Tom and Susan are obliged to stay overnight at the Kellys' on Christmas Eve to help with Sandy's frantic Christmas preparations, and Sandy has to face her first Christmas without her mother.

The rivalry between Tom and Mary heats up when he shows her up at her own award presentation and is invited to be a guest speaker at her university. Meanwhile, Lewis decides that it is time for a name change so he asks everyone to start calling him Lew.

Tom notices that his new doctor, Jim Coglan, has an old portrait of Susan up in his office and discovers that the man was actually a childhood friend of Susan's who used to hang out on a tree outside of her window. Meanwhile, Bill tries to get his old lucky sweater back from Lewis who seems to have fallen in love with it.

Mary sets up a talk-radio interview for Tom to brag about the Kellys. But when the bitter talk show host twists Tom's every Kelly compliment, the entire community turns against Tom.

Chris loses his job but doesn't tell Mary, Susan worries that she and Tom have no long-term financial plan, and Lewis decides to move out after Bill asks him to pay rent.

Chris borrows money from Tom to start his own house-refurbishing business, and Tom is offered a job ghostwriting a book for a famous football player.

Tom's pretentious parents from New York attend Bill and Sandy Kelly's anniversary party in Kansas, and Chris refuses to sell the house he just refurbished.