Tess works for a local nursery, and Monica is a postal carrier in the middle-class neighborhood where IRS auditor Carolyn Sellers lives. An avid gardener, she is eager to have her rose hybrid officially recognized but becomes dismayed when three people with Down syndrome move into a group home next door to her. Tess tries to convince the hardened woman to calm down and accept Taylor, Jeannie, and David for the loving, sensitive people they are, but she refuses. Andrew, the group home supervisor, is nonplussed when his first encounter with Carolyn is a tacit threat to “keep those people in line.”

After Taylor stops Stevie Sanders, a neighborhood boy, from playing in her vintage ’57 Chevy, the car rolls down the driveway, crushes Stevie’s bike, and just misses a young girl due to Tess’ sudden intervention. Furious, Carolyn blames Taylor and calls the police. She also works her neighbors into a frenzy to take action against the group home. The next day Taylor confides in Monica, who says God has a purpose for his predicament. Taylor responds he knows that because he’s an angel; she agrees he’s “the kindest, sweetest angel”she’s ever met. He goes to talk to Carolyn, who in the midst of berating him suffers a stroke. Thanks to Taylor’s quick response, paramedics arrive in time to help her. But upon learning his part in her rescue, Carolyn continues to hold a grudge.

Taylor continues to aid with her rehabilitation despite her constant rejection. Tess, Jeannie, and David have also tended her garden to prepare for the Rose Association’s visit. Realizing that Carolyn had started a petition to shut down the group home, Andrew asks Taylor to tell the truth about the car incident. He responds, “Everything in its time.” The night before the rose committee’s visit, a severe thunderstorm devastates the garden. The next day, Andrew and Taylor take Stevie a new bike to replace the one that got crushed. Monica and Tess reveal themselves to Carolyn and joined by Taylor, who is indeed an angel, encourage the woman to get out of bed. As Stevie’s mom announces the city has agreed to close the group home, the boy confesses his role in the accident. The rose committee arrives, and Taylor produces a beautiful, but lone rose blossom. Although the flower by itself does not qualify for the registry, Carolyn realizes it’s good enough for her.

As Ed Bingham prepares for a ceremony to honor his heroic efforts as a fireman, his wife, Sarah receives a terrifying letter. Carl Atwater, the man who raped her six years ago is eligible for parole. Frightened of Ed’s reaction if he found out, Sarah conceals the letter from him. Instead she visits a Crisis Center and meets Tess, the receptionist, and Monica, a counselor. Although the caseworker angel fails to draw Sarah out, the distraught mother invites her to attend the parole hearing. There Sarah is crushed when Carl, who apparently found God in prison, is released.

Despite a briefing by Andrew, his parole officer, Carl violates the most important condition of his parole by making contact with Sarah. Although he merely seeks her forgiveness, she panics, threatening him with garden clippers. Monica urges her to report Carl, but Sarah refuses. The angel does, however, convince her to confide in her husband. Meanwhile, Andrew witnesses Carl’s simmering anger that his ex-wife, Emily will not let him see their son. Sarah reluctantly shows Ed the letter regarding Carl’s release, and his annoyance is interrupted when their daughter, Lorrin has a nightmare. The next morning, the couple encounters Carl, who is working as a bagger in a supermarket. Ed loses his temper and attacks the ex-con. Later, the Binghams visit Monica where years of unspoken recrimination and blame for the rape come to the forefront. Unbeknownst to his wife, Ed goes to a gun store and starts the process to purchase a pistol.

After a sleepless night, he is unable to respond to a fire. Carl, in the meantime, grouses to Andrew that reforming his life is not so easy. The angel responds that quoting the Bible isn’t enough; Carl has to start living it. Afterwards, he doesn’t realize that Ed is stalking him while he himself is stalking Emily, and Andrew is observing the both of them. Upon returning home, Ed and Sarah argue when he won’t divulge his whereabouts. The next day–six days after he started the paperwork–the fireman picks up his gun. He catches Carl breaking into Emily’s house and plans to shoot him. Andrew reveals himself to both men, while Monica appears to Sarah. When asked where God was during the rape, the angel responds, “in the voice of a child.” Then-baby Lorrin’s tears stopped Carl from killing Sarah, which was his original plan. The police arrest him, and Tess informs him that God can still help him find his way.

This episode is introduced and closed by General Colin Powell, U.S. Army (ret.), who served as General Chairman of the Presidents’ Summit on America’s Future, which was held in Philadelphia April 27-29, 1997 and aimed to bring America to a new level of commitment in volunteerism.

