Carrie, Shannon, and Denise are lifelong friends in Gloucester. Denise is marrying baby daddy Ryan. Her engaged brother Danny is coming back to town and she warns Shannon against a hookup. Kurt won't let go of his crush for Carrie.
Carrie is conflicted when her mother encourages her to take a job at city hall. Meanwhile, realizing that she's dated all of the guys in town who are her own age, Shannon begins scouring a nearby college campus.
Kurt spends a night out with Shannon, but things get awkward after she kisses him goodnight. Denise gets her navel pierced, which prompts Jesse to want to pierce his tongue.
Kurt gets depressed after his dog dies - though the girls are relieved that the vicious beast is finally gone. Shannon is frustrated by a bad perm, and Ryan misses Denise's signals that she wants to have sex.
After being pressured by Father Boyle, Carrie thinks she's getting signs from God. Meanwhile, Shannon gets a car loan and Denise presumes that she slept with the loan officer.
Shannon becomes the town pariah when she begins dating Scott, a traffic reporter who's in the process of a divorce. Meanwhile, Kurt moves into a dumpy apartment.
Carrie encourages her dad to take a job whale watching, which ends in disaster. Meanwhile, Jesse expects everyone to remember his birthday, Ryan loses his job, and Shannon is forced to spend time alone with Scott's daughter, Bethany.
Shannon takes in her little sister and is forced to confront their crazy mother, Ryan enrolls the baby in a clinical study, and Kurt writes an exposé on the town's health inspector.
Shannon and Scott's romantic getaway is ruined when his ex makes him bring Bethany along. Meanwhile, Ryan tries to sell Kurt his motorcycle, and Denise ends up with too many guests for Thanksgiving.
As everyone prepares for an impending storm, Marge tries to ensure the restaurant is destroyed so she can collect the insurance. Meanwhile, Denise is accused of using her baby to get her way, and Kurt tries to compose a story for the paper.
The girls accidentally vandalize a nativity scene, Jesse goes to see his dad, Scott gets back together with his ex just as Bethany bonds with Shannon, and Carrie literally becomes ill when her parents leave town for Christmas.
Girls night out entails a rowdy hockey game and an impulsive road trip to Canada. Meanwhile, Kurt worries that the motel's latest patron may be suicidal.
Carrie feels remorse for sleeping with a guy she has no interest in dating. Meanwhile, Denise can't remember who she left the baby with, Shannon frets over being broke, and Jesse picks at people's leftovers.
Carrie is swept off her feet by a handsome man she meets at an art gallery, so Kurt retaliates by finding a girlfriend of his own, although he can't remember her name.
Denise decides she's fed up with Ryan's childishness. Meanwhile, Kurt chauffeurs Carrie back and forth from college, Shannon develops her psychic powers, and Jesse bonds with a hand puppet.
