Cory learns that there is no such thing as "a perfect family" when he is assigned to get in a group with Shawn, Topanga and Minkus and work together as a family.

Shawn is afraid of getting into trouble after a cherry bomb prank gone wrong—he blew up Alan Matthews' supermarket's mailbox, so he runs away from home, and asks Cory if he can stay in his room in secrecy.