Loretta delivers word that a neighborhood family was murdered; Mary and Tom have a disagreement about making love; Charlie announces he almost has enough money to get Loretta's record demo made; The Fernwood Flasher is finally captured.

Mary brings her grandfather home from the police station; Kathy falls for a blue-eyed Armenian bartender; a reporter interviews Loretta about the murders; and Mary feels ashamed when Tom rejects her sexual advances (or lack thereof).

Mary is interviewed by a reporter; Young Heather Hartman displays suspicious behavior when asked about the recent murders; Grampa Larkin is arrested again.

Grampa Larkin appears in court; Tom and Mary's drought in the bedroom continues.

Word begins to spread that Heather knows more about the Lombardi murders than she's telling; Cathy gets fired; Mary receives a threatening phone call about Heather.

Grampa Larkin visits a psychiatric social worker; Mary gets some sex books; a strange man follows Heather home from school.

Mary turns to the police after Heather confesses that she saw the killer; Loretta is arrested for picketing; Charlie stumbles on Mary's sex ed books.

Tom is furious with Mary after finding her sex books; Grampa Larkin's social worker admits that she's in love with him; Heather's story makes the evening news.

Immediately after recording her demo, Loretta begins suffering from fainting spells; Mary becomes jealous of one of Tom's coworkers; Heather escapes police protection.

Charlie tries talking sense into Tom, but Tom feels something is missing in his life. Cathy prepares for her date with Chuck. Charlie and Loretta go to the Doctor's office. Raymond goes to see Roberta and meets Fanny. Tom chats up Mae at the bar.

Tom and Heather both go missing on the same night, and so Mary can only hope that Heather is safe and that Tom was kidnapped by the mass murderer. She'd rather worry about a kidnapping than what she is really worried about.

Loretta considers not going to Nashville since Heather is missing. Mary finds out the truth about Tom. Loretta gets some good news. Cathy admits she's in love with Steve. Tom tries to finish things with Mae. Mary and Martha have a fight, while Heather returns home with disturbing news.

Cathy brings Steve over to meet her parents. Fanny is too much for Raymond. The mass murderer is revealed and Heather, Trudy, and Mary's lives are in danger.

Mary returns home with one shoe and no groceries. Tom wants to know where she's been. Loretta and Charlie are off to Nashville.

Mary tries to calm the mass murderer, while he continues to ask for demands: a car and $100,000.

The mass murderer will only give up when he gets a stack of bibles and an oath from the Reverend that the police won't follow him for 24 hours.

Sgt. Foley tries to save Mary, but to no avail. Mae and Tom try to save Mary, themselves.

The ordeal is over and everyone is relieved that Mary is safe.

Mary deals with the aftermath of her ordeal. Charlie looks after Loretta, while Mary is furious with Tom.

Mary feels that her marriage is over. Tom seeks advice from Coach Fedders, while Mary gets sociable with Sgt. Foley.

Mary visits Sgt. Foley's apartment; Charlie and Loretta pack for Nashville; Heather knows something's up, while Raymond and Roberta go on a date.

Mary returns home with one shoe and no groceries. Tom wants to know where she's been. Loretta and Charlie are off to Nashville.

Mary is served with a summons by Sergeant Foley, along with a much more personal invitation. Blanche and Leroy discuss the Hartman's problems. Grandpa has his day in court.

Tragedy strikes the Haggers in the form of a stationwagon full of nuns. Mary does her best to comfort Charlie. Neither Tom nor Mary can get any sleep.

Mary is served with a summons by Sergeant Foley, along with a much more personal invitation. Blanche and Leroy discuss the Hartman's problems. Grandpa has his day in court.

Tom has something to discuss with Mary. Tom moves in with Charlie. Loretta is sinking fast.

Mary makes a trip to the library. Martha insists that being miserable is the only key to happiness.

Tom and Mary visit the doctor. Cathy gets a new job. Charlie gets still more bad news.

Mary says Tom shouldn't go to waste. Cathy's magic fingers make their debut.

Mary says Tom shouldn't go to waste. Cathy's magic fingers make their debut.

Tom rescues Heather from a liver dinner. Loretta attempts a valiant stand. Sergeant Foley visits Mary, who threatens to call the police.

Martha is on the floor. Cathy and Steve try to help. Meet the all new, all now Roberta Walashak.

George says no to Cathy and Steve, but his words fall on deaf ears. Charlie and Loretta swap exciting news. The Shumway house is a battleground. Tom cooks his way back into Mary's heart.

Loretta and Charlie wheel their way home. Grandpa helps Roberta, who insults her way into a sale. Tom and Mary learn the wonders of Dorelda Doremus! Then the truth.

Loretta invites the Hartmans to her healing. Charlie looks for miracles of his own.

This episode is a review of the events that took place in the first thirty-five episodes.

Mary makes a discovery about Heather. The Hartmans make a parental decision. Tom and Mary get high for the Lord.

Dorelda Doremus' ""healing"" falls flat. George faces up to facts and says yes to Cathy and Steve. Tom and Mary reach new highs in bed.

Tom and Mary owe Heather an explanation. Loretta is still looking up. The Friendly Loan Company drops in on the Haggers. Mae drops – in the Hartmans' house.

Tragedy makes strange bedfellows. Mae spends the night with Tom and Mary. Steve has something to show Cathy. Martha finds Mae in Tom's bed.

Mary keeps Mae from suicide, for the sake of her bathroom. Charlie and Loretta get a not so friendly letter. Mary and Mae have a nice woman to husband's former mistress talk.

Mary finds a match made in heaven, in her own kitchen. Roberta hopes Grandpa can forget. Mary finds new meaning in her life.

Leroy is worried sick. Mae talks to Tom about Mary. Leroy Fedders gets into his last bowl of chicken soup.

Mary's chicken soup makes the evening news. The time has come for Steve to gesture goodbye. Mary's guilt gets Leroy a Cadillac.

George gets a ""visitor"" and then a ""surprise."" The Hartmans get a call from Tom's ex's ex. George returns home in a panic.

Mary plays hostess to a funeral and eulogizes the late Leroy Fedders. Tom and Mary make plans for the hypothetical. Tom has a surprise for Mae.

Mae's reunion is a big headache for Tom and it's all Mary's fault. Loretta and Charlie get some not so friendly news. Loretta makes a spectacular comeback, in more ways than one

Charlie and Loretta face eviction at the hands of the Friendly Loan Co. Steve appears on the Johnny Tilson Show, where it's apparent that he's romancing starlet Kate Walters. Martha faints after seeing George's blackmail photos.

Mary tells Tom that it'll be 23 years before their sexual desires are synchronized again. Tom is angered by Mary's need for "something else" that she can't explain. Mary seeks answers to happiness from Grandpa Larkin who surmises she doesn't quite fit in anywhere. Mary hides under the kitchen sink. Cathy worries that she's losing Steve. Loretta has inspiration for a new song, Ballad of a Legless Woman. Mary cries and shares a lunch meat sandwich with Grandpa.

Dr. Fermin tells Loretta that she's in spontaneous remission. Charlie devises a plan to come up with money to stall eviction by selling raffle tickets for a color TV he and Loretta don't have. Martha refuses to believe George's claim that he was framed by union officials in Milwaukee. Loretta and Mary decide that Mary's "thing" is communication. Tiny catches Charlie selling raffle tickets and orders him out. When Tom intervenes, Tiny tells him to shut up or he's fired, prompting Charlie to deck Tiny who falls to the floor unconscious.

