At the dawn of the episode, Connie Tucker (portrayed by Annie Potts) is sentenced to a daunting 180-hour community service, having been caught running an underground gambling den. Desperate to evade her obligation, she attempts to wriggle out of it with a clever lie, but is swiftly exposed by the astute Prohibition Officer Rhonda Thompson (played by Octavia Spencer). With her strong-willed nature intact, Connie grudgingly accepts the assignment at Mary's church, little realizing the challenges that lie ahead.
Initially, Connie assumes that her time at the church will be a breeze. She envisions a swift completion of her hours and a swift return to her regular routine. However, Mary (embodied by Zoe Perry), her kindly nature notwithstanding, refuses to bend the rules for Connie. Instead, she assigns her the unenviable task of tidying up the church's cluttered gifts room.
Upon arrival at the church, Connie attempts to dodge her duties by offering to fetch Pastor Jeff's suit from the dry cleaners, conveniently located next to a nail salon. But Mary swoops in and assigns her the messy donation room. Connie is stunned by the magnitude of the task, yet she braces herself and sets to work.
Meanwhile, Mandy's patience is tested by Audrey's meddling in how she raises Cece. Audrey refrains from comforting Cece when she cries, believing that the child will eventually tire of it. This sparks a tense rivalry between Mandy and Audrey.
Back at the church, Connie finds solace in reading risque books donated to the church, using it as an excuse to shirk her responsibilities. But Officer Rhonda catches her red-handed and sternly reprimands her for trying to cut corners. Rhonda insists that Connie completes the job single-handedly. Realizing the gravity of her task, Connie tries to change her fate by enlisting George (portrayed by Lance Barber) to persuade Rhonda to ease her workload. George's attempts to intervene, however, only end up complicating the situation further.
Unfortunately, the plan fell short of expectations, and Rhonda expressed dissatisfaction with Connie's strategies. Consequently, she granted Connie a mere two days to transform the room into a pristine state before her return. With no other recourse, Connie reluctantly enlisted Sheldon's assistance to tackle the daunting task.
Connie desperately needed help to meet the deadline, so she appealed to Sheldon for support. As always, Sheldon, with his penchant for organizing chaos, eagerly accepted the challenge. However, the situation worsened when Mary, exasperated by Sheldon's singular focus, resolved to relieve him of his duties.
Yet, Mary's resolve softened when she witnessed Connie's diligent efforts and reluctance to face severe consequences. She decided to lend a helping hand to Sheldon and together, they made significant progress, enabling Connie to complete the first 40 hours with Mary's invaluable assistance.
While Sheldon labored tirelessly, Mary engaged in a heart-to-heart conversation with Connie, urging her to take ownership of her job rather than relying on Sheldon. Connie was taken aback when both Mary and Sheldon rallied together to finish the job the following day. Mary confessed that she felt compassion for Connie's plight and revealed that Sheldon had been unable to sleep, knowing that the room was not yet pristine.
In a final attempt to curry favor with Rhonda and perhaps shorten her sentence, Connie optimistically informed her that "things are going so well." But Rhonda seemed indifferent, her expression unchanged. Connie bid Rhonda farewell, promising to see her next week before departing.
