It's 1995 and 11-year-old hip-hop loving Eddie Huang has just moved with his family from Chinatown in Washington D.C. to suburban Orlando. They quickly discover things are very different there. Orlando doesn't even have a Chinatown -- unless you count the Huang house.
Louis and Jessica clash over how to raise the kids and how to run the restaurant. When the boys get straight A's in school, Jessica decides that their school must be too easy and takes it upon herself to give them more homework and tutor them after class. She takes the same strict approach at the restaurant (no extra croutons for anyone!), so it's up to Louis to get her to lighten up on everyone.
When the cul-de-sac plans a block party to celebrate NASCAR, Louis urges the family to use the event to make new friends (and promote Cattleman’s Ranch Steakhouse). But Jessica has problems fitting in, especially after she befriends a beautiful trophy wife the roller blade moms don’t like. Meanwhile, Eddie schemes to win the respect of the neighborhood kids.
Family rivalry spirals out of control when Jessica's sister, Connie, and her far more affluent husband come to visit. The Huangs try to convince everyone they're doing great financially, when nothing could be further from the truth. Meanwhile, Eddie is excited to be reunited with his cousin Justin, who introduced him to hip hop, until he learns the kid has moved on to grunge.
Louis has to hire a professional instructor to give the restaurant staff a sexual harassment seminar after Jessica's attempts fall flat. Meanwhile, Eddie tries to pass off the seminar's instructional tape as a "dirty movie" to his friends in an attempt to impress them and get them to come to his house for a sleep over.
Eddie is so desperate for a new video game named after his idol, Shaq, he goes to work at the restaurant. He expects special treatment since he's the boss's son, but is in for a surprise when Louis is determined to make him work hard for the money. Meanwhile, Jessica decides to look for a job of her own.
Things are looking up for the Huangs when Louis gets the restaurant a billboard in a prime spot in Orlando. They even get an invite to the country club. But when someone repeatedly vandalizes the billboard, they’re left wondering why. Eddie works hard to get the attention of the girl he’s crushing on, but it doesn’t help matters when his mom hires her to babysit him.
Eddie tries to befriend the only other Chinese kid in school, but he's in for a letdown after he finds out that they have nothing in common; Louis feels betrayed when Mitch accepts a job at the rival Golden Saddle.
Jessica puts off taking the exam for her real estate license because she fears she isn't good enough to compete with Orlando's top realtor. Eddie looks to Louis for advice on how to win over older girl Nicole, but puts his own spin on his dad's suggestions.
Jessica's college boyfriend, Oscar Chow, comes to visit. She's a bit miffed that Louis isn't a little more jealous....but she's got a blind spot and is completely oblivious to the fact that Oscar is gay. Meanwhile, Eddie goes to great lengths to get out of the school science fair.
Jessica's superstitions get the best of her when she sells a house with the address 44 West 44th Street - the number 4 being bad luck in Chinese culture. At the urging of the new school counselor, Eddie decides to run for school president, but Jessica's bad luck gets the best of him too when a white lie spirals out of control.
Louis and Jessica get pressured into volunteering at the kids' schools because of budget cuts. Eddie sees a whole other side of his dad when Louis - a former semi-pro basketball player back in Taiwan -- coaches the basketball team, while Emery and Evan see a side of Jessica they wish they hadn't when she grudgingly takes on producing their school play, and puts her own spin on it.
Jessica fears her family has assimilated so much to life in Orlando that they’ve lost their Chinese identity. So she drives everyone nuts making them reconnect with their culture, from Louis, who she insists decline an invite to join the country club, to Eddie, who she makes do a report on China for his World Day project.
When Louis is forced to bring his family on a business trip to Gator World, Jessica learns the art of relaxation and Eddie takes on the "Death Roll." Meanwhile, Evan loses his last baby tooth but isn't ready to join the big kid club.
Nicole convinces Eddie to ditch piccolo and become her tutor, then ends up ditching him when she meets a new boy. Crushed, Eddie stops eating and listens to Boyz II Men's "End of the Road" on repeat. Jessica is confused by his behavior and seeks parenting advice from Honey.
It's Louis and Jessica's wedding anniversary and Louis plans a romantic evening out - to the car dealership. Meanwhile, Evan and his "friends" help Eddie buy The Hot Dogger, a hot dog-shaped water slide.
