Normal, Ohio

One of Pamela's old boyfriends escaped prison and a U.S. Marshal lands at her house thinking that's the most likable place the fugitive is going to show up. Butch teases Pam on the "good quality" of her boyfriends. Detective Frank Wozniak is totally obsessed about security and ticks everybody with his paranoia. He knows everything about everybody, and pretends being Pam's new boyfriend to Bill and Joan. Bill, for once, really likes Pam's boyfriend. Meanwhile, Bill, Joan, Robbie and Kimberly chase a pigeon that is inside the house. After being constantly disturbed by Frank, Butch decides to work at Elizabeth's, and there Danny finds out on the internet that the guy Frank is looking for has already been caught. Butch confronts Frank, who confesses that he only stuck around because he's head over heels about Butch. They sleep together, but Butch has to break up with him because it won't go anywhere. They end up sleeping together again, and during breakfast Bill and Joan drop by and discover the truth about whose boyfriend Frank really is. Frank breaks up with Butch and takes off in a helicopter.

Butch gets Bill and Joan to move in to a retirement condo. At first, everything is wonderful without them around, but then Butch finds out that his mom is unhappy with the new place and misses the old house. While showing the old house to potential buyers, Butch realizes that his dad also likes the house, but won't admit it, so Butch tells him about Joan's unhappiness. Bill manages to get kicked out of the condo, and move back to the same old house they've lived for so many years. Meanwhile, Kimberly convinces Robbie that he's going bald, and gets him to put condiments on his head. Robbie and Charlie try to get back at her, but she's too smart for them.

Joan earns a pew at church, and asks Pamela to write a speech for her. Pamela and Butch decide to pull a trick on her and write about his homosexuality. After the Reverend takes the pew away from them, Joan blames Pam and Butch for it. Angry that the Minister might have taken it away because he's gay, he goes to confront him, but turns out the Minister only took it away because of his father's suspicious activities on his poker club. Butch and Charlie discover that the 70 year-olds are smoking pot and try to convince them to quit it so Joan can have her stew back. Meanwhile, Robbie decides to decorate the house with Christmas lights and gets on the paper for it.

Butch buys Charlie an used car in an attempt of establishing a better father-son relationship and Elizabeth accuses him of buying Charlie's love. Butch has to do the right thing and return the car, because he realized that Charlie has to like him for who he is, not for his gifts.

Four years ago, Butch came out on Joan's birthday, and, to Butch's surprise, Robbie caught "The Incident" on video. It's Joan's birthday again, but all she wants to do is lay in bed, so Butch makes plans to take her out for a surprise dinner with the family. He finally gets her to agree to go somewhere, but when the car breaks down, they find themselves stranded at a biker bar.

After a four year stay in California after he came out of the closet, Butch Gamble returns to Normal, Ohio to attend a going-away party for his son, Charlie, who's going off to medical school. His sister Pamela, a lively single mother of two, welcomes him warmly, as does his mother, Joan, though she can't quite bring herself to say "gay" aloud. Charlie, on the other hand, is not quite up to lukewarm. After Butch has a heartfelt talk with Charlie about how he's happier since he came out, Charlie decides to tell the truth too -- during his send-off, Charlie reveals that he doesn't want to go to medical school.