Dr. Joel is stymied by the apparent healthiness of Cicely's residents; he has no patients upon whom to practice and this throws him into an existential crisis.
Chris, in the meantime, has taken a sabbatical to a monastery for his own little bit of contemplatory living, but discovers a strange attraction to a brother there.
Ruth Ann finally pays off the mortgage on her store, but Maurice has a hard time letting go of the control he's had over the store all these years. Their conflict wreaks havoc on poor Ed, who's stuck between their battling.