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's ex-wife Glenn approaches him to get the listing on his house in Virginia when he returns to D.C. to receive the Presidential Citizens Medal; Ellen and Dori join Elliott on the trip to lobby for Elliott's appointment as Secretary of Commerce; after initially deciding not to join her father and sisters, Reeva surprises Elliott by showing up for the ceremony; Ellen is approached to run for Congress; Elliott finally realizes that his career in Washington is over,
Elliott and Ellen clash over campaign strategy; Dori realizes that her feelings for Claude may be stronger than she thought; Reeva decides not to tell Shel about her first ultrasound appointment.