It's Election Night in the Succession universe, and Tom is in charge and desperate to hang onto his job at ATN. To avoid facing consequences himself, he plans to spread false rumors to scare the angry elderly demographic that forms the core of their viewership. One such rumor involves a woman who allegedly voted 40 times for Mencken's Democratic opponent, Jimenez. However, a producer named Pam discredited the claim. Darwin, who manages ATN's decision desk, is also present and assures Tom that he can take bathroom breaks despite a rumor suggesting otherwise.
Meanwhile, Greg shares his night's events with Tom, mentioning that he went clubbing with Matsson and Oskar. Greg complains he was coerced into dancing with an older man. During this encounter, Greg sensed that Matsson and Shiv may have a secret agreement. Tom pretends to be unaware of the situation but offers Greg a lesson in leveraging information. The tension in the room grows as conflicting desires to witness someone receive a metaphorical "face-smashing" emerge.
Darwin reveals that exit polls indicate a closer race than expected, with Jimenez predicted to win. However, the team must keep this information confidential to avoid jeopardizing ATN's involvement in the national election pool.
Shiv expresses confidence but is troubled by reports of Mencken supporters allegedly manipulating Jimenez voters, leaving them stranded, including a child. Roman dismisses it as a "false flag," revealing his stance and the level of discourse he's willing to engage in.
While Shiv privately discusses matters with Matsson, assuring him that the election will favor their interests and result in Jimenez approving the GoJo deal, she also learns anxiously that Matsson shared privileged information with Greg the previous night. Shiv also communicates with Nate, agreeing to stay in touch throughout the night as the election results come in.
Meanwhile, Kendall receives a call from Rava, who expresses concern about a car following them. After verifying the license plate, Kendall confirms that it's their security detail, which he hired following the incident of being shoved on the street. It remains uncertain whether Kendall forgot to inform Rava or if he never intended to, but she is not pleased with the situation. Rava shares Shiv's worries about scattered reports of voter intimidation by loyalists of Mencken. Unconcerned about ATN's position in the national election pool, Kendall reassures Rava that Jimenez will win. He also makes a loud declaration to Sophie, although he's not on speakerphone since Rava ignored his earlier request to speak to her, saying, "I won't let the world push you, okay, sweetie?"
Afterward, Kendall reaches out to Nate, who is with the presumed president-elect. Nate shares concerns about voter intimidation and requests coverage of this on ATN. Kendall states that he must abstain from making editorial decisions. He then asks Nate to connect him with Jimenez, who skillfully deflects Kendall's opportunistic insinuations about blocking the GoJo deal once he assumes the presidency. It seems Nate warned Jimenez about Kendall's tendencies to pursue personal interests even in absentia at parties.
Meanwhile, Roman is summoned to Mencken's war room. Mencken shares his belief that victory is still possible, but his focus lies on framing a loss as a significant achievement by "overperforming." Roman sees an opportunity for ATN to assist Mencken in promoting this narrative.
Back at the office, Tom is in need of an energy boost. However, Greg, who believes such tasks are beneath him now, refuses to bring Tom coffee. Consequently, Tom settles for a partial fulfillment of his request: Indulging in a cocaine bump discreetly behind a whiteboard. He also coerces Greg into partaking, claiming it has positive effects on brain health. While in the office, Tom notices a couple of trays of "bodega sushi" left on the table, sent by another subordinate according to Greg. Tom is appalled by the suggestion that he would subject his precious gastrointestinal system to such low-quality food and demotes Greg for the night, forcing him to perform menial tasks aka "gregging" again.
Then, a fire breaks out at an election facility in Milwaukee. Shiv, with Nate on speakerphone, calls Tom to question why ATN isn't covering the incident. She disagrees when Tom asserts that "just because something is on fire doesn't make it news." The siblings quickly turn on each other. Shiv reasonably attributes the election interference to Mencken's supporters, while Roman, returning from Mencken's suite, casually blames "antifa" and disregards Shiv's objection that he can't always win arguments by invoking false flags.
