Grace Under Fire

Grace brings Rob home to meet her kids just as Nadine announces that the baby's on it's way; Wade's off on an undercover assignment so Grace has to take her to the hospital, leaving Rob alone with Libby and Patrick. Grace and Nadine reminisce about how Nadine was always around when Grace delivered all her kids. Grace flashes back to how Jimmy stole hundreds of dollars worth of toys as presents for Quentin and is caught by the police and how she had to take baby Quentin to the county jail so his dad could see him for the first time. Grace and Nadine arrive at the hospital, and Wade is still nowhere to be found; Grace takes over as Nadine's Lamaze coach. Grace flashes back to when Libby was born and Nadine took her to the hospital because Jimmy wanted to go hunting. Grace tries to coach Nadine, who's in great pain, as Grace remembers when Patrick was born, and again it's Nadine who's with her, not Jimmy. On the way to the delivery room Nadine says she's changed her mind about having this

Russell thinks all his friends are being disloyal because they're shopping at the new chain store pharmacy that's opened in the neighborhood. Libby is so involved in planning her birthday party that it's become an obsession, while Quentin is so eager to get a driver's license that he's letting Wade, Russell and even Jean give him driving lessons. Grace's back problems have gotten so bad that even Stevie Ray at the bar notices that she's in pain. She's taking more and more pills and is falling asleep so much that at one point Libby has trouble getting her to wake up. Nadine, Wade, Russell and Jean do a sort of intervention, and Grace reacts angrily and defensively. But when she realizes that Jake, the guy at the bar who's supported her in her pill consumption, is not a shoe salesman as she thought but really a drug dealer, she's so disgusted that she calls Jimmy and tells him she has a problem. Jimmy is completely supportive and promises to be there for her as she works through her prob

Grace is going crazy trying to finish her paper on ""The Grapes of Wrath,"" and she keeps reminding Quentin that he also has a book report that's due. When Martha, one of Grace's classmates, says she's apartment hunting, Grace jumps at the chance to have her as a tenant. Martha moves in with her parrot, Ignatius, and Libby and Quentin are both charmed by her. Even Jean thinks she's great, but Wade says he thinks he's met her before but just can't place her until he sees the parrot and realizes that Martha is a stripper that he knows from patrolling the strip club where she works. Grace has no problem with Martha's profession and admires her efforts to continue her education. Grace encounters Mrs. Sheffield who tells her she's given Quentin a C+ on his ""Grapes of Wrath"" book report, and Grace confronts Quentin about stealing her work. And when Martha drops out of school and moves back to St. Louis without even saying goodbye to the kids, Grace feels Martha has let both them and her down a

Holiday festivities are underway in the Kelly household with Jean making her famous punch loaf to Grace's dismay and Jimmy's delight. Floyd is so much in the holiday spirit that he's giving away the entire inventory at the pharmacy, and an exasperated Russell decides to get rid of him by sending him on a cruise. Grace gets suspicious of Quentin's mellow mood and at first thinks that he's been drinking beer with his friends. When it dawns on her that he's been smoking pot, she fears that she's about to see him repeating all her teenage mistakes and decides that ""tough love"" is the only way to handle the situation.

Grace, Libby and Nadine are still in New York, and Grace is obsessing that she's somehow failed to make this the perfect trip for Libby. Back in Victory, Russell is taken over babysitting chores, and, though he's wary of Quentin, it's Patrick who inflicts the torture. When Grace accidentally locks herself along with Libby and Nadine out on their hotel room balcony, Terry, a handsome fireman, comes to their rescue, but Grace is irritated by his condescending attitude toward out-of-towners. Later, at a jazz club Terry recommended, Grace is surprised to see him on-stage performing. Grace and Terry spend the evening together at his place where Grace meets Terry's son Robby who's just been dropped off by Terry's ex-wife. Grace marvels at how much she and Terry have in common but thinks that starting a long-distance relationship after just having her heart broken by Rick would be insane.

Jimmy's back in town to stay, and, on Grace's recommendation, he gets a job at the refinery, but his first day is a disaster, and Nadine and Wade say she shouldn't jeopardize her job for someone who used to treat her so badly; Grace, however, says that Jimmy's a different person than he was when they were married and he deserves to make a fresh start. Quentin goes to Jimmy for advice on dating, and he suggests that Quentin go on a practice date with a friend before asking out the girl he really likes. Grace goes to the motel where Jimmy's staying and finds Jean there with her son. Jimmy's depressed and thinks he'll lose his job (in reality, Grace's co-workers have been sabotaging him as revenge for the way he used to treat Grace) but he says he'll never leave his kids again. Jean reproaches Grace for all the ""lies"" she told about Jimmy abusing her, but Jimmy makes Jean face the fact that the things Grace said were true. And Grace is livid when she hears about Jimmy's advice to Quentin,

Grace finds some of Mrs. Walker's old dresses and tells Libby she can use one of them for a Halloween costume. Jean's chairlift suddenly stops working, and Wade agrees to have a look at the wiring in the house, but Libby says that Mrs. Walker's ghost, who she claims to have seen around the house, probably has something to do with the problem. Grace meets Tom at a Halloween party and then learns that he's Reverend Maxwell from Jean's church--the minister that Jean's always raving about. Tom Maxwell stops buy and asks Grace out on a date; she accepts and they have a terrific evening and a great conversation in which Grace encourages Tom to have the courage to pursue his dreams. Patrick tells Grace that there's a ghost outside, and an unbelieving Grace gives him a water pistol and tells him to squirt the ghost, but when she and Libby find a warm pie in the backyard and no one else is around, even Grace begins to wonder. When Reverend Maxwell turns in his resignation at the church, Jean ho

