Frank is excited at the prospect of having the entire neighborhood over to watch an upcoming boxing match, but when Vic unintentionally threatens to ruin Frank's chances with his much more expensive and exciting television set, Frank overpromises that he has an even bigger color TV to convince the neighbors to come to his house instead. After he purchases one, Bill accidentally messes it up when he sticks a magnet on it as part of a school project. Frank initially believes that the store sold him a lemon and has an outburst in front of all the employees and customers when they refuse to give him a refund, embarrassing Sue. Bill eventually confesses, but after being gloated over by one of the store's employees when Frank and Sue take him to apologize, Bill uses his magnet to ruin every single television set in the store, and Frank gets refunded. At the end of the episode, the neighbors watch the match at Frank's house, while Vic watches it at his house "alone".

Featured music: "At Last" by Etta Jones

After finding out that Kevin is failing nearly every single one of his classes, Frank takes him to his job at the airport, where he's recently been promoted after his former boss was decapitated in a violent work accident, to demonstrate to him the responsibilities of caring for a family. Frank is torn between his underpaid, hard-working co-workers who are contemplating a strike, and his employer, who worries a strike will shut down Mohican Airways for good. Although Kevin is initially unimpressed and spends most of the day hanging around with some pill-popping, underachieving airport staff, he realizes the difficulties of his father's job after he witnesses Frank being yelled at and insulted by an old woman, who accuses the airport of stealing her medication, and comes to appreciate how hard Frank works to put food on the table. Meanwhile, after his father puts him in charge of Maureen for the day, Bill struggles to keep her rebellious nature under wraps, while Sue begins to doubt her solitary role as a mother and wife.

Featured music: "I'll Be Your Mirror by The Velvet Underground" and Nico, "The Court of the Crimson King" by Steve Hackett

Despite Kevin's promises to get back on track to improve his grades, Frank is outraged when he finds out that Kevin is still falling behind, and as a punishment, takes Bill to a football game where he was given corporate seats by the management at Mohican Airways, which Frank had initially promised Kevin to go to. While there, they meet Rodger Dunbarton, CEO at Mohican Airways, who speaks to Frank about talks of a strike and how he must no longer sympathize with his co-workers. On the drive home, their car breaks down, and they are helped by Rosie, one of Frank's co-workers, but when Bill innocently reveals they had been given tickets to a football game and his father's conversation with Dunbarton, Frank faces a hostile situation at work. Meanwhile, Sue goes to the mall with Maureen, where she is accosted by a talkative friend, and Maureen learns of her mother's underwhelming home life during a surprise outburst. Kevin hangs out with friends and gets high, reminiscing of the loving relationship he and his father had when he was young.

On Halloween, Frank attempts to dissuade Sue from a promotion, leading to tensions between them; Bill is reluctant to trick-or-treat due to his fear of being bullied by school greaser Jimmy Fitzsimmons.

Bill tries to hide his recent suspension while Frank earns the ire of his co-workers for befriending the aloof CEO of the airline. In addition, Frank struggles to make good on a promise to Kevin.

Featured music: "Here Comes That Rainy Day Feeling Again" by The Fortunes

When Christmas comes near, Frank is desperate to remedy the hostility of his co-workers and his supervisors at the airport while the family dog is missing. Kevin starts his part-time job selling Christmas trees. Bill becomes an altar boy at the church and gets into trouble.

Featured music: "Deck the Halls", "O Holy Night" by Carrie Underwood, "Here Comes That Rainy Day Feeling Again" by The Fortunes

Three weeks after he got fired, Frank is still unemployed. On a snow day, Sue decides to take the family sledding to get them out of their slump.

Featured music: "Memories Are Made of This" by Jim Reeves

Frank's old boss, Bob Pogo, calls him to offer him a job, only for things to turn out bad for Frank. Meanwhile, Sue ponders a change in her life.

Featured music: "I'll Come When You Call" by Ruby Murray, "I Am Woman" by Helen Reddy

After bailing out of the unemployment office, Frank turns to Rosie's friend, Smokey, for a job, but not before helping Kevin move into the basement after he ditches school. Meanwhile, Sue gets a new job as a secretary, but is mistreated by the sexist heads of her company.

Frank gets a job as a stocking man courtesy of Smokey, consequently sleeping through the day and ignoring Sue and his family. All the while, Kevin and his band try to get a gig and Sue has an idea for a new Plast-a-Ware product.

Featured music: "A Natural Man" by Lou Rawls

After Frank learns that Kevin and his band are performing on a school night, his attempts at halting it cause intense tension between him and Kevin. Meanwhile, Bill, having received money from his job as a paperboy, tries to buy a hockey-stick for hockey tryouts, but a run-in with the local bully, Jimmy, pushes him over the edge. Also, when Sue pitches her idea, she still receives a lack of respect.

