Fast-talking New Yorker Zoe Hart has her life all figured out until she is turned down for a prestigious fellowship she had been certain she would get. Desperate, she decides to finally accept the offer of a kindly stranger, Dr. Harley Wilkes, whom she met at her medical school graduation, and who had proposed she join his small medical practice in Bluebell, Alabama.

Zoe tries to win over residents of Bluebell by participating in the Founder's Day parade, but an unfortunate incident only makes matters worse.

Zoe enters a gumbo contest in yet another attempt to prove she can fit in as a Bluebell resident; Lavon has a crush on Zoe and Brick's new receptionist, and the news sours Lemon; and Zoe and Brick must look past their differences to save someone's life.

When a heat wave rolls through Bluebell, Zoe realizes that the hot weather is affecting everyone's behavior and lowering their inhibitions. In fact, Zoe struggles to fight her heat-induced attraction to Wade until she finally gives in. Meanwhile, Lemon is determined to win over George's parents when they come to town for a visit, but she is caught off guard when Lavon shows up to the same restaurant with his date, Didi.

Zoe discovers something shocking about the local minister and his wife, causing quite a stir among the residents of Bluebell. Lemon is determined to find the funds to renovate the town’s historic bridge that was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina, but first she is put in the extremely awkward position of having to convince Lavon to choose her proposal over so many other worthwhile submissions.

Driving home late one night from a house call, Zoe accidentally hits a man but can't find any signs of him when she gets out of her car. Later, she sees the man's photo hanging in the Rammer Jammer, and George has to break the news to her that the man in the picture died over a year ago. Meanwhile, Lemon and George are ready to buy their dream home until Lavon steps in and refuses to authorize the purchase because it is one of Bluebell's historic properties. Zoe's mom shows up in Bluebell hoping to reconcile with her daughter after keeping the identity of Zoe's real father a secret Zoe's entire life.

When Nascar’s Brian Vickers has to drop out of hosting Bluebell Junior League’s annual turtle race, Lemon is reluctantly convinced that the mayor is the perfect replacement as her co-host. Zoe is asked out on a date by a handsome local veterinarian, Dr. Judson Lyons. Wade has an unexpected visitor who stirs up all kinds of trouble for him.

Noticing that Zoe is feeling homesick, Lavon suggests that she host his annual pre-game homecoming party to help her feel more connected to Bluebell. Zoe jumps at the opportunity and decides to enlist the help of her friend Gigi from New York, but as it turns out New York and Bluebell have very different ideas of what makes a good party. Meanwhile, George and Wade hatch a plan to get even with their high school nemesis, Jimmy, but when Lemon catches wind of their scheme she wants in on the action, too.

While the residents of Bluebell prepare for their annual Planksgiving celebration, Zoe anxiously counts the days until her return home to New York for Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, getting out of town may be a bit trickier than Zoe anticipated due to the fact that she has to meet her thirty percent quota of patients by midnight or lose her share of the practice to Brick. Meanwhile, Lavon encourages Wade to be honest about his feelings for Zoe, and George’s father offers him an opportunity to join his law firm in Montgomery, which isn’t exactly music to Lemon’s ears.

Zoe encourages Rose to enter the annual Miss Cinnamon Cider Pageant even though Lemon’s younger sister, Magnolia Breeland, is a shoo-in to win. Of course, with Zoe coaching Rose and Lemon coaching Magnolia, rivalry takes on a whole new meaning. Meanwhile, George and Wade go on a road trip to pick up a Christmas tree for Bluebell’s town square. Also, in flashbacks, we learn some of the history of Lemon’s relationship with her mother, as well as the details of when Lemon and Lavon first realized they had a connection.

When Zoe goes in search of some family history in Bluebell, she discovers that she is a legacy to the Bluebell Belles. Of course, once Lemon catches wind of the news, she makes it her sole mission in life to make sure Zoe doesn’t become an official Belle and puts her through a humiliating initiation. With the help of Wade, Lavon attempts to jump back into the dating scene, but he finds it difficult because Didi is telling everyone that he’s in love with her. Meanwhile, George devises a plan to stop a huge chainstore from building near Bluebell and as a result driving business away from the town.

Zoe is so uncharacteristically happy as of late that it causes her friends to speculate as to the possible reason behind her new attitude. Turns out that Zoe is hiding her new friendship with AnnaBeth, who doesn't want Lemon to find out since Zoe is Lemon's sworn enemy. Lemon campaigns to become the Belles' new Memory Matron, but she has to overcome a few obstacles to secure the honored position.

