Marie instantly tries to get the upper hand in her relationship with her new daughter-in-law when Amy and Robert return from their honeymoon, but Debra steps in, determined to stop Marie's meddling once and for all.
When Michael stays home from school two days in a row, Ray suspects that he simply hasn't done his homework, but the rest of the family have their own explanation for Michael's sudden aversion to school.
Debra and Ray are annoyed at the over-the-top affection Robert and Amy are expressing towards each other. In fact, Robert feels compelled to give Ray marriage advice and Amy does the same with Debra at the newly-wed couple's three months anniversary dinner.
Ray and Debra get caught up in telling lies in order to cover up previous lies. When the lies snowball out of control, Marie picks up the scent and traces everything back to the initial lie.
After Debra's mother suggests throwing Debra an old-fashioned English tea party, Ray reluctantly agrees after she promises to do all the work. When Debra realizes Ray is planning something for her birthday, she suggests changing the theme to a Chinese banquet.
Robert and Amy convince their families to spend Thanksgiving together. When the Barones arrive at the Pennsylvania home of Amy's parents, they find that their differing family traditions encourage lots of lively conversation.
When the kids ruin Ray's dictionary, Frank shares the story of how Ray ruined his priced jazz collection. After trying to make amends for his childhood mistake, Ray discovers that he may not have been the culprit.
When Debra accepts a position at Frank's lodge to help plan a member recruitment party, Ray begins to resent how much time she is spending away from home.
After inadvertently leaving the twins home alone, Ray and Debra are impressed with Ally when she steps up and takes care of the twins until they return.
After realizing that Debra places bets with the kids on his questionable behavioural traits, Ray is insulted that his own children thinks he's a "doof."
Fed up with his wife's constant lateness, Ray leaves Debra at home rather than take her to the ESPY Awards. While Debra is seething over Ray's actions, Marie and Amy get into a heated debate with Frank and Robert when they air their own grievances about their wives' blatant disregard for the time.
Ray and Debra disagree over whether they should purchase an expensive dress for Ally to wear to a friend Molly's formal 13th. birthday party. Especially since Molly's mom is the woman that Ray loves to hate, Peggy.
Robert reveals that he has taken a second job selling home security systems, and that he has been asked to join the security firm full-time. But of course, this would mean retiring from the police force early.
When the MacDougals are invited to spend Easter with the Barones, the two families attempt to bond over a 500-piece puzzle. While everyone else gets frustrated with the puzzle, Ray and Pat continue working on it until the wee hours of the night while sharing stories about themselves and their families.
When Robert informs Ray that Amy filled him in on some juicy gossip about him, Ray decides to get even with Debra by sharing some nasty secrets of his own.
Robert has been discovered. While he and Amy are out buying Chinese food, a modelling agent gives Robert his card. Robert and Amy tells everyone about the modelling opportunity and Robert later goes to the agency for his first profile shoot. Ray, who really wants to meet the models, especially the Swedish kind, accompanies Robert to the agency, but when they get there, everything has mysteriously disappeared.
A young man named Sam Gilula arrives at Frank and Marie's and everyone is surprised, when he and Frank fondly embrace. Sam explains to Ray and Robert that Frank had been an inspiration and a mentor to him when he was a young lad. The two are understandably in disbelief.
Robert and Ray end up with the mother of all guilt trips when they decide not to help their mother with a home project. The reason they skip out is so that they can land a prime spot on the golf course, by waiting in line in their car all night.