Now that Mary knows her thing is communication, she has to decide what to do with it. Tom doesn't communicate well when he tells Loretta and Mary what happened between Charlie and Tiny at the plant. Mary wishes Tom could convert the energy of anger into something sexy. George is happy he and Martha made up at 2:15 a.m. Cathy fears she's no longer good enough for Steve, and George threatens to punch his heart out. Loretta's engineer Clyde Muncie visits with news that his brother in Chicago wants to release Loretta's song as a single.

Steve reassures Cathy that starlet Kate Walters was just for publicity. Tom has to explain to Heather that he broke the rules when he's sent home from the plant over the incident between Charlie and Tiny. George isn't sympathetic to Tom's situation. At the library, Mrs. Delorean introduces Mary to sex therapist Mona McKenzie from the Lackawanda Institute

Cathy tells George and Martha that she and Steve are going to Hollywood to be married, just as Kate Walters arrives at Steve's apartment. Tom has it out with George and decides to run against him in the union election. Mary explains her problems to Mona McKenzie. Mary lies to Cathy that Mona is an old friend from high school who transferred away. Cathy discovers Steve in bed with Kate.

Mary, Martha, and Loretta plan Cathy's impromptu bridal shower while she's throwing her engagement ring back at Steve. A distraught Cathy arrives home, announces Steve's infidelity, and renounces men. Dennis drops by the Hartman kitchen and tells Mary that he still wants her and will wait for her, but when Cathy arrives, Dennis asks her to dinner.

Mary secretly phones Mona but can't talk. After her date with Dennis, Cathy's over Steve. Loretta has a new tune about Cathy's relationship with Steve called How Can You Say You Don't Love Me When You Never Could Talk At All? Clyde calls the Haggers with news that a royalty check is in the mail. Tom and George spar over union ideals at the plant. After hearing Baby Boy on the radio, Tiny offers to help Charlie get re-hired. Tom accuses Mary of meddling, and she accuses him of using sex to intimidate her into being a good girl. Mona phones Mary to arrange a meeting about sex therapy.

Mary is too busy preparing food products without food to care about Cathy's relationship with Dennis. Loretta receives a phone call from another Mrs. Haggers. Mona arrives at the Hartman house to carry out Mary's plan. Loretta confronts Charlie about his past.

Mary and Tom have a surrogate. Loretta gets a non-obscene phone call. Mary leaves Tom alone with Mona.

Charlie talks to Loretta about Muriel. Cathy and Dennis return from a night together. Loretta prepares for her predecessor.

Mrs. Haggers meets Mrs. Haggers. Sergeant Foley waits with Mary. Mary is shaking - and it's not from the cold. Charlie and Muriel remember things differently.

Mary is not nervous as Mona drops by. Cathy has no need to be jealous. Tom learns the wonders of performance anxiety.

Mary wonders about Tom's sudden burst of cooperativeness. Charlie tells Loretta the story of Muriel. Cathy has found the perfect man - again.

Mona has a perfect record - practically. Loretta and Mary tackle each other's problems and talk about "the scar!"

Loretta gives a farewell performance. Cathy plays hard-to-get and says yes to two dates.

Tom has some good news. Mary's not in touch with herself and witnesses the wounding of the Lackawanda Institute.

Martha confides in Mary and tells her about the ozone. Mary talks to Heather about love and slaps her in the face.

The Shumways are warned about Sergeant Foley from the one he loves. Mary tells of the meaning of STET and loses more than her arm. Muriel talks of Charlie's "base instincts."

Mary feels awful and Roberta says "great." Mary tells Dennis he must forget Cathy. Mary confides in Cathy, who hates her.

Mary wonders about international conspiracy and makes the morning meal. Cathy and Dennis play games. Mary gets a gift from Dennis, but has nothing to give him, except maybe one thing.

Mary can't get out of bed. Muriel gets breakfast from Loretta and an ultimatum from Charlie. Muriel's extortion scheme falls flat off her face.

Modern medicine triumphs. Mary thinks she feels great. Charlie and Loretta share another announcement. Muriel wants sympathy - and five thousand dollars.

Mary's breakfast is a failure. Loretta's career is a success. Mary attempts to save Cathy from a tragedy with a reading from TV Guide.

Sergeant Foley tries the two-timer two-step. Loretta warms up for her Hollywood debut. Charlie counts toes and ends up a father.

The Haggers say "hooray for Hollywood." Mary denies her sister's wedding day wish for the sake of cholesterol. Charlie makes plans for a VIP tour. Mary wonders if Loretta will forget.

Mary has hopes for Loretta's success. Mary's emergency is a job for Otto Feurenbach. Charlie and Loretta are in a room that's not green.

It's Loretta's big day on the Dinah show and all goes great until she commits a shocking blooper.

Loretta's TV coverage is more complete than expected. Mary really needs her doctor - so she gets put on hold. Martha makes a confession. Tom gets an unexpected escort.

Mary and Cathy are going crazy. Roberta has no need to scream when Dennis gives back the key. Sergeant Foley threatens to set a date, if Mary won't.

Mary urges Tom to read bumper stickers - for the sake of his family. Dennis invites Roberta to an open marriage. Mary calls the police, but doesn't want to get involved.

Charlie and Loretta return to Fernwood, but today is Thursday and Mary can't face her friend.

Charlie is excited - he was called a new name. Mary kisses Dennis and swears to it. Charlie and Loretta salute "President Timmy."

Mary returns home from the Italian cinema. Charlie explains the joys of parenthood. Tom gets an explosion out of "Pop." Sergeant Foley anticipates another undercover(s) assignment.

Cathy demands to know why Mary is wrecking her life. Charlie allows Muriel visitation hours. Cathy despairs for a future in Albuquerque.

Mary and Tom disagree - with the Bible. Muriel talks Clyde Muncie into waiting with the bad news. Charlie is off to the airport. Muriel says goodbye.

Dennis maneuvers himself into one more week. The Hartmans and Shumways find conflict in the kitchen. Charlie and Loretta find themselves at rock bottom.

Cathy discovers Mary's true interest in her marriage. Dennis wants Mary to be more honest. Mary tries to save herself with a story of vertical lifesaving.

Loretta gets a visitor with a "la la la" in the night. Mary takes a walk and explains her role as a kissee. Mary is sure Loretta won't understand.

Sergeant Foley talks his way into a family. Cathy is appeased. Mary makes an unfortunate slip of the tongue.

Cathy meets a new neighbor and plays cards to see her future. Loretta starts knocking on doors for the Lord. Tom comes to state his case - and takes a backseat to a Bicentennial bumpersticker.

Cathy buries the hatchet in Dennis' overflow. Mary is warned about blonde men and fools, then goes to the station again for the first time.

Mary forgets more than Heather's lunch. Howard informs Mary of Betty's unforeseen arrest. Martha hopes Tom will grow to accept imperfection.

Mary and Martha make their musical requests. Betty does her best to battle Mary's twelve compound. Ed and Howard have a "family" squabble.

Mary and Tom have a goodnight fight. Loretta gets a new sign, to Charlie's delight. Dennis' ratings are up, but he doesn't seem too happy.

Mary vows to put an end to something. Tom bowls alone and makes a friend. Charlie's good news waits for the "good news." Dennis complicates a "no" with the truth.

Tom is out of the overflow, but Mary is getting more than her share. Mary has someone new to trade troubles with. Tom and Dennis argue the needs of a wounded bird.

Grandpa offers some philosophy and gets a lift to the supermarket. Tom's dejection breeds rejection and Dennis' feelings come straight from the heart.

Mary's attention while ironing helps save a life. Tom and Cathy look for a fiancee and a wife. Mary is trying to get picked up.