As Eddie's first school dance approaches, Louis is determined to make the night as perfect as a John Hughes film. Meanwhile, Jessica spends the day with Grandma Huang in hopes of getting on her good side so she will invest in her new business venture.
It's the Huangs' first Halloween in the suburbs and Louis is determined to turn their "dead" street into a prime destination for trick-or-treaters. And as Louis, Eddie, Emery, Evan and even Grandma Huang show off their elaborate costumes, Jessica has bigger plans - to protect her investment property from teenage pranksters.
Louis goes on a local morning talk show to promote Cattleman's Ranch and fears he humiliated himself and poorly represented his culture. Meanwhile, Eddie and his friends are confused about who their girlfriends are and attempt to sort it out during a group date at the skating rink.
It's Eddie's 12th birthday and instead of celebrating with his family, he plans his own birthday party with his friends at the mall. When confronted about his secret party, Eddie confesses that the Huang family rules are stifling his true persona.
The Huangs are hosting Thanksgiving this year, and Jessica is determined to out-do her sister who has hosted in years past.
Jessica and Honey's friendship hits a rough patch after an argument about the investment property. Louis's old friend Barry overstays his welcome. And Eddie starts a part-time job working for DMX.
Jessica and Louis convince Evan that Santa is a scientist with multiple post-graduate degrees who's also a good friend of his mother's and Eddie and Emery search for the perfect Christmas gift for their mother.
A plane ticket snafu causes the Huangs to spend the Chinese New Year in Orlando, rather than in Washington with the rest of the family.
Honey and Marvin look after the boys so Jessica and Louis can enjoy Valentine's Day together. Eddie wants to take Alison to a Janet Jackson concert.
The Cattleman's Ranch receives a bad review, which doesn't sit well with Louis and Jessica and Eddie makes a romantic mix tape for Alison, but it falls into the wrong hands.
Louis and Jessica decide to pay tennis legend Billie Jean King to train Emery after finding out that he has great potential. Eddie helps Evan deal with a gambling debt.
Jessica attempts to encourage Louis to make some friends. Louis' new buddy at the pool hall turns out to be an attractive woman and Jessica feels jealous.
Louis discovers the demands of being a stay-at-home parent after an accident sidelines him from work. Jessica, meanwhile, struggles with managing the Cattleman's Ranch.
After Jessica clashes with another mother, she is concerned that she is the cause of Evan being uninvited to a birthday party.
After the family become infected with lice, Louis leaves Jessica to deal with it. Eddie attempts to back out of a bet he has made.
Jessica and Honey find out a juicy secret about Deidre. Louis and Eddie come up with a way to deal with some negative emotions.
Evan is excited to open his first bank account, but is unsure if he should use his American name or his Chinese name on the account. As a result, Louis and Jessica reveal how they acquired their American names and recall the first time they met.
Jessica is able to convince Honey and grandma to rent out the renovated house but not everything goes to plan.
Louis attempts to help Emery be cool at school. Jessica proves she can be a fun mother by chaperoning Eddie's field trip to Colonial Floridatowne.
Eddie's girlfriend is determined to try and impress Jessica. Emery asks Louis for help with his graduation speech.
Louis' brother pays a visit with some big news. Eddie attempts to find a way to watch Chris Rock's latest comedy special.
Louis takes the entire family to Taiwan to patch things up with Gene; Louis wonders if life in Orlando is as good as it could be in Taiwan; Jessica takes Eddie, Emery and Evan to her childhood locales.
While showing Emery the ropes on his first day of middle school, Eddie reveals how he convinced the staff into believing fake Chinese customs that provide special privileges; Louis hires a housekeeper to help lighten Jessica's load at home.
Louis tries to get Jessica into the Halloween spirit.
Jessica suspects an employee is an undocumented alien.
Cattleman's Ranch hosts a Thanksgiving feast.
Jessica is flummoxed when Evan attends church instead of accompanying her to Costco; Marvin treats Louis to a free teeth-whitening session; and Eddie and Emery become creative when getting rid of healthy cereal.
To celebrate their one-year anniversary, Eddie reluctantly agrees to take Alison to the see a modern remake of Romeo and Juliet. But when Louis and Alison's dad bond over their love of Shakespeare and crash their date, Alison wonders if she and Eddie's relationship has lost its spark. Meanwhile, Jessica gets called for jury duty and campaigns to be the "Jury Boss," and Emery and Evan struggle with the responsibilities of raising a Tamagotchi digital pet.
