Maude - Episode Guide

Carol's odd behavior leads Maude to believe she's having an affair. When Maude learns Carol is really seeing a psychiatrist, she is determined to get to the bottom of the situation and find out why her daughter needs therapy. Maude promptly makes an enexpected visit to Carol's psychiatrist but soon finds herself being analyzed.

Carol and Maude thinks it's cute when they discover a curious Phillip playing doctor with Arthur's equally curious granddaughter. However, the prudish Arthur insists that Phillip be severely punished which leads to a debate between Maude, Cariol and Arthur over morals.

Maude hires a new housekeeper, Florida Evans, and from the moment she walks through the front door, Maude is determind to make her feel like an equal. However, her attempts lead Florida to decide to quit. Meanwhile, Walter is a bit disturbed to find Philip swearing into a tape recorder.

Carol is dating Russell Asher, a dashing writer, who just happens to have once dated and later jilted Maude. This leads Maude to do her best to warn Carol of Russell's egotistical ways. However, Carol refuses to heed Maude's warnings and continues to date him, even spending the night with him which turns into a disaster.

Maude throws a fund raising party for a black militant leader and invites rich white liberals but doesn't tell them it is a fund raising party. Meanwhile, Maude does her best to get a black couple to attend the party but must settle for a disguised Florida. Arthur doesn't help the situation either after prescribing tranquilers to Maude who during the party mixes them with alcohol.

Returning home from shopping, Maude gets pulled over for speeding 34 miles in a 30 mph zone, but adamantly refuses to believe she was speeding at all. Later, during the trial, Maude tries all attempts to get out of paying the fine and prove her innocence.

Tired of living with her mother and stepfather and wanting a father figure for Phillip, Carol decides to propose marriage to a man she doesn't love. Meanwhile, married life doesn't seem to be all what it's cracked up to be for Maude and Walter who's argument leads to destruction in the kitchen

While waiting for the electoral results for Election 1972, Maude and Walter recall Election 1968. Carol had just gotten a divorce and moved in with Maude. Meanwhile, Walter and Maude's relationship had reached a pivotal moment; should they marry or live together.

Maude and Walter are scheduled to play cards one evening with some friends but Maude is anything but in a card playing mood. Especially since, she just came back from a doctor's appointment with some shocking news. At 47 years old, Maude has become pregnant. Now the hard part, breaking the news to Walter.

After Carol suggests an abortion, Maude begins heavy debating over the pros and cons of having a baby at her age. Walter's "what-ever-you-want" attitude has Maude having a problem deciding wheather or not to keep the baby. Ultimately, Maude takes into consideration everyone's opinion and makes a final decision, she decides not to have the baby.

Maude pulls out all her high school memorabilia as she awaits the arrival of an old school friend, Phyllis Nash, who was nicknamed both "Bunny" because of an overbite and "Mousie" because of her looks. However, Maude is stunned and becomes envious when she discovers Phyllis is now a beauty with a career to match.

As a 19-year-old faces a lengthy prison sentence for marijuana possession, Maude and a group of middle-aged housewives plan a protest at a police station. The plan is to get arrested for possession and Maude is supposed to provide the pot. However, trying to get her hands on some, proves to be problematic.

Maude is stunned to discover a black man picketing in front of her home. It isn't until later that she discovers that Walter and her have unwittingly become the owners of a rundown apartment building and they are now being labeled "slumlords" and they soon become the talk of the town that leads to trouble for Phillip at school and Florida up and quits.

Walter and Maude go to Massachusetts for an appliance seller's convention. When their reservations at a upscale hotel are botched, they must share a shabby motel. This is when a squabble ensues when Maude tries to confide in Walter the angst she has over not having any meaning in her life and the troubles she's been having trying to find a job because she's a woman.

Maude plans a surprise 50th birthday bash for Walter that does not go as well as she planned since Walter is too depressed to have any fun. However, Maude hopes an old friend will be the cure for Walter's gloominess, but she is dead wrong when he drops dead before Walter's eyes.

Walter and Maude are planning on taking a second honeymoon to Italy, however, the day their plane leaves, Maude gets a tetnus shot which results in a rash. She immediately hotfoots it down to the doctors office where she encounters a busy preoccupied doctor who prescribes her medication but doesn't advise her on how to take it, resulting in an overdose, cancellation of the honeymoon and a possible malpractice suit.

After a fire breaks out in his home, Arthur moves in with the Findlays and immediately works over Maude's nerves. Not only does Arthur keep Walter up all night playing card games, but he gives Florida work to do and insists Maude prepare his food in a certain way. Pretty soon, Maude insists that Walter throw him out.

Florida is backed into a corner by her chauvinistic husband, Henry, who has picked up a second job and orders her to quit her housekeeping job at the Findlays home. Soon it begins to cause problems for Maude and Walter as Walter takes Henry's side and Maude takes Florida's.

