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 named Lawrence. 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.

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 and Roman attend their first big meeting in their new roles, as do Tom and Greg. Kendall tries to convince Rava to give their marriage a second chance, and gets an unexpected reaction to his handling of Waystar from his father.