Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman

Mary finds coping with life as "America's Typical Consumer Housewife" beyond her grasp. An incomparable performance in an unforgettable episode.

Merle gets ready for Loretta's visit. Mary has a dream of what might have been and makes her live television debut.

Tom slurs "good luck" to Mary. Mary browses with an eye to buy. Frank visits Cathy with something he just has to tell her. Martha returns to a tragedy with a tragedy.

Martha vows to squat for fishing rights. Howard says yes to living the truth. Loretta wants to expose herself in Chicago and Charlie says yes.

Mary gets a non-obscene call from David Susskind. Cathy tells Clete to have is own children. Ed takes a walk. The Help Line gets cut off and it's all Mary's fault.

Betty wants Mary to open doors for the truth. Mary has water in her eighth house and may have Howard there, too. Cathy goes to be converted, but Father DeMarco can't do the job.

Betty talks about straightening Howard out. One of Martha's left feet is Native American. Mary feels guilty about "helping" Tom. Jimmy Joe Jeeter is promised a new mother.

Mary and Tom promise to start fresh. Grandpa Twelvetrees performs some miracle cures. Mary wants to help Tom - she kicks him out of the house.

Mary has a perfectly normal, ordinary, typical morning for national TV. Loretty saves a sinful soul and gets second billing. Mary's kitchen is out of sync.

Mary learns of Howard's latency and craves some popcorn and a Slurpee. Martha's pa meets Martha's pa. Tom returns home in a stupor.

Dennis bares his soul, but he won't be able to leave. Cathy and Clete have an announcement for Frank. Ed's announcement bowls Tom right over.

Loretta makes a misprint in Billboard and is worried about her iffy chances. Tom has some good news, but Mary has to cancel. Mary interviews for the typical American consumer.

Mary counts her disconnections. Roberta confronts Dennis about his responsibilities. Merle tells Loretta of his cheap ($1.75) and sinful ways.

Jimmy Joe Jeeter looks to Loretta for guidance. Clete talks about his favorite subject - himself. Mary is ravaged by Gasid indigestion of the head. Loretta must answer the call and meet Merle in his motel room.

Mary and Dennis talk of past, present, and future. Ed talks to Tom about being a jerk. Mary and Howard have sympathetic vibrations. Heather worries about being in the way of her mother's affairs.

Still another couple appears to be splitting up. Cathy is encouraged to stick with her job. Tom and Ed make some other engagements.

Merle Jeeter offers a solo spot to Loretta. Cathy holds no grudges and announces her new career. Tom asks Grandpa for the meaning of life. Howard gets some good news, then bad news, from Mary.

Mary takes the day off from the Help Line. Sergeant Foley finds a spot with no poison ivy. Cathy gets some sunshine and goes out for just dinner. Dennis, Heather and Mary sing for their supper.

Tom agrees to some moral support. Mary practices some perfect discipline, but gets no good reasons from Dennis. Loretta's blessed recording session has one visitor too many.

Martha searches for her past in the palm of her hand. Cathy gets a new job and her first go-fer. Ed sets the record not-straight with Mary.

Mary finds out about the classics and some information about Howard and Ed. Cathy's conversion plans go up in holy smoke. Mary finally tells Dennis what he wants to hear.

Mary has some pamphlets and Sergeant Foley has some ideas. Cathy is in something. Tom makes some decisions.

Mary gets a Help Line of her own. Cathy may become Fernwood's kitchen cookie. Martha begins her search for identity. Howard tries his hand at counseling Tom.

Tom gets a boost from his thermos. Mary tries helping herself by helping others. Martha finds out she didn't help her parents' marriage.

Mary makes a phone call in search of a terrific answer. Cathy answers a call from "TV land." Loretta has a holy supper at the International House of Pancakes.

Mary can't see eye-to-eye with Loretta's child minister. Tom makes a dinner date for his 100th chicken fried steak. The Haggers have a surprise for the Hartmans.

