1) Mitch Crumb comes home to his hometown to deal with his mother (Suzanne Crumb), who has just been released from a psychiatric facility (Cedar Hill). 2) She has not yet learned that her ex-husband (Billy Crumb) is about to have a baby with another woman (Carolyn Pierce). 3) Mitch's brother (Jody Crumb), who's stayed there to carry on the family business, feels Mitch is only there to write about their family to make money.

1) Suzanne decides to adopt a baby girl from the Ukraine after learning that Billy and new woman are having a girl. 2) Billy inadvertently gets Elvis, Suzanne's psychiatric orderly, fired from the institution (Silver Hill). 3) Jody forces a hesitant Mitch to take his job as restaurant manager seriously when he has to fire a waitress who is stealing.

1) Mitch worries about Suzanne's avoiding friends that she shared with her former husband. Mitch advises her to join a divorce group to sort out some issues. She does, but finds that too boring, so she joins a group of recovering drug addicts instead. 2) Jody deceives Mitch into loaning him money. 3) Billy seeks reconciliation with Jody.

1) Billy is mistakenly busted and loses his massage license. He decides to run the family restaurant. 2) Mitch and Jody compete for his approval. 3) Suzanne, worried that she’s losing Mitch and Jody to Billy, turns to shoplifting.