With Mark and Mary's help, Jackie convinces Dan to build a chicken coop in the backyard so the family can eat organic eggs, but from a bird's-eye view, it appears that she may have ulterior motives. Becky meets with Andrea for the first time since the surrogacy mishap, and Darlene is forced to deal with a sleazy customer at her casino job.

When Becky helps Harris keep a secret from Darlene, it opens up a can of worms that causes a rift between the two sisters. Jackie supports Peter with his Nordic history project, and Dan reunites with an old friend.

When Dan gets injured on the job covering D.J.’s vending machine route, the choice to sue the company could lead to D.J. getting fired. Meanwhile, Jackie is appalled when Lecy seeks life coaching from her nemesis and No. 1 competitor, Rita Silver.

When Ben offers Mark free piano lessons, Darlene finds this as an opportunity to test his parenting skills. Meanwhile, Jackie throws Becky a baby shower, and Emilio continues his efforts to be part of the baby’s life.

In the wake of Emilio's deportation, Jackie steps into the role of a paternal figure and creates a meticulous birth plan for Becky; but as the Conners know, nothing ever goes according to plan. Meanwhile, Darlene is tangled in a complex love triangle with David and Ben, and - like her mother - Harris is caught up in a problem of her own.

Darlene continues to struggle with deciding between David and Ben. Becky begins to doubt herself as a mom, and Mark gets in trouble at school when a picture of him and his boyfriend kissing goes viral. Meanwhile, Jackie continues to avoid her problems by keeping busy with everyone else's.

Harris is forced to confront Darlene about her lifestyle, while Jackie involves herself in other people's problems to avoid confronting her own. Meanwhile, Becky is overwhelmed by the costs of raising a baby, so her family steps in to help.

Desperate for more income, Becky seeks a bartending position at Casita Bonita, causing major concern for Dan due to her struggle with alcoholism. Meanwhile, Darlene finally nears a decision between David and Ben; and Harris' new friend, Odessa, means new trouble.

Halloween brings nothing but horror for Jackie after she uncovers a shocking secret when trying to reopen the Lunch Box; Mary gets upset when a woman assumes she is adopted; Darlene continues to deal with her complicated love life.

Jackie and Becky pitch their business plan to Darlene in hopes of getting the Lunch Box back, but Darlene's decision leads to hostility among the three.

Jackie is faced with a difficult decision that brings the family and community together. Meanwhile, Becky starts working a new late-night shift at Casita Bonita, and Darlene goes to extreme measures to mend her relationship with Harris.

Dan is disappointed when everyone but Becky forgets about his birthday. Darlene and Ben face an issue at work. Dan takes advantage of the family Christmas Santa photo to force Jackie to befriend Louise.

The Conners struggle to accept a Cheesehead in their midst when Becky brings her new boyfriend, a devout Christian and a Green Bay Packers fan, home to watch the Bears/Packers game. Meanwhile, Dan tries to impress upon Mark the importance of the family’s die-hard loyalty to the Bears. Ben and Darlene try to get a loan for their new magazine.

Becky thinks that Jackie's new friend Dawn, a restaurant supplier, is only cozying up to her to sell them things they can't afford for the Lunch Box. Darlene is thrilled when Harris gets into Central Illinois State, but Harris might have found a better offer on her own. When Dan finds himself in an embarrassing situation nursing an injury, Louise tries to help him out.

The Conners share their differing takes on why they all think everyone should vote; Louise gets an opportunity that might send her away from Lanford, prompting the family to interfere in Dan's complicated relationship.

Dan avoids coping with a death in the family, only to be confronted by it head-on. Ben and Darlene address Ben's baby fever and have "the talk." The Lunch Box is officially open for business, and Dwight gets the jitters when he has to fill in for the chef who suffers an accident.

Dan starts to bond with his younger half-brother but he can’t get over the fact that their father paid for Ed Jr.’s college education, something he refused to do for Dan. Jackie hits it off with a fun married couple, so much so that they “invite” her into their relationship. Harris and Mark do not react well to the news that Darlene is trying to have a baby with Ben.

Harris is the boss of Darlene after her mom, desperate for money, gets a job at Price Warehouse. Jackie decides to take her "thrupple" relationship with Ron and Janelle to the next level. Everyone makes fun of Ben's appearance after he shaves his beard in an attempt to appear more clean-cut to potential advertisers for the magazine.

Dan is finally ready to share his feelings with Louise; Darlene realizes how badly she wants a baby. Ben gets caught up playing handyman and babysitter for Becky, which causes him to miss an important meeting.

Dan and Louise take their relationship to the next level and come to appreciate the complexities of aging. Meanwhile, Darlene spends the night in jail and hands off parenting duties to Ben. Mark and a friend work on a class experiment that leaves them both with hickeys, and Becky contemplates marrying Emilio.

Darlene and Ben go apartment hunting; Jackie and Becky take Beverly Rose on a road trip to Mexico to meet her father for the first time; Dan reluctantly shares his financial troubles with Louise.

Mary is devastated that Halloween has been canceled by the city, so Darlene and Becky enlist Jackie and the rest of the family to create an unforgettable experience. Meanwhile, Mark goes toe-to-toe with another kid at school who doesn’t believe in wearing a mask.

Darlene isolates herself from her co-workers at Wellman Plastics, leaving them with the impression she is an elitist snob, while Louise decides to teach Harris an expensive life lesson. Jackie has invested everything she has into The Lunch Box and is determined to keep the restaurant running no matter what, leaving some family members to question her actions.

It's Beverly Rose's first birthday - but it's not all cake and candles - when Becky and Emilio disagree on what kind of party they should have. Meanwhile, Jackie is introduced to someone who wants to be more than friends.

Darlene begins to develop a friendship with a manager at Wellman Plastics, which lands her in an awkward situation between the boss and her sister, Becky. Meanwhile, Louise's brother, Neville, tries to win over Jackie by making a thoughtful gesture, creating uncomfortable tension.