While the Huangs are out at the movies, Evan is accidentally left home alone, and Jessica vows to make it up to him. Meanwhile, Marvin takes a spill and is visited by Ghosts of Christmas Past, Christmas Present, and Christmas Future.
During Jessica’s U.S. citizenship interview, she reveals shocking details about her past that even Louis was not aware of. Meanwhile, Eddie, Emery and Evan have a day off from school and attempt to take the family minivan out for a joyride.
Louis forgets to thank Jessica in his acceptance speech when he's named Small Businessman of the Year; and Eddie, Emery and Grandma start their own clothing line.
On the eve of Chinese New Year, Jessica pushes the entire family to settle all debts, disputes, and grudges to ensure good fortune for the coming year. Meanwhile, Louis and Evan go on a wild goose chase to hunt down some hate mail.
Jessica is thrilled her sister Connie is taking the opportunity to go to college. But when she discovers that she wants to pursue an art degree, Jessica disagrees with Connie's passion for art and does not see how it would add any value to her or her family. Meanwhile, Marvin and Honey take Eddie, Emery, and Evan with them to visit a retirement home.
Jessica is disappointed to learn she is excluded from the Neighborhood Watch. But when Ann's son goes missing, Jessica proves that her independent security measures work. Meanwhile, Eddie sets the stage for the perfect first kiss with Alison.
Jessica accidentally befriends Marvin's ex-wife, Sarah, and tries to help her and Honey settle their longstanding rift. Meanwhile, Louis and the boys are on a mission to determine Grandma's true age in hopes of surprising her with a new motorized wheelchair.
After her precious morning papaya goes missing and the dishwasher was used for its actual purpose rather than just a drying rack, Jessica automatically accuses Eddie as the culprit. Yet when a record store manager accuses him of stealing a CD, she realizes he has other motives for his actions. Meanwhile, Louis and Emery are bursting with excitement when a TV crew comes to shoot an infomercial at Cattleman’s Ranch.
The Huangs host couples game night, and Louis works up the courage to confront Jessica about being a sore loser. Meanwhile, Emery and Evan help Eddie grieve the unexpected, sudden death of rapper Notorious B.I.G.
Louis plans a guys' weekend for he and Eddie, but is disappointed when he invites his buddies over for a sleepover instead. Unbeknownst to Louis, Eddie and his friends hide out in his room, trying beer for the first time. Meanwhile, Jessica, Emery, Evan, and Honey go on a road trip to Georgia to save a few dollars on a piece of furniture.
When Jessica tries to sleep off a bad flu, Louis and the boys splurge on a pricey pay-per-view wrestling match that she would never allow. As they watch the match in silence, taking every precaution to ensure Jessica's recovery is not disturbed, they are shocked to learn that she was secretly having some fun of her own.
Louis worries Grandma's new motorized wheelchair gives her too much freedom, and makes it a point to keep a close eye on her. Meanwhile, Jessica fears that Emery's sentimental ways have turned him into a hoarder, and Eddie tries to hustle his way into Evan's already-successful side business.
Upon learning that Tiger Woods is half Thai, Louis and Jessica get inspired to groom Eddie and Evan into becoming the next great Asian golf prodigies. Meanwhile, Emery is determined to publicize the fact that Tiger Woods is half Asian.
Jessica is thrilled to hear Evan is interested in joining the debate team. Yet, when her protégé becomes so good that he beats her at her own game, she second guesses her worth. Meanwhile, Eddie and Emery team up to enter a comic book contest.
Eddie looks forward to starting high school with his friends; Jessica considers moving the family to a new neighborhood; Louis gets the opportunity to expand Cattleman's Ranch with his new silent partner, Michael Bolton.
When Louis and Jessica make changes to provide their family with a better life, they learn the changes come with their own set of challenges.
Still homeless, the Huangs move in with Honey and Marvin. Jessica’s dreams come true when she gets a chance to compete on “Wheel of Fortune” during Best Friends Week with Honey. Eddie starts high school and is still on the outs with his pals but finds unexpected sympathy from Nicole. Michael Bolton offers to step in at the restaurant to give Louis more time with his family, but does he have an ulterior motive?
