Ricky is a single mother living with her two younger siblings and six-year-old daughter in San Francisco. When her neighbor Danielle gets into a fight with her mother after she watches the film ""Thelma and Louise"" with the Wilders, Ricky decides that she has become too soft on discipline. Her first victim is her kid brother Brody, who is forbidden from attending a frat party. Meanwhile, Sophie, Ricky's daughter, panics after losing a baby tooth.

Sophie becomes disenchanted with her first name and, at Brody's suggestion, changes it to Spot. With Ricky struggling to make ends meet for her extended family, Sophie's behavior is influenced by the teens hanging around the house. This obviously irks Ricky, and she unsuccessfully forbids Dorfman, Danielle, and Beth from coming over.

Melissa has fallen head over heels for a classmate named Rob, and she eagerly anticipates her first kiss. Meanwhile, Dorfman becomes a candy striper in order to hang out more with Ricky.

Brody is bothered by the fact that Ricky is in a physical relationship with a cop. Ricky, however, is bothered by the fact that Brody is intervening.

Brody ditches school in order to get concert tickets. In the process, he finds out that Melissa has also been deliberatly missing school. Together, they narrowly avoid Ricky's wrath and straighten out an embarassing misunderstanding.

Sophie's birthday is coming up, and Ricky wants to throw a party. Unfortunatly, she finds out at the last minute that she has night shift at the hospital. Brody takes over for Ricky, but he leaves at 9pm to go on a date.

It's Halloween, and the Wilders become fascinated by a Ouija board Brody and Dorfman find in the attic. Meanwhile, Sophie learns the true meaning of Halloween.

Ricky thinks she will relax on her first real day off in five years. Instead, she must cook for Sophie for school, make a dress for her, and tape a video-message for an old friend who is about to be married.

Andrea, an old friend of Ricky's, comes to LA for a visit. It turns out that Andrea was a party animal back in the day, and little has changed since then. The two friends go party-hopping and Ricky ends up neglecting her household duties. With Ricky gone, Brody, Dorfman, Danielle, Beth, and Melissa turn the house upside down.

Brody's car breaks down, so he is pressured by Ricky to get a job in order to pay for the repairs. He lands a gig as a tour guide, and ends up befriending a homeless girl named Lydia. Meanwhile, Sophie and Danielle argue over a coffee mug.

Ricky feels that she's missing or neglecting something. Strangely, everything is all right- even Dorfman is behaving. But when Ricky leaves the house for just a few minutes and Dorfman is volunteered to babysit Sophie, all hell breaks loose.

Brody gets into a fight with the new kid at school, a transfer student named Dexter. Then, to this chagrin, the family befriends Dexter and ostracizes Brody. Meanwhile, Sophie turns into a tomboy named Kurt.

Brody neglects to tell Ricky that it's ""Career Day"" at his school. When she does find out, she scrambles to write a speech and questions her desire to be a nurse. She then decides that she wants to fulfill a dream of hers and become an oceanographer. Luckily, Dorfman talks her out of it.

Danielle has grown to bond with Dexter (see ""A Close Shave"") and decides that she wants to sleep with him. Ricky feels uneasy about all this, and Danielle's mom freaks out and blames Ricky for letting Danielle do something like this. Elsewhere, Melissa enlists Brody to make a personality change and Sophie wants to teach tricks to one of her stuffed animals.

Brody becomes smitten with his new study partner, only to discover that she's a single mother.

It is revealed that the eccentric Dorfman is a poet.

Ricky wants to lose weight, so she goes on a strict health regimen. Unfortunately, she almost becomes addicted to diet pills.