Zoe decides that it’s too soon in her relationship with Judson to go to the annual Sweetie Pie Dance so instead she makes plans to have a sleepover with Rose, whose parents are going out of town. George misplaces the save the dates for his upcoming wedding which causes major trouble in Lemon paradise. Lemon wants her father to finally move on from her mother leaving him, so she secretly gets him a date for the dance.

Wade somehow convinces Lemon to dress up as Joelle as part of a scheme to convince Joelle’s ex-boyfriend that he didn’t actually see Wade and Joelle together. Lavon asks Zoe to help him figure out why Didi has been avoiding him, but once Zoe uncovers the shocking reason she isn’t quite sure what to do with the information. George comes to Zoe for advice in determining whether there is a medical explanation for the behavior of one of his clients.

Zoe Hart is thrilled to see snow in Bluebell, but the rest of the town is superstitious that it will bring bad luck. When Lavon’s parents make a visit to Bluebell, Lavon thinks it’s the perfect opportunity to introduce them to Didi, but the introduction doesn’t exactly go according to plan. Lemon and George make a big decision about their future.

Much to Brick’s disappointment, George is named Bluebell’s Man of the Year. As the town’s mayor, Lavon is expected to host a cocktail party in George’s honor, but for obvious reasons this is a difficult situation for Lavon given his history with Lemon. Fortunately for Lavon, Zoe agrees to step in and help him with the party, but things take a turn for the disastrous when Zoe has to improvise a speech at the gathering. Meanwhile, Magnolia begs Wade to write a song and perform it with her at the party.

Zoe has conflicted feelings about seeing her estranged father, world-renowned surgeon Ethan Hart, who has agreed to travel to Bluebell to perform surgery on George’s father as a favor to Zoe. Fearful of losing George, Lemon decides she must befriend Zoe in order to prevent her from telling George about Lemon’s affair with Lavon. Meanwhile, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Rammer Jammer, the owner hosts a signature cocktail contest between Wade and Shelley.

Zoe makes a romantic connection with one of her patients, Jesse, and accepts his invitation to lunch. Lemon agrees to let Magnolia plan her bachelorette party as long as she follows Lemon’s strict instructions, but Magnolia has some more “interesting” plans in store for her big sister. Wade plans a hunting trip for George’s bachelor party.

After a wild night of partying, Wade wakes up with a massive hangover, an uninvited houseguest and no memory of what happened the night before. Meanwhile, George takes an unplanned roadtrip to New Orleans, and Lemon finally confesses her troubles to her father, Brick.

Wade signs up for the Bluebell Battle in hopes of winning the five thousand dollar prize, but when he strikes out finding someone to be his race partner, he must swallow his pride and ask Zoe. Meanwhile, Rose is jumping for joy when Frederick Dean finally asks her out on a date, and George and Lemon meet with Reverend Mayfair to discuss their relationship issues.

Zoe blames herself when one of her friends faces a health crisis and she didn’t notice the symptoms. With much encouragement from Lavon, Wade explores the idea of opening his own bar in Bluebell. Meanwhile, Lemon plans a romantic night for George, hoping to get their relationship back on track. Gary Cole returns as Zoe’s father, Ethan Hart.

With an impending storm about to hit Bluebell, George and Lemon prepare for their wedding day. Meanwhile, taking shelter from the storm, Zoe finds herself stranded in a barn with Wade.

After George confesses his feelings to Zoe, she finds herself having to make a tough decision between George and Wade, leaving the two guys at odds on how to handle the situation. In search of some much needed girl advice, Zoe makes a new fast friend in former BlueBell resident Ruby Jeffries, who no one is excited to see. Lemon decides it’s time to get her own apartment and a job, but it’s tougher than she thought. Continuing to forge ahead with her new life, Lemon proceeds to return the wedding presents, but a sudden detour to Zoe’s while holding a cake knife creates a stir with the townspeople.

Zoe is trying hard to stay away from Wade, but when Rose enlists her help in throwing the first BlueBellapalooza, she is forced to ask Wade to convince his old band mate to be the musical act on short notice. Wade convinces George to start playing the field and agrees to be his wingman, but when Wade stands him up, he decides to follow the seemingly questionable advice solo. Meanwhile, Brick tries to trick Lemon into working for him, but she is determined to keep her waitressing job, that is until one of her customers ends up needing medical attention.