Carol walks into a cocktail lounge and catches a glimpse of Walter having drinks in a cozy corner with a woman who once worked for him. When Maude finds out, she immediately jumps to the conclusion that Walter is having an affair and promptly packs up his things and orders him out of the house.

An old friend of Maude's comes for a visit with news of a feud between herself and her daughter. This leads Maude to go all out and try to reconcile the two but a generation gap and financial matters are working against her attempts. Meanwhile, at the same time, Maude tries to matchmake her friend up with Arthur.

Maude is convinced that her best friend, Vivian has the "perfect marriage" so she is completely stunned when Vivian announces plans for a divorce. This leads Maude to analyze her supposed "perfect marriage".

Maude and Walter prepare for a dinner party at Cliff and Joanna Naylor's home. However, while they are getting ready, they discuss and bicker about Cliff's apparent crush on Maude and how she is flattered by him, that is until Walter breaks the news that Cliff is having an affair with someone else at the country club.

After a wild evening of drinking, Maude, Walter and Arthur awake to discover some oddities. First, Maude and Arthur shared a bed, second the guys trashed the living room and third, Walter made an obscene phone call to Maude's mother. Carol suggests that perhaps Walter has a drinking problem but he refuses to face that fact. Maude and Walter later get into a big argument while they are both drunk and Walter slaps her.

After giving Maude a black eye, Walter continues to drink. Later, Arthur sends over a recovering alcoholic to talk some sense into Walter who adamantly refuses help. When Walter discovers Maude got rid of all the alcohol, he goes ballistic and she locks him in the closet. That's when Carol makes an announcement, she's taking Phillip and is moving out.

Walter declares the day "National I Love You Day" and gives gifts to one and all and plans to spend a romantic day with Maude. However, when a weepy, newly-divorced Vivian comes over for consolation from Maude, Walter's romantic plans get pushed aside and he takes refuge at the gym with Arthur.

At age 47 and recently divorced, Vivian begins her single career (a.k.a. husband search) by getting a face-lift; her new face receives plenty of cheers from Carol and Walter, but only jeers from Maude. This leads Vivian to state the obvious, Maude is jealous and would like a face-lift herself. Maude finally decides to have one and intends to keep it a secret from Walter until she has it done.

Carol does her best to try to keep Walter in the house as anticipation mounts for Maude's return from a 3-week stay in Boston. For which, following Vivian's lead, Maude too got a face-lift. There is only one problem: Walter doesn't notice the difference! As usual, all hell breaks loose and Walter and Maude have yet another argument.

The lazy furnace repairman, Whitnauer, has been showing an interest in Florida and she doesn't quite know what to do about his advances. This situation ultimately causes marital problems between Florida and her husband, Henry, when he catches her dancing with the man. Meanwhile, Maude and Walter are finding it hard to get Whitnauer to hurry it up on the furnace.

Maude is sky high now that she has a part-time job as a real estate agent. However, things on the home-front are not so happy as Walter, a self proclaimed old fashioned man, is not used to coming home and not having Maude to cook for him and tell his problems too. Thus, he orders her to quit her job.

Carol and her boyfriend, Chris return from a camping trip and Maude voices her old fashioned morals to Carol when he stays over and the question becomes where should he sleep, in Carol's room or in the guest room. Later, Carol and Chris make an exciting announcement, they're engaged.

Maude's constant matchmaking for Vivian has her fed up, especially since all the men have one thing on their mind. This leads Vivian to give up on men and settle for a 70-year old retired general. However, when Maude learns this, she becomes determined to show Vivian that she can do better and fixes her up with Arthur.

Maude is putting together a charity musical to raise money for a library. The musical is set to be in the style of burlesque, however, Arthur is having a problem with almost every sketch that is planned, accusing them of being distasteful and in some cases pornographic. Maude is quickly faced with an ultimatum, Arthur's way or no musical.

A major argument erupts on the day that Maude and Walter are to accept a husband and wife of the year award. The reason: Maude discovers that Walter has appointed a trustee in his will and of all people, the trustee is Arthur; Maude promptly refuses to go to the banquet to accept the award.

As their impending nuptials draw near, Maude decides to give Carol and Chris their wedding gift early. They are both certainly surprised to find out that Maude has put a down payment on a house for them but the even bigger surprise is that the house is located right across the street. Immediately this sparks family tension between mother and daughter and future husband and wife.

For their 5th wedding anniversary, Maude makes a big mistake in giving Walter an electric organ as a gift. He's driving everyone up the wall with his constant playing. Maude soon confronts him and they end up a huge argument, leading to Walter storming out and crashing his car into a tree.

An office party on Christmas Eve at the Findlays home sets the stage for Walter's employees to break the news that they are planning to be unionized. When Walter learns this he decides to fire all of them, however, there is yet another issue at hand, Maude is on there side.

Arthur and Vivian have been dating regularly and Vivian has had it with Arthur's constant mentioning of his late wife, Agnes. This leads to yet another argument between Maude and Walter over her late husband, Albert. However, by the end of the evening, Vivian makes an exciting announcement, Arthur and her are engaged.

