Mel and Henry encourage each other to pursue women in their building; Joyce panics during her first post-separation date and crashes her daughter's date at a carnival.

When Mel thinks Henry is becoming a slacker, he takes him into work to show him what success looks like. Seeing his dad in action, Henry learns an unexpected lesson that helps him step out of his father's shadow. Meanwhile, Joyce and Katie decide that in Mel's absence, they need to stand up for themselves, which makes for a couple of bold, and embarrassing, confrontations in the returns department of a furniture store.

Joyce struggles to keep a secret when she discovers Katie has big plans with her boyfriend; Mel embarks on his third first date with Allison.

Mel sneaks into Joyce's house to take bubble baths; Joyce panics over her success at school; Katie gets a secret job; Runyen helps Henry prepare to fight a bully.