Soul Food - Season 1 (2000)

Lem's cousin, Jack, finds a temporary job for Lem. And hiding his new agenda from Bird is a hard task. While Josephina is away, Teri represents the Joseph vs. Lester case. Bird returns to work at the salon, but all her customers were taken away by the other beauticians. Later, the girls win back half of their father's store, much to Hardy's dismay.

Ahmad catches his parents in an awkward position

Lem helps Kenny face some aggressive competition for his tow truck business and Teri meets Damon's family. Meanwhile, Maxine makes a new friend.

The family finds out that Hardy Lewis has cancer and the news impacts everyone differently. Also, Teri and Damon are mugged by Teri's old classmate.

Everyone comes up with ideas to celebrate Ahmad's 12th birthday party. Maxine becomes upset because Ahmad all of a sudden wants to have his party at Teri's house. Bird volunteers to bake Ahmad's birthday cake, much to everyone's dismay. Ahmad worries if K.C. and Reggie will accept his new friends at Lakeside Prep. Kenny searches hard to find the video game that his son wants more than anything, but when he takes Lem's suggestion to go out and buy it "hot", it lands him in jail. While in jail, he's interrogated by a harsh detective. He also ends up being the cellmate ...

Damon stops by Teri's to hand her some flowers to show her his sympathy, but Teri wants to end their relationship so that they can just be "friends". Ahmad befriends Callie, a classmate from Lakeside Prep, but he soon believes that she only likes him because he's black. Maxine and Lem decide to pool their money to invest in a corporation, but are saddened when they lose everything they've earned. Meanwhile, Bird wants to learn more of what Lem does while she's not around.

Maxine is upset to learn that Kenny took Teri to a concert when he was also dating her. Lem's involvement with Jack continues to cause him difficulties.

Teri confronts her friend Brian over his relations with Heather and the double standard for women in the work place. Maxine catches Ahmad with a condom and fights with Kenny over giving him the sex talk.

Damon accepts a temporary job as a translator for Teri's firm, which affects their relationship. Bird discovers that Lem has not been working at the docks and confronts him with the help of her sisters. Ahmad lets Bird buy him a video game he's not supposed to have, and is anxious about the consequences.

The sisters learn from their Uncle Melvin that they have a half sister named Nina and she wants part of the inheritance. Ahmad would rather hang with his friends than take his PSAT classes.

Teri's anger continues over not making partner then she lands a big client and has two attractive job propositions offered to her. Bird asks Lem to move back in yet not resume their physical relationship but he declines.

Teri learns she didn't make partner at the same time she believes Damon is having an affair with Christine. Lem has trouble with a cookie salesman. Kenny is concerned that Ahmad is spending time with Steve, a gay man.

Ahmad gets upsets, running away to Damon's house. A quarrel between a couple at Bird's salon escalates, a gun is produced and Bird with Lem find themselves being by held hostage.

Teri goes to court for Global Airlines, Bird and Lem take baby steps toward reconciliation and Kenny hires an assistant.

Ahmad wants to impress a girl named Keisha. Bird and Lem work on co-parenting plus their communication skills. Maxine tries to get speed bumps installed but finds her meeting with an Alderman sabotaged by a family member.

Kennys father comes to visit

Ahmad takes baptism class and Teri tries to reconnect with her religion just as most of the family is involved in a catastrophic car crash.