Earl tells Baby the story of how he came into the world: A story in which he asks for a raise from Mr. Richfield and has to choose between buying Fran a new cookware set or buying himself a 90-inch television set.
Fran grows sick of her marital life, but Earl has no idea what the real problem is. So she leaves for a while in order for Earl to better himself, which he does by taking a class on the so-called "Mating Dance".
It is a dinosaur custom that when they turn 72, they are to be hurled off a cliff into a tar pit. Ethyl's time is coming near, and Earl is looking forward to tossing her - until Robbie realizes Ethyl still has a lot to live for.
At the market, a T-Rex named Gary hits on Fran. He then, according to dinosaur law, shows up outside the house one day to challenge Earl to a fight to the death. The prize: Fran.
The Howling is a sacred dinosaur tradition in which, to avert prophesied disaster, male dinosaurs of age climb a cliff and howl at the moon. But when Robbie refuses to participate, it looks like he has brought about the apocalypse.
