The Cosby Show: Season 4
Season 4 Lore Primer
Key plot threads, lore context, and character stakes you need to remember before diving into this season.
- Picks up essential narrative continuity directly following the events of The Cosby Show Season 3.
- Character alliances, factions, and personal loyalties undergo significant shifts under escalating stakes.
- Addresses unresolved cliffhangers and thematic mysteries introduced during previous seasons.
- Establishes the primary seasonal conflict that drives serialized character arcs toward the finale.
Episode Guide
Season 4 Progress Shield
Call of the Wild
Sep 24, 1987 · 22 min
The newlywed Sondra and Elvin return from their honeymoon with shocking news for Cliff and Clair.
Theogate
Oct 1, 1987 · 22 min
Theo and Cockroach come home unusually late from a track meet. They both deny anything out of the ordinary happened, but Clair knows better. A mock trial is held to get to the bott
It's Not Easy Being Green
Oct 8, 1987 · 22 min
Rudy wants to wear summer clothes in winter to a party, while Cliff tries to get rid of an old water heater.
Cliff's Mistake
Oct 15, 1987 · 22 min
While setting up the house as a "haunted house" for Halloween, Cliff discovers he's lost a power drill that his neighbor loaned to him.
Shakespeare
Oct 22, 1987 · 22 min
Theo must read ‘Julius Caesar’ for school, but complains that it is boring. Russell and his friends read scenes from the play aloud, and Theo is enthralled.
That's Not What I Said
Oct 29, 1987 · 22 min
Cliff and Clair have an argument after Theo gets detained by police for riding in a car with an unlicensed driver.
Autumn Gifts
Nov 5, 1987 · 22 min
Rudy goes to an older widowed lady's house each afternoon to have tea and play cards, but notices that she refuses to take her daily medication for diabetes.
Looking Back
Nov 12, 1987 · 43 min
Sondra and Elvin have their first marital fight, and Elvin comes to the Huxtable house for comfort and support. Clair shares about the difficulties in their house as flashbacks are
Where's Rudy?
Nov 19, 1987 · 22 min
Theo and Vanessa lose track of Rudy in a mall while Clair enters a squash exhibition.
Dance Mania
Dec 3, 1987 · 22 min
Theo and Cockroach have tickets to appear on television on the dance show "Dance Mania", but are told that only one of them can enter the studio during the filming because of fire
The Locker Room
Dec 10, 1987 · 22 min
Theo and his classmates brag about their dates with girls in the locker room, but Theo's mood changes when one of the guys goes out with Vanessa and brags about it the next day.
The Show Must Go On
Dec 17, 1987 · 22 min
Vaudeville is shown to Rudy and her friends, who are unimpressed.
Bookworm
Jan 7, 1988 · 22 min
Clair drags Cliff to her book club meeting, and he's the lone male there. Much to Clair's surprise, Cliff knows quite a bit about the book in question! Meanwhile, the kids attempt
Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
Jan 14, 1988 · 22 min
Rudy has to play the violin in music class at school, but gets jealous because she thinks her classmates' instruments are more fun.
The Drum Major
Feb 4, 1988 · 22 min
Vanessa tries out for the drum major at school. Meanwhile, Cliff cooks up a batch of extremely spicy chili, and Russell tries to pay off a loan from an old friend.
Waterworks
Feb 11, 1988 · 22 min
Clair tries to stop Cliff from fixing a leaky pipe by hiring a team of professionals: friends of Sondra and Elvin from Princeton.
Once Upon a Time
Feb 18, 1988 · 22 min
Rudy writes a fairy tale, and the colorful story is acted out in her fantasy.
Trust Me
Mar 3, 1988 · 22 min
A friend of Clair's has marital problems; Cliff takes a "mini-vacation" in the house as Theo, Rudy, and Vanessa try to stump each other with riddles.
Home for the Weekend
Mar 17, 1988 · 22 min
Denise comes home from college, but seems to have more time for her friends than for the family.
The Prom
Mar 24, 1988 · 22 min
Theo, Denny and Smitty go to great lengths to impress their dates for the senior prom, but fail disastrously; Cliff and Clair relive their own prom.
Gone Fishin'
Apr 28, 1988 · 22 min
When the Huxtable men go fishing, Theo catches a dead body, and soon attracts attention from the media. This success goes to his head, while Rudy and Kenny find a nest of baby bird