Doug lies to Carrie about having to work late so he can play mud football and get out of going to her seminar. Now sick from his night of football in the rain, Doug starts watching TV and begins to drift off to sleep... Doug, finally full of guilt, goes to tell Carrie the truth of what happened and she doesn't react exactly the way he thought she would.

Doug's parents visit while Carrie's on a business trip and take over running the house, making Doug feel like a kid again. Also, Arthur tries to strike it rich by inventing a new type of screwdriver called "the Arthur's head."

Doug's bowling team prepares for a tournament, while Carrie agrees to babysit Mr. Kaplan's son, in hopes of furthering her career. But when Doug throws out a mercy flirt and Carrie runs into an awkward set of hands, all goes downhill.

Doug becomes obsessed with his own Super Bowl party after learning that many of his friends will be attending a party thrown by a new co-worker. While Doug is focused on winning back as many guests as possible, Carrie complains that Doug doesn't think about her enough during the day. Problems arise when Doug tries to throw the ultimate Super Bowl party and prove to Carrie he's an attentive husband.

Danny asks Doug for a letter of recommendation at IPS so he can move up to being a driver like Doug. Since this idea does not appeal to Doug, Carrie decides she will write the letter and have Doug sign it. Danny ends up getting the job and puts Doug's skills to the test, and his job on the line, when his ability to beat Doug's delivery time has the boss giving Danny Doug's route.

Doug finds it unbearable working with Carrie when she takes a temporary job at his company during the holidays. Arthur tries to get various friends to pose for a Christmas card picture with him.

After Holly gets kicked out of her apartment, Arthur insists that she stay with him in the basement until she finds a new place, making Doug realize the benefits of having two women in his life.

After she beats him and his friends in a friendly poker game, Doug convinces his mother to try to enter a high-stakes tournament. Meanwhile, Carrie gets Spence to help her lose her accent to improve her chances of getting a promotion.

Doug befriends a driver from one of IPS' competitors, but eventually discovers it's just a ruse to make him the butt of a joke. Meanwhile, Carrie becomes a mentor for a troubled teen, but isn't the best of influences.