When male dinosaurs turn 15, they go through a rite-of-passage known as "The Howling", during which the youngsters join the adults on top of the mountain to howl at the new moon. Robbie does not see the point, however, and rebels. This sets off a chain of events, including the dissolution of Earl and Roy's friendship, which causes Robbie to understand that rituals that get dismissed as superstition are actually designed to protect the tribe. Robbie gains a new appreciation for being a dinosaur.

Earl is challenged to fight to the death by Gary, a 50' Dilophosaurus who took a fancy to Fran in the frozen food section of the supermarket. Earl must decide whether or not to fight for what belongs to him, or to follow the law of the jungle and run like nuts.

Earl is excited to throw his mother-in-law Ethyl into the tar pits on her 72nd birthday, an old dinosaur tradition. The tradition specifies that men have the honor (and pleasure) of throwing their mother-in-law off a cliff. The day before the hurling, however, Robbie decides that it is the tradition and not his grandmother that should be hurled.

Earl shoulders household duties for a weekend, sending exhausted Fran to her mother's for a little rest and relaxation. When she returns to a frazzled Earl, singed baby and demolished household, Earl discovers that Fran's unhappiness does not stem from the kids, but rather from him. At Roy's suggestion, Earl takes a refresher course in the Mating Dance, attempting to once again woo and win his wife.

Earl tells Baby the events surrounding his birth. Fran has one wish in life, which is a new set of pots and pans with mesh screens for lids, said to be the better to keep dinner in the pot. Earl realizes that he can't afford to buy the simplest of pleasures for his family, which leads him to ask boss Richfield for a raise, with disastrous results. A chance meeting with the escaped "dinner" saves the day (and job) when dinner reappears as Earl's new supervisor at WESAYSO Development Corp.