Ed is shocked when Carol announces her engagement to Dennis; Mark agrees to go on a diet if Diane enters the Miss Stuckeybowl pageant; Diane's participation in the pageant pits Carol against Ed; Phil and Eli continue to clash.

Lloyd returns to Stuckeyville, and his new scheme is selling makeup for men. When he's prosecuted for being part of a pyramid scheme, Ed doubts Lloyd's claims that he knew nothing about it, creating friction between the brothers. After Mark's father has a heart attack and Mark gets bad news about his own health at his annual checkup, Mike and Warren convince him to have gastric bypass surgery. Ed and Carol smooth over the rough patch in their relationship and become friendly again.

Ed and Carol stumble through the first days of their changed relationship; Mike and Nancy have their hands full with a new puppy and its dishonest breeder; Eli is bewitched by an attractive and talented pie maker.

Afraid that their relationship won't survive if they live apart, Ed decides to join Carol in New York and puts Stuckeybowl up for sale; feeling that he's losing his best friend, Mike tries unsuccessfully to make a new one; after Ed's client wins an arbitration that prevents his long-time friend from dissolving their partnership, Ed urges him to think both inside and outside the box to discover a solution that works for both of them; Molly comes to crossroads in her relationships, and realizes that neither Sean nor Ted is the right man for her; even though Ed guarantees that they will not lose their jobs, the crew at Stuckeybowl pulls some pathetic stunts to sabotage the sale until Ed decides to make them Stuckeybowl's new owners; Warren sees Carol off in high style; at their going-away party, Carol realizes that she shouldn't tear Ed away from Stuckeyville, so they agree that she'll go to New York and Ed will rack up frequent flyer miles visiting her.

Ed is planning an elaborate proposal in New York, but when Carol returns to Stuckeyville to find out how they stand, he must come up with another plan. Mike's parents visit and his dad drives Mike crazy. Plus he wants to deep fry the turkey. Eli, afraid, that Jenny will date someone else, arranges a charity Thanksgiving dinner at StuckeyBowl and enlists her help.