A grudge against Bayside's newest student, who just transferred from rival Valley High, causes strife for all involved until a lecture from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar sets the record straight.
Hurt feelings and chaos abound when Katie prints an exaggerated article in the school newspaper about the football team. Meanwhile, Maria is jealous of the attention Tony gets from girls and Screech brings a tiger into Bayside.
At the mall, Eric dates Nicky's cousin, but Nicky must decide whether to tell her Eric is dating other girls. Maria and Liz vie for the attention of a personal trainer and Screech tries to get a job at Gadgets and Gimmicks with Mr. Belding.
As the homecoming game approaches, sleep deprivation threatens Eric's ability to keep up with his responsibilities. Katie, Nicky, and Liz set Maria and Tony up on a blind date,, and Mr. Belding worries when his old bully returns to Bayside.
Tony's addiction to cigar smoking could jeopardize his place on the football team. Meanwhile, Mr. Belding takes an acting class with a teacher who hates him when it's discovered he was a credit short graduating high school.
Maria and Tony compete against Katie and Nicky on a teen couples' television show, but the producers give Maria and Tony the answers ahead of time and must decide whether to cheat. Meanwhile, Mr. Belding and Screech buy a motorcycle.
At the mall, Katie must decide whether to confront her boss for sexually harassing her. Meanwhile, Eric tries to help Tony overcome his fear of hamsters while Screech films a commercial for Gadgets and Gimmicks full of false advertising.
When Maria is asked to run The Max while the manager is away, Tony feels insecure with his girlfriend in charge of him. Meanwhile, Eric wants revenge after Nicky spreads a secret about him while Mr. Belding and Screech seek counseling.
Liz dates an emotionally abusive and manipulative guy. Meanwhile, Tony and Eric think Nicky stole the reward money for a bracelet they found, while Screech becomes obsessive with organizing Bayside--and Mr. Belding--after he attends a seminar.
At the mall, Nicky is promoted to weekend manager of the theater, but jeopardizes his and Tony's jobs when he lets people in for free, Meanwhile, Liz is put in charge of the mall walkers while Mr. Belding coaches Screech about love.
Liz takes losing the city swimming championship hard and considers leaving Bayside. Meanwhile, Nicky, Eric, and Tony fight over the theme for a fundraiser dance while Mr. Belding and Screech struggle to fire an aging janitor.
At the mall, when Tony's dad shows up wanting Tony to move to San Diego with him, the gang, Mr. Belding, and Screech help Tony find the courage to tell his dad he wants to stay in L.A.
At the mall, Maria and Eric become so competitive to win a gift certificate that they lose sight of the Christmas toy drive the contest is supposed to benefit. Meanwhile, Screech has trouble selling a chess computer he's become fond of.