When Zoe reads about her fellow classmates’ accomplishments in her Alumni magazine, she is upset that they list her as “retired” and invites the reporter to BlueBell for an interview. However, Zoe has a hard time convincing the reporter that she actually has a thriving medical practice in BlueBell – that is, until she comes across a rare and potentially serious disease. Trying to be considerate of Lemon’s feelings, George informs her that he is going out on a date, making her feel that she too needs to find a date. Meanwhile, Lemon and Lavon both find themselves in competition with their nemesis Ruby.

While Zoe tries to keep things casual with Wade, she becomes jealous after she sees him with another woman. Zoe decides to two can play at that game, and sets up a date with Ruby’s cousin. Reluctantly, Lavon agrees to let Lemon be his campaign manager, but he unexpectedly becomes part of a town scandal when he takes the fall for her, a move which could end up costing him the Mayoral race. Meanwhile, with Lemon out of the house, Brick and Magnolia struggle with the household chores and devise a plan to get Lemon to come back.

With Halloween right around the corner, Zoe begins to notice some odd occurrences happening in her home. She is shocked to discover that the culprit is George, but she soon realizes that he may have a sleepwalking issue. Concerned for his safety, they decide to conduct a sleep study, forcing her to cancel her big plans with Wade. Meanwhile, the Mayoral race between Lavon and Ruby is close, and AnnaBeth comes up with an unusual plan that may help him clinch the election leaving Lemon feeling uneasy.

Kelen Coleman guest stars as George’s potential new romance. With the upcoming Mayoral election looming, Lavon and Ruby continue to be tied in the polls, leading Lemon to use some creative methods to win.

After Zoe treats the high school football team, she learns that Max, who happens to be Rose’s new crush, has become infatuated with Zoe instead.

Both Zoe and Lemon are having a difficult time accepting Lavon and Ruby’s new relationship, so they decide to find out Ruby’s true intentions. Wade agrees to supervise a Little Ranger’s camping trip to avoid a potentially awkward conversation with George. However, when George unexpectedly shows up on the trip, Wade has nowhere to hide, and their talk makes him see his relationship in a different light. Meanwhile, Brick wants to take the next step in his relationship with Emily, but is shocked about who is not on board with the plan.

Wade struggles with feeling like he’s a placeholder in Zoe’s life, so he decides that they should go on a date. Despite Zoe’s apprehensions, she decides to bid on Wade’s basket at the upcoming charity picnic auction, but is surprised that she is not the only one interested. Lemon mistakenly wins Lavon’s basket and decides to keep her true feelings for him to herself and instead offers some advice about his relationship with Ruby. Meanwhile, George is interested in dating Tansy and creates a basket that he hopes she will bid on.

Zoe (Rachel Bilson) finds herself anxious that her ever-critical mother will be visiting BlueBell soon for the holidays. In order to avoid spending quality time with her mother, she busies herself with a patient, but potentially ruins Christmas Eve for the whole town.

With Lavon preoccupied with his personal life, he lets his Mayoral duties slip at the worst time, as BlueBell’s Pioneer Day is fast approaching and a reporter from Southern Living magazine is in town. Seeing that he needs help, Zoe and Wade volunteer to help him out by playing BlueBell’s “Founding Couple.” Zoe is also trying a new tact when it comes to her relationship with Wade, which has her taking on many new projects. Lemon and AnnaBeth devise a plan to get Lavon to let them cater the First Feast, in order to get some publicity for their new business. Meanwhile, George gives advice to Brick on how to handle his new relationship.

When George’s parents come to visit, they are thrown when they meet his new girlfriend, Tansy, and George’s mother devises a plan that forces George and Zoe to address their feelings for one another. Lemon discovers that Brick has a secret girlfriend and is shocked when she finds out who it is. Meanwhile, Annabeth is smitten with a charming British visitor to the town, but Lavon grows suspicious of him and is determined to uncover his real identity.

When Zoe is alerted by the Health Department about a flu epidemic heading towards BlueBell, she is forced to put the town on lockdown. Because of the quarantine, Wade is forced to stay at his ex-girlfriends house causing Zoe to become jealous. Lemon’s plan for the perfect night with Walt goes awry when she begins to feel under the weather. Meanwhile, George finds himself roped into directing Lavon’s tourism commercial about BlueBell’s small-town charm, but it seems Lavon, is more preoccupied with his co-star than his commercial.