Loretta entertains a dinner guest and gets a direct line to the Lord. Cathy has some church dealings of her own. Mary talks to Howard about the only sensible thing to do, then takes a journey through his childhood.

Loretta visits Mary with absolution and a new brand of floor cleaner. Howard and Ed disagree over plans for the future. Mary comes face-to-waist with the Reverend Jimmy Joe Jeeter.

Charlie and Loretta turn on Fernwood 2 Night. Mary makes plans to cut out the middleman. Jimmy Joe Jeeter is on his father's knees. Mary goes to the clergy for comfort and ends up playing softball.

Mary admits to a beautiful moment in one of the seven positions. Cathy's application to nunhood is rejected. Tom goes for a walk and gets some timely advice.

Mary vows to compose her thoughts, while Loretta cleans house for the Lord. Mary makes some important decisions and talks to Dennis of flexible straws and love.

Mary has the hard truth for Heather. Heather has the hard questions for Mary. Sergeant Foley gets put in traction and straightens things out with Cathy. Tom's refuge is the scene for more fighting.

Tom says that it's different. Loretta makes a generous offer to Merle Jeeter. Misery gets company.

Mary makes a confession, which Dennis is awake to hear. Cathy and Tom find the evidence (you don't need bandages for a heart attack). Mary gets help in return for the truth.

Mary's attention while ironing helps save a life. Tom and Cathy look for a fiancee and a wife. Mary is trying to get picked up.

Grandpa offers some philosophy and gets a lift to the supermarket. Tom's dejection breeds rejection and Dennis' feelings come straight from the heart.

Tom is out of the overflow, but Mary is getting more than her share. Mary has someone new to trade troubles with. Tom and Dennis argue the needs of a wounded bird.

Mary vows to put an end to something. Tom bowls alone and makes a friend. Charlie's good news waits for the "good news." Dennis complicates a "no" with the truth.

Mary and Tom have a goodnight fight. Loretta gets a new sign, to Charlie's delight. Dennis' ratings are up, but he doesn't seem too happy.

Mary and Martha make their musical requests. Betty does her best to battle Mary's twelve compound. Ed and Howard have a "family" squabble.

Mary forgets more than Heather's lunch. Howard informs Mary of Betty's unforeseen arrest. Martha hopes Tom will grow to accept imperfection.

Cathy buries the hatchet in Dennis' overflow. Mary is warned about blonde men and fools, then goes to the station again for the first time.

Cathy meets a new neighbor and plays cards to see her future. Loretta starts knocking on doors for the Lord. Tom comes to state his case - and takes a backseat to a Bicentennial bumpersticker.

Sergeant Foley talks his way into a family. Cathy is appeased. Mary makes an unfortunate slip of the tongue.

Loretta gets a visitor with a "la la la" in the night. Mary takes a walk and explains her role as a kissee. Mary is sure Loretta won't understand.

Cathy discovers Mary's true interest in her marriage. Dennis wants Mary to be more honest. Mary tries to save herself with a story of vertical lifesaving.

Dennis maneuvers himself into one more week. The Hartmans and Shumways find conflict in the kitchen. Charlie and Loretta find themselves at rock bottom.

Mary and Tom disagree - with the Bible. Muriel talks Clyde Muncie into waiting with the bad news. Charlie is off to the airport. Muriel says goodbye.

Cathy demands to know why Mary is wrecking her life. Charlie allows Muriel visitation hours. Cathy despairs for a future in Albuquerque.

Mary returns home from the Italian cinema. Charlie explains the joys of parenthood. Tom gets an explosion out of "Pop." Sergeant Foley anticipates another undercover(s) assignment.

In the series finale, Merle literally bares all to voters at the Capri Lounge, and a comeback may be in his future. As Cathy and a reluctant Barth are wheeled into surgery, Martha falls to her knees and prays. Dr. Fermin emerges with shocking news about the transplant. A tornado strikes Fernwood, and Cathy goes into cardiac arrest. Tom wonders about Mary's new life. Far away from Fernwood, has Mary escaped a life of Swanson's TV dinners and waxy yellow buildup for her happily ever after with Dennis?

