A sudden turn of events forces the Conners to face the daily struggles of life in Lanford in a way they never have before.
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 she can offer.
It’s Halloween, the favorite time of year for the Conners, but an email from the school banning certain costumes, including Mark’s, sets off an argument between Dan and Darlene. Jackie introduces someone new to the family at the Halloween party and insists that Dan vet him, only to immediately wish that she hadn’t.
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.
A member of the family makes a life-changing announcement. Dan suspects Becky isn’t holding up her end of the bargain with regard to her drinking; Darlene continues to look for a job. Jackie offers English lessons to a busboy.
With Mark and Mary’s help, Jackie convinces Dan to build a chicken coop in the backyard so the family can eat organic eggs, but from a bird’s-eye view, it appears that she may have ulterior motives. Becky meets with Andrea for the first time since the surrogacy mishap, and Darlene is forced to deal with a sleazy customer at her casino job.
Dan questions Peter’s motives when he learns about the pricey Christmas gift that Jackie purchased for her new, unemployed beau. Mark and Mary write up their Christmas wish lists. Darlene receives dating advice from an unlikely source.
When Becky helps Harris keep a secret from Darlene, it opens up a can of worms that causes a rift between the two sisters. Jackie supports Peter with his Nordic history project, and Dan reunites with an old friend.
When Dan gets injured on the job covering D.J.’s vending machine route, the choice to sue the company could lead to D.J. getting fired. Meanwhile, Jackie is appalled when Becky seeks life coaching from her nemesis and No. 1 competitor, Rita Silver.
When Ben offers Mark free piano lessons, Darlene finds this as an opportunity to test his parenting skills. Meanwhile, Jackie throws Becky a baby shower, and Emilio continues his efforts to be part of the baby’s life.
As Darlene grapples with a life-changing offer from Ben, an unexpected conversation with David turns her world even more upside down. Relationship problems lead Jackie to the bottom of the bottle at the last place she remembers being truly happy. Becky’s hopes of a happily ever after with Emilio are jeopardized when Dan delivers alarming news.
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.
Darlene continues to struggle with deciding between David and Ben. Becky begins to doubt herself as a mom, and Mark gets in trouble at school when a picture of him and his boyfriend kissing goes viral. Meanwhile, Jackie continues to avoid her problems by keeping busy with everyone else's.
Harris is forced to confront Darlene about her lifestyle. Jackie involves herself in other people’s problems to avoid confronting her own. Becky is overwhelmed by the costs of raising a baby, so her family steps in to help.
Desperate for more income, Becky seeks a bartending position at Casita Bonita, causing major concern for Dan due to her struggle with alcoholism. Darlene finally nears a decision between David and Ben. Harris’ new friend, Odessa, means new trouble.
Jackie and Becky pitch their business plan to Darlene in hopes of getting the Lunch Box back, but Darlene's decision leads to hostility; Dan bans Odessa from the house, causing a rift with Harris; Mark makes extensive Thanksgiving plans.
Jackie learns that the Chinese restaurant is going out of business and sees an opportunity to reopen the Lunch Box, but she's caught by surprise when she uncovers a secret. Meanwhile, Mary gets upset when a woman assumes she is adopted, and Darlene continues to deal with her complicated love life.
Chaos ensues when Dan finally gets the entire family together for Thanksgiving dinner; mixed feelings about the Lunch Box continue to build tension in the house; Harris makes an unexpected move.
Jackie is faced with a difficult decision that brings the family and community together. Meanwhile, Becky starts working a new late-night shift at Casita Bonita, and Darlene goes to extreme measures to mend her relationship with Harris.
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.
The Conners struggle to accept Becky’s new boyfriend, a Green Bay Packers fan. Dan tries to impress upon Mark the importance of the family’s die-hard loyalty to the Bears. Ben and Darlene try to get a loan for their new magazine.
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.
Dan starts to bond with his younger half-brother but he can’t get over the fact that their father paid for Ed Jr.’s college education, something he refused to do for Dan. Jackie hits it off with a fun married couple, so much so that they “invite” her into their relationship. Harris and Mark do not react well to the news that Darlene is trying to have a baby with Ben.
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. West Coast performance of a live episode.
Harris is the boss of Darlene after her mom, desperate for money, gets a job at Price Warehouse. Jackie decides to take her “thrupple” relationship with Ron and Janelle to the next level. Everyone makes fun of Ben’s appearance after he shaves his beard in an attempt to appear more clean-cut to potential advertisers for the magazine.
Harris is newly unemployed while Becky struggles to find affordable childcare. Jackie suggests Becky reach out to Emilio’s family for support. Dan runs into an old riding buddy.
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
Dan is finally ready to share his feelings with Louise. Darlene realizes how badly she wants a baby. Ben gets caught up playing handyman and babysitter for Becky, which causes him to miss an important meeting.
Dan and Louise take their relationship to the next level and come to appreciate the complexities of aging. Meanwhile, Darlene spends the night in jail and hands off parenting duties to Ben. Mark and a friend work on a class experiment that leaves them both with hickeys, and Becky contemplates marrying Emilio.
Darlene and Ben go apartment hunting as they take on the next step in building their life together. Jackie and Becky take Beverly Rose on a road trip to Mexico to meet her father for the first time while Dan reluctantly shares his financial troubles with Louise as he struggles with the pending foreclosure of the house.