George is given the responsibility of watching Tansy’s most prized possession, her dog, but panics when the dog goes missing. Wade starts to feel frustrated by the lack of alone time with Zoe, especially when she is focused more on not losing her good status in the town to a new doctor, Jonah, who also happens to be Brick’s nephew. Brick is ready to let the town know about his relationship with Shelby, but Lemon and Magnolia are doing everything they can to get rid of her. Meanwhile, Lavon wants to take a chance on a new relationship, but first has to clear the air with one person.

Wade is excited to compete in the Battle of The Bands competition so he can use the prize money to open up his own bar, but Zoe’s suggestion that George play in the band ultimately backfires. Lemon finds herself alone for the weekend until she talks Magnolia (Claudia Lee) into some sisterly bonding. Meanwhile, Lavon, who has seemingly given up on love, agrees to help Tom (Ross Philips) with his relationship, which in turn opens his eyes to his own future.

With the sudden nuptials of Wanda and Tom in BlueBell, Zoe agrees to be maid of honor, which entails the difficult job of watching Wanda’s crafty mother. Zoe uses her wedding duties to try to avoid the awkwardness between her and Wade, but has a feeling something is wrong. Lemon faces the memory of being left at the altar and decides to take matters into her own hands. Meanwhile, Lavon hears about the neighboring town trying to build a shopping mall next to their local beach and he enlists George’s help to fight it, but an unexpected side of George rears its ugly head.

Zoe tries to keep her feelings about Wade under control, causing her to become overly protective when it comes to Rose and her boyfriend. Lavon and Wade are forced to work together at the church’s casino fundraiser, but when money goes missing suspicion immediately falls on Wade. Meanwhile, Brick and Shelby’s big decision about their relationship pushes a concerned Lemon to try and sabotage things with the help of George.

Lavon’s big plans of making BlueBell a Spring Break destination hits a roadblock when the competing town tries to lure the partiers away. With the help of Ruby Jeffries, Lavon creates a competition that is bound to attract some attention. Eager to join in some much-deserved fun, Zoe agrees to give partying a try with Jonah, but seeing them together makes George jealous. Wade and Lemon decide to compete in Lavon’s contest in order to win the grand prize to buy the Rammer Jammer, which they have learned is for sale. Meanwhile, Brick has been acting odd and when everyone begins to notice they force him to seek treatment.

When the town decides to put on a performance of Shakespeare's most iconic scenes, George and Zoe refuse to play Romeo and Juliet, but eventually agree just to prove to everyone that they are over each other. Lemon and Wade are excited about taking over the reigns at the Rammer Jammer, but things come to a halt when they lose all the staff two days before opening. Meanwhile, Brick decides to offer a week of free counseling to everyone in BlueBell and winds up helping the two most unlikely people, but in his effort to help others he learns a secret he has been keeping from himself.

After Zoe tricks Jonah into spilling a secret about Brick, she unintentionally makes things worse for Brick in his love life. Following Brick’s advice, Zoe decides she must finally express her feelings, but timing never seems to be her strong suit. Wade and Lemon must learn to work together, but things go awry when they each try to prove that they know what is best for the new Rammer Jammer. Knowing what Wade and Lemon are up to, Lavon and AnnaBeth agree to not get involved, but that might be easier said than done. Meanwhile, Tansy’s brothers surprise her with an unexpected visit, leaving George to look after them and put up with their wild antics.

Zoe's attempts at online dating hit a few snags until Rose and Max take matters into their own hands and play matchmaker. Faced with yet another set back with the Rammer Jammer, Lemon and Wade are close to throwing in the towel. George tries everything he can think of to prove to Tansy that they belong together, but she still has her doubts. Brick and Shelby decide that they might have acted too rashly, which forces them to make a difficult decision about their future together. Meanwhile, Lavon refuses AnnaBeth's help in stopping the feud with the competing town's Mayor, leaving her to take a different tact.

After having a rough time in BlueBell, Zoe decides a little time in New York City might be the perfect opportunity to give her some much needed perspective. But a medical emergency on the plane forces her to complete the trip with an unexpected companion. George struggles with his constant relationship misfortunes, until he runs in to Lily Anne, who helps him with his heartache. When Lemon promises that the Rammer Jammer will be having a special concert with the band Gloriana, she must scramble to make it happen, with the less-than-enthusiastic help of Wade. Meanwhile, Lavon discovers that the opposing town's Mayor has stolen something dear to him and enlists the help of the townspeople to get it back.