During the Palmer's separation, Doug and Carrie go to the movies with Kelly while Deacon takes the kids. While there, Carrie runs into a co-worker who seems interested in Kelly. The two end up going on a date, and when Deacon finds out he is ready to patch things up with her.

Doug cannot spend time with Carrie on Valentines Day, because he has to deliver penguins, with Deacon, from one zoo to another. Yet, along the way, they run into some mishaps. Meanwhile, Carrie and Holly go out and give her tips with men to look for a man for Hall. However, Carrie inadvertently fixes her up with her boss. Also when Arthur and Spence go to up a pick a date for the holiday, he accidentally gets himself a date that is old enough to be his grandmother.

A bedridden Carrie gets Doug to team with Arthur for a shuffleboard tournament, but his skills aren't to Arthur's liking. Meanwhile, Carrie pretends to continue being sick so that Holly will continue to cook for her.

After ten years of marriage, Doug finds a new love – in the form of designer cologne that Carrie can't stand, but his scent-ual affair forces Carrie to demonstrate bad behaviors of her own. Meanwhile, Arthur attempts to show Spence and Holly the finer points of movie hopping.

Doug decides to pursue a long-abandoned dream to become a bartender, much to Carrie's angst. Although she starts to warm up the the idea, Doug soon realizes that dreams are not always what they are cracked up to be. Meanwhile Arthur enters the dangerous world of politics.

The Palmers' vacation plans are ruined when Doug frightens Major so much that he refuses to be babysat by the Heffernans. In the meantime, Arthur begins hiring out himself and friends from the senior center to ride with solo drivers so they can use car-pool lanes.

Carrie's ecstatic when an affordable apartment opens in Manhattan, but Doug's reluctant to leave Queens. Arthur meets singer Ava St. Clair.