Ep 10. Santa's Little Helper

Cory Matthews is anxiously awaiting Christmas, but his excitement is dampened when his parents tell him they won't be able to afford to buy him the one special gift he wants: a new pair of expensive sneakers. Cory is devastated and worries he'll be the only kid in school without the latest trendy shoes. Meanwhile, Mr. Feeny assigns a special Christmas project to the class: each student is to write a letter to Santa Claus detailing what they want for Christmas. After class, Cory confides in his best friend Shawn about the sneaker situation. Shawn sympathizes with Cory but tells him he can't relate since he's never celebrated Christmas before. This surprises Cory and he insists that Shawn come over to his house on Christmas Eve to experience the holiday.

As the days pass, Cory becomes more and more obsessed with the sneakers, even going so far as to sneak into his parents' closet to see if they've hidden the shoes in there. On Christmas Eve, Shawn comes over as promised and is surprised by the Matthews' elaborate Christmas decorations, something he's never seen before. Meanwhile, Cory's little sister Morgan is having a hard time with the concept of Santa Claus and worries that he won't come to their house since they don't have a chimney for him to climb down. Cory reassures her that Santa will figure it out.

Later that night, Cory and Shawn sneak downstairs to try and catch a glimpse of Santa Claus. They end up falling asleep on the couch and are awoken by the sound of someone moving around in the living room. They look over to see Santa Claus himself standing by the tree! They're ecstatic and rush over to tell their parents, who quickly explain that it's just a friend dressed up as Santa. Santa hands out presents to everyone, including Cory's parents surprising him with the sneakers he's been wanting so badly. Cory is overjoyed and hugs his parents tightly.

The next day, Shawn joins the Matthews family for Christmas dinner and is amazed by the love and warmth of their family. Shawn thanks Cory for bringing him into their Christmas celebration and reveals that this was the first Christmas he's ever had where he felt like someone cared about him. Cory is touched and the two boys exchange a heartfelt moment.

Overall, "Santa's Little Helper" is a heartwarming episode about the importance of family, friends, and love during the holidays. It's a sweet reminder that the true spirit of Christmas isn't about expensive gifts or material possessions - it's about coming together as a community to share love and joy.