George's rival in the dry cleaning business, Cunningham, is running a campaign due to the Bicentennial celebration. This prompts George to come up with his own campaign and decides to dress up as Thomas Jefferson to lure in new customers.
Florence breaks down and tells Louise that she's losing her apartment due to the fact that the building is going to be torn down, this leads Louise to offer Florence a live-in maid position at the Jeffersons. Now the only problem is to get George to allow her to accept the job.
George is sneaking around trying to hide the fact that he's opening another store. He goes so far as to convince Louise he's having an affair after she discovers a love letter she thinks is to him from a woman named Adele. However, Adele is really Bentley's girlfriend, and Adele wrote the letter to Bentley.
Lionel is ecstatic about his first day at his new job. However, when he is forced to take a lie detector test to verify everything in his portfolio, he promptly quits. Meanwhile, Louise and George plan for a family portrait to be taken.
George sets out to get a diploma after Lionel lies about George's education to his college pals saying he graduated from Harvard.
George is ready to sell out to a big corporation after a company makes him a lucrative offer. This would make him a vice president however, after reading over a booklet on the rules and regulations, George discovers that this would also mean some of his best workers will be forced into retirement.
The family is displeased with Lionel's news that he's moving out, and outraged at his choice of a roommate. Lionel: Damon Evans. Louise: Isabel Sanford. George: Sherman Hemsley. Helen: Roxie Roker. Tom: Franklin Cover. Jenny: Berlinda Tolbert.
George becomes indebted to Tom after he gives George the Heimlich remover at Charlie's bar, when George begins to choke on some popcorn. However, George quickly finds away to end the debt after everyone makes a fuss over Tom's good deed.
Jenny comes down with a case of premarital jitters and begins to doubt her feelings for Lionel. However, her feelings are tested when George, Tom and Lionel all appear to have been in a bus crash on their way to a football game.
George interferes in Lionel and Jenny's relationship by suggesting to Lionel that he have Jenny sign a pre-nuptial agreement. This leads to Jenny and Lionel to get into an argument which ends in them calling off the wedding.
One early morning, Louise and George are startled to discover a man in the kitchen, it isn't until after George threatens to beat him with a trophy, that he learns that Florence let him spend the night. This leads to a major argument resulting in Florence quitting her job.
Christmas eve brings disharmony to the Jefferson household when George argues with Tom over the preparations for Lionel and Jenny's wedding which is to take place that evening.
Louise is reading a book to try to help her to remember things, but the one thing George doesn't want her to forget, she does. She forgets to call his broker to invest some money, after he gets a stock tip. Meanwhile, Florence takes a Judo class.
Harry is having problems with the person who parks his car next to him in the garage. Seeking advice, Harry goes to George. However, George's advice lands Harry in jail, after he punches out a police officer. Meanwhile, Louise is looking forward to a trip to California.
Louise is fed up with George's workaholic attitude and urges him to get a hobby. However, the hobby he chooses has her worried sick, he's decided to take up flying.
George feels guilty for not staying in touch with the members of a childhood gang, after the death of one of the members. This leads George to hold a reunion at the apartment which also leads to a confrontation with the leader, JoJo.
George's latest business deal is with a black man married to a white woman, so when he invites them over for dinner, he also has Tom and Helen come over, to make it look like he doesn't have racial prejudices. However, when Tom and Helen discover his plot, they storm out before the guests have arrived. This leads to George having Florence and Ralph impersonate Tom and Helen.
Lionel falls ill while visiting his parents and Louise goes all out to take care of him. When Jenny comes over, she wants to take care of her sick husband which leads to a battle between who gets to take care of him, Lionel's mother or Lionel's wife.
After learning that Tom and Helen are taking a course on how to improve their marriage, and seeing their results, Louise tries to get George to take the course with her. However, George refuses to consider the possibility that their marriage could use improvement.
Louise is taking French lessons and makes a friend with one of her classmates. However, when George discovers that her friend is a man, he is furious and can't believe that a woman can be just good friends with a man. This leads to yet another argument which leaves George sleeping on the couch.
Mother Jefferson invites a secret guest over for dinner and Louise and George are curious. When George learns that the guest is his old girlfriend, Harriet Johnson, he goes all out getting ready. However, George quickly learns Harriet has her own secret agenda.
Jenny has just one a scholarship to study for the summer at Oxford in England. Lionel thinks it would be a great experience for Jenny, that is until he learns his company won't transfer him there.
George is in the running for a prestigious award and is out to beat a fierce competitor by pledging more to a charity than his competitors. He pledges his money to open up a youth center in Harlem, however, when he learns he lost, he plans to withdraw his pledge.
George, Tom, Helen, Harry and Florence are all sneaking around to set up a surprise birthday party for Louise. However, Louise is not exactly in a party mood after she comes back from a checkup at the doctor's office.