It’s the first day of high school and Eddie wants to join the football team to impress girlfriend Alison, despite Jessica forbidding him to try out. Emery finds out that Evan has been moved up a grade and is in middle school with him. Louis battles with Kenny Roger’s right-hand man over changes at the steakhouse
With the realization that Eddie is finally mature enough to be left on his own, Louis and Jessica see the light at the end of their parenting tunnel and make plans to spend more time with friends Honey and Marvin. Until their neighbors announce a plan of their own: Marvin is getting his vasectomy reversed so the couple can conceive a baby. The Huangs do their best to dissuade them.
On Halloween, Louis is disappointed that Evan doesn’t take his childish delight in the holiday; Eddie and the gang plot to crash a cool older girl’s party; Jessica and Emery are spooked when they hear a strange man’s voice emanating from Grandma’s room, and things get even creepier when a mysterious group of costumed strangers whisk Grandma away, making them suspect the supernatural worst
When Jessica’s aunt passes away, the Huang family packs their bags for Houston where the boys see Jessica’s father for the first time. While observing the distant relationship, Louis makes it his mission to push Jessica and her father closer together. Meanwhile, Evan decides to make Eddie the executor of his will, prompting Emery and Eddie to fight over who is the better older brother.
After coming out of the closet to Honey and Jessica, Nicole struggles with telling Marvin, fearful that her father will be disappointed in her. Meanwhile, Louis wants to manage the Cattleman’s Ranch softball team on his own, so Jessica decides to coach the rival team from The Denim Turtle to prove that she is the superior manager. Chaos is sure to ensue when everyone gathers for the big game at the Greater Orlando Bar and Restaurant tournament.
The Huangs’ idea to skip Thanksgiving this year doesn’t last long when Louis plays matchmaker and invites Grandma’s ESL teacher, Bernard, to dinner after he notices their flirtation in class. To Jessica’s amazement, Grandma Huang offers to cook the entire meal to show her appreciation. Meanwhile, to prove his maturity, Evan lets Eddie and Emery sneak him into his first R-rated movie.
Louis gets himself into a sticky situation when he lies to Jessica and tells her that he loves her newly finished horror novel. With news that Kenny Rogers is paying a visit to Cattleman's Ranch, Jessica insists that Louis give him a copy of her book for his agent, making him extremely uncomfortable. Eddie and his friends purchase a 300-disc CD carousel to play all of their music, but Eddie thinks he's the only one in charge and becomes a tyrant.
Eddie begins to think he needs to find cooler friends to make his mark in high school; Jessica decides to pocket the money she is given to have her photograph professionally taken for her book.
As head of the HOA Christmas committee, Jessica threatens to cut the neighborhood caroling this year due to last year’s rocky performance. However, Deirdre says that her friend Holly (Paula Abdul), who teaches “Performance and Movement,” will help get everyone into tip-top, melodic shape. Meanwhile, Marvin becomes suspicious of Honey when she goes to see “Titanic” at the movies without him; Nicole develops her first girl crush and struggles with how to get her attention.
Honey is excited to attend a parenting class that encourages moms to listen to their babies taught by self-proclaimed child sage, Wilhelmina Page, but when her mother, Anne, ridicules the idea, it exposes communication issues of their own. When Honey turns to Jessica for support, she is disappointed to find that even her best friend doesn’t have her back. Meanwhile, Louis and Marvin are thrilled when they get to go on the free cruise their wives won on “Wheel of Fortune,” but their boys’ trip quickly turns into a gambling getaway gone south. Back in Orlando, Eddie’s friends are wary of his new crush at school.
Eddie gets annoyed when he catches Nicole changing her opinions in order to impress her new crush, Jackie. Louis is eager to expand his social circle with Matthew Chestnut’s friends, but Jessica fears her sometimes-too-generous husband is overextending himself. When Emery and Evan take Honey shopping to find her a new, easy style to help her when the baby comes, their idea of a “mom” wardrobe is met with some resistance.
With Jessica’s career as an author taking off, Louis worries that she is losing interest in him and attempts to rekindle the flame under Marvin’s guidance. Evan skips his way into Emery’s seventh grade English class with a particularly hard-to-please teacher, Ms. Doris. When neither can win her over, they seek advice from an unusual source.
