On the eve of his 40th birthday, Cameron gets laid off from work and keeps it a secret from his family... who are planning to throw him a surprise party.

After 35 years, Cameron and Sharon's father, Merv, returns out of the blue. They decide to have a family dinner to discuss where he's been all these years, but a sudden turn of events leaves their questions still unanswered. Meanwhile, when Jenna finds out that Whitey is dating a stripper, she forbids him from seeing their son.

Cameron's lack of enthusiasm at wife Liz's acceptance into graduate school – and his mockery of younger sister Jenna's aspirations to be a singer – put him on the outs with the family, and he tries to shake the label of "dream squasher" after the family accuses him of being unsupportive.

In the middle of an argument with Cameron, Colleen is rushed to the hospital with chest pains. Fearing she's had a heart attack, the family rushes to be by her side... with Cameron feeling especially guilty that the stress of their fight brought it on.

Colleen learns of Wendal's plan to leave her at their anniversary party, and after discovering that the entire family knew but her, confronts them at their traditional bowling night.

When Don and Sharon go away for the night to rekindle their romance, Jeff throws a house party. Concerned, Carrie calls her Uncle Cameron to put an end to it... but seeing it as an escape, he joins the fun and brings reluctant son Henry with him.

In an effort to be supportive of awkward son Henry, Cameron and the family attend his school film festival, despite Henry's protests. Upon watching the film, it becomes painfully obvious why he didn't want them there in the first place. Meanwhile, younger sister Jenna tries to prove to Cameron that she is a "grown-up."

Cameron borrows money from his sister Sharon, which definitely doesn't come without a price of its own. Meanwhile, instead of coming to his father, Cameron, with his problem of a very personal nature, Henry opts to confide in his stepmother, Liz, which irks Cameron. And Whitey takes a job at Don's auto parts store, but it soon becomes apparent that things aren't working out.

Cameron throws his annual barbeque, which quickly becomes a comedy of errors with one miscommunication after another among family members – and Cameron at the center of it all – turning what should be a fun family get-together into a group therapy session.

Cameron throws a 25th anniversary party for his mother, Colleen, and stepfather, Wendal, which threatens to be a disaster when Wendal confides to Cameron that he's thinking of leaving Colleen.