Tom's weakness angers Heather, who tries to make him realize that Mary's gone for good. After Merle announces his intent to become an honest politician, Miss Adeline and Mickey Moe flee Fernwood. Wanda is distressed to learn that Merle is serious about telling the truth. Tom vows to jump into the raging Fernwood River from a cliff at Loser's Leap. A drunken George and Merle, followed by Cathy, join Tom on the precipice.

Obsessed with the idea of Mary making love, a drunken, despondent Tom is moved to suicide. Martha puts her Gray Lady training to good use. Dr. Fermin makes an astonishing discovery that eliminates the kidney donor, but realizes that as Garth's twin brother, Barth would be a match. Hotshot producer Seymour Blumberg convinces Barth to donate his kidney to Cathy as a publicity stunt to jump start his career.

Barth persuades Loretta to sign an exclusive seven-year contract with him and nixes Clyde Muncie's plan to have Loretta cut another record. Charlie encourages Tom to get out and be sociable with the opposite sex. Tom runs into old classmate Maureen Murray, who confesses she had a crush on him. Barth's contract has Charlie and Loretta fighting like Sonny and Cher. Tom isn't sure he's ready when he finds Maureen in his bed.

The police refuse to search for a wayward wife. Tom insists Cathy have his kidney, but Dr. Fermin arrives with more bad news. Martha thinks she can make Cathy's lifelong dream come true. The Jeeters peruse their hate mail, and Merle's certain a comeback is just around the corner. Cathy performs at the Capri's Ha-Ha Night. Dr. Fermin announces he's found two Fernwood donors for Cathy: one's dead, but the other is alive and very close.

Barth conceives a new game show called Born Losers, using George, Cathy, and Martha as the contestants. Merle and Wanda are forced to share a cheap room at the Bide-a-Wee Motel with Miss Adeline and Mickey Moe. Buzz and Angela continue to malign the Jeeters. Dr. Fermin considers searching for an alternate kidney donor. Detective Johnson returns with bad news about his search for Mary. Cathy makes out her will.

Martha announces that George was rehired at the plant, but with Dewey's old custodial job. Everyone regrets not appreciating Mary more. Bill Patterson, chairman of the Fernwood city council, informs the Jeeters that a vote is being held to remove Merle from public office and orders them to vacate their taxpayer funded apartment. Heather convinces Tom to purge all mementos of their life with Mary. Loretta debuts her new act at the Capri.

Loretta is electrocuted while improving the TV reception for Barth. Martha advises Tom about life with a missing spouse. Detective Johnson begins the search for Mary and Dennis. Dr. Fermin treats Loretta, whose experience inspires her to return to singing. Barth offers to guide Loretta's career. Cathy laments never reaching the high point of her life.

Mac and Svetlana announce they're leaving Fernwood to be married. Arguing with Martha about her premonitions of doom, Cathy falls and is knocked unconscious. Wanda introduces Tom to Lorraine Babcock, a replacement for Mary. Dr. Fermin diagnoses Cathy with kidney failure and recommends a transplant from Mary. The Shumways learn that Mary has run off with Dennis. Martha thinks Detective Johnson may be able to find Mary. George and a frightened Cathy share a tender father-daughter moment.

Merle and Wanda's appearance on the Fernwood Hallelujah Hour ends in disaster when Buzz and Angela's true party affiliation is revealed live on-air. Tom still can't find a missing Mary. Mac and Svetlana's match leaves George on easy street, but Cathy's collapse isn't from excitement. Merle and Wanda face an angry mob and receive no comfort from Miss Adeline and Mickey Moe. Merle gets a phone call that might end his mayoral career. Charlie and Loretta reassure a frantic Tom that Mary went for a walk to think things over, but he later finds a Dear Tom letter.

