When Bree receives a belated engagement ring from Jesse, she's ecstatic -- until she learns that it's not a real stone. One by one, each of the sisters-in-law come to realize that their rings aren't real either. The husbands are on a fishing trip together and can't be reached, but when they reveal the secret of their rings to Mother Buchanan, she makes a revelation of her own.

Bree's trashy mother, Tink, comes to visit and convinces the newlyweds to move back to California with her - inciting the wrath of Mother Buchanan. Meanwhile, Vivian reluctantly begins working for Alex to raise the funds for a dress to wear to a swank dinner party that Dan Quayle is also attending.

Alex is embarrassed when she's reunited, on a talk-show, with two activist friends from college whose lives and careers continue to be dedicated to womens issues. Feeling inadequate, Alex stages a womens group meeting in Mercy.

Delilah is overjoyed thinking that she's pregnant, but a trip to the doctor leaves her fearing that she can never have a child.... so she tries to pressure one of her sisters-in-law into being a surrogate mother. Meanwhile, Mother Buchanan pressures an unwilling Bree to have a baby of her own.

When Alex accidentally breaks Emma's prized ceramic baby Jesus statue, there's hell to pay! Rather than telling her mother-in-law the truth, Alex decides to try to replace the hand-painted heirloom. Meanwhile, Bree goes all-out decorating Alex's house for Christmas to win a contest.

Alex's dog, Petey, who was lost on a trip to the Grand Canyon, finds his way home -- just in time to die. Though Alex spent all the time he was gone blaming Mother Buchanan for his escape, Delilah makes a new revealation at his funeral.

Vivian holds auditions for a local stage play of ""The Sound of Music."" Delilah has her heart set on getting the part of Maria, but Bree makes ""Julie Andrews look like a two-bit lounge singer."" Meanwhile, Mother Buchanan agrees to play the role of the mother superior -- if she can sing ""Eidelweiss."" But Emma has her restraints about working with Hubert Lombard, who's playing the part of Captain Von Trapp. And when no one's around, Alex, who once sang ""Happy Birthday"" off key (and keeps being reminded of this), does some incredible vocal work of her own.

Delilah has plans to audition for Jeopardy, but her plans are altered when Mother Buchanan announces that a realitive (that none of the daughters-in-law knew) has died, and the ladies have to attend her funeral. But a few surprises lay in store for the ladies. First, Alex gets a speeding ticket. Then, during a break at a truck stop, Alex's car, Beeb, gets stolen. And when they finally arrive at the funeral home, they find out that the funeral's been postponed until the next day, so they're forced to spend the night in a sleazy hotel. After a night of catfights there was one detail that Mother Buchanan neglected to mention -- Great Aunt Velma was housebound and had to be buried in a packing crate because of her weight.

On Ed's birthday, Vivian plans to give her annual gift of a night full of passion, but her plans are thwarted when Ed falls asleep and has an erotic dream about Delilah. Fearing that the romance has drained out of her marriage, Vivian is encouraged by her sisters-in-law to join them at a ""naughty nighties"" party, where she can acquire items to spice up her marriage. Meanwhile, Bree feels self-conscious and insists to everyone that she is better looking than Delilah.