"Mutiny" is set in East Brewster, Massachusetts and begins when the band’s mail finally catches up with them. One of the forwarded letters is addressed to Clu and comes from the University of California, Santa Cruz. Ned looks slightly worried at the possibility that this is an acceptance letter. Meanwhile, Fiona and the boys are checking out a lighthouse museum dedicated to local shipwrecks. Although Fi and Jack seem genuinely interested in the historical significance of some of the items Clu and Carey are horsing around. Their antics get all four children booted from the museum by its cranky caretaker. As they walk along the shore on their way back to the bus Clu stubs his toe on a piece of driftwood with a strange symbol carved on it.

The theme of this episode is "psychometry" – Latin for "soul-measuring", otherwise known as touch clairvoyance. The theory is that some objects retain memories of those who have previously owned them and that some people are able to "see" these memories. The driftwood that Clu finds is apparently one of these objects. Fiona receives a brief flash of a sinking ship as she picks up the wood.

The driftwood is shoved into Clu’s backpack and all but forgotten by the time they reach the bus. Clu is too excited to even open his letter himself so he asks Fi to do the honors. As Fiona announces that he has been accepted Carey notices that Ned again has an oddly concerned expression. Ned shakes off his peculiar mood long enough to congratulate his youngest son. Clu abruptly remembers the unusual piece of wood he found and digs it out of his pack. Before he gives it to Ned he receives a flash very similar to the one Fiona got. When Ned accepts the gift he sees an even longer version of the same vision.

The wood seems to have a stronger effect on Ned than it did on either Fi or Clu. Ned’s usual easy-going attitude begins to change and he deals sharply with the roadies who are working under him. When Carey shows concern Ned snaps at him and sends all of the kids inside to clean the bus. Clu worries that somehow Ned’s agitation is his fault. Fiona says he’s just stressed with Molly and Irene both in LA. Carey disagrees with Fi and wonders if it really might be Clu’s fault. Ned overhears their discussion and becomes even more erratic. He tells Clu that since he’s had to fire a few of the roadies he’ll be needing both his sons on the road. Clu may not be able to go to college after all.

When Ned flees the bus after a claustrophobic attack he leaves behind a clipboard covered in drawings of the symbol that had been carved into the driftwood. At last Fiona and Clu compare notes on the unusual images they received from the wood and together they decide to head for the shipwreck museum. Jack advocates calling "The Moms" while Carey asks for a chance to try talking with Ned first.

The museum caretaker (called "John Downs" in the credits) explains that the symbol was from "The Swift", an English convict ship that sank in 1763. As he tells Fi and Clu the story of Captain Andrew Leeds his words seem to apply to the images of Ned that are shown. While we hear Downs describing Leeds’ angry and cruel actions we see Ned arguing with Carey and growing ever more suspicious of the remaining roadies. The driftwood is held tightly in Ned’s hand throughout the scene. When Fiona voices her suspicions that Ned is being possessed by Leeds’ trapped spirit Downs believes that the children are mocking him. He runs them out of the museum again.

Back on the bus Carey finally agrees with Jack’s plan to call Irene and Molly, but again Ned overhears and confiscates Carey’s cell phone. Ned then grounds all of them and confines them to the bus. Jack’s new plan involves splitting up and everyone running for a phone, but Fi thinks that they should try taking the wood from Ned. Carey’s reluctant acceptance of Fiona’s theory is summed up in the ringing endorsement "I guess it’s possible that the wood triggered something… maybe". (Note: there’s a picture of Rick Phillips hanging on the wall behind Carey during this discussion.)

Before any plan can be implemented, however, Downs appears outside the bus and seems to be talking angrily with Ned. When the two men board the bus Ned accuses Fi of stealing an artifact from the museum. Fiona is obviously shaken by the accusation but she quickly realizes that Downs has actually come to help them. Fi "admits" that she took a pewter cup and leads Ned into the boys’ room to retrieve it. Once Ned is in the room Fi snatches the driftwood from his hand after wrapping her own hand in a sock. She darts out of the room and Downs helps her lock him inside. It seems that relieving Ned of the wood didn’t cure him.

Carey attempts to drive the bus to the museum but his skills are a little rusty. When they arrive Jack heads for the museum’s phone while Fiona runs toward the ocean. Carey and Clu follow Fiona and protest when they realize that she has strapped Clu’s "favorite rock" to the wood using Carey’s "favorite belt". Fi convinces Clu to throw the whole package into the sea. Ned has escaped confinement and appears to be drowning on dry land as the wood sinks. He continues to struggle until the wavery images of the trapped and drowning Leeds come to an end. Ned looks up at his kids as if waking from a dream.

As Fiona thanks Downs for his help Ned is explaining that he *does* have mixed feelings about Clu going to college. He is proud of the boy but also admits that he will miss him very much. To turn this serious moment into something a little more festive Carey retrieves the "Congratulations Clu!" cake from the bus. Ned calls Irene and has Clu give his mother the good news. While the Bells are celebrating Fi walks out onto the pier to stare out at the water. Jack joins her and gently tells her "it’s just a piece of wood". Fi doesn’t argue, but it’s doubtful that she has changed her mind either.

Notes:

John Downs: Ken Pogue

Clayton: Peter Bryant