Maude is all excited to have a young black girl from the ghetto stay with the Findlays for awhile. She soon discovers that that the girl is actually a feisty teenager who is not thrilled to be staying in a white, guilt ridden, liberals' home and quickly starts driving everyone up the wall.

Maude finds a wallet on the street that belongs to a man, known for his infidelities. After Walter declares a wallet is a place of privacy for all men, she snoops into his wallet. This triggers a series of mistaken identities when she confronts a woman, Norma, whom she thinks is carrying on an affair with Walter.

Walter throws Maude a surprise birthday party and she truly is surprised but unhappy about turning another year older. Tired of the men going off by themselves and the women going off by themselves, Maude makes Walter promise to not leave her side the entire evening. However, he soon breaks his promise and Maude goes into her bedroom and refuses to come out.

Maude suggests a romantic winter wedding for Arthur and Vivian, so they all head to Vermont. However, Arthur and Vivian's wedding plans run into trouble as the wedding party gets stranded at a train station during a blizzard. Once there, Maude confronts Arthur about the cold feet he has over marrying Vivian.

After Henry, Florida's husband, gets a job promotion, she must tell Maude she's leaving to become a full-time housewife. Maude is heartbroken and is reluctant to hire anyone new but as applicants for the new job come in, Maude finds something wrong with each one. Finally, at the end of the day, Maude must say goodbye to Florida.

Walter is a nervous wreck as the Findlays get a tax audit but the tax auditor, Harvey Clarke, turns out to be a man who tried to rape Maude 31 years ago in Boston, Massachusetts. When she tells Walter, he doesn't want to do anything about it, but Maude can't let it go and decides to refresh Harvey's memory.

Arthur gives Walter a stock tip which causes Walter to lose $3,700. Walter, angry at Arthur, insists on being angry with Arthur for saying it was a sure thing. Later, when Walter finds out Arthur didn't invest in the stock himself, questions arise about his financial situation, which leads to a huge blowup between Walter, Maude, Vivian and Arthur.

Maude's grandson Phillip has been behaving horribly lately and Carol does not know what to do with him. Walter quickly suggests giving him a good old fashioned spanking, but Maude is vehemently against it. However, she begins to change her mind when Carol and Chris leave for a weekend getaway.

Francie Potter, the teenage house-guest from the ghetto returns again, this time asking for money to run away from home. In a plot with her boyfriend, Francie worms her way into Maude's wallet using a bogus story about her drunken father who abuses her and she now want to escape to become a rock and roll star.

As part of a publicity tour for a new movie, John Wayne makes a stop in Tuckahoe, to visit Arthur, his number one fan. However, when the ceiling caves in at the Harmons, Arthur talks Maude into hosting the party. Maude decides to have a verbal shootout with the Duke about woman's lib but finds herself tongue tied when she actually meets him.

Maude becomes concerned when Walter begins smoking a pipe and wearing high heeled shoes. She suggests that perhaps he's going through male menopause. However, what really concerns both her and Arthur is when they catch Vivian and Walter sharing a kiss. This obviously leads to yet more marital strife between the Findlays and the Harmons.

Walter is late for a special dinner with Maude because he is trying to stop his book keeper from committing suicide. However, while he is there, Walter has a heart attack and he ends up having much more than his health to worry about, when Maude discovers where he was.

With Florida gone, Maude has finally decided to hire a new housekeeper. She is excited with the fact that the new one, Mrs. Naugatuck is British but quickly the two of them clash over gender roles, as Mrs. Naugatuck insists on calling Walter the master of the house and begins to pamper his every need.

Walter and Arthur go away for the weekend on a camping trip. Maude is upset with Walter's plans but she soon forgets it, when Vivian and her go on a non-stop eating binge. However, Walter and Arthur's trip goes awry as they become victims of a speed trap and land in jail.

Maude and Vivian go out for drinks one evening, while Arthur and Walter go away for a golfing weekend. The two girls soon compare notes and discover that an old flame who once dated both of them has sent them each a post card saying he'll be in town. The two girls quickly get drunk while debating over who he finds more attractive.

Walter and Arthur return from an outing in Canada with a batch of fresh fish and a lack of interest in their eager wives. However, Walter has one very important interest, to move the family to the Canadian wilderness. Maude is dead set against the notion, but her reverse psychology fails and Walter ends up trying to sell his business.

Maude is having a restless night, she can't sleep because she has something very important on her mind and wants to tell Walter about it, but he's too busy worrying about the blizzard outside and his end of the summer sale scheduled for the next day. So she decides to just drop the bomb, her doctor has told her that she should have a hysterectomy.

After hearing a man's voice in the night, Maude accuses Carol of having a man spend the night. However, she soon discovers, Mrs. Naugatuck is the culprit when Walter and her discover a naked man hiding in Mrs. Naugatuck's closet. Soon Mrs. Naugatuck begins demanding privacy in what is her home too.

