It's still summer-vacation time on the jaunty third-season opener, which finds Malcolm and his rowdy clan cruising on a lake in a houseboat with Stevie and his straitlaced parents, Abe and Kitty Kenarban. Some vacation. The vessel itself is a fright, a weathered heap that Dewey hates from the get-go because "There's no TV! There's no TV! There's no TV!" An equally distraught Malcolm is shanghaied by Hal for a fishing expedition, leaving lucky Reese the chance to trawl for bikini-clad beauties at a nearby camp. Back on board, the close quarters are slowly driving Abe off the deep end.

Abandoned by a prize seeking Homer, Milhouse and Bart go for an unintentional joyride in Chief Wiggum's squad car. In juvenile court, Milhouse gets his case dismissed; however, when Bart goes up before Judge Snyder he is just about to get out of it, when the judge's vacation starts. The replacement judge isn't a pushover and citing Homer's negligence she orders that Bart and Homer be tethered together. The pair attends school, work and Moe's together and begin bonding. Frustrated by the whole situation Marge cuts the tether and is caught. Judge Harm decides that both Bart's parents are unfit, so she has Homer and Marge put into stocks and put on public display. Homer and Marge break free and retaliate, only to get caught. When brought before Judge Harm they are about to have the book thrown at them, when Judge Snyder returns from vacation and declares that boys will be boys and dismisses the case.

The episode opens innocently enough with Bobby's girlfriend Connie inviting him over to add some spark to her dying slumber party. But after Bobby's beaten up by a crasher, Hank urges him to enroll in a boxing class at the Y. That class is full, so Bobby enrolls in the next best thing: women's self-defense. There, he quickly masters the technique of targeting an attacker below the belt.

Doggett and Reyes investigate the death of an EPA official. Scully who has returned to her teaching position at the FBI Academy in Quantico was asked to help out. Doggett and Reyes might have found the woman who possesses knowledge of a possible government cover-up involving Scully's baby.

The detectives investigate a murderer who poisons hospital victims with cyanide. They suspect a nurse whose profile is typical, but when they discover more murders away from the hospital they have to widen their search.

Terri's uneasiness about the school dance and her feelings for Spinner are not aided by Paige as she has her own motives of getting Terri drunk. Toby and J.T. pass on the dance in favour of sneaking a glimpse of some net porn. Emma meets Sean at the dance.

After accidentally injuring Shaquille O'Neal, Larry is left a pariah, which suits him just fine.