Mary makes a confession, which Dennis is awake to hear. Cathy and Tom find the evidence (you don't need bandages for a heart attack). Mary gets help in return for the truth.

Tom says that it's different. Loretta makes a generous offer to Merle Jeeter. Misery gets company.

Mary has the hard truth for Heather. Heather has the hard questions for Mary. Sergeant Foley gets put in traction and straightens things out with Cathy. Tom's refuge is the scene for more fighting.

Mary vows to compose her thoughts, while Loretta cleans house for the Lord. Mary makes some important decisions and talks to Dennis of flexible straws and love.

Mary admits to a beautiful moment in one of the seven positions. Cathy's application to nunhood is rejected. Tom goes for a walk and gets some timely advice.

Charlie and Loretta turn on Fernwood 2 Night. Mary makes plans to cut out the middleman. Jimmy Joe Jeeter is on his father's knees. Mary goes to the clergy for comfort and ends up playing softball.

Loretta visits Mary with absolution and a new brand of floor cleaner. Howard and Ed disagree over plans for the future. Mary comes face-to-waist with the Reverend Jimmy Joe Jeeter.

Loretta entertains a dinner guest and gets a direct line to the Lord. Cathy has some church dealings of her own. Mary talks to Howard about the only sensible thing to do, then takes a journey through his childhood.

Mary can't see eye-to-eye with Loretta's child minister. Tom makes a dinner date for his 100th chicken fried steak. The Haggers have a surprise for the Hartmans.

Mary makes a phone call in search of a terrific answer. Cathy answers a call from "TV land." Loretta has a holy supper at the International House of Pancakes.

Tom gets a boost from his thermos. Mary tries helping herself by helping others. Martha finds out she didn't help her parents' marriage.

Mary gets a Help Line of her own. Cathy may become Fernwood's kitchen cookie. Martha begins her search for identity. Howard tries his hand at counseling Tom.

Mary has some pamphlets and Sergeant Foley has some ideas. Cathy is in something. Tom makes some decisions.

Mary finds out about the classics and some information about Howard and Ed. Cathy's conversion plans go up in holy smoke. Mary finally tells Dennis what he wants to hear.

Martha searches for her past in the palm of her hand. Cathy gets a new job and her first go-fer. Ed sets the record not-straight with Mary.

Tom agrees to some moral support. Mary practices some perfect discipline, but gets no good reasons from Dennis. Loretta's blessed recording session has one visitor too many.

Mary takes the day off from the Help Line. Sergeant Foley finds a spot with no poison ivy. Cathy gets some sunshine and goes out for just dinner. Dennis, Heather and Mary sing for their supper.

Merle Jeeter offers a solo spot to Loretta. Cathy holds no grudges and announces her new career. Tom asks Grandpa for the meaning of life. Howard gets some good news, then bad news, from Mary.

Still another couple appears to be splitting up. Cathy is encouraged to stick with her job. Tom and Ed make some other engagements.

Mary and Dennis talk of past, present, and future. Ed talks to Tom about being a jerk. Mary and Howard have sympathetic vibrations. Heather worries about being in the way of her mother's affairs.

Jimmy Joe Jeeter looks to Loretta for guidance. Clete talks about his favorite subject - himself. Mary is ravaged by Gasid indigestion of the head. Loretta must answer the call and meet Merle in his motel room.

Mary counts her disconnections. Roberta confronts Dennis about his responsibilities. Merle tells Loretta of his cheap ($1.75) and sinful ways.

Loretta makes a misprint in Billboard and is worried about her iffy chances. Tom has some good news, but Mary has to cancel. Mary interviews for the typical American consumer.

Dennis bares his soul, but he won't be able to leave. Cathy and Clete have an announcement for Frank. Ed's announcement bowls Tom right over.

Mary learns of Howard's latency and craves some popcorn and a Slurpee. Martha's pa meets Martha's pa. Tom returns home in a stupor.

Mary has a perfectly normal, ordinary, typical morning for national TV. Loretty saves a sinful soul and gets second billing. Mary's kitchen is out of sync.

Mary and Tom promise to start fresh. Grandpa Twelvetrees performs some miracle cures. Mary wants to help Tom - she kicks him out of the house.

Betty talks about straightening Howard out. One of Martha's left feet is Native American. Mary feels guilty about "helping" Tom. Jimmy Joe Jeeter is promised a new mother.

Betty wants Mary to open doors for the truth. Mary has water in her eighth house and may have Howard there, too. Cathy goes to be converted, but Father DeMarco can't do the job.

Mary gets a non-obscene call from David Susskind. Cathy tells Clete to have is own children. Ed takes a walk. The Help Line gets cut off and it's all Mary's fault.

Martha vows to squat for fishing rights. Howard says yes to living the truth. Loretta wants to expose herself in Chicago and Charlie says yes.

Tom slurs "good luck" to Mary. Mary browses with an eye to buy. Frank visits Cathy with something he just has to tell her. Martha returns to a tragedy with a tragedy.

Merle gets ready for Loretta's visit. Mary has a dream of what might have been and makes her live television debut.

Season finale. Mary finds coping with life as "America's Typical Consumer Housewife" beyond her grasp. An incomparable performance in an unforgettable episode.

Andrew Ackerman feels that Mary's appearance on The David Susskind Show will bring attention -and more money- to the psychiatric ward at Fernwood Receiving. Mary meets Wanda Rittenhouse on the ward, and Wanda thanks Mary for making "BDs" respectable. Mary tells Dr. Williams that she'd rather be a plant than a person, but he reassures her that she's stronger than she thinks. Charlie and Loretta wonder exactly what injuries were inflicted by the gunshot in Merle's motel room. Mary is welcomed into her new Nielsen family at the hospital.

Mary becomes better acquainted with her hospital family. Cathy is confused by the results of a pregnancy test. Not knowing the extent of his injuries frustrates Charlie. Merle calls the hospital to make amends. Tom finds Heather with a new look and taking good care of herself at home. Ackerman and Dr. Williams reach an impasse over the length of Mary's stay.

Dr. Williams reveals to Mary that Tom signed her commitment papers. Grandpa Larkin suggests that Cathy turn go to George with news of her pregnancy. Charlie begs Nurse Nugent to tell him if he lost his manhood. Fletch realizes Chester stole the missing plutonium, which Chester says can level all of southern Ohio. Wanda asks Mary to be in charge of the ward while she's out on a weekend furlough.

Dr. Fermin has answers for Charlie, but it doesn't put the patient's mind to rest. Martha explains to Grandpa Larkin the facts surrounding George's mysterious disappearance. Merle attempts to buy Jimmy Joe's forgiveness with a television set. Wanda leaves the ward in Mary's capable hands

Loretta and Merle come face to face for the first time since the shooting. Chester confides to Mary that he hid a nuclear device in the hospital and plans to blast his way out. Charlie hides his condition from Tom. Martha swoons when Cathy reveals George disappeared because of her pregnancy. Watching the 6:30 newscast proves an electrifying experience for the Reverend Jimmy Joe.

Mary and Tom are happily reunited at Fernwood Receiving, but the visit takes an unfortunate turn when she confesses she thinks Chester is dangerous. Cathy wants to have a talk with Clete, who interviews Merle about the most recent tragedy in his motel room. Charlie insists that Loretta pledge not to tell a soul about the exact nature of his injuries.

News of Jimmy Joe distresses Mary. Cathy's pregnancy delights Clete until he realizes that she's three months along. Martha and Heather discuss death. Tom reassures Heather that Mary's condition is improving. Loretta secretly phones Merle and agrees to meet him at the Capri. Mary questions Nurse Gimble about her latest injury in a series of injuries.