Jason DeLee, a troubled teen, steals a car but is promptly caught by the police. His mother, Lena can no longer deal with her son and releases her parental authority. Jason is placed in the custody of Denver Juvenile Services. Waters, the camp director, runs a tight ship and is taken aback when Tess arrives, announcing she is a new facility director and will be overseeing a new experimental work program. After the boys complete a survey, Monica, the coordinator for the work program arrives. A handful of the teens volunteer for the program; Jason is not one of them. Later that day, Lena visits Jason in Tess’ office. He is discouraged when his mother says she just came to bring him some underwear and car magazines. The angel informs them that Monica has selected him for the work program, and Lena urges her son to take whatever chance they give him. He just glares at them and exits. When he finds out that Rey Estes, his rival, has volunteered for the program, Jason decides to participate in it, too. Andrew, a Juvenile Services volunteer, drives the boys to their destination–the Linwood Children’s Academy, a school for disabled children. Inside, Jason is paired with Kelly, a girl with cerebral palsy. Her mother, Anita has reservations about a “gang banger” working with her daughter.

Jason is reluctant to bond with Kelly until Monica shows him that the girl shares his love of cars. Despite a few false starts, the two are able to forge a relationship. But Jason eventually panics and runs away. Waters wants to send the police after the boy, but Tess convinces him to wait. Monica, prompted by a Ferrari photo on Kelly’s gait walker, finds him at an import car dealership. She reveals herself, urging him to stop trying to outrun God. Jason returns to the school, where Anita, Lena, and the angels revel in his progress with Kelly.

George Zarko, a.k.a. the “Colonel,” sits on a park bench watching kids play war. Monica thinks her assignment is to help the elderly Army veteran find the joy of living. But Tess responds that what he really needs is to be understood. She gives Monica’s swing a push… and the caseworker’s human form transforms into that of an 80-year old woman. Entering the retirement home where George lives, Monica meets him and Stephanie Hancock, the officious Nurse Director. Tess, the volunteer Activities Coordinator, persuades Stephanie to use pet therapy to alleviate the patients’ loneliness, while George grouses to Andrew, the facility’s cook, that a resident has recently died and no one seems to care.

Monica inadvertently inspires the veteran to rebel by lowering the flag to half mast. Irate, Stephanie plans to kick him out of the retirement home. But the caseworker intercedes on George’s behalf, vowing to be responsible for him. This selfless act endears Monica to him, and Tess warns her to be wary of how close she gets to the man. The supervisor’s suspicions are validated when he makes a pass at the angel. Matters worsen when Lorraine McCully, Monica’s new roommate, attempts to play matchmaker for the would-be couple. Despite Stephanie’s orders, Tess unlocks the piano in the social hall so Lorraine can entertain the residents. Wary of George’s affection for her, the caseworker agrees to dance with him but gets winded. Stephanie is furious that Tess disobeyed her and demands the piano key back.

Meanwhile, Andrew tends to Monica, who now understands the frailty of the human heart. Lorraine also frets over her friend and recalls the heartbreak when her husband was declared “Missing in Action.” Monica has a talk with George during which she reverts to her younger form. He hastily exits, but she finds him the next day back in the park. Though discouraged that the angel cannot return his affection, George is convinced to share the truth about his past. He publicly confesses that he was not an Army colonel but a cook. Lorraine, realizing that he served with her late husband, Jimmy produces a letter in which he praises George’s cooking. The veteran, in turn, is able to tell Lorraine how her husband died–sacrificing his life to save others, including George. As a content Lorraine plays the piano, Tess prompts Stephanie to admit she locked it up because it reminded her of a father who stopped letting her take music lessons.

Monica, disappointed in the human race, watches as Tess performs in a small Chicago bar. She finishes and announces God has given the caseworker a miracle to give someone in this bar. Initially hesitant to decide, Monica observes the inhabitants: the owner, Noah, who is upbeat despite being wheelchair- bound; Claude Bell, a craggy Irishman obsessed with beating a mysterious stranger in a game of pool; Ernie and Marie Wachinski, a hotel employee with wasted ambition and his co-dependent wife; Loafer, an eccentric crossword- puzzle aficionado; Buddy Baker, a charming salesman who drinks to drown inner pain; and Amethyst, a young woman with a dubious plan for her future.

After observing awhile, Monica announces she is an angel with a miracle to give away. They respond with raucous laughter. Humiliated, she hides underneath a pool table. As the laughter continues, Andrew enters. He is the stranger whom Claude is obsessed with beating. Having been the advance angel for the assignment, the Angel of Death takes a cue from Tess to find out what miracles these people need. Someone else soon enters the tavern–Mr. Burns fresh out of prison. Following a pep talk from Tess, Monica again reveals herself, this time in glowing splendor. Though the people now take her seriously, she is frustrated when none of them want the miracle.

