Cleaver takes on a case defending Denny Lorton - known as Pica - a once famous but now homeless artist who is accused of murdering a 15-year-old male prostitute in a city back lane. Still struggling with his Scarlet-related demons, and nervous about working with Barney on the case, Cleaver arrives drunk to an art gallery event, making a spectacle of himself in front of Missy and David. But Missy has her own problems as she continues the charade about her past in her new life with David. When David introduces her to Attorney General Joe Sandilands - a client from her Club Jules days - her heart skips a beat. But Joe keeps schtum. With Joe encouraging David to run for office, Missy finds herself at a parliamentary garden party and out of her depth, and once again turns to Cleaver for support. Meanwhile, the atmosphere between Scarlet and Cleaver is less sexual and more combative, while at home Barney gives Scarlet the cold shoulder. At a school visit to discuss their son's lack of progress, Cleaver and Wendy find one ray of hope when Fuzz's English teacher sings his praises. But they are soon to discover the attractive Fiona is teaching Fuzz much more than English. Meanwhile, Cleaver, believing in his client Lorton's innocence, manages to win the court case by shifting suspicion to the prosecution's key witness Stanley Shrimpton. Soon after however, he is given information about Lorton's past, and shaken to the core, decides to exact his own punishment on Lorton. But his day gets even worse and he loses his temper as Fuzz arrives with Fiona, expecting his father to be his usual indulgent self. Meanwhile at Barney's insistence, Scarlet relents and gives him the name of the man she slept with...except it's a name that implicates his best friend Cleaver.

Radio shock jock Eddie Langhorn (Rachel Griffiths) is charged with inciting racial hatred, and turns to old flame Cleaver Greene (Richard Roxburgh) to defend her. Meanwhile, Cleaver needs some defending himself when his tax case goes off the rails and he's placed on remand. Feeling lost without good mate and colleague Barney (Russell Dykstra) by his side, a visit from Missy (Adrienne Pickering), in prison brings him to the realisation that he has hit rock bottom. As he tries recover his position with Missy, she is experiencing the 'joys' of political life with David (Matt Day) as they sit through a session of Ukrainian folk dancing at a local council hall. Cleaver arrives at work to find Eddie Langhorn waiting for him, and knows immediately that he's in for trouble as he's never been able to resist her charms. As they share a caustic but predictably sexually charged lunch, Cleaver discovers he has a willing participant in his revisited coke habit. Cleaver then learns his father has had a stroke, and hoping to repair their relationship, takes Fuzz (Keegan Joyce) to the country to visit his ailing father. It doesn't go well. There is a family fight, Fuzz will not forgive him, and the car he borrowed from ex-wife Wendy is side-swiped. As prosecutor on the Langhorn case, Scarlet (Danielle Cormack) is relishing the thought of seeing Eddie - a woman she dislikes intensely - locked up, but her confidence is shattered when she is surrounded by a gang of hoods in a park. As Scarlet flounders in court, Barney gives her some information that could change the nature of the case, and he also confesses that the woman Scarlet saw at their home was a nanny. While David, enjoying his embryonic political career and ever more intimate relationship with Missy, proposes. Cleaver manages to win the case but is disheartened to learn that Eddie Langhorn has conned him once again. And then Missy arrives to tell him that she and David are getting married. Alone, and flicking though an old photo album, Cleaver ponders whether his fractious relationship with his family is probably all his fault.