When Michelle Kwan comes in second place at the Olympics, Jessica tries to keep it from Emery and Evan, only to get caught up in an elaborate conspiracy theory that leads them seeking answers from Nancy Kerrigan. Meanwhile, Louis changes Eddie’s bedtime to spend more quality time together watching Letterman, but feels slighted when Eddie spends his newfound free time elsewhere.
Jessica pushes Evan to win Student of the Month so that he can rub it in her new frenemy's face; Louis feels like he's in Kenny Rogers' shadow; Eddie and Emery decide its time they learn how to unhook a bra.
For Chinese New Year, the Huangs play a game where they can only speak in Mandarin, which quickly turns into a tense competition between Jessica and Evan, putting Jessica’s first televised interview for her novel in jeopardy. Emery is excited to end his year of bad luck and finally ask his crush to the spring fling, but when he is still having trouble, Louis decides to take matters into his own hands. Meanwhile, Eddie doesn’t receive a red envelope from Big Auntie and enlists Grandma Huang’s help to figure out why she’s angry with him.
The Huangs are pleasantly surprised to find that Eddie has been awarded a spot in the Honor Society, but Evan is particularly bothered by the news. Meanwhile, Jessica receives a note from her book editor to improve her cop dialogue and signs up for a ride-along to better her writing. Then, on St. Patrick’s Day, Matthew Chestnut doesn’t have the luck of the Irish on his side when Louis receives orders from Kenny Rogers to fire him.
After Louis buys Kenny Rogers’ stake in Cattleman’s Ranch back, he starts to doubt his instincts as sole owner. Frustrated by his cautiousness, Jessica flies in Madam Xing to ease Louis’ anxiety, but that only stresses him out more – to the point of breaking a tooth. Marvin’s laughing gas finally helps Louis relax, but side effects of strange visions accompany his relief. Meanwhile, Evan gives up watching Regis and Kathie Lee for Lent, leading his older brothers to mess with his head.
Honey plans a relaxing vacation before the baby comes, but Jessica turns the trip into a crazy quest to get Stephen King’s endorsement for her novel. When Grandma Huang decides to move out, Louis panics and does everything he can to make sure she knows how welcome she is. Meanwhile, Eddie, Nicole and their friends plan to wear matching suits to the school dance until a dress code demands that the girls must wear dresses, leading Eddie and Nicole to rebel.
While Honey and Marvin celebrate the birth of their baby, Jessica’s book is finally released, and she’s optimistically looking forward to a book store reading that’s been set up by her publisher to help boost sales. Louis is so excited to promote the book across the country that he buys an RV from Los Angeles Lakers great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who owns an RV dealership which is managed by underappreciated Calvin. Meanwhile, Emery and Evan are concerned about Eddie after Nicole tells him that she’s moving to New York, and he seems completely unfazed about losing his best friend.
When Jessica offers to help out exhausted new mother Honey with Zuo Yue Zi – which means “Sitting the Month” taking care of her – Honey begins to realize that 30 days of having to abide by Jessica’s strict rules and dietary regimen could leave her more harried then she already is. Meanwhile, after watching “Pumping Iron,” Eddie and Emery attempt to put together a workout routine in order to buff themselves up; and Louis tries to bond more with Evan, who is a die-hard “mommy guy.”
Honey and Marvin ask Jessica and Louis to be baby Maria’s godparents, and Jessica offers to babysit her on Halloween night. But the Huangs are in for a spooky evening when they agree to help wean the baby off of her pacifier. Meanwhile, Eddie is hired by mattress store owner Harv for a job to make some extra money so that he can buy himself a car and ends up having to work in the creepy store all by himself on Halloween.
Louis makes it his mission to teach Eddie how to be a good driver after a police officer makes an inappropriate Asian driver stereotype comment. Meanwhile, Evan is jealous when he discovers that Grandma has only been inviting Emery to hang out with her at her new garage apartment.
Jessica and Lewis are thrilled beyond belief when they discover that a Chinese family – Elaine, Julius and son, Horace – have moved into the neighborhood. Jessica immediately bonds with Elaine, who helps her solve an issue with the HOA, and Louis decides to introduce Julius to Marvin and hang out together. Meanwhile, when Evan goes door-to-door collecting information for the census bureau, Eddie and Emery come up with a plan to impersonate being census takers in order to find out when the owners of a pool are out of the house so they can sneak over and use it.