The Shumways' finances are on the line as Svetlana takes down Mac in the ring. Cathy's back pain becomes excruciating. Mary tells Tom that her dream is the life she has with him and Heather in Fernwood. After Mary insinuates she won't leave, a deliveryman arrives with a one way ticket to Niagara Falls from Dennis. As the high school reunion gets underway, Mary gives an impassioned speech about accepting life instead of following silly dreams, but later, Tom discovers that Mary has vanished from their party.

Heather wants to run away to Las Vegas and become a stripper. George and Martha run a bookie service until Ma Bell turns off the phone. Nat Dearborn counsels Mary about the benefits of divorcing Tom. Mac and Svetlana learn that they're opponents. Tom advises Mary that if she really loves Dennis, she should follow her dream and the chance of happiness he offers.

Charlie and Loretta invite Barth to use their guest room but can't summon the nerve to tell him about Garth. Mac and Svetlana hit it off at the Capri, unaware that they're opponents in the wrestling ring. Barth ends up in the middle of Tom and Mary's marital troubles, and they stun him with the news of Garth's shocking death. Martha coaches Mac in the art of wrestling. Grandpa Larkin advises Mary about running off with Dennis.

Svetlana, a female wrestler, challenges Mac. Mary and Tom agree to host Mary's 16th high school reunion in the Hartman home. After seeing how much pledge money Mickey Moe brought in, Merle decides to let him and Miss Adeline stay. Martha and Cathy scream at the sight of Barth Gimble and realize that he doesn't know about brother Garth's violent death. Cathy experiences excruciating back pain, reinforcing Martha's premonition of doom. George doesn't want to know if Mary will choose Dennis or Tom, but vows to support her final decision.

Grandpa Larkin meets Barth Gimble, who's in Fernwood to find his brother Garth. After Tom convinces himself that Mary was just trying to make him jealous, Cathy accidentally reveals that Mary spent the night with Dennis. Merle and Mickey Moe argue over Wanda, who Miss Adeline dismisses as a blonde hussy. Cathy and Loretta pump Mary about her night Dennis. Mary reveals to Tom that Dennis has left Fernwood for good, but first he asked her to marry him.

Dennis proposes to Mary. Tom visits Charlie and Loretta and asks them to choose friends. Merle is enraged when Wanda is friendly with Mickey Moe and threatens to end his bid for the presidency. When she tells him about her evening with Dennis, Tom doesn't take Mary seriously. Before leaving Fernwood, Dennis asks Mary to meet him at Niagara Falls in one week aboard the Maid of the Mist.

Tom goes to the ring with Charlie, Dennis, and Mac at the Capri's wrestling round-robin. Merle and Wanda try to reassure Tom that he and Mary can survive their marital crisis. Mary decides to stand up Dennis, but he arrives before she can leave, and they end up in a romantic embrace.

Mary admits to Dennis that she loves him but wants to know if she can take it back later. Cathy agrees to let Mary use Howie's apartment for the rendezvous with Dennis, then Mary has to justify it to Martha. George trains Mac for the first wrestling match. Cathy seeks help from Loretta in stopping Mary's affair, but Loretta suggests Cathy's own sordid past should make her more tolerant of Mary's desires. Martha has another premonition and foretells terrible doom for Cathy.

Cathy's first day of private catering at the plant gets off to a dismal start. Mr. Billingsley refuses to rehire George, who gets drunk at the Capri and fights with Mac. Dr. Joyce Brothers counsels Mary about a potential second affair with Dennis. Mary phones Dennis to arrange another infamous Thursday date. After their fight, George and Mac realize they could make a lot of money as professional wrestlers. Dennis interrupts Mary and Tom's lovemaking.

Loretta releases her grief over Johnny Doe's departure in a new song. Buzz and Angela's idea about including Miss Adeline and Mickey Moe in Merle and Wanda's co-campaign angers Merle. Cathy devises a new plan for the impoverished Shumways to make money, while Martha experiences another terrible premonition of impending doom. Dennis invades Mary's dreams. Mary meets Wanda at the Capri for advice about whether or not she should sleep with Dennis.

