With Stephen and Elyse away for the weekend, Alex hosts a wild party and worries over Mallory going off with one of his womanizing friends. Elyse tries to rein in Stephen's competitive streak.
Jennifer finds herself at the mercy of peer pressure when she is teased for being friends with a boy. But having invited both boys and girls to her birthday party, she has to decide how to deal with the problem.
Steven's father arrives for a visit, resulting in the two clashing as always. When his father reveals an important piece of news, Steven begins to question their whole relationship.
It's Thanksgiving at the Keatons', but the turkey dinner might have to wait when Steven and Elyse head to an anti-nuclear weapons rally and get arrested - infuriating the kids as well as Elyse's parents.
Alex becomes frustrated by his job as a clerk at a struggling neighborhood grocery, and leaves for a better-paying job at a larger store - but he begins to question where he felt more appreciated and fulfilled.
After burglars rob their house, Steven and Elyse try to reconcile their pacifism with their safety concerns as they invest in a gun to protect their home.
When a snowstorm ruins their Christmas skiing plans, the Keatons are stuck at home reminiscing about the circumstances in which each of the kids was born.