The sudden death of the Tin Man during a community performance of The Wizard of Oz throws the normally sleepy town of Rome, Wisconsin, into chaos and throws Sheriff Jimmy Brock right into the middle of a difficult murder investigation. Meanwhile, when the favourite singing group of Brock's teenage daughter Kimberly arrive in town, they prove not to be what either she or Deputy Kenny had anticipated.

The FBI comes to town to search for a serial killer who chops off the right hand of his victims. Max's diligence in investigating on her own pays off when she is allowed to assist in his apprehension.

Michael J Anderson guests as a circus performer who "steals" an elephant from the circus to rescue him from ongoing abuse by the trainers. Also, a beloved teacher from the high school loses his job when a brain tumor causes him to have a violent outburst.

Things get crazy in Rome when the mayoral race between Mayor Pugen and Douglas Wambaugh takes an ugly turn. Jimmy temporarily joins the race in order to seize an opportunity to publicly chastise them both for their behavior and antics.

The townspeople of Rome are plagued by a mysterious "serial bather" who sneaks into their homes while they are out and takes a bath. The pressure is on for the Sheriff's department to apprehend the disturbed felon as suspicion falls on Frank the Potato Man, a homeless man who lives in the woods outside of town. Meanwhile, a farmer claims a neighbor's still intoxicates his cows.

It's Halloween and Jimmy decides to reopen the ten year old suicide case of Rosemary Bauer when Karina Shaw, her former maid who hasn't spoken since the death, suddenly utters the word "murder". On the strength of this new piece of evidence, the case is reopened and elderly Rome resident Howard Buss confesses to killing Rosemary, bringing proof of his guilt to the authorities. Meanwhile, holiday tricks get out of hand.

Jimmy considered it before but now Jill decides she will run for mayor after Bill Pugen ignores women's rights once too often. At a police speed checkpoint, Max and Kenny stop a man with false papers and Kenny, recognising him as former Middle-Weight Champion of the world Jeff Freed, wants to waive the charges against him. He then arranges a match between himself and Freed, with half of the proceeds going to the boxer and the other half going to a local charity.

Max searches for a nun suspected of killing an elderly leukemia patient. When the nun is caught, she confesses to committing a series of mercy killings and the furore over prosecuting her divides the town and causes Zachary to fear death.

Jill's father arrives for Thanksgiving with a young love in tow. Wambaugh has his wife Myriam arrested after he catches her in bed with Harold Lundstrom. It all adds up to a typically riotous and far from peaceful holiday in the Brock house.

Jimmy, Max and Kenny investigate the mysterious death of a woman who may or may not have committed suicide. Suspects in her death are her snake-raising sister and her own husband, who gets involved with Max.

Zach's teacher, Louise Talbot, defies a court-ordered ban of the annual Christmas pageant on public property, after which disturbing facts come to light about her.

Brock catches Kimberly in bed with her boyfriend, arrests him and cancels Christmas in the household. At the Sheriff Station, Max and Ginny are held hostage at gunpoint by an elderly man dressed as Santa Claus.

Investigating a burglary with Max, Kenny is shot and seriously injured by the Frog Man, a burglar who leaves live frogs at the scene of his crimes.

When Alice Freeman is charged with murdering her estranged husband by running him down with a steamroller, Wambaugh defends her by claiming insanity as the result of the menopause. The onset of puberty unsettles Matthew.

When a school friend gets pregnant, Kimberly tells her parents she thinks it resulted from incest. Kenny's girlfriend meets her long-lost twin and Cynthia Parks' pet duck is sacrificed.

An HIV-positive dentist sues the city of Rome after being fired. A man and his mother-in-law battle over whether to keep his brain-dead pregnant wife alive.

Max goes undercover to catch a vicious serial killer named 'Cupid' who murders women he meets through classified ads.

Jill asks Dr David Williams, her ex-fiance, to perform a controversial foetal tissue transplant on a man suffering from Parkinson's Disease.

A corpse found in the Brocks' trash is found to be a sheriff who mysteriously disappeared 38 years earlier. Carter believes he may have been killed by radiation emitted by a UFO, bringing alien enthusiasts to town.

A group of heavily armed Chippewa Indians declares war on Rome and takes over the courthouse, as a dispute over enlarging the golf course gets violent. Ginny accuses Jill of discrimination when she agrees to give an abnormally young boy a controversial growth treatment. Matthew stands up for Zach against the school bully.

Attraction to a girlfriend confuses Kimberly. Max and Kenny vie for undersheriff but Max loses out on the promotion.

Zach plays horn for an ailing blues legend but Jill is frustrated when the woman takes ill and fails to appreciate medicine's ability to keep her alive. Max delivers a criminal's baby and begins procedures to adopt it.