Friends and family gather at the Jeeter apartment for Wanda's unexpected political announcement and at the Capri where George demonstrates his Bug Massacre invention to investors. Loretta and Charlie bid a tearful goodbye to Johnny Doe who is Wild Child again.

A suicide pact is the last resort for George and Martha when their heat and electricity are cut off, their car is repossessed, and Cathy, Grandpa Larkin, and Barbie move out. Charlie catches Loretta tempting Johnny Doe back to civilization with junk food and television. Dennis wiggles out of Charlie and Loretta's attempt to convince him that Mary belongs with Tom. George proclaims he is close to selling his invention for a million dollars. Tom tries to woe Mary with a romantic hotel room supper.

Dennis deals with Heather like an adult when she admits she wants to date him. Mickey Moe, the younger brother Merle disowned, arrives in Fernwood to make Merle's life even more miserable. Going back to the wilderness with Johnny Doe proves heart wrenching for Loretta. Wanda inadvertently incites Tom's passion.

Mac confronts George about Martha, and the Shumways face another financial crisis. Mary is amazed to receive sensible advice from Cathy about appreciating Tom's qualities. Wanda's potential presidential run intimidates Merle. Tom attempts to duplicate Dennis' appeal with a jar of Dippity-Doo, and Mary wishes she could choose without having to choose.

Cathy encourages her parents to reconcile. At Mary's family breakfast, Heather announces that her classmates are gossiping about Dennis wrecking the Hartman marriage again. Charlie and Loretta think they've civilized Johnny Doe too much. Dennis wants Mary to tell him what she really feels. Cathy advises Tom on how to win Mary from Dennis.

Charlie makes Loretta realize that if they really love Johnny Doe, they should let him go. Buzz and Angela encourage Merle and Wanda to go public with their swinging lifestyle and drink a toast to Wanda as the first woman president. When all of her premonitions come true, Martha declines Mac's marriage proposal and leaves. Mary feels sick after learning the truth about Dennis' parents.

Buzz MacGregor and Angela Atwater from the Republican Party attend Merle's sermon on Love Thy Neighbor, where dirty linen is aired and guests repent. When George makes a disaster of their dinner party, Martha chooses to stay with Mac, but she feels something terrible is about to happen. Mary guesses that Dennis had a happy childhood, and he wants to make her life better. Tom dances with Cathy and Wanda at the Capri.

Cathy confirms Mac's suspicion that she's still angry with him because of their breakup. A major fight erupts between George and Martha when they gather with Mary to meet the Foleys at the Capri. Tom confides to Charlie that he's giving up Mary to make her happy. Mary asks Tom to meet Dennis' parents. Martha fears Standing Cow's prediction of doom is coming to pass.

Dr. Fermin says Johnny Doe will recover but thinks he might be better off in the wilderness. After Tom gives Mary a dog, Heather tells him that he won't win her away from Dennis with such a pathetic gift. George, Charlie, and Mac gossip about the triangle between Tom, Mary, and Dennis. Later, the three go to Mary's separately to talk sense into her, and they're forced to hide in the Hartman bedroom when Tom comes home.

Merle claims he's doing a favor for good friend Tom Hartman when Miss Adeline wonders who he's courting with his gussied up suit and box of chocolates. Mary begins to hear and see Dennis everywhere. Dr. Fermin wonders if Johnny Doe will survive eating mothballs and instructs Charlie and Loretta to pray. Dennis and Merle descend on Mary's kitchen. After Dennis kisses Mary in front of Merle, Merle explains to Mary how to avoid temptation.

Merle and Wanda's live broadcast of At Home With the Jeeters dissolves into a disaster when Mary phones in to discuss Tom not sleeping with her, and a trapped Miss Adeline attempts to break out of her locked bedroom. Dennis reveals his true intentions for Mary to Tom. Tom drinks more and begs Merle to help him save his marriage. Dennis tells Mary about his talk with Tom, and the two kiss passionately in front of Fred and Fiona.