Merle announces his plan to leave Fernwood, but first, a bowler at the Capri Lounge wonders if he might run for public office. Dr. Williams attempts to assuage Mary's fears about Chester's plan to level Ohio with a nuclear device. Ackerman fights to keep Mary institutionalized as long as possible because she's "money in the bank." Mary receives a stack of fan mail from TV viewers and talks to Gore Vidal on the phone.

Dr. Williams confirms Mary's chat with Gore Vidal when Mary requests an overnight pass to go home and clean her kitchen for his visit. Mary wonders if she'll be required to have sex with Dr. Medwick, the sex therapist Dr. Williams recommends for her treatment. Martha reports George's disappearance to Detective Sergeant Johnson, Heather's former bodyguard during the Davey Jessup saga. Dr. Medwick explains to Mary how the bible encourages healthy sex for pleasure.

Loretta eases Charlie's mind by telling him that Merle's leaving Fernwood. Dr. Williams promises to give Mary an overnight pass from the ward. Tom discusses his new job with Heather. Charlie is released from the hospital but has performance anxiety when he and Loretta get home.

Charlie's up in the night, but not the way Loretta dreamed, so she works on the song "Moanin' in the Night." At the Bide-a-Wee Inn, Cathy meets Mrs. Delorean who's moonlighting as a hotel clerk, and convinces her to see the guest register in hope of finding The Armenian's last name. Merle visits the Haggers house and tells an ambivalent Loretta that he's been reborn by the Lord as a politician. Mary arrives home to find her kitchen trashed, Heather in platform shoes, and lots of drama in the family.

Tom arrives home from his white collar job, and Mary is stunned at how much he looks like the husband she imagined in her doll house. Detective Johnson informs Martha that George may have led a double life and doesn't want to be found, leading him to ask her to accompany him to a dance. Martha receives a phone call from the mysterious Jack and Jill, who claim that George has been abducted on a UFO. In the bedroom, Mary tells Tom what she learned about the bible and sex from Dr. Medwick. At first Tom is disgusted by the sight of his and Mary's reflection in the bedroom mirror, but as they begin to make love, he becomes aroused by it.

Martha explains George's disappearance to Mary. Loretta confides to Mary the exact nature of Charlie's injuries and how it affects her marriage. Merle attempts to make amends to Charlie, but Mary interrupts and accidentally reveals Charlie's impotence. Charlie rages at Loretta for her betrayal. Heather and Mary discuss going crazy.

Tom gives Mary the choice of returning to the psychiatric ward when her overnight pass ends. Dr. Williams tells Ackerman that nothing short of induced psychosis will prevent Mary from successfully completing treatment soon. Mary enjoys a reunion and marble swirl cake with her Fernwood Receiving family. Merle meets with Commissioner Rittenhouse, Fernwood's zoning commissioner, to discuss tax exempt status on the Condos for Christ property, but Rittenhouse wants green papers in exchange. Loretta attempts to tell Merle why she can't talk to him ever again. Mary, Wanda, and Nurse Gimble chat about their husbands, and Mary notices that Nurse Gimble has added another injury to her body.

Chester phones Fletch at the laboratory, and he convinces Mary that Chester is in possession of dangerous plutonium 239. Mary exposes Chester's threat to Nurse Gimble, but she suggests Mary's regressing into fantasy. Charlie finds an ad in a magazine, giving him hope that a doctor in New Jersey can restore what's missing from the groin. Nurse Gimble theorizes about the violent nature of men. Tom sells his first recreational vehicle then meets live wire trucker Annie Wylie.

Tom visits Annie's trailer and accepts a dinner invitation from her. Dr. Fermin advises Cathy to sell her unborn baby to a needy, but wealthy, couple. Tom finds Mary's story about Chester's nuclear device difficult to believe.

At the Capri Lounge, Loretta sings "Moanin' in the Night."

Loretta foresees trouble for Mary and Tom when Annie decides to remain in Fernwood for an extended visit. Mary and Gore Vidal get to know one another. Charlie admits to Loretta his embarrassment over her new song. Loretta suggests hypnotherapy as a cure for Charlie's sexual dysfunction.

Garth Gimble, Nurse Pat's husband, tells Ackerman his plan to promote the hospital through a Mary Hartman Homecoming Day and burial of a time capsule to be opened in 2076. Ackerman realizes that he must release Mary early in order to have Gore Vidal's participation in the time capsule burial. Loretta warns Mary that Tom is getting too close to Annie Wylie. Loretta attempts to hypnotize Charlie.

Mary is told that she'll select the items for the time capsule being buried by the Fernwood Chamber of Commerce. Grandpa visits Mary and recognizes Chester as a madman. Loretta tantalizes Dr. Medwick with her erotic dreams. Cathy considers aborting the baby. Martha receives a letter regarding George's disappearance.

Mary schemes to bury Chester's Peanuts lunch box containing the nuclear device in Fernwood's time capsule. Martha receives a phone call from Jack and Jill Renquist, who claim they can make contact with George on the flying saucer. Detective Johnson continues to get closer to Martha. Mary and Wanda watch Merle, Annie, and Commissioner Rittenhouse on Clete Meizenheimer's public affairs show Tee Vee Dinner. During the broadcast, Merle accuses the commissioner of corruption, and Rittenhouse chokes to death on his TV dinner.

Tom and Heather give Gore the brush off, so he interviews Martha. Mary is in a lather to get Heather's old Peanuts lunch box, which is identical to Chester's. Mary and Tom discuss their friendships with Gore and Annie. While Chester is distracted by playing a game with Heather, Mary switches the lunch boxes, but she might have been caught.

Gore promises to promote Ackerman and Fernwood Receiving on The Merv Griffin Show, but first he has to convince Merv. Annie accepts Tom's offer to park her trailer in his driveway. Mary phones home and notes Tom's lack of enthusiasm over Mary Hartman Homecoming Day. Wanda reassures Merle that he's not to blame for Commissioner Rittenhouse's death. Charlie phones Dr. Fratkis, who offers reconstructive surgery for $5000.

Just as Mary leaves the hospital, sex therapist Mona McKenzie is admitted for getting too much of a good thing. Nurse Gimble continues to show up with more bodily injury. Jack and Jill Renquist visit Martha and promise to make contact with George just as soon as she pays their expenses. Wanda insists that Merle assume her late husband's position as zoning commissioner. Charlie runs into Jody Troxel, the son of Charlie's old friend Hubie.

Mary tells Tom that she switched Heather's lunch box with Chester's. Garth decides to use Mary's comment "you're only as recovered as you think you are" as the PR catchphrase for Fernwood's economic growth campaign. Watching the time capsule ceremony on television with Mona, Chester realizes that he was tricked. Annie has breakfast with the Hartmans, inciting Mary's jealousy. Charlie introduces race car driver Jody to Loretta.

An oblivious Martha receives another visit from Detective Johnson. After a letter from Sgt. Foley arrives, assuring Cathy that it's physically impossible for him to be the father of her child, she makes a decision about Dr. Fermin's offer. Mary and Tom enjoy a night of passion. Annie promises Mary that she'll leave Fernwood. Tom tells Mary and Annie that he's been chosen to star in a commercial for the RV dealership. Mary vows to find a way for Cathy to keep her baby.

Tom asks Mary to leave but allow Annie to stay as he films his TV commercial. Wealthy Brian and Christine Addams drop by the Shumway kitchen to meet with Cathy, and express interest in buying her baby, but Cathy doesn't warm to Christine's snobbish attitude. Tom gives Heather a C.B. radio. Garth and Wanda both have plans regarding Merle's future career. The true nature of Garth and Pat's relationship becomes clear when they move into the former McCullough home.

