Backstrom and the team at the Special Crimes Unit investigate the murder of a prominent member of Portland's LGBT community - a drag queen Internet blogger named Jenna Rose. Backstrom declares the murder a hate crime, and the investigation takes an unsuspected turn when Backstrom's tenant, Gregory Valentine, becomes a suspect. Meanwhile, Backstrom has to testify in front of the Civilian Oversight Committee, regarding his shooting of a suspect from a previous case. Heading the newly formed committee is his ex-fiance, Amy Gazanian, all of which results in severe anxiety attacks for Backstrom.

When a Chinese fortune teller is murdered in Portland's Chinatown, clues lead Backstrom and the Special Crimes Unit to a laundry service serving as a front for an illegal gambling ring. During the investigation, fortunes also are told to each member of the S.C.U. team. But the information given to some members reveal more secrets about their pasts than others, and one burgeoning relationship is brought out into the open.