When Aunt Ginger takes her leave, little Debbie is left sad and lonely, so to ease the hurt she kidnaps a toddler from a birthday party, leaving the Gallaghers scrambling to come up with a plan to return the child.
Following the escapades of a hard-partying Chicago father who provides no guidance to his dysfunctional brood of six.
A manhunt goes out for Frank after he heads off on a Friday bender and uncharacteristically fails to show up to cash his disability check.
Fiona contemplates romance with a policeman who has had a lifelong crush on her, but Steve isn't about to remove himself from the picture.
The family attempts to pull off a fake wedding when it is revealed that Veronica comes from a wealthy family; Frank is given bad medical news and doesn't do such a good job of handling it; and Steve goes cruising for a new car, with Fiona along for the ride.
Fiona scrambles to spruce up the house for an impending visit from Carl's teacher; Lip makes some extra cash by taking tests for his less-intelligent classmates; the Kash and Grab is repeatedly robbed by a local punk; and Frank's lack of business acumen costs him.
To come up with $6000 Frank owes to two thugs, he entertains the notion of a risky business that's going to require some big-time help from the family.
Frank goes on the wagon, which pleases Carl and Debbie, but a sceptical Lip doesn't believe their father's newfound sobriety will last for long.
Frank is due some settlement money, but there's a catch: he needs his ex-wife's signature on the paperwork.
Monica returns and the Gallagher clan are in a tizzy as they try to determine if Frank is their real father.
Fiona befriends an alluring young lady after Debbie talks her into joining a mothers' group.
Steve's actual occupation is revealed and he tries to persuade Fiona to leave town with him. Meanwhile, Frank goes into hiding when his and Karen's secret is spilled; and car thieves Lip and Ian get caught and locked up.