When Frank's new job includes a stop at the airport, he ends up in a predicament with Bob. Kevin tries to get a date with a 'haircut' girl, but due to erection problems, he bails and this attracts the attention of Vic's new girlfriend. Also, Bill begins to enjoy lifting his legs on the law, much to the concern of his friend Phillip.

Frank and Sue's individual underhanded actions causes them to have a major fight on their anniversary when they're called into a meeting with Maureen's school teacher.

Frank and Sue try to deal with their marital problems; Kevin feels guilty for having sex with Vic's new girlfriend; and when Jimmy tried to make amends after he has been released from Catholic Military School, a fearful revelation from Phillip reveals Bill's part in sending him away, causing Jimmy to go back to his bullying ways.

Frank and Sue go to a couple's retreat to get help from a priest when their marriage begins to hit a snag, which only leads to a moment of truth between them. Meanwhile, Bill and his friends try to deal with a vengeful Jimmy, while Kevin is forced to deal with Vic when the latter finds out about his girlfriend's affair with Kevin.

The day takes a traumatic turn for the Murphys when the founder of Plast-a-Wares takes credit for Sue's idea and Frank and his friends attempt to get rid of "Scoop," the mentally unstable new manager (Roger Dunbarton's nephew), which inadvertently causes them to be caught in the middle of a terrorist attack caused by a Black Panthers-esque band of domestic terrorists.

With summer around the corner and Sue being pregnant with a 4th child, the Murphys head to town to watch the annual Memorial Day Parade, where each of them faces a certain problem.

Frank befriends his new neighbor, Chet Stevenson, whom he invites, along with his Vietnamese wife Nguyen-Nguyen, to the drive-in theater with his family, much to Sue's chagrin since she wanted the chance to spend time with Frank alone.

Sue's new invention The Forkoontula, a Swiss army knife-esque kitchen utensil, stirs up problems with her support group of the neighbor's wives. Kevin attends summer school due to failing math. Bill and Phillip go to the city pool, where a chance to be with Bill's crush, Bridget Fitzsimmons, eventually leads to an embarrassing erection incident at a local pool. Frank receives two promotions at work, one of which was his old position and the other was a position that his friend Rosie was next in line for, making the latter utterly upset and prompting Frank to try and mend fences between him and Bob Pogo.

Frank, Chet, Vic, and the rest of the husband neighbors begin to work on the baby's new room and soon, Chet takes Frank on a joyride in a jet while Bill and Phillip's friendship is put to the test when the latter gets jealous of Bill's crush on Bridget.

Sue hosts another depressing focus group for her invention. Frank is scared Chet might want to hang out with Vic. Bill and Bridget sneak out after dark and wander around the town as a 'first date'. Sue discovers that Chet treats Nguyen-Nguyen very abusively.

Featured music: "Frankenstein" by The Edgar Winter Group

Sue tries to warn Frank after discovering Chet treats Nguyen-Nguyen horribly, which puts Frank in an awkward position at a 4th of July neighborhood barbecue.

The Murphy's have a disastrous vacation at a lakeside including but not limited to staying in a rundown cabin, the visit from Sue's condescending parents, and Kevin trying to face his childhood trauma of almost drowning in a swimming pool at a hotel nearby.

Frank sees Chet's dark side after the latter rats him out for constructing the new baby's room without a permit, even though Chet built it while the Murphy's were away on vacation and it's affecting his friendship on his neighbors. Maureen and Phillip train to be on a game show Phillip and his younger brother Anthony enjoy. Bridget 'dumps' Bill but treats him like he dumped her, much to Bill's frustration. Kevin discovered that his band replaced him after he quit as guitarist, leading to him to do a humiliating task in order to get back in. A dedication ceremony at Frank's job ends up being the height of Frank's disgust for Chet when he gets hired to become head of the pilot training program. Chet is poisoned by his wife Nguyen-Nguyen after she realizes Chet won't change his abusive ways.

Frank visits Chet in the hospital after he was poisoned by his wife Nguyen-Nguyen and then tries a new parenting practice after getting Kevin out of jail. Maureen attempts to win the game show, but the corrupt show producers aren't having it. Bill makes a life-changing decision.

Bill tries to run away with Bridget to Pittsburgh, but the latter bails and Bill soon escapes the train and faces one mishap after another trying to find a way back home while his family and friends band together to find him.

Frank confides his issues regarding his reunion with his estranged father, Big Bill Murphy, to Father Pat.

On back-to-school night, Frank goes to the Grade School for Bill and Maureen but his poor memories with his dad get in the way. Sue goes to the High School for Kevin and attempts to get him in a college program.

Wanting to prove himself as a superior parent to Big Bill, Frank attempts to help his kids in their extracurricular activities, but fails miserably. When Vic gets rehired at the radio station, he is hit with a surprise.

