The Hogans are off to California to help cheer up Sandy and Michael's father, who has just gone through a divorce. While there, Mark and Willie become interested in the local girls, and David crashes a film set.
After the storm, Sandy tries to convince Lloyd to return to live with them in Chicago. Mark gets it into his head that Cara is being unfaithful so he goes on a date with another girl. Dave finally gets fed up with Jennifer's demands .
To help out Mrs. Poole for a short time, Sandy looks after her niece, who is baby girl. However, as she has to leave, Sandy passes the baby onto Dave to look after. Dave then tricks Mark and Willie into looking after her.
Mark challenges Willie to try out for the lead in the school play and, to everybody's surprise, he gets the role. Dave talks Sandy into stop buying so many raffle tickets. Lloyd and Michael start to play golf together.
Dave's 21st is coming up, so Michael gives him a pocket watch that is a Hogan family heirloom, given to the eldest male in the family. Unfortunately, Dave breaks it. A mix-up leads to Mark and Willie being sacked from Bossy Burger.
Sandy's ex-husband Richard is getting remarried, and he asks Dave to be his best man. Sandy is not happy with the situation, but goes to the wedding anyway. Lloyd buys Mark and Willie a motorcycle without asking Michael first.
Dave is having a woman drought, so he decides to wear Michael's pilot's uniform. He also uses Michael's name, and goes to a bar with Burt, with some initial success. Things go wrong when the woman he meets turns up at the Hogan house.
There's conflict in the video store between Lloyd and Michael. Dave helps Burt run for student body treasurer. Mark and Cara are forced up to his room to study for a test - but after they fall asleep, nobody believes nothing happened.
While filming Mark at his volunteer job at the hospital, David discovers that his best friend, Rich, is dying of AIDS and makes a documentary film of Rich's last months.
Mark and Willie are desperate for a job. When Dave's new girlfriend mentions a job opening at a shoe store, they hurry to get there before she does. Sandy thinks Mrs. Poole is having an affair with a new teacher at her school.
The plumber says the Hogan house is jinxed, because every 20 years the woman of the house is injured. Sandy has a bad day, and Dave believes in the jinx. Willie and Brenda have a fight, which causes him to have two dates on the same night.
Dave needs money for a ski trip. When he becomes a Santa Claus at a local mall, he learns about the real spirit of Christmas. Lloyd is trying to re-institute the old Hogan family Christmas traditions, but faces opposition from the family.