Mary seeks George's advice about Tom's drinking. Martha admits she still has feelings for George and is worried about Standing Cow's omen. Johnny Doe speaks his first word, but Loretta fears it might be his last after he apparently eats a bag of moth balls. Mac begs Martha to stay with him, but remembering Standing Cow's warning, she insists on waiting until the last minute to decide. Wanda's Get to Know Your Mayor campaign irritates Merle. Dennis and his parents invite Mary to tea.

Tom seeks reassurance from Wanda that making love with him was more than a duty for her. Before expiring, Standing Cow predicts Martha's relationship with Mac will bring tragedy to the Shumway family if she stays with him. Loretta and Charlie are forced to let Dr. Mattick continue civilizing Johnny Doe. Mac and the Shumways set a deadline of one week in which to decide whether Mac ends up with Martha, Cathy, or all alone as usual. Dennis attempts to ease the tension between Tom and Mary, and tells Mary that he thinks they're about to start another beautiful friendship together.

Tom insists that he and Mary have a "perfect damn marriage" but with "too much damn communication." Miss Mildred, Johnny Doe's teacher, agrees that he should be taught by Dr. Mattick at the zoo. Tom, George, Loretta and Charlie discuss their losses at the Capri, where Tom turns to alcohol for comfort instead of the Lord. Mary's unnerved and Tom speechless when Heather establishes a Dennis Foley fan club and plasters the kitchen with life size posters of his face.

Martha returns to the Shumway home, where George begs her to stay, and Standing Cow lies dying on the kitchen table. Fiona Foley's pleasant visit with Mary is tempered by Mary's obsession with tea bags, Tom's rudeness, and Heather's insistence that Mary isn't her mother. Merle's blunt, rude, abrasive mother Miss Adeline arrives just in time for Merle's TV interview with Jud Thompson.

Grandpa Larkin and Cathy learn more about Standing Cow. Dr. Mattick examines Johnny Doe and theorizes that he'll be utterly miserable for the rest of his life unless he returns to the wild. Wanda suggests Merle revamp his lifestyle image to include fish fries and barbecues, but he counters with an idea to have his mother live with them. Merle phones Miss Adeline and tells her about his presidential campaign. Mary meets Fred and Fiona Foley, Dennis' parents, and wonders why they seem to really like her.

Heather wants Mary's blood for tests to prove they're not related. Mac surprises Martha with dinner and persuades her to have an affair with him. Heather babysits Johnny Doe and fails to teach him how to get with it. Johnny Doe's tears make Charlie and Loretta realize he may not be happy with them. Mary agrees to meet Dennis and parents at the Capri for cocktails. Cathy drops by the Capri, where two familiar looking widows are in tears. Cathy and Martha aren't talking to each other about Mac, Mary throwing herself at Dennis, and the Jewish Indian dying in the Shumway kitchen.

An amorous Tom returns from the Capri, but Mary's comment about Dennis spoils the mood. George shows Tom a new invention, and they celebrate with beer for breakfast. Dennis invites Mary to meet his parents. Wanda apologizes to Mary for not clearing Tom sooner. Cathy meets Standing Cow, who has come to die on the sacred ground of the Shumway home.

The surprise witness reveals what really happened the night of the fire, leading to an explosive end of the GGG. A freed Tom avoids making love with Mary, opting for a night out with George and Charlie at the Capri. Mary invites Dennis in for a Pepsi. Merle and Wanda agree that they're a match made in heaven and celebrate by taking a match to the infamous diary. Tom returns to his old ways with several rounds of beer.

Mary's in shock after Tom's statement to the court, and Dennis promises to be there any time she needs him. Loretta and Charlie worry about a homesick Johnny Doe. Before his transfer to the county jail, Tom warns Mary about Texas and Vernon. Friends, family, and enemies congregate in Tom's cell to say goodbye. A surprise witness steps forward with new information that may clear Tom of murder.

