After revealing to her family that she never graduated  high school because a teacher humiliated her, Thelma agrees to enroll in night school with Bubba to show him how easy it will be to earn their diploma. However, she eventually tries to back out after seeing what the reading list is in her English class.

When Raytown experiences a rash of home break-ins, the police soon suspect that Vint is the prime suspect because the "courteous crook" can be traced back to his place of employment. As a result, Thelma and Iola set out to prove his innocence.