explodes in indignation. Still, she does not want to lose him to another girl. Meanwhile, Olivia introduces the family to Dwayne, an invisible Saint Bernard who becomes a most convenient scapegoat for all of Olivia's escapades.

Having broken up with Slide, Pam sets her sights on Aaron, a new student whose intelligence, compassion, and integrity are all exceptional. Meanwhile, Alfred, a nervous expectant father, turns to Cliff for tips on how to play basketball with his future son. Alfred also gets some insights from Theo on how boys view their fathers when it comes to sports. And both Alfred and Cliff get an enlightening lesson from their wives. Finally, Olivia announces her intention of becoming a doctor as well as a professional football player.

It's playoff time, but Sondra upsets Elvin's football-watching plans by promising their help in moving two friends to a new apartment. Afraid he will miss the entire game, Elvin enlists the aid of his brothers Theo and Martin to hurry things along, which they do while bickering with Sondra and Nancy. Meanwhile, Clair demonstrates some impressive baton-twirling moves, while Olivia sticks to her original plan to become "Dr. Crusher, Middle Linebacker".

Theo is just one good grade away from the Dean's List. Fortified with devil's-food donuts and chocolate milk, he is determined to cram for tomorrow's economics final, until he lifts his head from the book in the college cafe and locks eyes with the girl of his dreams. Theo escorts Cheryl to a party instead of studying. Yet even while close dancing, his mind wanders to current indicators and the Gross National Product.

Theo helps Pam improve her grades – so much so that she starts thinking about college. Unfortunately, her Ivy League dreams are dashed by the nightmare of how much it will cost to get there. Her classmates are no help either, jealous of her improving grades. At home, Olivia announces her intention to become President, certain that will give her the power to create her own flag, eat turkey stuffed with french fries and stay up late.

Basketball coach Ray Evans (John Ritter) and his wife Alicia (Amy Yasbeck) have devised the perfect plan for the birth of their first child. Their practice sessions run like clockwork, but when the first contractions begin, Ray falls apart. Three hours into labor, a stressed-out Alicia turns on him – blaming Ray for "her condition." After being thrown out of the room, it falls on Cliff to raise Ray's spirits.

When Cliff and Dr. Harmon ditch their wives to team up for the charity pinochle tournament, the rejected spouses decide to enter the tournament themselves. But when the wives defeat the defending champions, suddenly only Cliff and Jim stand between them and the coveted trophy. Meanwhile, with Rudy as baby-sitter, Olivia pouts her way into staying up late and watching a horror movie. But when their imaginations detect monsters in the house, the girls take measures to protect themselves.

Olivia, in bed with a cold and laryngitis, is miserable because she will not be able to sing at Russell and Anna Huxtable's 55th wedding anniversary. Despite the exotic home remedies suggested by the steady stream of would-be-doctors in the house, it is Cliff who actually saves the day by finding a way for Olivia to voice her feelings at the party. Meanwhile, Lance and Charmaine reminisce about the high points of their romance, but their fuzzy memories are no match for Aaron's total recall of even the most obscure events in his and Pam's recent relationship.

It's bowling night: Cliff's team loses, and it falls on him to buy dinner. During the post-game Chinese meal, Carleton and Dr. Harmon – two cricket-playing Caribbean natives – must endure a walk down baseball's memory lane led by baseball greats (Frank Robinson and Joe Black).

Everyone tries to keep Cliff from hearing about the 50%-off sale at Jake's, his favorite appliance store. But their efforts are to no avail: Cliff already has set his sights on an electric sander. While at the store, Cliff hears Jake recount the story of the damages he had to pay to Stanley Rappaport, his former friend (and now worst enemy), for a traffic accident. It does not mean much to Cliff until Jake's daughter Cookie introduces Cliff to her fiance, Jonathan Rappaport, and begs Cliff to reconcile Jake with Jonathan's father, Stanley.

Guest stars: Red Buttons, E. G. Marshall and Audrey Landers.

Theo begins his internship in psychology as a counselor at a local community center. His new charges test him immediately. Wise to their tricks because he used to pull them himself, Theo is initially in control, then loses his cool. The next day, he is less concerned about his image and more interested in helping his kids. One student, Stanley, reminds him of himself when he was younger: defensive about his messy notebook, sloppy handwriting, and slow reading speed. Theo begins to suspect that Stanley has a learning disability, too.

Guest star: Lynne Thigpen

Vanessa, home from college, announces her engagement. She then reveals her year-long relationship and six-month engagement to Dabnis, a college maintenance supervisor who is almost 30 years old. Since Cliff and Clair did not know that Vanessa was even dating anyone, the news is a shock. Cliff and Clair take turns confronting their supposedly level-headed daughter. Clair voices concern about how far apart Vanessa and Dabnis are in age, while Cliff questions Vanessa's belated presentation of her fiance.

