A sudden turn of events forces the Conners to face the daily struggles of life in Lanford in a way they never have before.

Darlene is in for one surprise after another when David introduces his girlfriend, Blue, at a parent-teacher conference and mentions that Mark and Harris will be spending the weekend with them. Dan hires Becky to help out at work, but they both come to learn that she might need more help than she can offer.

It’s Halloween, the favorite time of year for the Conners, but an email from the school banning certain costumes, including Mark’s, sets off an argument between Dan and Darlene. Jackie introduces someone new to the family at the Halloween party and insists that Dan vet him, only to immediately wish that she hadn’t.

When Geena learns that D.J. hasn’t been taking Mary to church, she insists they go as a family. Mark’s attempt to conduct an unbiased survey on the upcoming election for his school project goes south when Jackie volunteers to help.

A member of the family makes a life-changing announcement. Dan suspects Becky isn’t holding up her end of the bargain with regard to her drinking; Darlene continues to look for a job. Jackie offers English lessons to a busboy.

With Mark and Mary’s help, Jackie convinces Dan to build a chicken coop in the backyard so the family can eat organic eggs, but from a bird’s-eye view, it appears that she may have ulterior motives. Becky meets with Andrea for the first time since the surrogacy mishap, and Darlene is forced to deal with a sleazy customer at her casino job.

Dan questions Peter’s motives when he learns about the pricey Christmas gift that Jackie purchased for her new, unemployed beau. Mark and Mary write up their Christmas wish lists. Darlene receives dating advice from an unlikely source.

When Becky helps Harris keep a secret from Darlene, it opens up a can of worms that causes a rift between the two sisters. Jackie supports Peter with his Nordic history project, and Dan reunites with an old friend.

When Dan gets injured on the job covering D.J.’s vending machine route, the choice to sue the company could lead to D.J. getting fired. Meanwhile, Jackie is appalled when Becky seeks life coaching from her nemesis and No. 1 competitor, Rita Silver.

When Ben offers Mark free piano lessons, Darlene finds this as an opportunity to test his parenting skills. Meanwhile, Jackie throws Becky a baby shower, and Emilio continues his efforts to be part of the baby’s life.

As Darlene grapples with a life-changing offer from Ben, an unexpected conversation with David turns her world even more upside down. Relationship problems lead Jackie to the bottom of the bottle at the last place she remembers being truly happy. Becky’s hopes of a happily ever after with Emilio are jeopardized when Dan delivers alarming news.