After Wild Child runs into the street and is nearly hit by a car, Ms. Finken isn't sure he's safe with Charlie and Loretta. Vernon and Texas promise Tom that Mary and Heather will be in danger if he implicates them in the murder. The courtroom is left stunned when Tom takes the witness stand and makes a shocking declaration.

George chooses a new path in life as an inventor. Loretta and Charlie ponder names for Wild Child, and Mary suggests Johnny Doe. Nat reassures Mary that he thinks Tom can't be proven guilty of murder. Texas accidentally turns the Capri into a drive-in lounge. Wanda visits Tom in jail, and her comfort turns to passion.

Mary and Grandpa Larkin discuss Heather's disrespectful attitude. Martha asks Mary if she and Mac can use Mary's house for their trysts. Wanda wonders why Merle isn't doing more to help free Tom. After learning that the GGG is paying Nat, Tom orders him out of the cell. Texas gives Tom a noose. Merle is jealous after finding Dennis visiting Mary in her kitchen.

Mac wants to reap the golden harvest with Martha and vows to win her from George. Heather's hostile toward Mary and reminds her that she can't ever replace Tom. Dennis calls to tell Mary that Tom had a peaceful night in jail. Mary realizes she never gave Merle an answer to his job offer. George writes a love letter to Martha, but Cathy warns him it's not enough because Martha and Mac are getting serious.

Mary and Dennis share a very public reunion at the Capri. Loretta asks Wanda if Merle can change the law requiring Wild Child to attend school, and Wanda suggests she spank him. Vernon tells Texas that Dr. Williams' report found Tom insane. A disheveled Nat arrives and vows to defend Tom as best he can. Mary rejects Tom's attempt at lovemaking in his cell, and he accuses her of wanting Dennis instead.

Social worker Ms. Finken gives Charlie and Loretta an ultimatum about Wild Child. Texas taunts a hungover Tom into a violent rage just as Dr. Williams arrives to examine him. Tom describes recent bizarre events in his life, leading Dr. Williams to decide he's paranoid. Mary's friends and family treat her to an evening at the Capri, where she and Dennis come face to face once again.

Merle wants money from the Guardian Party for his presidential campaign, and Vernon suggests he persuade Mary to accept cheaper Nat Dearborn as Tom's attorney. Wanda brings Mary dinner and wonders what Merle's agenda is when he shows up at Mary's. Tom warns Dennis away from Mary again. Wanda visits Tom and reassures him that Dennis is in Mary's past. Texas tempts Tom off the wagon before his visit with the psychiatrist. As Reverend Buryfield begins Wild Child's baptism, Loretta realizes he needs a proper name.

After Martha refuses to reconcile with George, Cathy moves back home. Mary comes up with a plan to reunite her parents and narrowly misses meeting Dennis in the Shumway kitchen. Cathy arrives home and has words with Dennis. George prevents Cathy from telling Mary about Dennis, and later, Cathy still can't shatter Mary's dream family. George goes to the Capri looking spiffy for Martha. Mac visits Martha, spoiling Cathy and George's plans.

Vernon persuades the GGG men to hire Nat Dearborn to defend Tom, but Texas would rather shoot him. Dennis makes an official visit to the Haggers house after a neighbor's complaint about Wild Child. Mary goes to see Tom in jail and realizes that it's just like breakfast at their kitchen table. Loretta broaches the subject of Dennis with Mary but is interrupted by Vernon, who tells her that Nat Dearborn has accepted Tom's case.

Tom warns Dennis away from Mary, but Dennis insists he has no intention of seeing her. Charlie, Mac, and George ponder a temporary insanity plea for Tom. Merle's anxious to talk about his plans to run for president in 1980, but Wanda's preoccupied with Tom's murder rap. George's suggestion that Tom needs a psychiatrist before an attorney leads Mary to a painful realization.