Mary details her attitudes about Annie in the journal given to her by David Susskind. Martha receives photographic "evidence" that George was beamed aboard a UFO. After Cathy decides to not to let the Addamses buy her baby, Cathy discovers it's too late for an abortion. Later, Brian visits Cathy and asks for a second chance. Wanda admits to Mary that she's in love with Merle.

Mary complains that she now feels like a sex object. Brian and Christine tempt Cathy with $40,000, but she must agree to have a second baby, fathered by Brian. Mary meets Jody and gives Loretta the same warning Loretta once gave her about Dennis Foley. Merle confesses his sinful past to Wanda, but she sees his repentance as a political asset. Detective Johnson offers to get Martha a job acting in police training films.

Martha and Detective Johnson storm the Gimble house after hearing Pat's screams, but the couple manages to cover up Garth's abuse. Mary gives Charlie an alpha wave machine to help cure his impotence. Jody wants Charlie to manage his racing career. Loretta and Mary discuss Charlie's desire for an expensive transplant operation from Dr. Fratkis, but Mary suggests that Loretta make Charlie jealous instead, forcing him to make love to her. Mary is astonished by Tom's professionalism in the TV commercial. Pat turns up at Tom and Mary's back door and collapses in their kitchen.

The Gimbles' excuses for Pat's injuries become more complex and less likely. Grandpa Larkin and Cathy discuss her deal with Brian and Christine Addams. Loretta persuades Jody to help her make Charlie jealous, but once they practice kissing, Jody forgets he's just acting. Charlie catches Loretta and Jody in a clinch, and threatens to mop the walls with Jody.

Loretta is dismayed when her scheme to make Charlie jealous only incites his anger. Jody gives Charlie a cut of the race winnings, enough for Charlie to make a down payment on his testicle transplant with Dr. Fratkis. Clete informs Merle of a terrible disaster at the Condos for Christ construction site. Heather arranges a welcome home supper for Annie after her accident, but Mary has other plans for the celebration.

Dr. Fratkis informs Charlie that he has to find his own donor for the testicle transplant. Cathy moves into the Addams mansion, but is dismayed when Christine hides her in a secluded attic room. Merle needs to clear his name in the Condos for Christ disaster caused by the late Commissioner Rittenhouse's shoddy materials. Mary gives Annie a cake baked with aspirin.

When Martha tells Mary that Cathy left home to live with the wealthy couple buying her baby, Mary thinks Cathy is just like Melinda Mason on the soap opera Hope for Tomorrow. Martha declines Detective Johnson's offer to play a rape victim for the police academy because she has to catch a bus for Colorado and meet George atop a mountain. Tom and Annie discuss alcoholism and share martini glasses of soda water with a twist. Heather and Tom talk about the pain of growing up and deciding whether to have an affair or a nervous breakdown first.

Brian explains to Cathy that he and Christine are plotting to pass her baby off as their biological child in order to inherit money from Christine's wealthy father. Merle offers himself as a donor for Charlie's transplant, but Charlie refuses after learning that Dr. Fratkis has located a donor, unaware that the donor isn't human. Mary arranges a party for Tom, who announces that he's been promoted to general manager. Pat gives Mary a sober warning about Tom, but Mary is confused about what never comes: yesterday or tomorrow.

Charlie and Dr. Fratkis agree to perform his transplant immediately. Loretta is hired to sing at the drag races and composes an impromptu song about making her man whole again. Wanda convinces Merle to build a political career as monument to Jimmy Joe, but she can't succeed in turning him on. Mary wants to get out of the house and into tomorrow by having a second child.

Martha and Detective Johnson practice rape, and Mary gets the wrong idea. As Charlie prepares to leave for his transplant in New Jersey, he and Loretta discuss the return of their former love life. Tom's induction into the Jaycees is cause for celebration at the Capri, but he and Annie abstain. Mary stuns Tom with her announcement that their second baby is going to be Cathy's child.

Tom, Mary, and Heather all agree to adopt Cathy's baby as their own. Merle's guilt over sinning with Annie is tempered by the intriguing voice of Big Honey on Annie's CB radio. Annie recognizes Tom's shock at finding Merle in her trailer, and they discuss how a woman can be "just one of the guys." Mary informs Cathy of the plan to adopt her baby, but Cathy suggests a child raised in the Addams home will never have to write to an advice column about life's problems.

Christine suggests Cathy endure a natural childbirth, on all fours and with no anesthesia. Grandpa Larkin attempts to persuade Cathy to return home. Martha and Detective Johnson set-up the Renquists to incriminate themselves on tape, but Jack recognizes the scheme. Mary ruins Tom's adoption celebration with news that Cathy won't give them her baby, so Tom gets Mary drunk and seduces her with the intent of making their own baby.

Garth rejects Wanda's desire to enlist Pat in Merle's mayoral campaign. Later, Garth becomes disgusted by Pat's novel, a fictional account of their relationship, and forces her to destroy what she's written. Charlie meets with Dr. Fratkis and is horrified to learn that Fratkis has only performed the transplant surgery on canines. Loretta and Jody return from the drag race filled with excitement, but Mary brings the emotions down with news that Charlie was arrested in New Jersey.

Mary stuns Jody and Loretta with news that Charlie was arrested for cruelty to animals. In jail, Dr. Fratkis admits to Charlie the shocking identity of his transplant donor. Merle visits Tom to settle any conflict between them and asks Tom not to tell Wanda about the affair with Annie. Later, Merle and Jody both attempt to console Loretta. Charlie phones home and tells Loretta that he's never coming back.

Garth forces Pat to quit her job. Mary brings Pat a letter from Little Garth's military academy. After finding Jody in the Haggers home, Tom cautions Loretta to beware of men who might try to take advantage of Charlie's absence. Mary wants to be Cathy's natural childbirth coach, despite Cathy's desire for a man. Pat drops by Mary's kitchen and confesses that Little Garth is keeping a secret that will enrage Garth...if he finds out.

Mary recalls getting too close for comfort with Annie in the kitchen and theorizes to Tom that their friend is bisexual. Charlie is dismayed when Dr. Fratkis is released, but he remains jailed. Charlie meets Joe Sutonni, his new cell mate and "godfather". Giddy on Blue Nun wine, Martha is kissed by Detective Johnson, and Grandpa Larkin bears witness to their embrace. Mary warns Martha that there's an AC/DC problem in her driveway.

Martha visits Annie to discuss their AC/DC trouble. Charlie phones Loretta and tells her that he got out of jail but still won't come home. Jody offers to take Loretta to New Jersey to find Charlie. Mary decontaminates her kitchen with the help of the FDA and gossips to Wanda about Annie's sexuality. Pat phones Mary to tell her that Little Garth is home, but the call is interrupted by Garth, who thinks they're keeping secrets.

Pat and Little Garth hide the truth from Garth about his son's bed wetting. Detective Johnson insinuates that Annie is part of a prostitution ring in Fernwood and wants to use an antiquated city ordinance to send her on her way. Cathy is delighted to have Brian as her natural childbirth coach. Charlie returns to Fernwood and pays a secret visit to Mary. Mary gives Charlie a note left by Loretta and Jody, which they misinterpret.

Loretta and Jody meet Dr. Fratkis in New Jersey and learn that someone uglier than a Godfather cast member bailed Charlie out of jail. Mary and Merle have an intimate conversation about sexuality, and Merle can't help but feel attracted to Mary's innocence and gingham dresses. Wanda and Merle discuss Mary and Annie. Loretta and Jody return to Fernwood, where Mary confesses that Charlie may have left again under the wrong impression.

