In a last ditch effort to stop the merger, Lavon enlists the entire town's help to try and convince the Lt. Governor that BlueBell should be named a historic town. Zoe and Joel continue to debate where to live, but the best option lies with Zoe's relative, who does not like New Yorkers. Wade takes a big step in his relationship by meeting Vivian's son, but he soon realizes he has a long way to go to win him over. Meanwhile, Lynly is having some trust issues with George, which starts to create tension between them.

Zoe reluctantly agrees to allow Joel to throw her a birthday party at Lavon's to help cheer him up, but things go awry when her mom surprises her with a visit. Vivian wants to meet Wade's dad, but Wade is leery of how she might react. AnnaBeth gets an interesting request from the Belles that she was not expecting but, in light of recent developments might be the perfect distraction for her. Meanwhile, George is determined to prove to Tansy that his nemesis Scooter McGreevy has not changed and is fooling everyone.