Warning: Major spoilers ahead

Over Thanksgiving, Katie and Greg have a father/daughter movie night watching Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer. But Katie is left emotional by the movie, and her dad knows something is wrong.

He shares his concerns with Walt once they’re back on campus and Walt warns Greg that Cristle is back on campus – and she wastes no time in appearing in his office.

In order for them to navigate working together, Cristle lays out some ground rules so they can be as cordial and non-problematic as possible. This includes ‘no tight khakis in the office’, ‘no acts of chivalry to make her swoon’ and ‘no smiling or showing off his tongue’. He agrees as she walks off.

In class, Greg gives feedback to his class about engaging their audience when writing a novel. He’s pleased that Tommy has started involving himself in class again after their naked run-in and offers to help him work out a study plan later that day to help him with his other classes. But Tommy is left disheartened by the amount of notes he has on the latest work he turned in.

At Walt’s house, Sunny is still confused about what to do about her job offer in the midst of her pregnancy, especially now Archie is being more attentive. He encourages her to ‘keep her eyes open and see what the world tells her’.

On campus, Greg spots Tommy’s friends on the campus, and asks where he is because he never showed up to their meeting. He also missed another class, which concerns him further.

In her lecture room, Dylan encourages student Eva to push herself with a poem that shows great potential. She then joins Greg for a walk, sharing how excited she is that there’s someone so talented in her class.

Cristle comes to see Greg in his office (keeping the door open to prevent funny business) and asks for his help with Tommy, who wants to drop out of the college. Greg is disappointed Tommy would want to do that and agrees to try and put a stop to it.

Archie is in a good mood after delivering a good class and proudly strides into his office where Sunny and Mo are waiting for him. Sunny is busy reading a parenting book, and tries to share that she's scared, but Archie is over-confident about being a dad, believing he is ‘molding young minds’ every day anyway.

Mo quickly puts a stop to it when she tells him his score on Rate My Professor – on online review site – and it’s not good. Branded “arrogant” “self-involved” and “overly defensive”, he tries to take it on the chin but the wind is clearly taken from his sails.

Greg rallies the guys at the diner for a makeshift intervention for Tommy, who is working a shift that day. Tommy says he never really wanted to go to college, and saw it as some fun, but now he’s bored. Greg shares that he never went to college and he regrets it every day – he also wishes he was more like Tommy, who has a social life and could do more.

Tommy ignores his worries, saying he actually kind of wants to become a “badass cop” ... just as Officer Mullins comes through the door and declares he has an announcement to make. But it’s just that he’s lost his gun.

Back at campus, Eva tells Dylan that she’s not pushing forward with the poem as she suggested, because she feels too exposed. When Dylan encourages her to at least try, Eva shares she’s a business major, and while poetry is fun for her, she has no intention of pursuing it as her parents would be disappointed. Dylan is visibly disappointed.

During hockey practice, Greg vents about Tommy to Katie, and who accuses him of secretly think of him as a son. Greg throws out that accusation as it's not a secret. Katie is dismissive, prompting Greg to ask what is actually going on with her.

He attempts to use his writer’s intuition to deduce the problem, but is wide of the mark, thinking she feels guilt for dating someone other than Archie. She lies, saying that’s the truth and pointing out the bartender from the Inn who’s sitting in the bleachers. Greg urges her to pursue him and forget about Archie.

Eager to keep up the pretense and hide the truth from her dad, Katie awkwardly sits next to the guy and starts a conversation before placing her head on his shoulder – even though he’s on a date. Practice eventually ends when someone dressed in the stolen college mascot gear tackles one of the players on the ice. Officer Mullins eventually realises it’s his job to stop him and chases after him on foot.

The next day, Katie runs into Archie at the coffee shop. They make small talk, with him having spent the holidays with Sunny’s family. But Katie then cuts him off and starts crying as she tells him it was unfair of him to tell her he'd spend a thousand days trying to win her back only to disappear after just two days. As she walks off, Katie tells him she hopes he’s better to Sunny.

On campus, Greg spots Tommy and Officer Mullins jamming to Creed in his police car, with Mullins giving him a ride-along to show him the ropes of being a police office. Greg taps on the window wanting to speak to him. When Tommy runs off to score some coffee and donuts, Tommy pleads with Mullins to convince him to go back and finish school. When Mullins refuses, Greg pulls out the “Get Out of Jail Free” card Mullins gave him and asks to cash it in. Mullins is annoyed but agrees, and together they spend the day with Tommy driving around campus trying to talk him out of dropping out.

In the evening, Mullins tells him the police life is not all it’s cracked up to be – it’s just a job, and he should give it some serious thought. But Tommy gets distracted by the rogue mascot making an appearance, and without hesitation chases after it. Greg gives chase as well while Mullins scrambles in the car, having lost the key.

When Tommy finally pins the mascot down, it’s revealed to be Pig Tits – who desperately wants to be rid of that nickname. He thought stealing the mascot would help. Tommy is confused, because there’s no way that would work, but agrees to stop calling him that name if that helps.

As Mullins finally drives over, sirens blazing, Tommy covers for him and allows him to escape.

Dylan visits Eva at her dorm in a bid to convince her to give poetry another shot. At the diner, she tells Eva that she’s already an artist, and while she can’t convince her to do it professionally, she needs to have it as something that makes her happy.

She then shares a mock-up of the Ludlow Review, which includes Eva’s poem in its pages. Eva is touched and agrees to let her keep it in.

That night, Sunny tells Archie about the job in New York, but says she’s going to turn it down – much to the annoyance of best friend Mo.

Tommy and Greg have a heart-to-heart on a lawn as they get their breath back from the chase and finally talk about the real reason Tommy wants to leave. He says he knows he’s coasting, so what’s the point – especially as the only thing he cares about is writing, and he’s not even good at that.

Greg is confused and asks what he’s talking about, and Tommy talks about the amount of notes Greg gave him on his chapter compared to his friend Spooner, who just got a simple tick. Greg says he made so many notes because he has potential, and while Spooner was never going to be a writer, Tommy could be with a little work.

As Cristle comes to pick Tommy up, it’s clear he’s agreed to return to his studies – much to the relief of his mother, who thanks Greg.

The next day, Tommy approaches Katie in the lunchroom, and tells her how lucky she is to have a dad like Greg, because his father could not care less, and it encourages her to go and see him. Greg surprises her with her own e-bike, and she’s happy, but has a confession to make – telling him everything about what’s going on with her and Archie. Greg listens, and without a word, places his hand on her shoulder.