Joel Larsen competes in the science fair in order to not flunk the class. He tries to ride the coat-tails of Andrew Wages, a brainy science kid who supposedly invents the technology for satellite TV in the future and owns millions. The side-story is about the Larsen family coming together after Joel helps them steal cable TV from the Nachman's.

Tired of not having money, Joel decides to get a job by selling paper. Something his future self used to do.

Joel makes desperate attempts to call his father's attention on his wedding anniversary and try to make him give his mother more attention, because the man who broke up their marriage and later married his mom is just starting to put moves on her. He makes a romantic dinner for his parents with old home movies from their engagement party and makes his father invade her private ceramic lesson to stop anything from happening between his wife and the teacher, but all he finds is an unfinished cigar holder she was making him. Joel saved his parents marriage, but can he explain why he was hanging out in a bar with his sister after she made fake IDs for them?