Ed locks horns with a sassy new D.A. while defending a man charged with breaking the law by putting dimes in parking meters; Molly chides Carol for taking Ed's attention for granted; Phil searches for his own personal catch phrase; Nancy must decide whether she wants to accept a promotion at work.

Ed's old high school girlfriend, Kara, tests her husband's fidelity by hiring a friend to come on to him, When the husband fails the test by sleeping with the woman, Ed helps Kara in the divorce settlement. Meanwhile Carol tries to stop the forced retirement of the school's music teacher due to budget reasons. Also Nancy tests the nanny to determine if she's trustworthy.

When a client changes his name and his image, Ed decides to follow his lead; Molly tries to catch the eye of a bowling alley equipment salesman; Mike takes drastic measures to find ""the last straw"" which will end the impasse with Dr. Jerome.

When a new lawyer arrives in Stuckeyville and encourages neighbors to sue each other, Ed hatches a scheme worthy of Phil to get Stuckeyvillans back together again; Carol urges Molly to become a candidate for Stuckeyville High principal, now that Dennis is teaching in Minneapolis; Mike prepares to take over Ed's crown as the Stuckeyville Recliner Rally champion; inspired by Mark's upcoming surgery, Phil connives with Eli to become the ""Jared"" of a local sandwich shop.

Frankie becomes upset when she learns that Ed has not been entirely forthcoming about his past with Carol; when the gang helps him save his former restaurant from going bankrupt, Eli sadly reflects how his life has changed since his accident; Carol dates the handsome new teacher in town, and finally realizes that it's Ed that she wants; to Nancy's delight, Mike picks up some slick moves from a video about becoming a better lover, but he's not so sure he's ready for the increased responsibilies his new-found skills have brought him; Frankie and Carol each make a romantic gesture to win Ed's heart.