Four completely different women in fictional Mercy, Indiana have only two connections to one another: each is married to a Buchanan boy; and none can stand their mother-in-law. Alex, married to Roy, is a Jewish feminist from New York City. Vivian, married to Ed, is an uptight wannabe-socialite with twin sons from hell, P.J. and Lyndon. Delilah, married to preacher Charles, is a ditzy former stripper from Corpus Christi, Texas. Bree, newly married to Jesse, is a perky Californian who used to work at Disneyland. They are constantly trading barbs with the cruel but hilarious Mother Buchanan, who tries her hardest to make their lives a living hell through her two specialties: meddling and manipulating.