Reeva asks Elliott to intervene with the university president about Shel's tenure; horrified when her first big assignment entails taking pictures of a small child shot and killed during a robbery, Dori questions the ethical responsibility of publishing the photos, and contemplates resigning; an upset Arthur, suspecting that Ellen is having an affair when she spends long hours working with Andy Carlson, goes on a midnight jog in the rain and suffers a fatal heart attack.

Glenn attempts to reconcile with a resentful Ellen; Otis struggles to deal with his father's death; Ellen questions continuing her campaign now that she's a widow; Shel admits to cheating on Reeva and begs for forgiveness; Elliott delivers an emotional eulogy at Arthur's funeral; Dori is devastated when she learns that her mother may have committed suicide.

On the eve of the election, Elliott Baines realizes his Senate seat is in jeopardy when he discovers how badly he's trailing in the polls; his eldest daughter, Ellen, convinces him to return to Seattle to make a last ditch effort to campaign for votes; his middle daughter, Reeva, finds her life unraveling when she catches her husband in a compromising situation with another woman; his youngest daughter, Dori, finally lands a job as a newsroom photographer and is angry when she learns that her father used his connections to get her the position.

Elliott awakens to the ear-splitting sounds of drumming and smoothies being blended in the kitchen by Claude Waverley, Dori's boyfriend; when Elliott's stranded later by a dead car battery, Claude saves the day by giving him a lift and some much-needed words of wisdom while they wait for a tow truck; when Reeva suspects that her husband is having an affair, she enlists Dori's help in spying on Shel; Ellen becomes uneasy when her partners suggest that Elliott join their law firm.