After writing about her in the journal, Mary visits Annie and bristles at her attention. Tom's arrival prompts Annie to make a quick exit with Mary's journal which Annie thinks is a shopping list. Mary admits to Tom that she was researching bisexuality. At the Capri, Jody watches Loretta sing a song imploring her husband to come home to his lonely prom queen. Sitting on a desolate bridge, Charlie is befriended by a wolf. Merle shocks Wanda with a marriage proposal cleverly timed for election eve. Pat's mother pays a visit and urges Pat to leave Garth.

Annie returns Mary's journal and insists she's not attracted to her. While discussing people's needs, Mary embraces Annie, but Tom walks in and misinterprets the situation. Later, Tom forces himself on Mary who begs him not to rape her. Grandpa Larkin meets Mrs. Delorean at the mortuary where she's moonlighting in the slumber rooms. Tom admits to Annie that same sex kissing disgusts him. Christine catches Cathy and Brian practicing their heavy breathing on the living room floor.

Embarrassed before a country club lunch, Tom wants Mary to keep up with the Joneses by shopping for chic dresses at Tufts and Tweeds. Martha fears God will punish Cathy for selling her babies. Garth discovers Little Garth's secret and tells Pat he'll shape her into a good wife it literally kills them. Merle advises Loretta to get rid of Jody and proposes she sing at his election rally.

Mary and Dr. Medwick rap about rape and upward mobility. Loretta kisses Jody and tells him goodbye forever. About to jump from the bridge, Charlie hears Loretta's love song to him on the radio and decides to go home. Joe Sutonni wants to give Charlie a physical and psychological makeover. Merle goes on live television and offers voters two minutes of silence to look into his eyes and see the best man for mayor.

Garth bungles Merle's press conference, angering him, but Merle turns it around with an engagement announcement. Wanda requests a private celebration, but Merle insists on abstinence until their wedding night. Merle's rejection prompts Wanda to visit Annie, who claims she isn't a threat to the marriage. Wanda and Annie realize they both see people as numbers. Mary phones Italy to tell Gore Vidal that she can't continue co-writing their book because she' preoccupied with all the drama in Fernwood. Merle eavesdrops on the conversation and professes to Mary that he sees something in her that Tom doesn't. Mary invites Merle into her kitchen for a quiet cup of tea.

Pat introduces Mary to Garth Phillip Gimble, Jr., who doesn't like to be called "Little Garth". During Merle's election night party, Garth threatens Pat, but she swears she'll expose him as a wife beater if he lays a hand on her. Mary's new dress embarrasses Tom at the party. Tom refuses Cathy's request to help Martha with her mortgage payment. Merle fires Garth for not supporting his two minutes of silence trick on TV. Mary worries when Tom reveals he invested a large sum of money in lake property.

Mary suggests that an upset Loretta seek advice from Bob Gilroy, the plant psychologist. Gilroy makes a house call to the Haggers home, but Loretta's tale of Charlie's accident in the motel room repulses him. Tom finds Garth drowning his sorrows at the Capri and attempts to comfort him. Later, Tom is shocked to find Martha at the lounge dressed as a hooker. Joe Sutonni and an exasperated store clerk give Charlie a makeover.

Mary appeals to Cathy not to sell her baby, and although the idea is sound financially, Cathy feels shame. Suspecting that Big Honey is using the CB to run Fernwood's prostitution ring, Detective Johnson arranges for Martha to meet her at the Bide-a-Wee Motel, where she uses the alias Mrs. McQueen. Mary insists on accompanying Martha and they arrive dressed as hookers. When Mrs. McQueen fails to answer her phone, Mrs. Delorean gives Martha and Mary applications to complete. Mary and Martha are unnerved by the presence of a leering john and a cop.

Garth escalates his abuse of Pat. Annie informs Merle that her gift to Wanda is to never be intimate with him again. Merle flirts with Big Honey on Annie's CB. While Charlie phones Loretta to say he's returning to her, Joe Sutonni is gunned down in a mob hit. Everyone congregates in the Hartman living room for Merle and Wanda's wedding, but where is the groom?

Merle and Wanda marry with Mary's unusual ceremonial vows. Detective Johnson arranges for Tom to pose as a john and help him crack the prostitution ring by exposing Big Honey. On his wedding night, Merle makes a date with Big Honey over the C.B. and lies to Wanda that he has to go out to keep a campaign promise. A dejected Wanda seeks companionship from Annie, and the two admit they're attracted to one another.

Merle arrives at the mortuary where Big Honey's partner Mac is reluctant to let him see her. Merle talks his way into the slumber room and is stunned to learn the identity of Big Honey. Detective Johnson, Mary, and Tom raid the mortuary just as Merle and Big Honey finish 45 minutes of passion. When Harold Clemens arrives on the scene for a news story, Merle is forced to reveal the mastermind behind the prostitution ring. At the police station, Tom has questions for the new mayor who once again proves he can talk himself out of any situation.

Detective Johnson's shocking confession about his past prompts Martha to end their courtship. Garth and Pat have yet another fight, this time over his accusation that she doesn't support his career. Mary's suggestion that Tom is spending too much money angers him. Heather and Little Garth's discussion of teen sex is interrupted by a phone call from a man who claims to be George Shumway and says he's coming home.

Financially strapped Tom visits the plant to ask Crimins if he has any unpaid money due him. Christine mimics Cathy's movements to appear pregnant. Mary's kitchen is filled with women who received a mysterious questionnaire from the National Center of Sexual Activities. Pat's elation over Garth's Christmas presents fades when he gives her a mop and bucket and Little Garth a tinkle sheet for his bed. Brian and Christine scheme to have Cathy's natural childbirth at Mary's house instead of Fernwood Receiving.

Guests fill Mary's kitchen on Christmas Day, including the Jeeters, Gimbles, Annie, and Loretta who arrives late with one Jimmy Joe's bicentennial Christmas trees. Mary leads the group with a prayer of thanks, a rendition of Silent Night, and asks everyone to sing Happy Birthday to the baby Jesus. Martha opens the kitchen door to find a chanting George dressed like a religious cult member. Loretta performs for a packed house at the Capri lounge and receives her best Christmas present ever when Charlie arrives and gets a rise out of the occasion.

Charlie and Loretta express their passion in the car on the side of a public road. Heather hands over another sex questionnaire that Mary had hidden in a box of Froot Loops, and Mary learns the questionnaire was sent by Mae Olinski. Pat's tenderness toward Garth ends in her being beaten by a plastic snowman. Sikanda, another Boga Zidi cult member, joins George in the Shumway home which they raid. Tom's loan is refused, and Mary shows him a bounced check.

Mary refers Wanda to Bob Gilroy when Wanda begins lisping. Gilroy reacts with disgust when Wanda confesses she spent her wedding night at Annie's trailer, but Wanda's cured when she realizes Gilroy is more messed up than she is. Reverend Standfast refers Martha to a deprogrammer to help George escape the Boga Zidi cult. A desperate Tom turns to Merle for a loan, but Merle's money is tied up in a new Seville. Charlie and Loretta make up for lost time, and their luck appears to be changing when they learn that Joe Sutonni paid for Loretta to have an album recording session in Dayton.