Vivian is throwing a party and she is a nervous wreck, luckily she has Maude to help her. Things get worse when her maid refuses to serve during the event so, Maude extends a hand and gets Mrs. Naugatuck to help out. However, after all that, Maude is in for a shock, Walter and her are not invited to the party.

Maude gets a promotion as office manager at the real estate agency and has cold feet about taking the position, since she will have three men working under her. The feeling is entirely mutual at least for one of the men who quickly makes the transition as uncomfortable as possible for everyone.

Maude has been spending a lot of time with a best-selling author who just happens to be a homosexual. However, Walter is not so fond of the man but Maude doesn't believe Walter when he says it's not because he is gay but because he's always putting him down. Later, it becomes clear that Maude herself has biases of her own when it comes to homosexuals.

The burden of alimony might finally be off Walter's back when news arrives that Marta, his ex-wife is planning on remarrying. Meanwhile, Maude's Uncle Henry drops in for a visit with surprising news, he too is planning on remarrying. Maude and Walter put two and two together and realize Uncle Henry and Marta are the bride and groom and Maude is worried that Marta is out to take Henry for everything he has.

New Year's Eve has Maude planning the best New Year's Eve party ever. However, her first idea falls flat when she suggests a scavenger hunt. However, she soon strikes a home run with a nostalgia party, where everyone dresses up in attire that represents the best year of their life.

A famed psychic reads Maude's fortune and alerts her to some surprising events that will occur in the near future, one of them being that she will marry for a fifth time. Maude begins to worry about this possibility when the psychic's other predictions start coming true. Ultimately, Maude decides the best thing to do is to remarry Walter; however, he throws a fit when she suggests a double ring ceremony.

Maude and the gang come together to perform in a telethon that Maude has organized. However, when she fails to come up with a celebrity to appear in the telethon she is left organizing a telethon without a cause, when the charity for which Maude has put in a lot of work withdraws at the last moment. As the minutes wind down, she must come up with a cause or face being taken off the air.

Carol returns home one morning in an awfully good mood and Maude questions her about her good mood. Carol announces that she engaged and Maude is thrilled for her, that is until she discovers that Carol's "intended" is Harold Loftus, a man who is currently married but "plans" on getting a divorce. Needless to say, Maude hits the roof and in the process both, Mrs. Naugatuck quits and moves out and Carol also decides to move out as well.

Maude recruits Vivian into women's liberation and Arthur is none too pleased when he discovers, Vivian has begun to neglect her "household duties." When she tries to stand up for herself, Arthur refuses to listen and storms out, putting their marriage in a delicate position.

Mrs. Naugatuck has been acting quite strange even for her and everyone takes notice. It isn't long for everyone to realize that she is in love and accepts a wedding proposal. Maude, Vivian and Carol throw her a bridal shower, which is where she gets heartbreaking news, the wedding is off, which sets her into a depression.

Walter's business is in big trouble, and if he doesn't get $12,000 by next week he will have to file bankruptcy. Maude suggests that she mortgage the house to get the funds, but a stubborn Walter refuses to entertain the notion. However, she decides to go ahead and do it on the sly anyways and tries to get Arthur to say the money came from him.

Walter has suddenly become passionate about religion and drags Maude to church services. However, Maude is less than thrilled with attending, even falling asleep during the sermons. Later, Maude discovers that Walter in fact may have an ulterior motive to his sudden enlightenment; he will get to sell the church new appliances.

When Vivian and Arthur get into a sudden romantic mood which leads to Arthur inviting Vivian away on a romantic weekend to a cabin, Maude becomes unsure of her marriage with Walter. Trying to put the spark back in her marriage, Maude plans a romantic weekend but the situation turns out to be less than ideal.

Maude is a bundle of nerves with her mother's upcoming visit to meet Walter for the first time. All of Maude's insecurities come out when she finally arrives, just as Walter's Findlay's Appliances commercials hit the air and they don't exactly give an air of respectability to Walter's character.

Walter is furious when Maude shows up late for an awards dinner. It seems Maude has been busy lobbying for an anti-pollution bill and now must decide to run for a position on the New York State Senate. However, Walter does not look forward to having a weekend wife and makes Maude choose between her marriage or her budding political career.

Maude is terribly upset that Walter has moved out and decides to go to his new apartment to see if they have a chance of getting back together. However, Maude gets an eyeful of Walter's swinging singles apartment which leads to another argument leading the two of them to decide to get a divorce.

An election party finds Maude with Senator Bob Myers as an escort. Meanwhile, Walter shows up at the party with an escort as well, a much younger woman. Naturally, this leads to a spat which leads to Walter falling off the wagon. Later, Maude wants to be sure Walter got home safely and discovers him in bed, however she doesn't realize, he's in bed with a passed out Arthur.

