The casts of "MITM" and "H&F" reunite in this 2-hr MOW. After the Wilkersons and the Shanowskis-and Faith too-move next door to each other, Faith overhears Lois screaming at her sons. Lois asks Faith what she's doing, then Faith says she couldn't help notice the way Lois treating her kids. Lois tells Faith off, and the battle is on. Hope apologizes for her sister butting in, but Lois yells at Hope as well, setting off a screaming match-and later a physical catfight-between the two moms. Hal and Charley engage in a screaming match of their own as well. When Dewey and Justin, amidst all this, become friends, Hope and Charley are shocked while Hal and Lois blow their stacks, and the sparks continue. Yes, Malcolm and Reese are also seen, as are their H&F counterparts Hayley and Sydney. Even Francis makes an appearance.

Sample lines of dialogue: HAL[Arm wrestling with Charley]: I wouldn't go to your stupid dental practice to have my teeth fixed. CHARLEY: Fine, I don't need people like you. HAL: Fine, you dental quack! REESE [Making eyes at Sydney]: Hey, beautiful. SYDNEY: Go away, you flirt [Sydney kicks Reese in one of his legs].

LOIS: I don't want you boys ever talking to those goody-two-shoe Shan...Shan...Oh, what's their last name? MALCOLM: Shanowski. LOIS: Whatever. HOPE: You children are not to be near those dysfunctional Wilkersons. Understand? HAYLEY, SYDNEY, AND JUSTIN [IN UNISON] Yes, Mom.

In this second installment featuring the Wilkersons and the Shanowskis-plus Faith-the two families call a truce, but peace and harmony don't last long. Faith talks Hope, Charley, and their kids into starting a rock group, called Faith [vocals], Hope [piano], Charley [guitar] And Company, featuring Sydney on sax, Hayley on tambourine, and Justin on drums. They perform a couple of songs, enjoying themselves yet raising Hal's and Lois' ires. After several fruitless efforts to stop the music-even though the Wilkerson boys aren't bothered-Hal and Lois enter-uninvited-the Shanowskis' with Lois carrying an ax threatening to destroy the instruments. Hope, however, grabs the ax and tosses it into the street causing more bickering. Police detective Vic Hanning-played by unknown-tries talking Hal, Lois, Hope, Charley and Faith into making up. They do, but after the detective leaves, the sparks resume.

In this installment, The Wilkerson and Shanowski husbands and (younger) sons swap residences with...each other-"the family we're at war with". Hal [grudgingly] and Dewey and Charley and Justin move in for a week with their bitter rivals for a TV reality series. In the Shanowskis', while Dewey tries to get along with Hayley and Sydney, Hal gets annoyed by Faith's flighty ways, sparking bitter arguments between him and Hope. Meanwhile, at the Wilkersons', Charley is unhappy when Lois-perhaps out of habit-screams at Justin, as well as Malcolm and Reese, leading to screaming matches between Lois and Charley [the latter manages to tell Lois off]. One week later, the hubbys-to their relief-and sons return to their proper homes. "What a nightmare", Hal intones, while Charley tells stories about Lois to Hope and Faith, who chuckle.

Also, to Lois' surprise and chagrin, Francis shows up, naturally not knowing that others have turned up at the Wilkersons'. Francis asks Malcolm and Reese "What have you done to Dewey?", then turns to Charley, whom Francis doesn't know, and tells him "You're not my dad".

More Wilkerson-Shanowski shenanigans abound when Justin wants to invite Dewey over for Justin's birthday party. Hope and Charley put their feet down and say no. Justin manages, somehow, to sneak Dewey in, causing Hal and Lois to search all over town for Dewey. Faith, meanwhile, tries entertaining the kids whom Hope allowed in with her singing, but the kids are bored. When Dewey is discovered talking to Justin, still more fireworks abound between the parents. Reese, meanwhile, to Malcolm's chagrin, tries again to make eyes at Sydney.

Laurie Metcalf, who guested on an MITM episode, recreates her role as Susan, Lois' sister, who makes amends with Lois as Lois and her nemesis Hope are selected to appear in a cooking contest with their respective sisters in tow. Lois tries sabotaging whatever Hope is making, but when Hope wins the contest Lois acts like a poor sport, setting off more fireworks between her and Hope. To add insult to injury, Susan meets Faith and the two try developing a friendship after Susan tells Faith she was a big fan of "The Sacred And The Sinful", annoying Lois, who hates soaps. Meanwhile, Hal, sick of seeing the Shanowskis, has Malcolm and Reese building a wall between the two residences, causing Charley, Hope and Faith to have a big laugh at Hal's expense.

Hope and Charley try to bury the hatchet with Hal and Lois and allow Justin to play with Dewey, but Hal and Lois refuse, stating "We don't deal with the enemy". Once again, spirited arguments ensue, this time over the Wilkersons' stubbornness. Dewey and Justin play with each other anyway, resulting in Hal and Lois turning volcanic, causing Faith to tell the two to "watch your blood pressure".

After another tongue-lashing by Lois over something Malcolm didn't do, Malcolm is thrown out for slapping Lois in the face. He next talks to Faith when Hope, Charley and the kids go out shopping. When the two strike up a friendship Faith has Malcolm come over. As soon as the Shanowskis return Hope discovers Malcolm hiding in her and Charley's bedroom. Malcolm explains everything and Charley and Hope suggest that Malcolm and his parents try reasoning with each other. When Hal and Lois find out about all this, they yell at Malcolm, but Hope, Charley and Faith accuse them of being unreasonable, setting up another war of words between the Wilkersons and the Shanowskis.