Ep 9. Clair's Sister

Clair's Sister is the ninth episode of the second season of The Cosby Show. It originally aired on November 22, 1985.

The episode begins with Clair's younger sister, Sara, arriving unexpectedly at the Huxtable household. She explains that she had recently broken up with her boyfriend and needed a place to stay for a few days. Clair is happy to have her sister stay with them, but soon realizes that Sara is not as responsible as she should be.

Sara is portrayed as the opposite of Clair, who is a successful lawyer and mother of five children. Sara is flighty, irresponsible, and appears to be more interested in having fun than in taking care of herself.

Clair and Sara have a conversation about their childhood and family dynamics. Sara reveals that she always felt like the younger sister, never quite able to keep up with Clair's accomplishments. This tension between the sisters becomes more apparent over the course of the episode as Sara continues to make irresponsible decisions.

One major plot point of the episode is when Sara borrows Clair's car without asking and promptly crashes it. Clair is obviously upset by this, and the two have a tense conversation about responsibility. Sara tries to tell Clair that it was just an accident and that she will pay for the damages, but Clair is rightfully angry that Sara did not ask permission to borrow the car in the first place.

Another plot point is that Clair is dealing with a difficult client at work. While her sister is staying with them, Clair is working long hours and is visibly stressed. Her sister helps take care of the children and even makes dinner for the family, but Clair is so focused on work that she does not have much time for her sister.

Eventually, Clair comes to the realization that her sister needs to grow up and start taking responsibility for herself. She has a heart to heart with Sara and tells her that she needs to get her life together. Sara takes this advice to heart and decides to leave the Huxtable household to start fresh.

The episode ends with Clair and Sara having a touching moment before Sara leaves, where Sara admits that she had always looked up to Clair and wanted to be more like her. The audience gets the sense that the two sisters have finally found some common ground and have a renewed appreciation for each other.

Overall, Clair's Sister is a heartfelt episode that touches on themes of family, responsibility, and identity. The dynamic between Clair and Sara is complex and interesting to watch unfold, and the episode ultimately ends on a positive note.