 When
Frank's first wife Roberta dies, Lois decides to confront her estranged
husband at the wake. As his second wife, she's now entitled to become
his first wife, and she wants the legal marriage. "Not if you were to
put a gun to my head," Frank laughs, surrounded by adoring sister wives.
"And knowing you as well as I do, I can see that as a very distinct
possibility." Following up on Don's call, Bill has drafted a letter
to the Attorney General's office under the false name — offering details
on Roman's real estate scam and the pending lawsuit. But as he's preparing
to send it, he has second thoughts. He calls Roman and asks if they
can meet to work out an agreement. He puts Ben in charge of looking
out for his moms while he makes the trip to Juniper Creek the next day.
After Roman puts him off for a day, Bill stops by to visit his mother,
who is still reeling from her showdown with Bill's father. She wanted
to make her kids legitimate, she tells him, and she wanted the protection.
She doesn't own a thing anymore — the Priesthood Council owns everything,
even though her father was the true Prophet. "This isn't the life that
was intended for me — or you or Joey," she tells him. Bill assures her
he's doing fine. "I know you are. It's the rest of us I'm worried about."
Back at the Henrickson households,
Ben is taking his new responsibility seriously, spying on Margene when
neighbor Pam comes over to her house. Pam asks questions about the "standoffish"
blonde woman who lives next door. "She's shy," Margie tells her, slightly
shifty. After the woman leaves, Ben chastises Margie for her lack of
discretion. "You have no idea how much of my day I spend alone," she
says, breaking down. Ben suggests she take a class, where she can meet
people in a more neutral setting. It's hard on him too, but he's learned
to  keep
things separate. Barb pays a visit to Peg Embry and shares a confession:
she and Bill are having an 'affair,' and she's come to love the excitement
of sneaking around. Peg is concerned. "I just don't want to see you
getting hurt. He's not going to leave his wives." It's more complicated
than that, is all Barb can say. Still waiting for his meeting with Roman,
Bill joins Joey and his father as they pick out a casket for Roberta.
Frank reminds Bill that his first wife got him to stop stuttering when
he was younger. Laughing at his son's expense, he tells Joey that his
older brother "sounded like Porky Pig" when he got up to give testimony.
Then he starts in on their mother. "Always told everybody that she married
beneath her... Looky now, I'm on the Priesthood Council and she's a
train wreck." At the casket store, Frank picks out the cheapest model
he can find, as Bill and Joey push for something nicer. "Roberta was
a simple woman," Frank responds. "She'd never've gone for a fancy coffin."
He makes Bill buy the low-end model as he reprimands him. "Shoulda done
something nice for her while she was alive." Before his meeting with
Roman, Bill asks Joey if he's involved in any of the lawsuits surrounding
the real estate scam — Joey insists he's not. With this Bill brings
a large folder full of documents to his father in-law's office. The
patriarch scolds him for talking business in the midst of Roberta's
funeral, then makes him listen to Rhonda recite poetry. Fed up with
his games, Bill interrupts to offer his proposal: he'll give Roman a
cash settlement for $50,000 in  exchange
for a release from any more business dealings and an end to the harassment.
When Roman scoffs, Bill brings up the lawsuit and the real estate scam.
Roman pleads ignorance. "The Attorney General tells me they would just
love to use it for the basis of a broader investigation into fraud at
UEB," Bill informs him, dropping the stuffed folder of evidence on his
desk. Roman tells him to leave — but Bill fires one last warning shot:
Alby is never to come near his home or businesses again.
Despite her handywoman skills,
Nicki can't fix Margie's garbage disposal, and takes it upon herself
to buy her a new one at Home Plus. At the checkout, she tells the cashier
that she's entitled to the family discount; she just forgot the card,
which is in Barb Henrickson's name. The cashier explains she needs to
see the card, and when she runs Nicki's credit card, it's rejected.
Wendy the bookkeeper arrives, and Nicki tells her to call Don Embry
to vouch for her family status. Despite her resistance, Bill and Joey
drag Lois to Roberta's funeral. Frank gives an over-the-top eulogy,
announcing that while he can't imagine a better first wife, he knows
Roberta will be smiling down when he takes 'Nita — the wife after Lois
— in her place. After this performance, Bill yanks his father aside
and asks him how much he wants to stop humiliating and shunning his
mother. Frank negotiates a settlement: $5,000 and some roof tiles. Bill
agrees to pay him, but only after his father delivers the marriage certificate.
Lois calls her son later with the good news. "Your father had a change
of heart!" she says, not suspecting Bill was involved. She doesn't see
them moving in together again, but it won't matter. "He won't be around
much longer," she says. Bill's face drops as he asks his mother what
she means. "Oh just that he's not getting any younger, is all."
Barb is summoned to Home Plus to
vouch for Nicki, who is being held by security under suspicion of identity
theft. She told Wendy she was Barb's sister, then changed her story
to 'neighbor.' Nicki is irate, and takes it out on Barb as soon as they
leave the store. "I do not want  to
have to ask your permission for everything!" she screams, before revealing
what's really getting at her. She thinks that Barb doesn't want her
to have another baby, and she resents that she has no public life with
Bill and no control over anything. "Well I'm sorry I didn't die," Barb
responds. But this only upsets Nicki further; she's the one who took
care of her every day when she was sick. Barb tells her how grateful
she is for all Nicki has done. With this Nicki finally softens. She
tells Barb she's wanted to have a girl - in honor of her. Bill finally
returns home, and Ben watches from a distance as the wives and kids
gather around his father, excited to have him back. Later, he asks his
father if he thinks he should have more than one wife someday. "Plural
marriage is a tremendous responsibility," Bill answers. "It can be terribly
abused. It's not for every man. God calls you to it and we have to answer
with fortitude." Ben tells his father that he thinks he'd be good at
it. Bill agrees. "You have a big heart son. Whadya say we keep an eye
on it."
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