Maude is relieved to discover Arthur was the one who she saw in Walter's bed, however, Walter continues to drink. Maude decides to give in to Walter and pull herself out of the election, if it means saving Walter from alcoholism. However, Walter realizes how selfish he has been and decides Maude should continue to run for election.

It is finally election day, and Maude is happy that her marriage is back on track and that her and Walter have reconciled. However, she's nervous that she may not win the election, especially when she appears on a television talk show and voices her liberal views toward premarital sex. Suddenly Maude realizes she may lose the election.

When Vivian and Arthur go out of town on a vacation, Vivian leaves her dog, Chuck in Maude's care. However, when Chuck unexpectedly passes away, Maude must break the news to Vivian but fears Vivian will blame her for Chuck's death.

Mrs. Naugatuck has been conning everyone out of money. She cons not only Maude and Walter but also Vivian, Arthur, Carol and even her boyfriend Bert. Maude soon discovers a piece of paper that Mrs. Naugatuck dropped with an address on it and she becomes determined to find out what Mrs. Naugatuck is up to.

While having dinner with Vivian at a restaurant, Maude spots Vivian's ex-husband, Chuck, who has been enjoying living the swinging single life. When Chuck invites Vivian to his hotel room, Maude tries to prevent her best friend from having an affair, only to find Chuck could easily take her instead.

Maude has a session with a psychiatrist and soon pours out all her innermost feelings, revealing long-hidden secrets and anxieties ranging from her feelings for her dead father and her resentment toward her mother as well as her love for Walter and the fact that she's on the verge of turning 50.

Walter accompanies Arthur on a trip to Pittsburgh to attend a medical convention. As a joke, Walter poses as a doctor at Arthur's convention. However, his "medical expertise" is called for in an emergency, when a handyman begins to have a heart attack in the hotel room.

Arthur makes an investment in a new invention, flashlight slippers. Meanwhile, Vivian returns from a retreat feeling revitalized and eager to spend time with Arthur, who nothing on his mind but his investment and the impending loss of the $18,000 that he invested.

Walter is on the verge on making a key business deal with a Randolph Cutler. When Walter notices Cutler getting cozy with his secretary, he invites her to dinner to be sure Cutler agrees to the deal. However, Maude is furious with Walter's pandering business ethics and becomes even more furious when his secretary cancels and he throws Carol at Cutler.

Maude receives a letter from her ex-husband Albert, who believes he's on death's doorstep. Ironically, shortly thereafter, Albert arrives on Maude's doorstep with a final request of her. Meanwhile, Founders Day has Walter advertising in the local newspaper and gearing up for a big sale.

With Christmas on the way, Walter has his annual office Christmas party at the house, however, he's worried that Maude's feminist friend, Stephanie, who goes out of her way to preach to everyone on women's rights, will put a damper on the festivities.

Maude and Walter return home from their second honeymoon to discover that Maude's priceless antique crystal punch bowl was smashed during a party at the Harmons. Maude is soon presented with conflicting stories from both Vivian and Arthur of just how her punch bowl was broken.

Maude is excited for Walter's birthday as she has planned a surprise birthday party. Meanwhile, two police officers have tracked down the identity of a flasher and Walter happens to fit the description. Later, when Walter arrives home he is arrested but his alibi might prove to be even more embarrassing than the accusation.

Maude has decided that Henry Fonda would make the perfect President of the United States and starts a campaign to get him elected, with or without his approval. Meanwhile, Maude's bizarre reasoning and plans for this campaign lead Walter and Carol to worry about Maude's mental stability and learn from her doctor that she is a manic depressive.

After Henry Fonda refuses to run for president, Maude's obsession with getting him elected spirals out of control. Meanwhile, Walter comes to terms with the fact that Maude is a manic depressive and refuses to believe that she has a mental disorder.

Maude stages a tribute to American women for the Tuckahoe Bicentennial celebration and all the men are convinced it is a money losing proposition. After seeing some of the practice performances, the man who owns the studio pulls out. However, it seems that all the men were wrong, soon the show is sold out.

Mrs. Naugatuck has been studying to take her final exam to become a United States citizen. However, the day before the examination, she falls ill after suffering a minor stroke and is hospitalized putting her chances of becoming a citizen in jeopardy.

Walter has become fed up with Maude's nephew, Steve, who has been staying with the Findlays. Steve's laid back lifestyle quickly begins to appear as a cover for his lack of responsibility, when his 19-year-old ex-girlfriend shows up at the front door with an announcement ... she's pregnant.

Maude is ecstatic when she discovers that Vivian is having a literary authority over for lunch. Maude had previously met him at a cocktail party and is dying to spend time with him. However, she is stunned and unable to come to terms with the fact that he can not stand her.

Carol is fully qualified for a higher position where she works, however, her boss is in no hurry in giving it to her based solely on the fact that she is a woman. Carol soon becomes determined to get promoted at all costs, but Maude does not want her to sacrifice her integrity.

