On his 80th birthday, media magnate Logan Roy – whose imminent retirement was thought to be a given – shocks his family by announcing he’s staying on indefinitely as CEO of Waystar Royco. The news shatters his son, Kendall, the heir apparent, who’s in the midst of negotiating the purchase of a digital-media venture founded by a slick operator. After an impromptu softball game, tempers flare as Logan’s other children – Roman, Shiv and Connor – raise objections over Logan’s intentions, including his desire to change the way his eventual successor will be chosen.
Logan’s incapacitation sets off a heated succession debate among his children, as the board rushes to inform the media about leadership contingencies before the stock market opens. Greg is tasked with retrieving important items from the Roy apartment. Kendall makes an impassioned final plea to keep Waystar Royco in the family, and receives sobering news from longtime general counsel Gerri Kellman that dampens a moment of vindication.
With Waystar’s stock plunging to dangerous lows, Kendall is confronted with a major crisis involving a secret bank debt. Upset with Marcia for pulling rank in the Roy apartment, Shiv decides to enlist an old paramour to conduct a background check on Logan’s third wife. Kendall, Roman, Tom and Greg attend their first big meeting in their new roles. Kendall tries to convince Rava to give their marriage a second chance, and gets an unexpected reaction from his father to his handling of Waystar.
With the company’s annual foundation gala fundraiser approaching, and his dad out of the picture, Kendall polishes up his speech while enlisting an on-air personality from the Waystar’s ATV Networks to accompany him. Shiv tries to minimize damage from a sordid photo that threatens a client’s political future. Tom inherits a “virus” from his predecessor in the parks and cruises division, and shares a disturbing file with Greg. Logan makes a mark on his return to the office. At the benefit, Connor shows why he’s better off avoiding stressful situations.
After hearing Logan's plan to expand to local TV, Kendall begins to plot a vote of no confidence against his father. Greg drives his ornery grandfather from Canada to New York for a Thanksgiving reunion with Logan. Tom grows increasingly concerned about the terms of his prenuptial agreement with Shiv, and recruits Greg for a clandestine task. The family is surprised by Connor's choice of date at Thanksgiving dinner.
With the vote of no confidence against Logan approaching, Roman attempts to sway a neutral board member, while Kendall frantically shores up his "yea" votes. Logan arrives in Washington to meet with the president, but worries he's been snubbed following a last-minute cancellation. After successfully thwarting a potential scandal, Tom introduces Greg to fine dining. Shiv explores her options in D.C.
In an effort to fix his public image, Logan agrees to a family therapy session at Connor's New Mexico ranch, intending it to double as a publicity stunt. Lying low, Kendall spends time with the locals and finds his sobriety tested. Shiv considers putting herself in a precarious situation when Nate pushes her to join the team of Gil Eavis, a potential presidential candidate who goes against everything her father stands for. As Willa spends more time with his family, Connor makes a hard-to-refuse proposal.
Tom has a bachelor party to remember. Kendall eyes a new business opportunity with a pair of idealistic entrepreneurs. Roman looks to land a deal for local TV stations with his father’s longtime nemesis. Logan tasks Greg with acting as Kendall’s babysitter during Tom’s party. Shiv and Gil get ambushed during a TV interview on a Waystar network.
The Roys assemble at Eastnor Castle in England to prepare for Shiv and Tom’s wedding. The children reunite with their mother, Caroline, who is every bit as acerbic as Logan. As guests mingle and clash, Kendall learns from Stewy and Sandy that their plot for a hostile takeover of Waystar has been fast-tracked in order to catch Logan off-guard.
Still addled from the events in England, Kendall tries to make amends with his dad for his takeover attempt betrayal. Logan receives some unvarnished advice from his financial banker about the next best move for Waystar Royco. As Tom maneuvers for a new position in the company, Shiv tries to determine whether Logan is playing mind games regarding his successor.
Roman and Kendall do a “routine health check” of a new media brand to help Vaulter to determine the future of the company. Tom tasks Greg with sniffing out waste at ATN, as Greg wonders if the divisive media outlet is the right fit for him. Connor and Willa host a soiree to mark their return to New York. Shiv brings Tom in the loop about her future at Waystar and with Gil’s campaign.
Logan informs his skeptical management team of his plan to make another attempt to acquire Pierce, a rival media company and one of the most respected names in news, and brings back Frank to work on the deal. Convinced the acquisition is a terrible idea, Shiv asks Tom to deliver the message to Logan at a corporate retreat in Hungary. Greg worries his pre-meeting with a Logan biographer puts his standing with the family at risk. Connor’s presidential announcement irritates Logan.
Roman begins a six-week management training program in the Parks division and is irritated about spending so much time with “normals.” Logan brings Shiv in for a day at Waystar, raising suspicions with Kendall and Gerri. Connor and Willa attend the funeral of a family friend with a complicated past. Logan and Kendall arrange a covert meeting with PGM CEO Rhea Jarrell, as a controversy surrounding a star anchor leads to a day of chaos at ATN headquarters.
Logan attempts to solidify his buyout of PGM at a weekend retreat at the Pierce family home, where Shiv, Roman and Connor veer from their carefully orchestrated roles. As the Pierces question whether an alliance with Waystar Royco will tarnish their legacy, Kendall makes his case to Naomi Pierce during a drug-filled night.
As Logan looks to finalize a deal to buy the Pierce family's papers and TV stations at a media & banking retreat, a threat to the deal arises from an unexpected quarter. Tom worries about ATN's new slogan after learning some distressing news from Greg. Kendall, Shiv and Roman fail to see eye to eye on how to handle damage control ahead of a panel featuring the Roys.
With the shareholders meeting imminent and Waystar Royco in a precarious position after a whistleblower makes headlines, Logan, Kendall, Gerri and Tom testify before Congress and face tough questions from a determined Gil Eavis. Shiv speaks candidly to Kira, a victim who is set to be a key witness. In Turkey, Roman’s business pitch takes a chilling turn.
As Kendall, Shiv, and Roman hone their pitch for potential investors in LA, a call from Tom shifts the siblings’ focus towards one of their dad’s long-coveted companies. Back in NY, Greg’s uninvited plus-one raises questions at Logan’s birthday party, Connor considers throwing a gargantuan sum at his campaign, and Tom seeks assurances from Logan.
After Shiv discovers that Tom is following Logan’s playbook, she, Kendall, and Roman consider backing Sandi and Stewy’s aggressive play on the Matsson deal. Meanwhile, Logan gives an impromptu pep talk to the ATN newsroom… and outsources a tricky conversation with Kerry. Later, Connor tries to make the most of his rehearsal dinner when Willa goes AWOL.
Ahead of a crucial new product launch on Investor Day, Shiv weighs a business proposal from Matsson, while Kendall and Roman call an impromptu meeting to flip the script on their latest interaction with the tech billionaire. Later, the brothers each try to match Logan’s tempestuous style, with varying results.
Hoping to work the angles on the GoJo deal, Kendall and Roman ask Shiv to invite a political insider to Logan’s annual pre-election day party. Later, Connor considers whether to adjust his ambitions after receiving intel from the Mencken team, while Kendall and Roman catch wind of a potentially fortuitous scandal.