Rudy and two girlfriends don makeup and trendy clothes to crash The Exchange, an over-16 dance club in New York City. Cliff and Clair overhear the plan and decide to let them go – with Pam, Lance, and Charmaine as secret chaperones. Since the teen club is a big step down for them, the three mature high schoolers are hoping that no one recognizes them. A clubgoer tries to hit on Rudy and her friends; Lance steers him away without blowing his cover. But when Pam wins a chance to dance with headline rapper J.T. Freeze, she completely loses her cool.

Olivia is upset because Martin is leaving for the Orient. After extracting a promise that he will not leave without saying goodbye, Olivia hides herself in the living room closet, hoping to delay his departure indefinitely. The rest of the family prepares to welcome legendary African singer Miriam Makeba to the Huxtable home. But Ms. Makeba almost gets lost in the shuffle when Martin comes downstairs to leave, Olivia is nowhere to be found and the whole family abandons their honored guest to search for the six-year-old.

Guest star: Joseph C. Phillips as Martin Kendall

Eager for extra cash, Pam fills in for Cliff's regular assistant. Everything is under control until Mrs. Minifield bypasses the hospital and arrives on Cliff's doorstep with contractions less than four minutes apart. Meanwhile, Kenny shows up to work on a school science project with Rudy and Stanley. Hoping to make Rudy jealous, Kenny has brought along his girlfriend of three days, Deirdre. Rudy sees through Kenny's plan, and so does Deirdre. Only after being abandoned by Deirdre does he realize that he actually likes her.

Guest star: Ed Lover

Knowing Cliff's penchant for junk food, Clair searches Cliff's favorite hiding places for chips and cookies before she leaves for a business trip. All she finds are fruits, vegetables, and other healthful items. With the help of every condiment in the refrigerator, the girls manage to make palatable Cliff's dinner of boiled chicken, brown rice, and steamed broccoli. Later, Sondra intercepts a late-night delivery of Buffalo chicken wings, pizza, and ice cream.

Guest star: Debbi Morgan

Clair reports that Sondra, Elvin, and finally ready to move out. While Elvin and Sondra supervise the unloading in New Jersey, Winnie and Nelson remain under the supervision of Cliff, who would rather take a nap. A game of hide-and-seek ensues and Cliff knocks over the grandfather clock, breaking it. Elvin then returns to explain to Cliff that now he and Sondra have moved to New Jersey, Elvin's family needs a second car – Cliff's station wagon.

Preparing for a school project, Olivia seeks out a more reliable source after Cliff tells her outrageous stories about himself at age six. Olivia talks to Russell, who relates some interesting (and true) stories about the young Cliff that even Cliff has forgotten. Meanwhile, Theo's students at the community center thrash out the moral and ethical dilemma presented by their discovery of a monogrammed money clip containing $600 in cash.

Clair hosts a group of Hillman College alumnae who have gathered to plan a testimonial for a much-loved professor. While trying to come up with a way to describe the colorful woman, Clair and her friends reminisce about their fun-filled college days. Meanwhile, Olivia persuades Cliff to get a beauty makeover in her new makeshift hair salon.

Sondra and Elvin want to provide for the twins in their will. After seeing a lawyer to draw up a will, they narrow the field of candidates for guardianship of the twins to Cliff, Clair, and Theo. After Rudy oversteps her bounds and Clair reminds her who's in charge, Rudy turns sullen and surly.

While Clair provides some last-minute legal aid for a public radio station, Cliff finds himself sitting in on a live radio broadcast with Latin Jazz stars Graciela, Willie Colón, and Mario Bauzá and his Afro-Cuban Jazz Orchestra. Meanwhile, Kenny gets his first job, babysitting Olivia.

In her annual plea, Clair begs Cliff to just hand over his receipts and let her and the accountant work out the tax return. But Cliff wants to stake his claims first – to Elvin, Sondra, the twins, Olivia, and Pam as Huxtable dependents.

Caught without an appropriate gift for Deirdre's birthday, Kenny tells her he has planned a party for her at the Huxtables. When Deirdre realizes the party was planned last-minute, she dumps Kenny forever. Desperately, Kenny appeals to Stanley for help. Stanley helps as he knows that unless he can convince Deirdre to take Kenny back, Rudy and Kenny may start developing feelings for each other.

In the series finale, Cliff invites a long list of friends and relatives to Theo's graduation despite a scarcity of tickets, forcing Theo to scrounge up every spare ticket he can find. Denise calls from Singapore to tell the family that she and Martin are expecting a baby. Vanessa and Dabnis arrive, providing mixed signals to everyone about their current relationship. At the commencement ceremony, Cliff thinks back eight years to the day he used Monopoly money to illustrate the harsh realities of life to the then 15-year-old Theo. By the time Cliff emerges from his reverie, Theo is already a graduate. That evening, after the doorbell is finally fixed, Cliff and Clair dance intimately one last time in the Huxtable living room – and then dance off the set, walk past the audience, and leave the studio.

This episode was immediately followed by a three-minute 'thank you' tribute from NBC.