Jessica becomes concerned when she discovers that Eddie’s extended substitute English teacher has thrown out the class syllabus and is instructing the students – and her son – in a radically progressive way. Meanwhile, Louis and Honey try in vain to find a workout group that can help them both lose some weight, and Emery doubts Evan’s ability to extract a painful splinter from his finger.
Louis is crushed to find out that Matthew Chestnut is quitting the restaurant to take a job at Dollywood. But when he offers Eddie a chance to work with him once again at the steakhouse, he passes; and Louis ends up hiring Eddie's friend Trent, which doesn't sit well with his son. Meanwhile, when Jessica discovers that Amy Chestnut is moving and leaving her position as PTA president - a job she desperately wants so she can be the "teacher boss" - Jessica goes against all of her pent-up negative feelings about Amy and does everything she can to appease her in order to get the job; and after telling a joke and getting a laugh from Emery, Evan deludes himself into thinking that he's the funnier brother.
The battle begins between mother and son when Eddie informs Jessica that he wants to spend Christmas with friend Nicole in New York. But Jessica insists that tradition prevails and he needs to spend the holiday with the family, so he does everything within his power to try and get her to crack and allow him to go. Meanwhile, Louis and Evan do their best to try and help an overwhelmed Emery decide on which one of his numerous friends to invite to the family's Christmas Eve dinner.
Louis and Jessica think they’ve won a weekend getaway at a posh resort, but instead they’re stuck at a marriage retreat where troubled couples work out their relationship problems with the help of Guru Sheela.
Evan has a girlfriend! And Jessica deeply disapproves because she thinks it will distract him from his schoolwork and cause his grades to decline. Meanwhile, Eddie, Emery and Honey are shocked when they all go out to see the film “You’ve Got Mail,” and Louis hates it. But Louis’ reason for disliking the film has to do with a ruthless act he unconsciously committed years ago which resulted in a mom and pop rib shack going out of business, much like what took place in the movie.
Eddie finally gets his driver’s license; but instead of freedom, he finds an endless list of errands to run for his mom.
Louis is obsessed with the great outdoors after seeing new movie “Legends of the Fall”; so for his 40th birthday, he decides that the family needs to go camping. Horrified, the kids try to convince him otherwise. Meanwhile, Honey gives Jessica tips about the best gift to give Louis on his milestone birthday.
It’s Chinese New Year and the Lees, Elaine, Julius and son, Horace, are back. Elaine tries to give Jessica tips on building a better relationship with Grandma Huang. Meanwhile, inspired by a Lee family tradition, Louis challenges Emery to a wrestling match to start the new year; and Eddie goes all in betting his red envelope money on who will be the winner.
On Valentine’s Day, the mood is anything but romantic as Jessica competes with Louis to see who can give Evan the best advice on how to celebrate with new girlfriend, Sicily. Eddie asks Honey for help to find out who his secret admirer is after he’s passed a love note on a Cattleman’s delivery run.
Jessica drives Principal Hunter crazy at Evan’s school when she declares that she’s “shadow principal” and follows him around for a day to learn about his job. When she finds out perfect son Evan has been caught acting out, she immediately blames Eddie’s bad influence, but there’s more to it than that.
Eddie begins dating Trent's sister Tina (guest star Isabel Oliver Marcus, "This Is Us") but it puts a strain on his friendship with Trent. When Evan fails his physical education test because he can't run, he turns to Jessica for help, but she's even worse at running than he is. Meanwhile, Louis is thrilled when the restaurant gets the Golden Prune award as being the best place for seniors to dine, but the honor doesn't reap the results he expected.
Eddie, angry after his mom tells him he’s too immature to go on a student exchange trip to Taiwan, takes Jessica at her word when she says “my house, my rules” and leaves home. But when he ends up living with Horace in his new apartment, he has second thoughts.
Louis tries his best to convince Jessica to consider early retirement, but she’s having none of it. When Eddie looks for advice on how to be a better person for Tina and win her back, he ends up watching her favorite TV show, “Sex and the City,” for clues.
Jessica starts her college classes, leaving Evan in charge at home as “vice mommy.” But the transition doesn’t go smoothly, either for her starting school again or with Evan taking over the reins of the Huang household. Eddie and Louis run into conflict when Eddie just wants his dad to treat him as an employee, and not a son, at Cattleman’s Ranch.