Dougie moves into Grace's garage apartment, and it soon becomes apparent that he's a forty-two year old man who still needs his mother. Grace comes up against a brick wall in her attempts to communicate with Quentin. Libby gets a present from the sailor she's writing to as part of a class project and confesses to Grace that she's never told him her age; Grace says Libby will have to stop the deception, but it's too late as sailor Bob arrives in the Kelly's driveway. Grace is determined to straighten everything out until she gets a look at Bob; she then says she's Libby and goes on a date with Bob to a Star Trek convention, but Libby resents that she's lost her new friend to Grace, and Grace finally tells Bob what's really going on.

When Russell's ex-wife Barbara shows up with her current boy-toy in tow and says she's dragging Russell back to court to have her alimony payments raised, Russell thinks he's doomed, but Grace says they should investigate Barbara's finances and Russell should take a stand in the name of working women everywhere. At the hearing, Grace reveals that Barbara owns a condominium complex that she hadn't reported, and the judge orders her to return much of her alimony to Russell. Jean offers Grace a loan to fix up the house and, although she claims to have an extremely busy social life with her many friends, even suggests she could move in to help with expenses. Grace bluntly turns her down on both offers, but when Floyd pressures Russell to offer Grace a $5,000 loan for a new roof, Russell hesitantly complies and Grace takes him up on it. And Grace is touched when she learns that the friends Jean claims to be spending time with are really the names of characters in a book that Jean has been r

Libby has been suffering from stomach pangs and Grace finds out they are from a stress-related ulcer.

While working for a crisis hot-line, Grace encounters the nasty janitor, Mullens, again and he hasn't improved.

The creative writing teacher and Grace are not tuned to the same frequency and trouble ensues.

The new Afro-American neighbors are coming for dinner.

When the nasty janitor is about to be fired for being HIV+, Grace is reluctant to help him. Rick instructs Quentin on how to behave on his first date.

Grace's fear of being dependent causes her to turn down offers of help from her family and friends.

The Kelly's Christmas celebration is dampened when Emmet dies suddenly and his 'significant other' appears at the funeral and shocks everyone by announcing that fact.

Grace and Rick get together, but will it last?

A disgruntled ex-employee takes the gang hostage at the refinery.

Grace demands that a day care center be provided at work when she can't find a suitable sitter.

Grace faces a problem as she starts a relationship with Rick before she terminates Ben.

Downsizing becomes a problem for Grace as she discovers that her job was not eliminated but usurped by her boss.

Grace is ready, but her boyfriend reneges on the grounds he is celibate due to two earlier affairs that went wrong.

Grace thinks Matthew's father should meet him, but the feeling is not mutual.

Faith and Grace drive to Memphis for their sister's wedding, with Russell who wants to see Graceland and a stranger who somewhat resembles Elvis keeps in touch with Grace.

Grace introduces her first son to her other kids, but it doesn't go well.

The kids get into trouble with neighboring campers when Grace takes them into the woods.

Grace has an relationship with her masseur, but doesn't like his need to be in control.

Quentin goes to stay with his father and Grace has a short story published in the local paper.

Grace slips on the icy walk at Wade and Nadine's house, then visits a therapist who helps her decide how she feels about their marital dispute.

It is a lonesome Thanksgiving when her ex takes the kids to the grandparents for the feast, but Libby escapes and the Kelly clan swoops down on Grace.

Grace wants to get Nadine back on track, so they take a trip to visit Grace's Aunt Vivian.

Jimmy's new girl friend comes to Grace for advice and Grace gives her the bitter truth. Otherwise, Grace has problems with her credit card.

Grace lets Quentin and Libby care for themselves while she goes to work. Her new boss makes it clear that he is only concerned with himself and his retirement.

Grace and the kids are set to wait out the big storm and rising flood when her ex arrives.

Grace's promotion does not bring her happiness. Quentin runs away to find his dad and the men at work are disgruntled.

Grace and Ryan have time for themselves when Faith takes the kids to visit their grandparents and the refinery is closed.

Libby is entered in a beauty pageant with a friend. The two mothers don't hit it off very well. Libby sings ""Tomorrow"".

A romantic weekend in the Windy City is blown away when Ryan fails to show up at the airport on time.

Grace turns down the advances of a guy, but welcomes a gal who is a 'battered wife' needing help.

When Grace brings her depressed sister, Faith, home for the holidays, she learns that Faith has been having an affair with a married man.

Wade gets fed up with his job at the phone company and takes a new job as the 'in the air, on the air' reporter.

Grace and Russell make plans for a double blind date; Libby is harassing baby Patrick.

The 'nice' guy Grace meets, at the behest of Nadine to attend a 'second time around' meeting, turns out to be Nadine's first husband (of three, she married the second twice. Wade is #4).

Grace and Nadine take a night out and flirt with some frat boys, while Russell and Wade try to steal Russell's dog which his ex-wife got as part of the property settlement.

Grace has divorced her abusive husband and is faced with supporting their three children. In the premiere episode, she takes a job at an oil refinery and dates the local druggist. Quentin gets into fights at school.