Reese rents an apartment after being thrown out of the Wilkersons' house - but finds it difficult to avoid debt. Malcolm helps a football player write an essay to get him into college. However, when the sportsman turns out to be even stupider than he thought, he is faced with a dilemma.

Maggie inadvertently gives Michael his father's case file and Michael has to decide whether to read it and use the information to get his father out of prison or tell Maggie the truth about who he is and continue their relationship. However, a wrench is thrown in Michael's plan when G.O.B. steals the case file and asks Tobias to break into Maggie's house to find evidence. Meanwhile, Lindsay fights to get the Ten Commandments removed from the lawn of the courthouse.

Homer, Lisa and Bart get tickets for the latest chapter of "Cosmic Wars." The movie wasn't what they hoped it would be. Marge suggests that the kids write a letter expressing their dissatisfaction to creator Randall Curtis. Two weeks later when they get a stock letter in reply and they ask if they can go to the "Cosmic Wars Ranch" and complain in person. The family (sans Maggie) goes to Northern California. While Marge and Homer go on a winery tour, Bart and Lisa go to the ranch to find the creator and make their feelings known. After Bart and Lisa have their meeting with Curtis they rejoin their parents, who they find are both drunk on free samples they had at the winery. Marge and Homer are really enjoying their wine together, but following one of their nights of drinking Marge finds herself with a hangover. They agree that she can stop drinking and they can still have fun together. They go to Oktoberfest and Marge almost gets away with not drinking, but drink she does and they both leave the drunk, with Homer driving. After he drives their car off the road, Homer decides to make it look like Marge (who is somewhat passed out) was behind the wheel. The police arrest Marge; Homer is nowhere to be found at the time and he later bails her out. Barney suggests a rehab clinic for Marge to start attending. Homer finds out that Marge is going to be gone for a month, he asks Flanders to watch the kids while he goes to break her out of rehab. He finds her and confesses his guilt, which makes her angry and she starts drinking again. After some heavy drinking, Marge realizes that it isn't drinking that she liked; it was being together with Homer. She gets Homer and together they leave, after Homer promises to cut out drinking all clear liquors.

When flood threatens the town, the Arlenites gather in the communal shelter: The Tom Landry gym. Hank is supposed to be in charge, but while he's delayed at the town's hydroelectric dam debating over whether or not to open the floodgates, Bill blunders his way into a leadership role. He finds the power and the adoration of the masses delicious and soon becomes a tinpot dictator, with Hank in the brig and Kahn as his right-hand man. Meantime, the kids go wild in the yearbook office, Peggy regresses, and Dale schemes to build an ark to float his family to safety.

Dixon and Sydney have to help save Dixon's children after Sark kidnaps them. Meanwhile, Lauren is forced to work with her father. Also, Sloane is framed as the CIA mole.

When a picture shows up for Dr. Macy he travels to Mexico to prove the identity of a killer. While in Boston Woody works the case from a different angle. When the investigation turns up a witness she is not willing to talk... will Jordan get her to open up in time?

After executing a last act of justice as a Montana marshal, Seth Bullock relocates to a gold-mining camp known as Deadwood, where he and partner Sol Star look to start a hardware business. Bullock soon crosses paths with another new arrival - legendary gunfighter Wild Bill Hickok - and clashes with the formidable boss of the Gem Saloon, Al Swearengen. For his part, Swearengen must handle the deadly result of a run-in between one of his whores and a trick, while brokering the sale of a gold claim to wealthy New York socialite Brom Garret. When reports come of the massacre of a frontier family by Indians, a suspicious Bullock and Hickok ride out in search of survivors; for Swearengen, the results are bad for business.

Bette is worried about Tina when she throws herself into volunteer work, Marina and Francesca get into an argument, Alice thinks she may be pregnant by Lisa, and Dana and Jenny try to console each other.

Feech begins to overstep when he moves in on Paulie's landscaping deals.
Tony worries about Junior's mind when Junior wanders around his old neighborhood searching for long-dead friends.
As the hostility in New York intensifies, Johnny Sack dispatches the Leotardo brothers to send Little Carmine a clear message.