Shawn's dad leaves in search of his runaway wife, and Shawn moves in with Cory's family temporarily. Meanwhile, Eric is having trouble studying for his SATs.

Cory is utterly surprised when Topanga starts avoiding him, and then breaks up with him, when he tells her that he loves her.

After he dumps his girlfriend, Shawn finds a lost purse and falls in love with its owner based on the items it contains.

Cory gets Topanga a promise ring for Christmas, but has doubts about it--and their future--when he learns they have different holiday traditions.

Cory's upset that Alan engages only in conversation with him, but plays sports with Eric. So Alan and Eric take Cory sky diving. Afterward, Cory's better, but Eric's hurt that he and Alan don't communicate.

When Topanga finds that she can't say "I do" at the altar, things get worse as Amy gets angry and Eric tries to stop Mr. Feeny's retirement party.

After Cory is introduced to art prodigy Alexandra Nechita, he develops an inferiority complex and blames his lack of skills on his "average" father. Meanwhile, Alexandra, lonely touring without anyone her own age, befriends Morgan.

In an effort to become more popular, Eric creates a TV show similar to The Truman Show featuring his roommates, but it's Rachel who becomes the campus darling. Meanwhile, Cory and Shawn expect special treatment from Mr. Feeny.

Shawn and Jack's ne'er-do-well father Chet reappears on campus suddenly and, confronted by an angry Shawn, promises that he has come to stay and make amends to his sons for never being there for them. But after treating them to a steak dinner and consuming a piece of Rachel's "killer" chocolate cake, Chet suffers a heart attack. Shawn reveals that his anger at his father is partly fear that his own apparent inability to connect emotionally is inherited, and it appears a reconciliation might taken place -- then Chet has a second attack and dies. This is a powerful and quite touching episode, with a particularly affecting performance from Rider Strong, marred only by the obligatory presence of the entire cast in the emergency ward.

To take his mind off his dad's death, Shawn takes Cory along on a soul-searching road trip in Chet's trailer, where they end up at a truck stop where the young waitresses (portrayed by band Nobody's Angel) are searching for something more, just like Shawn -- and Cory discovers that Shawn has no intention of returning home. Shawn must persuade Cory to let him go, just as the girls' father/boss must let them find their own way. Meanwhile, Eric tries to understand the kiss he witnessed between Jack and Rachel -- as do they; and Shawn discovers that his father, a truck stop regular, was secretly very proud of him. In a surprise code, Chet's ghost appears to Shawn as father and son finally reconcile their differences and Shawn drives off into his uncertain future.

Cory becomes upset when Topanga seems less interested in spending Valentine's Day with him than with consoling Amy about the last stages of her pregnancy, so when Topanga decides to cheer Amy up with a baby shower, Cory takes charge. Unfortunately his concept of a baby shower turns out to be a female version of a bachelor party, complete with a pizza-guy stripper, but the disgusted guests are distracted when Amy's waters break and she is rushed to hospital for a premature delivery -- one which the new Matthews baby may not survive. Meanwhile, Shawn is still on the road to nowhere; Morgan is less than happy about the arrival of a new sibling; and Jack and Rachel worry about the effect of revealing their new relationship to Eric -- who announces he already knows, and is moving out.

Topanga's decision to end things with Cory affects Angela's resolve to reunite with Shawn. Meanwhile, Jack and Rachel don't fare much better, and Eric sees his chance to move back in vanish after the ladies come knocking.

As Cory and Shawn hit Pittsburgh to reunite Topanga's folks, WWF star Mankind refs a battle between Jack, Eric and the ladies over possession of the apartment.