Cucina DeLucca silent partner Paulie doesn't stay quiet for very long after distant cousin Lorenzo arrives from Italy to help in the kitchen and ends up making drastic changes to the restaurant's menu and ambiance. A laid-up Jackie thinks she's witnessed a murder.

Jackie's conflict over leaving for Mexico with Ray or staying in New Jersey with a visiting Abigail puts a strain on her friendship with Lydia. Frank has difficulty in accepting a generous gift from Plum and Lydia is charmed into getting Mack's irresponsible brother a job at the sports clinic.

Lydia helps an actor bring authenticity to the role of an Italian-American from New Jersey. Jackie's romance with Ray is threatened when his past catches up with him. Lydia has her own share of drama in keeping her new beau a secret from Dolly.

Lydia reconsiders a romance with Eric, who begins to rethink his relationship with Samantha. Dolly tends to the needs of a lonely voter.

Scandal rocks Dolly's campaign thanks to a protest striptease by Lydia, and Paulie's decision to have sex with Plum in the park.

Days before their official church wedding, Plum and Paulie reconsider the wisdom of being married. Lydia asks a hockey player to be her date for the wedding.

Lydia's romantic advances toward Eric fall on deaf ears. Paulie is worried by the arrival of Plum's old boyfriend and Jackie gets in touch with Ray's sensitive side.

Paulie is frantic when Plum is reported missing on Halloween. Dolly is forced to entertain Plum's neurotic mother and Jackie receives a lesson in parenting from a lost trick or treater.

Secrets continue to weigh down Lydia, who continues to keep mum about Paulie's marriage and Karen's affair. Dolly gets depressed when she learns a sordid secret about her father's past.

Lydia discovers that Eric's wife is having an affair. Fed up with municipal bureaucracy, Dolly takes matters into her own hands.

Lydia dates a hockey player and gets a false impression about him as well as Eric. A new employee starts working at the restaurant and jealousy gets the better of Paulie.

Lydia learns that a physical-therapy aid is assisting the football coach in getting an edge over the competition. Jackie has an unpleasant encounter with Victor's mother. Paulie and Plum elope when Dolly won't accept their engagement.

A sprained thumb motivates Lydia to choose a major and inspire others. Jackie is faced with an unexpected pregnancy and a marriage proposal.

Plum discovers that Gavin is the new teaching assistant assigned to her class. Valerie comes to the rescue when an attractive divorced friend tries to seduce Frank.

Lydia advises a jock to pursue his dreams, encouraging him not to drop out of college. Jules returns for her grandson's christening.

Lydia and Mack decide to move in together. Dolly and Frank are unhappy and decide to use reverse psychology on their daughter by pretending to like Mack.

As Paulie's birthday approaches, he discovers that Jimmy is gay. Lydia finds a new apartment right above the Cucina, and reunites with Mack. Frank and Dolly get an unpleasant surprise when they enter Lydia's new place without knocking and Lydia discovers that Jackie and Mack had a brief affair fourteen years ago.