At the one year anniversary of Lynda's death her family dines at Chez Pascal. A letter he wrote the fatal day haunts Jim.

Richie is back in town newly married to Kris. Regarding Hannah they request shared custody. Tracy is intensely overjoyed of her new dog, but her father fears that it makes her ill. Doug enters the Barkery to get some of his favorite food and his job back. Kyle is in doubt whether to move into Hansens' new guest house, i. e. former garage. Hannah makes a high level adventure of her very own and sets matters into perspective at her one year birthday.

Kyle invites Syd to a Grand Canyon tent trip. Doug enters the Barkery with a classy dog he claims to be a street dog. Robbie warns Joanie that Doug is somewhat too weird. Robbie grabs an opportunity to matchmake Heather. Syd gets a patient that she remembers from her childhood.

Kyle has two tickets to a Bruce Spruingsteen concert but his dog is very uneasy so Jim takes it into custody. The Barkery looks likely to be closed as Joanie's finances are very low. Syd suggests that Jim makes a pep talk show there but he's uncomfortable in front of what he sees as a crowd.

Robbie plans to let his his father be a star on cable TV. A therapist and Syd have their differences what's best for Kyle who suffers phantom pains. A sports agent for a rising star in grave alcoholic trouble wants help with a contract from Kyle and a favor from Syd.

Syd gets Kyle a tempting job opportunity, and so does one of his own old friends. Heather is really unhappy about her love life and seeks spiritual help from a shaman. Robbie sells his father's show to a TV company even if they unconditionally hires a younger host. A new nurse, Izzy, is hired by Syd at her clinic.

Jerry calls from L.A. that a child star, Cameron, needs immediate plastic surgery. Joanie sponsors a school girl's project. A catholic priest has an old dog that concerns him. Robbie finds out that History can be financially smart.

In a Christmas dream her late mother shows Syd what would have happened if she had chosen to stay in California.

Lester Moody brings in a ferret to Jim, threatening to shoot it. Syd's old class mate, Kerry King, comes to town as a famous celebrity. Charlie tells Robbie that he is going to propose to Heather and Robbie is desperate.

Syd wants to move out of the family house into an apartment nearby. Heather gets a troublesome visit by her mother who impresses Robbie. Sarah brings her dog to Jim who suspects tuberculosis.

Karen Potter's sister died a month ago of breast cancer and Syd urges Karen to have a DNA test. Patrick, a charming painter, set both Syd and Joanie on hot heat. Robbie joins Donna's scheme to make Charloe leave town and Heather.

An aggressive man with a knife collapses at the clinic. He demands that Syd keeps him alive for three days. Jim is despaired and Robbis devastated because Heather is about to wed Charlie and move to the west coast.

A huge storm hits Providence. Robbie and Heather travel to Las Vegas to get married.

Dad Jim's 60 birthday is approaching, but the kids nearly forgot about it, and his accountant insists it's time to consider selling out to retire in wealth; the best bid seems to be offered by the modernist, commercial Garribaldi brothers he abhors as 'circus surgery'. While he's rationally convinced, it makes him so grumpy that he actually denies poor Robbie, who was mercilessly and bluntly thrown out of ex-bride Heather's apartment after the Las Vegas disaster -she even scolds his 'squandrous' peace offer of roses- permission to stay in the attic for a while again '...

Idealist Heather is tickled pink she can work for this year's Earth Day regional committee, and presents her hand-picked stand-in: Robbie, who keeps doing bar evening shifts at the same time. Alas his social skills aren't matched by secretarial ones; dad doesn't have the heart to fire him, but sets a crafty hamster trap... Syd was excited that a New York med school reunion offers her another chance with hunky bachelor Eric, who even sent her flowers, but is preoccupied by lying patient Talia, whose baby needs a blood transfusion from her haughty black single father ...

Robbie is already in heaven expecting to win $100,000 on TV in two weeks, and generously roots for dads happiness with much younger Monica Lang, who his sisters sort of selfishly shun as step-mother-to-be. Syd's old friend John Currier intends to turn from workaholic to recreational angler after beating his pancreatic cancer; alas the oncologist tells her it spread hopelessly already... Joanie stupidly starts a fire in her Barkery and wakes up in the strong arms of part-time barman-fireman Burt Ridley; even better, he asks her out for lunch and calls her the only ...

Robbie is cramming trivia for the next round of Down on Your Luck, his ticket to a chance of winning $100,000, but assistant Andi insists he can only succeed if she continues -as he suspected- feeding him answers, which would cost 40%, and his self-respect... Syd is not herself, obsessed with getting fat or going mad, even gets Alice in Wonderland day-dreams and faints feverish. Dad looks forward to an exhibition of Monica's photographs, including some with him, but didn't tell the kids in time. Monica has a new assignment, a month in Paris in all- and asks Jim along....