When Ernie’s lottery numbers appear on television, he and Marie mistake that for the miracle. But when he can’t find his wallet, he accuses Mr. Burns of stealing it. The ex-convict’s response prompts Noah to recognize Burns as the gunman who crippled him. Noah orders him to leave, but Tess’ dog soon appears with the missing wallet. Marie is shocked to learn that Ernie played the wrong numbers while drunk. Mr. Burns rebukes the others for squandering their lives, yet saves his harshest criticism for himself. Wracked with guilt, he asks for God to heal Noah. But Monica tells Burns the real miracle is for Noah to forgive him, which will heal them both. The men reconcile, and the others seize the opportunity to reevaluate their own lives.

After observing–with Monica and Andrew, respectively–the Monroe family at breakfast and two businessmen who work in the same office building, Tess tells her charges their assignment will be difficult because it involves six intertwined human lives. The case kicks into gear when Hank Monroe sees a picture resembling his younger brother, Noah on the back of a milk carton. Perplexed, he looks through family albums but can’t find any baby pictures of his brother. Andrew, meanwhile, fails to engage Grant Abbot in conversation but does befriend the talkative Ray.

The angel starts to reveal himself, but Ray flees after Andrew’s admonition that “the truth will set you free.” Tess warns the Angel of Death that time is running out. Visiting Grant at home, he sees that the man is contemplating suicide. Monica, posing as a waitress at a 50’s diner, counsels a confused Hank to ask his parents, Jake and Amy about the missing baby photos. But when their stories contradict, the youth realizes something is amiss. Investigating further, he finds a $25,000 check written to a law firm and shows it to Monica. She tells Hank the check is a clue and takes him to visit the law office… which is run by Ray. Repeating Andrew’s line, “the truth will set you free,” the angel prompts the lawyer to confess he performed a questionable adoption for the Monroes.

When he gets home, Hank asks his mom and dad why they never told him his brother was adopted. They respond that Noah’s parents were criminals, which would have upset him. Hank then gives them the milk carton with Noah’s picture. In a drunken rage, Grant continues to play with a revolver until Andrew appears. The distraught father recounts how the boy was kidnapped during a trip to the mall and that his late wife blamed him for the tragedy. The angel introduces him to Ray, who admits his complicity in the crime and tells Grant where to find his son. Afraid of losing Noah, Jake and Amy prepare to skip town until Tess reveals herself. She tells them their zeal to adopt blinded them to suspicious circumstances. With the angels’ support, Grant meets the Monroes and is introduced to “Noah.” The three parents agree to slowly integrate Grant into his son’s life and eventually tell the boy the truth.

At a New York City hospital, Monica and Tess are assigned to Dr. Meg Salter, a pediatrician. But when she decides to surprise her husband by boarding his flight to Paris, the angels have to call for back-up. Rookie caseworker, Celeste and special agent angel, Sam are put on the case, and so is Meg’s fellow passenger Andrew, who had intended to take his first vacation in a century. The doctor gets a surprise of her own when she discovers her college professor husband, Brian is accompanied by his mistress, Olivia.

As the plane heads into a storm, an already tense situation gets worse when the angels and his wife learn that the “other woman”is eight months pregnant. A consummate professional, Meg delivers a healthy, albeit premature baby girl, and the plane returns to JFK because of the medical emergency. By the time they get back, Olivia has had two seizures. Monica tends to the infant, while Dr. Parham and his trauma team work on the mother.

Brian, overwhelmed by joy and sadness, receives a revelation from Andrew. The angel urges him to reconcile with his wife and depend on God for strength. Meg, however, rebuffs his initial attempt but is interrupted when Olivia’s condition deteriorates. The dying mistress is comforted by Monica and expresses the desire for Brian to take care of their baby. Lamenting that she never got her life in order, Olivia accepts Andrew’s offer to let God change her heart. Then she dies. Monica reveals herself to a conflicted Meg and encourages her to salvage the marriage. With a newfound appreciation of the mistakes each has made, the Salters reconcile and agree to raise the baby together.

After the shooting, Mary and Dr. Hall scramble to help their friends and loved ones. The luncheonette owner learns the .45 Mr. Kim possessed was a record, not a weapon, but both are aghast to notice her own wound from a stray bullet. Meanwhile, Tess returns to Russell and tells him Josh needs his family. The Greenes arrive and are horrified to discover he had been shot. When the surgery is over, the doctor reports the teenager will recover, though he has been blinded. Calvin and Chanice, however, receive devastating news: their grandmother has died. Russell is astounded to learn that Anderson – a former adversary from this time in the Navy – is the one who saved Josh. Serena rails at Michael, blaming for the tragic events. But buoyed by Queenie’s encouragement and Monica’s revelation, Michael decides to stay with his new “family,” feeling like he belongs for the first time in his life. Anderson, likewise inspired by Russell to regain his passion, gives a rousing eulogy at Mary’s funeral, urging the community to take a stand against gang violence. Her sight restored, Monica, along with Tess and Andrew observe as the humans work together to paint the graffiti-covered wall.