Mr. Donally, Tom's boss at the RV dealership, warns Tom that his aggressive approach and low sales have put him danger of being fired. Christine's snobbish father mistreats Cathy during a visit to the Addams house. Tom receives a phone call from Mae Olinski, who says she's coming back to Fernwood next week. Mary and Tom's discussion of the sex survey turns ugly when Mary confesses that she isn't sure she's ever achieved the ultimate pleasure while making love with Tom.

Charlie and Loretta grab the dictionary when Fernwood's new skywriter writes the word "foreplay" in the sky. Montgomery Monk arrives at the Shumway home to begin George's deprogramming. Mary gives Pat a copy of Ms magazine's cover story of battered wives and suggests she give Garth a taste of his own medicine. Later, while fighting with Garth about Mary's visit, Pat slaps him. Before boarding her bus to Dayton for the recording session, Loretta is harassed by photographer Jake Walters. When another drunken passenger intervenes, a fight breaks out, Loretta is hit on the head, and she awakens with amnesia.

In Dayton, Jake stops by Lou's diner where amnesiac Loretta is pegged as a slut. Loretta, calling herself Lulu, is befriended by owner Lou and regular customer Mac Slattery. Wanda tells Mary that she's found a way to achieve ultimate satisfaction and knows she can teach it to any man. Little Garth brings Pat to Mary's kitchen after Garth turns the hose on her, destroys her clothes, and locks her out of the house. Montgomery Monk attempts to restore George back his crabby old self. Mary hosts a disastrous New Year's Eve Party where Annie announces she's leaving Fernwood, and a drunken Tom reveals he's been fired.

Mary and Pat cut up Tom's credit cards. Montgomery Monk uses a Ho-Ho to reprogram George. Merle feels that Wanda is spending more time on public life than married life. Garth admits to Charlie that his father was a wife beater. In her Lulu personality at Lou's diner, Loretta flirts with Mac and doesn't recognize a snapshot of Charlie.

Monk reaches a breakthrough with reprogramming George. Sikanda teaches Martha the Boga Zidi way. Mae Olinski visits Tom and Mary and reveals that she's behind the sexy skywriting over Fernwood. Christine experiences sympathy pains for Cathy. Garth and Tom discuss forgiving husbands. Pat confesses to Mary that she fantasizes killing Garth.

Mae informs Mary that she's writing a book about sexual satisfaction using the women of Fernwood for her research. The Shumways dish the family dirt to a recovered George. Tom rejects Mary's suggestion that he get his old assembly job back. Mary visits Brian and says she'll resort to blackmail to ensure Tom's return to the plant. Loretta as Lulu accepts Lou's offer to be his new waitress in the diner.

Charlie and Mary visit a recovered George who's distressed over all the crazy complications that ensued while he was brainwashed. A police officer gives Martha notice to vacate the Shumway house which is in foreclosure. Mary and Cathy argue grammar. Brian and Christine visit the scene of their baby's upcoming birth. Heather and Little Garth talk about making out.

Tom is disheartened when Jess, the manager of the Capri Lounge, won't hire him as the daytime bartender because he's over-qualified. Mary reminds Brian that she'll blackmail him if she has to, so Brian arranges an interview for Tom at the plant. Mae asks Wanda to endorse her sexual research in Fernwood. Charlie becomes frantic when he learns that Loretta didn't show up at her hotel in Dayton. Garth persuades Pat to return home. While Lt. Trask questions Mary about Loretta's disappearance, Cathy and Christine arrive and announce they're in labor.

Martha's new pet sitting service terrifies George after he finds a monkey and a tarantula in his kitchen. Complications arise when lawyer Darcy Pinker demands Cathy sign a contract before giving birth, and Dr. Fermin phones to say he can't attend the delivery. Tom convinces Charlie to seek help from Merle to find Loretta. Loretta sweet talks money out of Lou then flirts with Mac. A state trooper stops by the diner looking for Loretta, but Lou claims he hasn't seen her.

Merle vetoes Charlie and Tom's request that he intercede in the police search for Loretta. The experience of natural childbirth becomes more intense for Cathy and Christine. Merle meets Mae but rejects her research theory that the "normal way" leaves women in the cold. After Merle dismisses them, Wanda offers to help Mae's cause by arranging a meeting with reporter Harold Clemens. Darcy finally gets the signature he wants on the Addams contract. Tom and Mary wonder if they were once happy before. A birth and a death occur simultaneously in Mary's kitchen.

Heather and Little Garth trade embarrassing secrets, and Mary catches them kissing over the kitchen table where Cathy gave birth. Harold Clemens misses the point in his interview with Mae and Wanda who want the world to know that foreplay is fairplay. Merle asks Mary to be the spokesperson for his Jump for Fitness campaign and watches with delight as she jumps rope in the kitchen. Violence is on the supper menu at the Gimble home.

After admitting his own childhood abuse, Garth confines Pat to a closet. George barges into the Addams house and threatens to tell Mr. Addams the truth about Cathy's baby unless Brian tells him first. Tom agrees to return to the plant, and Mary has a special gift to mark the occasion. Loretta urges Lou to sell the diner and take her where the action is.

Harold Clemens interviews Mary about the Olinski report, but she's more interested in gardening with garbage. Merle and Wanda disagree about her endorsement of Mae's research. Disgusted by Clemens' newspaper article, the men at the plant vow to organize a plan to win the battle of the sexes. Mac proposes marriage to Loretta. The Shumways discuss finances and the Olinski report. An excited Charlie shouts that Loretta has been found.

At the hospital, Charlie identifies the completely bandaged accident victim as Loretta when Dr. Osgood shows him Loretta's purse, which was found on the victim. Tom urges Mary not to intervene when Little Garth runs over and tells the Hartmans that Garth is knocking Pat down. Brian gives Cathy a check for $10,000 and a second to see her son. Mary suggests she and Pat explore the Women's Collective of Greater Fernwood, an organization helping battered wives. Mac tells Charlie about Lulu, but Charlie thinks she can't beat his Loretta. At the Capri, Mae finds the men from the plant drinking after work, and she attempts to make them understand her point of view, but battle lines are drawn.

Mary and Pat visit Rabbi Weintraub who agrees Pat should leave Garth...until he learns about Little Garth. Loretta tells Lou that she won't marry Mac if Lou makes her a better offer. Pat stops by Lou's Diner asking for directions back to Fernwood, but she manages to miss seeing Loretta. Mary asks Merle to help her save the Shumway home from foreclosure, and the their talk takes a very unexpected turn. Mae suspects revenge when Tom's commission for community standards orders a raid on Mae's room at the Bide-a-Wee Motel.

Mary solicits Grandpa Larkin's opinion in her argument with Tom about finding new ways to have sex. Tom denies Mae's accusation that he ordered her research work to be impounded by the police. Charlie and Martha pray over the bandaged accident victim, and think they receive a sign from God. Helen Dinsmore from BAD (Battered, Angry, and Determined)advises Pat that her home is a death trap she needs to leave at once. Just as George decides to accept Cathy's money, Cathy reveals she tore up Brian's check.

Tom confides to Charlie that he hates his job at the plant more than he thought, and Charlie encourages to relax at Lou's Diner up in Dayton. Clete shows up with his TV cameras when the Shumways barricade themselves in the house as the police arrive to evict them. Before Lt. Trask can order the force to storm the house, Merle saves the day with an eleventh hour solution. Wanda chastises Merle for the raid on Mae, and takes her feminist appeal to TV by suggesting a boycott of the bedroom. Mac and Loretta debate the Olinski Report.

