Episode
Cosby: The Rules
Overview
When Hilton realizes that Griffin and Erica's friends are taking over his house -- watching his television and eating all his food, he decides that if they live in his house, Griffin and Erica will have to live by his rules. Reluctantly, Griffin and Erica agree to abide by Hilton's strict new set of house rules, including Rule #5 -- thou shall not alloweth men upstairs. So when Erica's boyfriend, Julius (guest star Darryl M. Bell, reprising the role), shows up in her bedroom, Erica attempts to keep it a secret from her father. Meanwhile, Hilton is busy on a mission to kill a stray mouse -- although Julius mistakenly believes that he is the target of Hilton's assassination plans.
Details
- Series
- Cosby
- Season
- Season 2
- Episode
- Episode 3
- Air date
- 1997-09-29
- Runtime
- 30 min
Episode context
The Rules is Episode 3 in Season 2 of Cosby. It aired on 1997-09-29. The runtime is 30 min.
Previous / Next
Episode 2: Wake up and Smell the Coffeehouse
By chance, Hilton brings Erica's freshly baked chocolate chip cookies to the struggling flower shop for Ruth and Pauline to enjoy and, just as he's setting out the coffee, strangers approach and ask to buy the goodies. This gives Hilton an idea and, much to Ruth and Pauline's dismay, he invests in a super-deluxe, super-expensive espresso machine, forces Erica to wake-up in the middle of the night to bake cookies, and turns what was an ordinary florist shop into The Flower Cafe.
Episode 4: Two Cents
When Griffin's non-stop eating starts to get on Hilton's nerves, and Hilton's non-stop opinion-giving begins to get to Griffin, the two challenge each other to a 24-hour contest to see which man has more self-control. Meanwhile, Ruth, Erica and Pauline decide that if they have to put up with the men's nonsense, they are going to have a little fun at their expense. And fun they have as they make Griffin suffer watching them eat a three-course meal of his favorite foods and Hilton agonize as he watches Erica walk out the door -- for a Las Vegas weekend getaway with Julius!
More episodes from this season
Episode 1: About My Life
The walls come tumbling down this year for Hilton Lucas more ways than one. First, there's the so-called ""fourth wall,"" the theatrical term for the imaginary line that separates actors from the audience. Starting with tonight's second-season opener, Cosby crosses that line as Hilton addresses viewers, takes them into his confidence and even mugs at the camera over plot developments. And he's got a lot to react to, beginning with two new tenants. Daughter Erica moves back home; and neighbor Griffin loses his shirt in a record deal and takes up residence in the Lucas attic, which he begins to renovate. There goes another wall. After Hilton encourages Erica and Griffin to ""take risks and pursue their dreams,"" they do just that and the results become Hilton's nightmare. Erica quits her high-paying job at the law firm and moves home to save money and study to become a chef, and Griffin has to move into the Lucas attic after a business deal goes bad -- forcing him to rent out the lovely hous
Episode 5: Older and Out
Hilton is overjoyed when he meets new friends Chuck and Larry and joins their ""Older and Out"" team, since he's also older and he's ""out"" keeping busy. Ruth discovers that Chuck is gay, and she mistakenly believes that her husband of more than 30 years may have feelings for a man! Blaming herself for letting the spark go out of the marriage, Ruth sets off to win him back before a surprised Hilton discovers the real meaning of ""Older and Out.""
Episode 6: Lucas Smartypantsicus
Pauline is absolutely thrilled that after years of being the single friend, she has finally become a couple with her new boyfriend, Gregory, a self-absorbed, self-proclaimed genius who disturbs Hilton. So when she decides to dump him because he's too uptight, Ruth thinks that Hilton is really the one to blame and sends him off to remedy the situation. But when Hilton, Griffin and Gregory team up at The Steinway Street Pub, they end up good buddies, and big, big winners too, in a trivia game.
Episode 7: Last Man Standing
A doctor places Hilton under strict quarantine after he catches the stomach flu. Griffin warns Hilton not to escape quarantine, but he doesn't listen and, one by one, everyone in the household drops, leaving Hilton to don his nurse's uniform. As he runs from sickbed to sickbed tending to his patients' needs, Hilton discovers that the members of his household are not at their best when they are sick - but he's determined to maintain his excellent bedside manner.
Episode 8: Dating Games
When Ruth's snobbish sister-in law Debra throws an engagement party for her daughter, Hilton and Ruth try to steal some of Debra's thunder. They arrange for Erica to bring a handsome date to the party, but they get some unexpected results. When the night of the big engagement party finally arrives, Erica discovers that the date she chose for Erica, Philip, has turned from the choir boy she knew into a funky rapper. Hilton is surprised to find that Arthur, his candidate, is now a bicycle repairman. But Debra is the most shocked of all when her picture perfect evening has a not-so-perfect ending. Meanwhile, Griffin makes some serious moves on his date, Tammy, a young woman trying to get over a broken heart.
Episode 9: The Pilot (Not the Pilot)
Fasten your seat belts. When Griffin tries to back out of a lucrative out-of-state concert gig because of a flying phobia, Hilton vows that he will get Griffin on the plane - no matter what it takes. When the commercial airline is grounded, Hilton calls on an old airline buddy with a private plane, and they're joined by Jack, who volunteers to underwrite the flight. But thanks to Jack, the pilot passes out, and it's up to Hilton to bring the plane down -- safely.
Episode 10: Lucas Raymondicus
Frank Barone has been telling his son about sinking the winning shot in the 1955 Queens hampionship since the day he was born. So when Frank pleads with Hilton to help him save face with his son by lying for him, Hilton reluctantly agrees. But then Gwendolyn Brooks High plans a ceremony honoring Frank - and he tells the school that Hilton can't come because he's dead - Hilton decides that enough is enough and goes forward to set the record straight.
Episode 11: Shall We Dance
Ruth surprises Hilton when she enrolls him in tap dancing classes as a birthday gift. He skips the classes, but tells Ruth that he is making remarkable progress. When Ruth announces that she is going to attend the dance recital, Hilton must take a crash course in fancy footwork, or risk having his deception exposed. The coffee shop hosts it's first poetry night.
Episode 12: The Two Hilton Lucases
Hilton and Griffin get jobs as telemarketers, hoping to win a fabulous office prize -- a weekend for two at The Plaza Hotel in Manhattan. Hilton is afraid to tell his wife, knowing she will disapprove of his new job. Instead, he lies and claims that his new job is driving Danny Aiello's limo. Griffin tries to improve his sales record by taking Hilton's advice to create a new persona -- he pretends to be Hilton. So when Ruthie overhears ""Hilton Lucas"" on a sexy phone call, she thinks that her husband is having an affair and blames the whole thing on his new employer, Aiello.
Episode 13: A Team of His Own
Ruth must deal with a bunch of know-it-alls. Her husband Hilton ""knows"" that his community center boys' basketball team could beat her girls' team, and her star player Nikki ""knows"" that the game should be only about scoring the points. So when Ruth challenges Hilton to a boy/girl game, he has a lot to do to get his star players in shape, and Ruth must teach Nikki about teamwork. Hilton gets a lesson in what girls can do when WNBA ""New York Liberty"" team members Teresa Weatherspoon and Kym Hampton show-up at the gym for a clinic and run a couple of their finest plays.