After the shooting, Mary and Dr. Hall scramble to help their friends and loved ones. The luncheonette owner learns the .45 Mr. Kim possessed was a record, not a weapon, but both are aghast to notice her own wound from a stray bullet. Meanwhile, Tess returns to Russell and tells him Josh needs his family. The Greenes arrive and are horrified to discover he had been shot. When the surgery is over, the doctor reports the teenager will recover, though he has been blinded. Calvin and Chanice, however, receive devastating news: their grandmother has died. Russell is astounded to learn that Anderson – a former adversary from this time in the Navy – is the one who saved Josh. Serena rails at Michael, blaming for the tragic events. But buoyed by Queenie’s encouragement and Monica’s revelation, Michael decides to stay with his new “family,” feeling like he belongs for the first time in his life. Anderson, likewise inspired by Russell to regain his passion, gives a rousing eulogy at Mary’s funeral, urging the community to take a stand against gang violence. Her sight restored, Monica, along with Tess and Andrew observe as the humans work together to paint the graffiti-covered wall.

Tess visits Russell Greene, announcing that God has a special purpose for Josh.

Despite his fathers misgivings, the teenager departs with her and meets Monica, who has temporarily lost her sight. After the Cadillac breaks down, Michael Burns stops and gives Josh and Monica a ride to Denver. His grandfather owns an inner-city mini-mall there and has tasked Michael to fix it up so it can be sold. The inhabitants are abuzz about the new landlord, who has arrived with “a kid and a blind lady.” Uncomfortable in the urban setting, Josh learns from Monica to look with his heart rather than his eyes. The trio befriend Mary Harding, a luncheonette owner; her grandchildren, Calvin and Chanice Cantrell; Queenie, who runs a beauty salon; her vivacious best friend. Tanya Hawkins; Nicky Pacheco, a lawyer on a quixotic quest; Dr. Serena Hall, who persuades Michael to donate a space for her Uncle Gentry’s church; and Anderson Walker, a former activist weary of fighting the system.

With racial tensions already high, Mary urges Michael to take action against the grocer, Kim Chyung Kyung, whom she suspects has a gun. The young landlord also discovers he and Anderson share a love for music and the desire to fix up the mini-mall so Michael can leave. But while he and Josh paint over graffiti, Andrew appears on the scene. Anderson rushes outside and tries to save Michael and Josh from a drive-by shooting…

Tess instructs Celeste, an angel new to human form, and takes her to a Las Vegas showroom to see their assignment–Eric Weiss, an illusionist who calls himself the “angel of death.” The supervisor angel volunteers her jittery charge to participate in his act, but Tess is dismayed when Celeste… and her dog vanish. On a rampage, Eric fires his assistant and yells at his agent, Andrew, who is hard pressed to find another magician’s assistant. Tess cuts Monica’s vacation short to fill that position.

As the case progresses, the angels realize that Eric’s death wish is not merely an extension of his stage routine. The pieces start to come together after he reluctantly agrees to perform in Appleton, Wisconsin, his hometown and also the hometown of Harry Houdini. There he visits his mother, an inpatient in a psychiatric hospital. She asks Danny–Eric’s real name–if he has seen his brother, Peter. He recalls a tragic game of hide- and-seek before abruptly ending his visit. Meanwhile, Monica unwittingly discovers Celeste but fails to convince the wayward angel to turn herself in. During a performance, Eric becomes paralyzed with fear upon seeing his doppelganger in the audience. Her voice returns him to reality, but the illusionist is shaken, convinced that he saw the ghost of his dead, twin brother.

Despite Andrew’s and Monica’s concern, Eric decides to attempt the most dangerous escape of his career, which involves being locked in a refrigerator and lowered to the bottom of a pool. Several minutes elapse until Eric’s brother, Pete steps forward, and Tess orders the crane operator to raise the refrigerator out of the pool. Upon seeing his twin, Eric bolts through the crowd and eventually returns to the junkyard where his brother “died.” Celeste appears and reveals herself to the distraught entertainer. Monica joins the apprentice angel, and the pair urge him to stop playing hide-and-seek with his life. Confronting the painful memory of his brother being trapped in a refrigerator, Eric learns that Pete did not die but was kidnapped by their scornful father. The brothers share an emotional reunion, and Celeste has successfully participated in her first case.