Everyone is mad at Phil for lying as they refuse to speak to Phil, and he is shunned. Carol also holds a grudge against Erica and Gail. Phil confronts the group and tells the truth about various issues, including the fact that he never wanted to marry Carol. Carol, who is a notary, divorces Phil, then forgives him and invites him back to the cul-de-sac.
Phil becomes annoyed at all the attention Todd is receiving and schemes to bring the attention back to himself when he finds a stray cow. To do so, he pretends to steal the cow, but when he really does lose it, Todd eventually finds it and allows Phil to take the credit. That night, the group discovers that the cow has apparently wandered up the stairs of Carol's house and is now stranded, causing Carol to officially move in with Phil. In a brief flashback, Carol is seen purposely bringing the cow upstairs.
The knowledge that Todd and Melissa are having sex drives Phil to manic despair, so Phil arranges a community meeting to discuss grievances. However, his plans go awry when everyone instead agrees that he should clean out the pool he has been using as a toilet. The next day, Phil schemes to leave Todd in the desert to die, but his conscience prevents him from doing so. Todd expresses gratitude to Phil for helping him find his way to Tucson, which motivates Phil to finally clean out his toilet pool and bring an outhouse into his home, much to Carol's delight.