Vincent LaMarca is a dedicated and well-respected New York City police detective who has gone to great lengths to distance himself from his past, but then makes the terrible discovery that his own son has fallen into a life of crime.

It's Martha's first night as a waitress in an upscale New York restaurant. Veteran Chloe shows her the ropes and introduces her to the lives of the restaurant staff. Adam, a hopeful playwright, suffers for his art while dealing with a very indecisive (ex-?)girlfriend. Marlon is a cocky young actor, certain that his big break is just around the corner. When the restaurant's obnoxious owner, Simon, brings a special client in for dinner, pressures mount until an explosion seems inevitable.

Jerri Blank is a former prostitute and junkie whore who returns to high school as a 46-year-old freshman at Flatpoint High. Jerri ran away from home and became 'a boozer, a user, and a loser' after dropping out as a teenager, supporting her drug habits through prostitution, stripping, and larceny. She has been to prison several times, the last time because she 'stole the TV'. At home, Jerri's father Guy is comatose, although he seems perfectly capable of amazing feats. Her stepmother Sara is vain and bitter, and stepbrother Derrick is a bullying jock. Jerri tries to do things the right way but always ends up learning the wrong lesson. Her hijinks often involve, either directly or indirectly, neurotic history teacher Chuck Noblet and his secret lover, sensitive art teacher Geoffrey Jellineck.