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 he can offer.

When Geena learns that D.J. hasn’t been taking Mary to church, she insists they go as a family. Mark’s attempt to conduct an unbiased survey on the upcoming election for his school project goes south when Jackie volunteers to help.

In the wake of Emilio's deportation, Jackie steps into the role of a paternal figure and creates a meticulous birth plan for Becky; but as the Conners know, nothing ever goes according to plan. Meanwhile, Darlene is tangled in a complex love triangle with David and Ben, and - like her mother - Harris is caught up in a problem of her own.

Harris is forced to confront Darlene about her lifestyle, while Jackie involves herself in other people's problems to avoid confronting her own. Meanwhile, Becky is overwhelmed by the costs of raising a baby, so her family steps in to help.

Dan is disappointed when everyone but Becky forgets about his birthday. Darlene and Ben face an issue at work. Dan takes advantage of the family Christmas Santa photo to force Jackie to befriend Louise.

Becky thinks that Jackie's new friend Dawn, a restaurant supplier, is only cozying up to her to sell them things they can't afford for the Lunch Box. Darlene is thrilled when Harris gets into Central Illinois State, but Harris might have found a better offer on her own. When Dan finds himself in an embarrassing situation nursing an injury, Louise tries to help him out.

The Conners share their differing takes on why they all think everyone should vote; Louise gets an opportunity that might send her away from Lanford, prompting the family to interfere in Dan's complicated relationship.

Dan avoids coping with a death in the family, only to be confronted by it head-on. Ben and Darlene address Ben's baby fever and have "the talk." The Lunch Box is officially open for business, and Dwight gets the jitters when he has to fill in for the chef who suffers an accident.

Bev is back from Arizona and has come to the realization that she'd like to use her finances to spread happiness. She has decided to fund Mark's tuition to a prestigious coding camp, while Darlene tries to convince her to give the money to Harris instead. Dan realizes how much he misses Louise, and Becky persuades him to visit her on tour.

Chuck's new purchase of a boat creates a rift between Dan and his long-time friend. Meanwhile, Darlene hires her first assistant at Wellman's Plastics but soon realizes she is anything but helpful, leading Darlene to question her decision.

Darlene starts to feel the pressures of her new job which result in a health scare. Meanwhile, Dan attempts to help Ben out at the hardware store, but the two don’t always see eye to eye on running the business.