Tensions between Evan and Eddie run high as Evan’s friends are wowed by Eddie’s coolness when he starts hanging out with them, making Evan feel like a complete nerd. Louis and Jessica become convinced that Grandma is being scammed by an internet lothario in Chile.
Eddie ships off to Taiwan for the cultural exchange program, blithely ignoring his parents’ advice about how hard it was for them when they came to America for the first time. After all, he’s been to Taiwan before, what could go wrong? Plenty, when he ends up separated from his group with no money and next-to-no language skills. Meanwhile, back home in Orlando, the Huangs adjust to life without Eddie.
Just as the Huangs are settling into life without Eddie, an international incident catapults him not only to Taiwanese fame but also right back to America. In order to fix Eddie’s mess, the family gets a new “daughter”; but when things go awry, Jessica must add a new word to her vocabulary. Meanwhile, master babysitter Evan watches Maria for Honey and Marvin, and ends up learning more about himself than he expected.
After Brandi Chastain scores the World Cup-winning goal against China and rips off her jersey to celebrate, Evan gets his first case of “the tingles,” and now Louis and Eddie must team up to give him the talk. Meanwhile, Jessica and Honey are learning what it means to be best friends, and we learn a whole lot more about Marvin’s family.
Y2K is on the horizon. While Grandma Jenny, Emery and Evan look to the future, Louis and Jessica take a trip down memory lane. Eddie, on the other hand, is stuck trying to navigate the present after his first college visit doesn’t exactly go according to plan.
After seeing Marvin enter retirement, Grandma Huang decides it’s her turn to retire from something. When Louis fails to celebrate her as she wanted, it will take a visit from Hurricane Gene – and maybe a hot tub – to make things right.
Eddie faces his fears and finally introduces his girlfriend, Tina, to his mom; Louis searches for his next passion.
It’s Halloween again, and with Eddie getting closer to college, the Huang boys are determined to find a group costume they can all agree on. Meanwhile, Louis decides this is the year he’ll finally show Jessica why his favorite spooky holiday is so great.
When Matthew Chestnut returns to Cattleman’s Ranch, everyone but Louis agrees that he’s a bad influence, leaving it up to the unlikely team of Jessica, Eddie and Trent to help take him down. While that goes down at the Ranch, Emery and Evan cruise the open water with Marvin and give him a crash course in feminism and etiquette.
When Evan starts to behave more like a typical eighth-grader, Jessica worries that his future as doctor-president may be in danger. Meanwhile, Eddie has decided on Allen Iverson as his "hero" subject for an essay, sending Louis on a mission to prove that he's just as worthy of that title
The Huang parents are out to make big changes in the lives of their friends and family: Jessica scheduling mandatory family time with Eddie, Emery and Evan; and Louis dead set on taking Honey's blog to the next level, landing her a spot on "Good Morning Orlando". However, they may be in for a surprise when the boys and Honey let them know how it feels to be on the other side of their good intentions.
Louis starts to fantasize about passing the Cattleman’s Ranch torch to Eddie but is worried about his menu choices; Jessica is still struggling to get on board with Emery’s new hobby. Louis scores a spot on “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.”
Louis tries to help Jessica with holiday planning. Eddie, Emery, and Evan find themselves on the naughty list for breaking an expensive gift.
With a little help from Louis’ business advice, Jessica lands her dream job as a private school dean. Yet, after learning she was the token diversity hire, she quickly discovers a way to flip the script and use her title to make a difference. Meanwhile, Eddie and Emery teach Evan the hard way that it’s okay for the brothers to have their own “things” at school.
In a selfish move to avoid Jessica’s wrath once SAT scores arrive, Eddie convinces Evan that coaching from former classmate and spelling bee champ Simryn is exactly what he needs to finally win the state spelling bee. However, when it backfires and Evan begins to spiral, Eddie gets some much-needed wisdom from Simryn’s dad. On the other side of town, Jessica and Louis convince Emery to get a job only to be shocked by what he chooses.
Fresh off of a parenting brag to Honey, Jessica finds herself overwhelmed by a heartbroken Evan who wants to spend more time with her. Meanwhile, Emery announces his newfound veganism and faces the wrath of The Burger Boys – Louis and Eddie.
When the trusty family van takes a turn for the worse, Jessica and Louis each process the loss in their own way; the boys sneak off on a road trip to find their Washington, D.C., time capsule.
Jessica grapples with her vision of the future; the boys are each realizing what to label as their own goals.
