Eddie and Joys daughter, Allison, comes home for the holidays to celebrate New Years with her parents. When she gets some bad news from her boyfriend, Allison turns to her mother for help, leaving a snubbed Eddie perplexed. At the Woodcocks New Year's Eve party, Eddie lightens up his mood to impress his daughter, but as the clock strikes midnight and a new year begins, Allison realizes she likes her "big, dark, angry, wonderful dad" just the way he is.

When Eddie and Joy visit Allison for parents weekend, they share a dorm room with a partying single father. When Allison lets them know her new major and next semesters plans, Eddie and Joy try their best to convince her to do otherwise but realize that their own mistakes led them to where they are today. Meanwhile, Jeff hires someone to help Steph tile the bathroom, which brings out the worst in her.

When Joy and Allison (guest star Krysten Ritter) meet for Spring Break in Florida, Eddie is thrilled to have the house to himself where he can eat, sleep, wear whatever he wants and hang out with Cofeld (guest star Anthony Anderson). But when the week doesnt go exactly as planned, Eddie realizes how much he misses Joy. Meanwhile, Joy and Allison arent missing Eddie too much as they work-it on the beach.

Summer vacation has begun and Allison surprises her parents when she brings Doug (guest-star Timm Sharp) home. When Allison and Doug spend their days enjoying the summer, Steph gets Eddie to join them. Jeff and Joy feel left out and annoyed by their partners happiness but finally are persuaded to join in.

Joy is annoyed by Steph, who has developed an attitude from her husband’s elevated status at the school. In Eddie’s absence, Jeff searches for a substitute teacher and ends up hiring someone a little too close to home.