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.
Reeva leaves Shel and moves into Elliott's house with Sam and Ruthie; Elliott's attempt to heal the rift backfires when Shel tells him more than he wants to know about the problems in his daughter's relationship; Ellen's growing attraction to Andy Carlson prompts her to withdraw from his case; after telling Dori about overhearing Claude speaking intimately on the phone to another woman, Elliott is dismayed to learn about the open relationship his daughter has with the musician; Shel attempts to patch things up with Reeva at Sam's birthday party; Reeva drops a bomb on the entire family when she announces she's pregnant and not sure she's keeping the baby; Ellen and Arthur discuss her wanting to run for Congress.
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 exhibits signs of depression after Ellen announces her decision to run for Congress; Elliott runs into his next door neighbor when he takes out the trash, and is cajoled into taking an old lamp to the ""Antiques Caravan"" television show; a confrontation with a shady client helps Ellen realize that she could become an influential force for change in Congress; Reeva interviews for a job in the university anthropology department, but decides to take a job selling cosmetics; Dori tags along with a famous photographer covering a big murder trial, and winds up taking the photograph that makes the front page.
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.
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.