Charlie is helpless to stop Tom from drinking. Garth tells Pat he wants her dead and doesn't care that he'll fry for it. Mary visits the bandaged accident victim and finds Martha working as a hospital "Gray Lady". Loretta promises Mac she's stringing Lou along but Lou gets angry when a diner patron points out that Loretta doesn't want him. While Loretta and Mac are making out in Mac's truck, a drunken Tom arrives at the diner and passes out. Lou puts an unconscious Tom in Loretta's bed. Pat gives Garth a taste of his own medicine, and it's fatal.

At the hospital, Martha and Grandpa Larkin meet Barbie, a fellow "Gray Lady". Mary tells Charlie about her visit with "Loretta" who Mary thinks will soon come out of her coma, and Charlie urges Mary no to worry about Tom's tardiness. Heather and Little Garth arrive and tell Mary about the terrible fight between Pat and Garth. Mary rushes over to the Gimble house and discover the police who arrest Pat for first degree murder. Mae confronts Merle and Wanda insisting she didn't a war between the sexes. Merle instructs the police to arrest everyone at Mae's town meeting tomorrow night. At Lou's Diner, Texas teases hungover Tom about his night with Lulu, and Tom does a double-take when Lulu/Loretta breezes past him.

Charlie wills the bandaged accident victim out of her coma, though he's dismayed when she scribbles a note telling him that she doesn't know who he is. Mary receives a call from Tom who won't explain why he didn't come home. Mae asks Mary to be an usher at the town meeting. Tom comes home and reveals he went on a drunken bender but neglects to mention he might have slept with Lulu/Loretta. Mac forces Loretta to answer his marriage proposal. Before Loretta rips up the photo she carries in her pocket, Mac recognizes him as Charlie Haggers. Attorney Nat Dearborn urges Pat to cop a plea in Garth's death since a jury will find stabbing-by-Christmas-tree an indecent act.

After Tom confesses to Charlie about possibly sleeping with Lulu, Mac reveals to Tom that Lulu turned up about three weeks ago carrying Charlie's photo. Merle gives Mary a toy wind-up chicken, while Heather and Little Garth wonder how to spell contraceptive. Tom goes to Lou's Diner, meets Lulu, and tries to make her remember her life as Loretta. Merle has Mae's town meeting raided, and she's arrested.

Mary admits to Nat Dearborn that Pat once mentioned wanting to kill Garth. Tom questions Charlie about his confidence that the bandaged accident victim is actually Loretta. Mac invites the guys at the plant to his wedding to Lulu. Mae grouses that Wanda is only interested in using the Olinski report to further her own political career. Clete performs a live TV interview with Mae from her jail cell. Mae explains her position and reveals that she's leaving Fernwood forever, but not before saying something that's never been said on television before.

Charlie questions Tom about his fooling around in Lou's Diner. Mary visits the men at the plant. Merle returns Mae's pornographic research when she's released from jail to leave Fernwood. Charlie attempts to subtly warn Mary about Tom's behavior, prompting Mary to go to the diner in Dayton. Tom tells Loretta that she's Charlie's wife, but she becomes angry and rejects everything he says. After Loretta reassures him that they didn't sleep together, Tom embraces her, but Mary arrives and leaves upset after spotting him in the arms of another woman.

Charlie fights Dr. Osgood's plan to have "Loretta's" life support turned off, but it's rendered moot when the bandaged patient dies. Pat meets her new cell mate Cookie LaRue, who is arrested while passing through Fernwood. Mary avoids Tom in preparation for leaving him over his affair with the woman in Lou's Diner. Tom explains to Mary that Loretta is the woman he was embracing, and she has amnesia. Meanwhile Loretta's wedding ceremony to Mac is commencing in Dayton. Just as Charlie begins to accept Loretta's death, Tom tells him that Loretta is alive and getting married in Lou's Diner.

Mary arrives at Lou's Diner in the middle of Loretta's marriage to Mac. Lou speaks now rather than forever holding his peace. A brawl erupts and ends with Loretta getting hit over the head and regaining her memory. Nat Dearborn agrees with Cookie that Pat's choices are either the death penalty or life in prison. Cookie urges Pat to join her in a prison break. Merle warns Wanda that if she doesn't satisfy his urges, he'll stray. Wanda introduces Merle to Lila, the new housekeeper, and Merle offers to join her in the linen closet. Loretta says a very sweet goodbye to her admirers in the diner.

Loretta and Charlie are reunited in Mary's kitchen, but Charlie's doubt over what Loretta did as Lulu creates tension in their marriage. Grandpa Larkin plays checkers alone, while Tom hustles to get his family's finances back on track. Reverend Buryfield officiates at Garth's funeral, where Charlie and Loretta realize they're being petty, and Merle presses Mary for a closer relationship.

Merle plays a new fetish with Mary, hand puppets called Little Merle and Little Mary. George visits Martha at the hospital and has a conversation with a corpse. Mary confesses to Tom that she's been hired as a ticket taker at the Bijou theatre, but reassures him that he's still the head breadwinner. Leaving Fernwood for a new life in Chicago, Mae stops by the Hartman home to say goodbye. Mary's job at the Bijou comes to an abrupt conclusion when she's robbed at gunpoint.

Hired by the Fernwood jail, Mary gets on the matron's bad side by fraternizing with Pat. Wanda is non-plussed to catch Merle and Lila getting passionate on the sofa, and Merle is appalled that Wanda hired Lila to satisfy both of their needs. Cathy and Martha explain to Harold Clemens that they plan to make extra money by giving tours at the Shumway house, which has been designated an historical landmark. Pat is tormented by a nightmare in which Garth taunts her while she awaits death in the electric chair. Cookie strongly urges Pat to join her in breaking out of jail.

Grandpa and Barbie learn a lesson of their own while lecturing Heather and Little Garth about keeping their relationship a secret from parents. George bristles as Cathy and Martha prepare to make a tourist center of the Shumway home where visitors can see the famous Marquette Rock in their yard. Tom attempts to comfort Mary who cries in the night for no apparent reason, but he makes a statement he may later regret. Cookie forces Pat to break out of jail with her.

George loses his temper when a group of tourists invade his kitchen. Harold Clemens introduces his friend Howie Freeze to the Shumways. Mary interviews with Vernon Bales at the auto plant and gets the job. Charlie is surprised at Loretta's new role as the perfect housewife. Pat wants to turn herself in to the cops, but Cookie blackmails her into staying on the lam.

George is incensed when he discovers that Grandpa Larkin and Barbie had illicit sex in his house. Heather and Cathy have a candid chat about sex. Mary reveals to Tom that she's been hired to work on the assembly line. Vernon assigns Mary to work between Texas and Tiny, and Mary instantly causes problems on the line by depressing Tiny. Cookie forces Pat to help her hold up the Capri Lounge, but Pat only manages to steal a jar of maraschino cherries, buttered popcorn, and free drink tokens.

Charlie and Mac clear the air about what Loretta and Mac didn't do while she had amnesia. Howie asks Cathy out to dinner, and after a crazed George destroys the Marquette Rock, she agrees. Mary stops by the Capri for a very uncomfortable after-work drink with the guys from the plant. Heather teases her hair, wears too much makeup, and talks back Mary and Tom. Tom blames Mary for Heather's behavior and isn't happy with their role reversal when he's forced to cook while she's out drinking with the boys.

Mary is angry when Cathy admits that Heather went out on a date. Pat reaches out to Mary for help. Heather and Little Garth slip into the Gimble home and sleep together. Lila defends Wanda to Merle, and proclaims she's saving her kisses for the right man. When he comes on very strong, Cathy insists that Howie court her with picnics and miniature golf. Mary tells Pat that Little Garth is cured of bed-wetting, and the fugitives meet gypsies Zorrina and Godza in the woods outside Fernwood.