Mrs. Naugatuck takes a three week vacation to England and in the meantime, Maude hires an ex-con, Ambrose Riley, to do the housework. Soon Maude, Walter, Vivian and Arthur are scared to death when Vivian discovers that Ambrose served time for killing his previous employers.

Vivian's phobia of funerals makes her a nervous wreck when she must attend the funeral of a friend with Maude. To complicate matters, Vivian is also nervous when she discovers Maude lost the antique brooch that Arthur had given her, which she had lent to Maude who in turn lent it to someone else, someone Maude cannot remember. However, once at the funeral, Maude and Vivian soon discover just whom it was Maude had lent the brooch, too.

Maude meets with her ex-husband, Chester at his lawyer's office in New York city to settle the property of some land that they own together in Maine. While there, they manage to get locked together in a copy room where they reminisce about old times and realize why their marriage went wrong and contemplate the future.

Mrs. Naugatuck is certain her boyfriend Bert Beasley is going to propose and he does and she accepts but their engagement seems like it's going to be a long one when first Bert loses his job and then Maude forces Bert and Mrs. Naugatuck into moving in together in the apartment above the Findlay garage, something that Bert just can't quite get used to.

As Walter and Maude and Arthur and Vivian vacation in Acapulco, Walter is worried about opening another store and getting his bank loan approved, so he is stunned when he learns the bank declined the loan right on the eve of Walter being named Businessman of the Year for the second year in a row. To make matters worse, Walter decides to file for bankruptcy and announces it at the award ceremony.

Three weeks have passed since Walter declared bankruptcy and he finds himself battling a poor job market as well as well as age discrimination on top of that. Walter's depression continues and this leads to impotence, which Maude tries to cure. However, she may have a bigger problem on her hands when Walter goes over the edge and swallows a bottle of sleeping pills.

Walter lands in the hospital where he is revived after swallowing a bottle of sleeping pills. Maude and Arthur try to talk him into voluntarily admitting himself to mental facility which he at first objects to but finally agrees is the best thing but Walter soon uses the place as a way to get away from his financial problems and not face them.

Mrs. Naugatuck is excited about voting for the first time in an American presidential election and debates voting for Ford or Carter. Meanwhile, the eve of the national election offers more than political worries for Maude as she meets Carol's latest boyfriend, a 21-year old, but not only is Maude worried about the age difference but also the fact that he is a Republican.

Maude and Walter and Arthur and Vivian take a trip to New York City to celebrate Vivian's birthday. Vivian is excited about being considered for a contestant in a game show 'Beat the Devil' and Maude will have none of it that is until Maude's greed slowly gets out of hand and soon both Vivian and Maude are making fools of themselves on television.

Walter wakes up in the middle of the night after having a strange dream in which he kisses Arthur. Maude is convinced he had the dream because Arthur has been there as a friend for so long, however, Arthur begins worrying about his own masculinity when he learns about Walter's dream and it is compounded when the two go away on a fishing trip together.

Maude and Walter throw Mrs. Naugatuck a wedding and pay for everything and Walter is worried about the expenses. However, expenses are the last thing on Maude's mind when Mrs. Naugatuck's last minute demand to keep her maiden name put the wedding in jeopardy and Maude in damage control mode as she tries to get Bert and Mrs. Naugatuck to the altar.

Maude is insecure about her looks but soon gets an added boost of confidence when Dr. Channing McGrath and his wife Hortence drop by unexpectedly. It seems they were not impressed with Vivian and Arthur so they stopped by the Findlay's with mate swapping on their minds. A flattered Maude soon finds herself in a difficult position.

Maude, Walter and Arthur and Vivian decide to go out to the movies but when Maude gets out voted on the movie, she decides to stay home. Later, everyone is in for a surprise when Maude is found bound and gagged in her living room, a victim of a robbery. Although scared, she tries to stop her friends and neighbors to resort to guns to protect their homes.

With money tight since Walter's bankruptcy, the family decides to make homemade Christmas gifts for one another. Meanwhile, Walter gets a generous business offer from Arthur and a fellow doctor, Hubie Binder. It seems Arthur and Hubie want to start a appliance business and they want Walter to run it. Walter reluctantly agrees but soon becomes fed up with the novice Arthur.

Maude has been working on opening a mental health facility and has gotten to the point where she tries to get a donation from a prominent businessman. However, Maude's delusional cousin arrives in town and seems to have a split personality one of which believes he is a superhero, Captain Hero and he may threaten Maude's attempts to impress the businessman.

Maude working at the real estate office has put her into close working quarters with a handsome newly divorced friend, Jeremy Hubbard. When Maude announces that she is having lunch with him, Walter becomes jealous and forbids her to go, but she goes anyway. Soon Maude finds herself in a difficult situation when both her and Jeremy admit they are sexually attracted to one another.

