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.

When Ben offers Mark free piano lessons, Darlene finds it 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.

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 Lecy seeks life coaching from her nemesis and No. 1 competitor, Rita Silver.

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.

Dan questions Peter's motives when he learns about the pricey Christmas gift that Jackie purchased for her new, unemployed beau. Meanwhile, Darlene receives dating advice from an unlikely source.

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.

Life-changing news lands in the Conner household when a member of the family makes an announcement that no one saw coming. Meanwhile, Dan is suspicious that Becky isn't sticking to her end of the deal when it comes to her drinking. Darlene continues her job search, and Jackie offers English lessons to a Casa Bonita busboy in need.

When Geena learns that D.J. hasn't been taking Mary to church while she's been away, she insists they go as a family to uphold her traditional values. To make matters worse, Mary refuses to attend without her cousins Harris and Mark, leaving D.J. in the last situation he wants to be in--at the mercy of Darlene. Meanwhile, Mark's attempt to conduct an unbiased survey on the upcoming election for his school project goes south when Jackie volunteers to help.

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.

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.

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