Alone and fending for himself during the holidays, Steve shatters Laura's old fashioned Christmas ornament along with holiday visiting privileges at the Winslows'. Meanwhile, Carl does battle with other shoppers as he searches for a scarce teddy bear for Richie.
For a class project, Laura is "married" to Steve for a week. Meanwhile, Harriette complains that Carl and she haven't had a romantic date in a long time.
Steve schemes to take the reluctant Laura to a hot-ticket concert; Carl takes out his frustrations on the family, unable to shake the memory of a shooting he feels he could have prevented in the aftermath of a hostage case.
A charming, mysterious figure, claiming to be a family friend from the past, comes to visit - and turns out to be Harriette and Rachel's long-lost father.
After an escalating spat with his father, grounded Eddie escapes from the house to keep a date, and Harriette must mediate a father-son feud when Carl gets tired of Eddie's attitude and Eddie threatens to move out.
When Carl, Eddie and Steve go ice fishing at Lake Wanna-muck, Carl has a potentially critical accident. Meanwhile, Judy's agitated by the attention Richie receives.
A sultry new neighbor is interested in Carl. Laura's surprised to find herself jealous when Steve lavishes attention to a girl she herself pointed him towards.
A braggart with a badge transfers to Carl's divisions just in time for the precinct's annual dance contest, which Carl and Harriette aim to win by dancing circles around their fierce rival.
When Eddie cracks up the family car, Steve suggests raising repair money at an illegal gambling hangout. Meanwhile, Carl accidentally dumps Harriette and Rachel's great aunt's cremains into a trash can with fireplace log ashes.
Richie refuses to give Judy credit for a cake they both made, so Rachel tells them how Eddie took credit for a story written by Steve, and how Carl shared his glory with Lt. Murtagh.
Carl finds a diamond bracelet and wrestles with doing the right thing, as does Steve, who holds in his hands the academic fate of his romantic rival, Todd, who needs Steve's tutoring skills.