Arthur's old college buddy, Albie Doyle comes to town because he wants Arthur to perform his hernia operation. Arthur is willing to oblige but when Albie dies of a heart attack following the operation, Arthur falls into a deep depression and decides to quit his practice, leaving Vivian up in arms over what to do.

Maude fears for her life when the oversexed painter she had hired to repaint the den and the bedroom threatens her with bodily harm after she rejected his sexual advances. With Walter away on a business trip in New York City, Maude feels the end is near leaving her and Vivian all alone to combat their fears.

Maude is depressed with her birthday and has a hard time dealing with turning 51. To make matters worse, Maude and Vivian are set to attend their 30th high school reunion and the only reason Maude decides to go is to see an old buddy of hers, Katie Malloy. However, Maude quickly heads for the bottle when she sees Katie who is paralyzed and wheelchair bound following a stroke.

Maude learns more than she would like to know about Vivian, when she tries to figure out why Vivian has been behaving so strangely. Vivian has taken some relationship advice called "Feminine Fulfillment" in which she tries to spice up her marriage by pampering and obeying every whim of Arthur's. Maude scoffs at the idea but Walter soon gets the urge to try a little "Feminine Fulfillment".

Maude is thrilled to have her favorite aunt, Aunt Lola stay with the Findlay's while she visits Tuckahoe. Maude marvels at how free-spirited she is but soon realizes a not so nice side of her aunt. It seems there is bad blood between Lola and Mrs. Naugatuck and with Mrs. Naugatuck out of town, Lola takes one look at Bert and throws herself at him.

Walter is surprised when Arthur suddenly stops spending time with him and it seems Arthur has replaced Walter with Wendell Glendale as his new best friend. Walter is jealous of Arthur's new friendship, and his sense of loneliness and betrayal makes Maude in turn feel bad and Walter sets out to make Arthur jealous by making Hubie Binder, Arthur's co-worker his new best friend.

Vivian is delighted with Arthur when he returns from a trip to New England and they spend a romantic evening together. However, the next day Vivian is in for a shock, it seems Arthur has a twin brother, Arnold who has escaped from a mental institution heading to Tuckahoe to impersonate Arthur. Vivian and Maude soon realize Arnold was the one Vivian spent the night with.

Mrs. Naugatuck is throwing a party in her apartment and makes it clear that Maude is not invited. Later, Maude accidentally drops the urn of Mrs. Naugatuck's late husband's ashes, which leads to a huge fight ending with Maude firing her. Little does she know, she may never see Mrs. Naugatuck again since her and Bert are planning to move to Ireland.

Maude begins advertising for a new maid and insists that the new one be African American. Meanwhile, Maude and Vivian take a trip to New York City to go shopping and while on the subway, Maude's wallet is stolen and she assumes the West Indian woman she befriended stole it. Maude is stunned when the "thief" shows up at her house but Maude soon finds herself offering her a job.

Maude extends an invitation for a visit to an annoying old friend of her mothers', who she regards as Aunt Tinkie. Tinkie, wanting to make Maude feel guilty, takes out a life insurance policy just before she leaves, leaving Maude as beneficiary. Meanwhile, Maude is jealous of Vivian and Arthur's vacation plans and dreams of going to Rome, which she may get when Tinkie's plane crashes.

Maude and Carol have a 'fun' time trying to explain to Phillip that Carol's 'business trip' with her latest boyfriend really is a romantic rendezvous. Meanwhile, Phillip has some explaining to do himself when Maude invites Phillip's male "friend" Sam to spend the night, which puts her liberalism to the test when she discovers Sam is a female.

Maude and Walter and Arthur and Vivian are relaxing enjoying a warm Indian summer evening on the porch. As everyone goes inside and Maude is left to clean up, she encounters something strange something she believes is a UFO. Maude feels it is her duty to tell the world but soon finds that people are not so quick to believe life may exist in other worlds.

Maude is up in arms when both Carol and Victoria stay out all night with their respective boyfriends. Later, when Victoria finally comes home she reveals to Maude that she is getting quite close to her beau but soon Victoria must contend with her visiting father who is very traditional and refuses to entertain the idea of his daughter being with a man who is not from the West Indies.

Maude is excited about going on a local television show to discuss women's views and is even more excited when her recommendation to have Walter and his female employee, Leslie Perkins, come on with her is granted. That is until she learns Leslie has just recently made a pass at Walter resulting in him firing her.

Phillip is not too happy about his birthday party that Maude and Vivian are throwing for him. Walter has handed down a strict set of rules for the party that doesn't leave very much room for fun but later when Maude chaperones the birthday party, she finds herself in the middle of "sex, drugs and rock and roll" when some party crashers show up complete with a live band.

Arthur and his co-worker Dr. Hubie Binder have been battling with pay at the hospital and this leads to Arthur starting a doctor's strike meaning no treatment to patients until the strike is over. Meanwhile, Walter and Vivian each come down with an illness and despite his better judgment, Arthur denies caring them.

