Ordinary Joe

Joe Kimbreau graduates from Syracuse University, and finds himself torn between three potential choices of how to celebrate. He can accompany his family to dinner, which leads to him following in his father's footsteps and becoming a police officer; go with his girlfriend Jenny to the beach, ultimately marrying her and becoming a nurse; or ask out an attractive fellow graduate named Amy, which results in the two marrying and Joe becoming a successful musician. The story picks up ten years later, splitting into three separate timelines depending on his decision.

Nurse Joe helps treat Congressman Bobby Diaz, who was shot at a rally. Joe's marriage to Jenny, a paralegal, sufferes from the strain of them both prioritizing work to provide for their wheelchair-using son Christopher. Joe's best friend Eric is happily married to Amy. Jenny files for divorce, but Joe intends to change her mind in the forty days he has to respond. Joe and Jenny dance together at a ten-year reunion.

Musician Joe's marriage to Amy is strained because they have had multiple miscarriages. When Diaz is diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, he endorses Amy, his campaign manager, to replace him on the ballot, upsetting Joe, who wants to be a father. Amy refuses to attend the reunion, so Joe goes alone, where Jenny, now a law partner, tells Joe she was pregnant with his child at graduation, and put him up for adoption. Joe vows to find and meet his son.

On the upcoming 20th commemoration ceremony for 9/11, Joe remembers his late father. Joe blames himself for his father's death, as Joe turned down a chance to go to a football game in Denver in favor of practicing with his band. As a result, his father went to work on 9/11 and died in the line of duty.

Nurse Joe, following Eric and Amy's advice, takes Jenny out on a date, during which she asks him to bring Christopher to the commemoration. She tells Joe that if he's serious about repairing their relationship, he needs to start dealing with his grief. Joe musters the courage to attend the ceremony, and takes part in the reading of victims' names. Jenny learns that her firm will pay for her to return to college and finish her degree, allowing her to finally become a lawyer--but it requires her to move to Atlanta.

Musician Joe asks Frank, his head of security, to find his son. Jenny discourages Joe's search, fearing what might happen if her husband learns she had a child out of wedlock. Amy accepts Diaz's offer to run in his place, and tells Joe she is content with them not having children. Joe then calls Frank, telling him to do whatever it takes to find his son's adoptive parents.

While helping Diaz with his physical therapy, Nurse Joe notices a tremor in his hand. He asks his boss Dr. Douglas Banks, who is Jenny's father, to order an MRI, but when Dr. Banks refuses (and criticizes Joe for the state of his marriage), Joe forges his signature on the order. Eric gets Joe a vacation in Canada for Jenny's birthday, but Jenny tells Joe to cancel the trip since she doesn't want to leave Christopher's side. Joe and his son make a special cake for her party, and when Joe reveals that he is willing to pay for couples' counseling, Jenny decides to turn down her firm's offer.

Musician Joe's growing obsession with finding his son begins to drive a wedge between him and Amy. After learning that his name is not on the birth certificate Jenny filed (preventing him from learning who adopted his child), Joe deliberately skips out on a commitment to introduce his wife at her first campaign rally, forcing Diaz to step in at the last second. Instead, he goes to see Jenny at her birthday party and threatens to reveal her secret unless she agrees to help him. Arriving late to the rally, Joe watches Amy give a heartwarming, unscripted speech and celebrate with Diaz.

Nurse Joe and Jenny start couples therapy and Joe learns of Jenny's opportunity to attend law school in Atlanta. This leads to a fight where Joe accuses Jenny of pitying him for giving up his dream of music to help raise their son. A conversation with Chris, however, makes Joe realize that he is happy with his life and family and he proposes moving the family to Atlanta so Jenny can still pursue her dream.

Officer Joe is brought before a shooting board after Coleman's death. The shooting is ruled as having followed procedure but Joe is ordered to complete therapy and remain on desk duty until he does. Amy breaks things off with Diaz and takes Joe on a date at a community center garden, where Joe has a panic attack. Later, Diaz offers Joe a job with his security team and then reveals his affair with Amy. Shortly after, Jenny informs Joe that Coleman's sister was an intern for Diaz who may have also engaged in an affair with him.

The rest of graduation day and part of the next are covered for all three timelines with the common theme of a letter that Joe's Dad wrote to him.

Nurse Joe goes to Jenny's party (missing the party his family was throwing for him and an audition opportunity) and discovers that she's pregnant. Despite resistance from her family, he proposes and she says yes.

Officer Joe goes to his family party, repeatedly ignoring calls from Jenny. He plays a classical song for his mother's friend, hears a story from someone who's alive thanks to Joe's father, and eventually decides to explore the police academy.

Nurse Joe tries to take care of his now-returned Uncle Frank who's suffering from long-term alcoholism. To do so, he accepts an apology and help from Jenny's dad. Jenny has trouble dividing her attention at law school and doesn't get support when she seeks it.

Officer Joe faces fallout due to arresting a sitting congressman. Uncle Frank is put on suspension, and Amy gets harassed by law enforcement and angry Diaz fans. Based on his counselor's advice, Joe and Amy reset their relationship and try to start over. Amy tells Joe about a legal run-in she had in the past.

Nurse Joe hosts his family and an interesting prospective new in-home assistant for Thanksgiving. Jenny calls and says she can’t make it because she’s been asked by a professor to help with a case.

Officer Joe (who’s now back on the beat as he requested) asks Amy to help his mother cook. Tensions rise at Thanksgiving with a suspended Uncle Frank and Joe’s sister sharing their hurt feelings. Joe and Amy leave, and Joe gets a call to a fire in his new neighborhood.

All three timelines build to a concert honoring Joe's mother's work founding a choir after 9/11. Joe performs at all of them, and his son is present at all of them.

Nurse Joe starts working to make adaptive clothing for children facing the same challenges as his son. Jenny faces further complications in her work and due to being separated from her family.

Officer Joe is recovering from injuries sustained in a fire rescue. Jenny and her husband contact him because their son (Joe's biological son) requires surgery and parent-donated blood. Joe tells his mother that she's a grandmother.

A New York Giants game serves as the centerpiece of this episode, with Joe and his son watching the game in varying situations.

Nurse Joe watches the game while at a trade show to exhibit his new "Zipper Pants" adaptive clothing. Things go slow at first, but his son meets a similarly-challenged girl and her father is a department store buyer who expresses interest. Jenny makes a breakthrough in her case, but she and Joe are too busy for couple's therapy.

Officer Joe and Amy are invited to watch the game by Jenny and her husband, who's nervous about having Joe get close to his biological son. On the surface, things seem to go well, but Joe's interactions with his son make Jenny's husband more anxious. Amy tells Joe that she can't have children.

A blizzard and power outage serve as the centerpiece of the three story lines.

Nurse Joe makes a business pitch to a department store. His practice sessions are dry, and Kinsley helps spice the presentation up. Chris asks if it's possible to like two people at the same time. The department store offers to buy the company instead of the pants. The blizzard keeps Kinsley at the apartment, and the power outage lets them get closer. Jenny is asked to give the closing argument in the case she's been working in Atlanta, leading to a celebration.

Officer Joe gives blood for Lucas' surgery. Jenny arrives as well, and they talk about 2012, when Joe tried to reconnect with her while she was pregnant. Amy is starting a new podcast focused on police reform, and she asks Joe to be a guest. During the surgery, Jenny's husband Ray tells Joe how he convinced Jenny to not see Joe in 2012. The power outage happens during the surgery, but it goes well. Lucas asks to see his dad when he wakes up.