Roc

After a hard day's work collecting garbage, Roc Emerson looks forward to relaxing at home with his family. Instead he argues with his live-in father, Andrew, and finds his wife, Elanor, leaving for her job as a nurse at the local hospital. Worse, his younger brother, Joey, whom Roc hasn't seen for five years, arrives at the door penniless, homeless, and unemployed.

While Roc and Joey attend a baseball game, their father, visits Franke, an old friend who is dying at a local hospital, To ease his guilt, Frankie confesses that he once had sex with Andrew's wife and may have fathered one of Andrew's sons. Outraged and furious, Andrew demands to know which son, but Frankie dies before he can reveal the truth.

Roc encounters trouble when he arranges a romantic evening with Eleanor.

When Roc learns that Leon, a veteran garbage collector, is being forced to retire, Roc tries to comfort the old man. Thinking years of being alone and unappreciated have made Leon bitter, Roc decides to give Leon a retirement party to show how many friends he really has. Roc's father is hurt by the idea. He spent 35 years as a train porter, and no one ever have him a party.

When unemployed trumpet player Joey can't pay his gambling debts, he begs his older brother for a thousand-dollar loan. Roc refuses to come to the rescue, even though Joey promises to change. As a test, Roc gets Joey a legitimate job with the sanitation department, and promises to pay the debt if Joey can keep the job for two weeks.

Jealous when one of Eleanor's patients gives her flowers and a diamond necklace, Roc agrees to let him propose to test Eleanor's love. She is furious that he could think she would leave him for a wealthy man. They reaffirm their love, and Roc promises to get Eleanor nice things ""someday.""

Roc plans a day of suprises for Eleanor's birthday but the night is ruined when Roc's suprise gifts arrives: a large painted portrait of Eleanor, but the artist has mistakenly painted a white woman instead of Eleanor. Then Roc loses all patience with Joey's irresponsibility and evicts him because he has taken advantage of his rent-free stay at Roc's home.

When Joey is given free use of his friend's luxury car, Elanor insists that Roc withdraw some of their savings from the bank so they can buy a car of their own.

Attempting to prove her confidence in their marriage, Eleanor invites Roc's former girlfriend Janet over for dinner. When Janet reveals that she rejected Roc's marriage proposal only three months before he married Eleanor, Roc realizes that he never told that secret to Eleanor. Eleanor is furious with Roc because she now feels he married her before he had time to forget about Janet.

When Joey hires Roc to paint his friend's luxury condominium provided Roc allows him to act as ""the Boss"". Roc is mistaken for a burglar and arrested for what he sees as being a black man standing in a white neighborhood. Rather than try to change the prejudiced ways of the police, after being released, Roc pretends the incident never happened.

To help her win a promotion at the hospital, Eleanor asks Andrew to romance the head nurse, Matty. Andrew reports that his date with Matty was one of the worst evenings he's ever shared with a woman. Eleanor gets a conflicting report from Matty who said that Andrew was the best lover she's ever had and anxiously awaits their next date. Eleanor confronts Andrew with this report, learning that Matty reminds Andrew of his dead wife. No longer thinking of herself, Eleanor convinces Andrew to explain his true feelings to Matty.

While Joey tricks two famous jazz musicians into playing with him. Eleanor worries that Roc is getting too friendly with neighborhood vigilante Ronnie Paxton who's forceful methods 'took care' of the thief that robbed Andrew. Roc defends his right to choose his own friends, but when Eleanor threatens to stop having sex, Roc reconsiders.

After being sentenced to prison for the attempted murder of a local drug dealer, Calvin asks Roc to take care of his 11 year old daughte, Sheila. Roc agrees to assume custody of Sheila as a favor to Calvin, whom he admires for his courage and sacrifice in wounding a powerful drug dealer. Roc learns that Sheila is angry with her father for leaving her homeless. Roc explains to Sheila that Calvin believes he was protecting her and the other neighborhood children by committing the crime.

When Roc's crazy neighbor George is hired by the Sanitation Department, Roc is assigned to teach the annoying man how to be a garbage collector. Meanwhile, Joey persuades the Emersons' foster daughter Sheila to use the computer's mathematical probability program to determine the winning horses at the racetrack.

When Eleanor's baby party interferes with Roc's weekly poker game, the expectant couple worry that the baby may interfere in their fun and romance. Then Roc loses the money for Eleanor's anniversary gift in a game.

Charlaine hires Joey to be a bartender at her restaurant, but he quickly demonstrates his irresponsibility by transforming it into a gambling casino.

When Sheila is out two hours past her curfew, the family worries; and when she shows up, saying she lost track of time at the movies, Roc and Joey have to punish her.

When Roc finally realizes the importance of prenatal care for the health of their baby, he obsessively pampers Eleanor with food, exercise and music. Meanwhile, Joey and Andrew meet Al Fontaine, a dishonest acquaintance who enjoys gambling on silly stunts and party games. Joey tries to win back a large wager that he lost to Al in the past but is unsuccessful.