Sarah wants her own room after she finds out that Emily and her friend Henry broke into Sarah's diary. With her privacy at stake, Sarah is determined to convince her father that a new room would curb the sisters' fighting.

Teacher evaluation day is here and the staff makes a contest of their reviews. Matt figures he's a shoo-in to win (again), but he just taught his class about irony and the students decide to put the lesson to use by playing a trick on the English teacher.

Sarah takes an interest in a new student with a criminal past. Matt reveals the info in order to protect her, but she inadvertently lets it slip and gossip spreads. Emily and Sam lose Matt's prized possession.

Emily is distraught when Matt goes on a date (his first since Abby's death) with a published author and college professor. Sam buys mass quantities at the warehouse store.

After Sam spends a night out, he and Matt argue and Sam moves out. Sarah wants a later curfew and Emily wants a bra, neither of which will Matt allow.

A former student pays a return visit, having written a best-selling novel that bears a striking resemblance to one of Matt's short stories.

Sarah and Olivia fight over a guy. Meanwhile, Sarah is tutored in math by Travers' nephew, blindly unaware of his crush on her.

Sarah surprises Sam on his birthday by reuniting him with his daughter Debbie. But old differences don't die easily.

When Sarah decides to get a job, she is coerced by Matt into working in the school attendance office--and then promptly gets fired. Sam gets a PDA.

Matt agrees to accompany his boss (and old family friend) Liz to a wedding, but the date takes an unexpected turn. Sarah books her friends' band at the Juice Bar/Bookstore where she now works.

The death of Sam's old friend and former Red Sox teammate inspires Sam and Matt's journey to the roof of Fenway Park. Sarah hosts a dinner party but is upset when Jared brings a date.

Sarah notices signals that Jared may want to be more than just friends. Meanwhile, the Stewart household is plagued by a neighborhood dog.

Sarah is in a bind when a girl in her math class wants to cheat off her test. The teen says no, but her refusal could lead to a fight. Meanwhile, Emily and her friend Marvin learn a few card tricks.

Matt refuses to even consider allowing Sarah to get a nose job, so she schedules the surgery behind his back.

In the first-season finale, Sarah contemplates taking her relationship with Jared to a new level after he tells her he is spending the summer with his dad in sunny California. Back at the Stewart house, Matt decides to go on a weekend getaway with Nina.