As Gloucester braces itself for a huge winter storm, Kathy prepares to take charge of emergency procedures in the mayor's absence, while Marge and Jesse do everything in their power to make sure The Pelican is destroyed so they can collect the insurance and leave town. Carrie, Shannon and Denise worry about where they'd work if The Pelican were gone. When Kurt does a front-page feature on Ryan, his unemployment and the family's financial straits, Denise is humiliated. As weather conditions get even worse, everyone seeks shelter at the high school, and the three women observe that everyone is hanging out in their old cliques and behaving just as they did in school. The three get into a heated argument about who's the smartest that they settle by breaking into the guidance counselor's office and going through the files.