Bill sees his grandpa’s true colors when Big Bill tries to take him to a hockey game. Frank struggles to bond with his father-in-law Stan, who is visiting. Sue goes to a baby shower where her mother Marilyn, who is also visiting, is in attendance. Maureen bonds with Bridget Fitzsimmons.

Following a car crash in the last episode, Sue must spend the night at a hospital and she can’t reach Frank because he and Big Bill must attend to the new X-ray machine at the airport. Also, Bill gains a violent reputation at his first hockey game.

Franks tells his father about how his attempts to be a better dad and husband have backfired regarding Maureen’s small role in a play being regressed to a stagehand, Bill’s violent behavior when doing hockey, Kevin’s new girlfriend Alice, and Sue taking a Lamaze class to help with her pregnancy.

The episode focuses on Rosie and how he comes to realize that his role as the new Alderman is not what he thought it was. Rosie’s daughter, Mina, auditions for a part in a show.

Frank and Big Bill’s relationship seems to be improving, but when the family goes to see Maureen’s play, things take a turn for the worst when Frank punches Big Bill. Vic tries to write a new song for his company.

Frank, Bob, Rosie, and Red take a business trip to Cleveland, Ohio in order to be trained to handle the airport X-ray machine, but after his colleagues goof-off, Frank soon discovers that Mohican Airways is being sold to a competing airport. Vic gets Kevin and his band a gig at the upcoming Kweezetoberfest, but with a new makeover and new name.

After Sue goes into labor, Frank and his friends attempt to make it back home and he not only tries to make it to the delivery, but also to make amends with his father once and for all.

The Murphys attend Big Bill's funeral where Frank struggles to deal with his emotions, Bill hangs out with Jimmy, and Maureen watches an undertaker dismember a dead body.

Featured music: "My Dad" by Paul Petersen

Sue attempts to convince her father Stan to come to her house for Thanksgiving, with the added bonus of her estranged queer brother Louis. Frank meets his new employers at the airport after it was sold to the competing airline Aliquippa. Bill and his friends cause trouble at a school field trip with Maureen and Bridget making their own mischief. Kevin meets his new girlfriend, Alice's family.

Sue tries to persuade Louis to attend Thanksgiving and reunite with their parents. After getting arrested last episode, Bill, Jimmy and Phillip must attend "Scared Straight" programs on Saturdays. Kevin gets clingy with Alice while at a concert after hearing about her ex-boyfriend Joel. Frank finds what he assumes to be "Box 16" (the dying words of his father) and calls his mom Nora for more information. Rosie pushes his luck with Mayor Tangenti.

On Thanksgiving, Frank and Sue concoct an elaborate series of lies in order to keep Louis and Stan from fighting. Vic struggles to raise his infant son and asks Goomer and Evelyn for help, but gets more than what he bargained for. Pogo opens up a chicken-skin themed restaurant, which proves to be an utter failure and a sudden fire puts him in hot water with the mob. Kevin's attempt to make amends with Alice goes horribly wrong.

When Frank finds a key with the number 16 on it, he goes above and beyond trying to find "Box 16" in order to find out what Big Bill was trying to tell him before his demise. Kevin tries to convert to Judaism in order for Alice to take him back since she's Jewish, but fails miserably. Sue attends a party at Vic's house to calm her nerves. Maureen's newfound interest in the occult is taken too far. Carl and Red, having resigned from the airport earlier in the season, try to make it big as porn film directors. Bill, Phillip and Jimmy become crooked junior cops.

• This episode was dedicated to writer David Richardson.

Following the events of their offspring's recent misconducts, Sue takes Maureen to Father Patt to end her occult obsession, Frank's attempt to give Bill "the talk" soon results in Bill confessing to him witnessing Frank and Sue having intercourse in "Bill Murphy's Day Off" from the first season and Kevin is taken by Smokey for the day to get over his break-up with Alice.

• This episode was dedicated to Michael K. Williams voice of Smokey.

Frank thinks he's finally located "Box 16", which was filled with a bunch of recordings Big Bill made, he soon gets inspired by them to propose a money-making stunt for the higher-ups at his job. Frank's mother Nora and sister Eileen come to visit for Christmas. Sue and Louis make amends and uses his karate dojo to start a new business. Mayor Tangenti tries to bulldoze Rosie's neighborhood to make way for a new High-Way in retaliation for his assertion.

• This episode was dedicated to writer and producer Marc Wilmore.

On Christmas Day, after the stunt to improve business at the airport backfires, Frank is down in the dumps but soon finds a sense of closure after discovering what Big Bill really meant by "Box 16" after talking to one of his father's old friends. Rosie manages to get one over on the Mayor with Pogo's help.

Featured music: "Surrender" by Cheap Trick