Maude has been working overtime with an ecologist, Perry Flannery, in a project to clean up the Hudson River. Maude has loved every minute spending with Perry who is younger than her and she has been having sexual fantasies about him and her involvement in his project makes Walter jealous but Maude won't be happy when she learns Perry is interested in Vivian.

Maude is fed up with Arthur's conservative bigotry and she especially gets fed up when she learns the Harmons are moving in with them while their house is being fumigated. Meanwhile, Arthur becomes obsessed when he learns that a gay bar has opened up in the neighborhood and he sets out to do all that he can to get it closed down, something that Maude is staunchly against.

Both Maude and Walter are excited about the prospect of Walter being nominated for Businessman of the Year for the third year in a row. Walter is especially excited when he learns that if he wins for the third time a street will be named after him, however, one little hitch enters the scene when he learns Maude is competing against him for the award due to her work on a shopping center.

Maude is in no mood to celebrate the Christmas season, first Carol's flight is delayed in Cleveland, than Phillip announces he won't be spending Christmas Eve with the family and both Arthur and Walter are in a fury about a drunk driver. Suddenly a knock at the door changes everything, when Maude discovers someone left a baby in a basket on her doorstep.

Maude finds herself caught in between a Mother Superior and a mob boss.

Maude has been receiving a series of obscene phone calls and she gets fed up and decides to change her phone number. Meanwhile, Maude throws a party at the house and invites her new temporary psychiatrist who has been filling in for her regular one as well as the renowned bore Hubie Binder, everyone is having a good time, but then suddenly the phone begins to ring.

Maude and the gang prepare a telethon to raise money for a Shirley Temple protege, named Baby Sally who has become wheelchair bound. As everyone rehearses there numbers, Maude makes a shocking discovery, it seems Baby Sally's illness is all a sham and now Maude finds herself in a bind between doing what's right and the manipulations of a shady organizer.

Maude, Walter and Vivian are eating at a restaurant when a fire breaks out and Maude gets shoved against a wall as some man rushes out of the building to save himself. Later, Walter is hailed a hero when he gives CPR to a smoke victim, but he has a hard time coming forward and admitting he was the man who selfishly pushed Maude against the wall to save himself.

For the past 30 years, Maude has been sponsoring an orphan who lives in Ethiopia and after all this time she is excited when she manages to get help from a local church to fly him over to New York. However, Maude's Ethiopian foster child turns out to be something different from what she expected and she is rather shocked to learn that he is of Italian decent.

Maude and Vivian go out of town for their thirty-year college reunion and Vivian really takes advantage of the free champagne. When Maude and Vivian get back to their room Vivian becomes depressed about her life and everything that she could have accomplished, this leads her to make a decision, she calls Arthur and says that she is leaving him.

Carol's ex-husband Vernon comes to town and begins showering her with flowers and attention. Both Carol and Maude are convinced he's looking for a reconciliation and Carol is seriously thinking about it, that until he announces that he is engaged to someone else and he has come to town in hopes that Carol would allow Phillip to live with him.

Arthur's son, Arthur Jr. apparently fled to Canada in the late 60s to avoid the draft and Arthur has never quite forgiven him for running away yet Arthur visits his son in Canada and brings home his grandson Ian and his pet hamster. However, Arthur soon learns a lesson about life when he accidentally leaves Ian's pet hamster in the trunk of the car during a particularly cold winter day.

Maude is surprised when Victoria's father shows up for a visit and learns that his single daughter has gone away with her boyfriend on a camping trip. Fed up with Victoria living in a liberal household, Mr. Butterfield orders Victoria to move back to the West Indies with him. However, Maude runs into a double standard when the spy on Mr. Butterfield with an attractive younger woman.

Phillip has been avoiding his friend Sam and Maude and Walter soon learn why, he has been dating another girl. Maude is a little surprised but she is in for an even bigger surprise when she meets Phillip's new girlfriend Diane. Diane is 19 years old and Maude can't understand why a college girl would be dating 15 year-old Phillip.

Maude throws an authentic Chinese dinner to welcome her friend, Irene, a Congresswoman back from a trip to China. However, everyone invited seems to have news that may upset Maude, Arthur and Vivian are planning on moving to Idaho, Carol and Phillip are planning on moving to Colorado and Walter is selling his business and is planning on retiring and to make matters worse, Irene collapses.

Maude is devastated by the death of her dear friend Irene, a U.S. Congresswoman and this compounds the fact that Carol and Phillip and Arthur and Vivian are moving away. At Irene's wake, Maude gets an inspiration and makes a decision to campaign for Irene's position. Just as Arthur and Vivian leave to move to Idaho, Maude learns the news, she has been appointed as Irene's replacement.

Maude and Walter arrive in Washington and Maude is excited to take over as the newly elected Congresswoman. However, she soon finds herself butting heads with her staff whom she seriously considers firing. Meanwhile, Walter and Maude settle in their new home but find themselves at the mercy of a pushy maid.