This is where the night takes a turn. The destruction of the ballots actually favors Mencken in the short term as they would have largely supported Jimenez. Mencken's team follows the expected protocol, sending a team of lawyers to Milwaukee to ensure compliance with election law and projecting a sense of calm while endorsing the system. However, all Mencken needs to do is request Roman's assistance in shaping the narrative. In other words, he wants ATN personalities to begin spreading outright lies about the situation. The newsroom quickly becomes chaotic as the Roy siblings assert their conflicting agendas, directly violating one of Logan's major rules of keeping executives away from frontline battles. Greg attempts to remove them at Tom's instruction but faces resistance.
Once they gather in their private conference room, Shiv states that the vote in Wisconsin cannot be certified until all absentee ballots have been counted. However, Roman interrupts with news that Mencken claims victory in Wisconsin. Shiv solemnly remarks that if Mencken wins, it would be disastrous, but Roman's primary concern is whether Jimenez will block the GoJo deal if he becomes the winner. Shiv appeals to Kendall, whom she previously dubbed a "fearless fighter of the good fight," to acknowledge that there's more at stake in this election. However, Kendall disappoints as it becomes evident that his previous claims were mere rhetoric.
Darwin then takes on the task of explaining what happens next, knowing that his answer, which suggests a lack of immediate resolution, will not satisfy anyone. A Ravenhead editorial begins, attributing the fire to Democratic forces who were aware of Jimenez's impending loss. The editorial aims to flatter the audience as intelligent individuals who see through official explanations. On the newsroom floor, Shiv accuses Roman of feeding Ravenhead talking points. While Shiv genuinely cares about the unfolding events and becomes genuinely angry and fearful, it becomes clear that she has already lost this battle.
Amidst her series of losses, Shiv takes a moment to pull Greg aside and confront him about any information he may have acquired during his night out with Matsson. When Greg hesitates to engage, Shiv warns Greg that if he attempts to undermine her, she will retaliate by figuratively "killing" him. A hesitant Greg inquires about the price for his silence, and Shiv offers to spare his internal organs. Greg realizes Shiv is not to be messed with, and backs down.
Later, Roman informs Kendall that Mencken has supposedly offered to block the GoJo deal in exchange for ATN's support. This conversation takes place offscreen, so its veracity remains uncertain. Roman then proceeds to Tom's small conference room, where he attempts to pressure Tom and Darwin into calling Wisconsin in favor of Mencken. Darwin, as expected, is cautious, but surprisingly, Tom also hesitates. In response to their resistance, Roman slightly backtracks and suggests a softer call, which Darwin could explain on camera. Darwin appears to be warming up to the idea, negotiating a concession from Roman and Tom that his appearance can be accompanied by a graphic indicating that the call is only "pending." However, when Darwin moves Greg's tray of bodega sushi from his computer and opens it, he accidentally gets temporarily blinded by the wasabi. Greg's attempt to assist by improvising an eye wash with a lemon-flavored seltzer can proves unsuccessful.
Meanwhile, the control room proceeds to make a Wisconsin call for Mencken without any of Darwin's stipulations. An anchor declares, "And there goes the blue wall," while Kendall feels remorseful about the outcome.
As the night progresses, Mencken emerges victorious in Arizona, the final battleground state. This outcome puts ATN in a tricky situation with the Wisconsin call, as they cannot call Arizona without calling the entire election. Roman is ready to make the call, but Kendall is uncertain and wants to reconsider Wisconsin. Roman compares their current dilemma to their childhood, where if he wanted steak and Kendall preferred roast chicken, they would always end up with chicken. Kendall argues that their parents knew Roman would throw a tantrum if he didn't get his way, and they didn't want to reinforce that behavior. However, now Roman's single-minded focus is on Mencken's promised interference in the deal, while Kendall's defense of American pluralism and even his mention of Sophie being bumped by a Ravenhead fan fall on deaf ears. Roman expresses his belief that nothing matters anymore, emphasizing that their father is dead and the country is ripe for exploitation. If they don't take action, their opportunity will slip away.
Meanwhile, PGN announces that they are calling Arizona for Mencken. Kendall, seemingly grappling with the broader political implications of his personal campaign against the deal, confides in Shiv. He contemplates the idea of running Waystar on his own, but doesn't want to jeopardize the familial dynamics they currently have. However, Kendall feels threatened by Roman's alliance with Mencken. Shiv appeals to Kendall's self-perception as a "good guy" and acknowledges that he may not consider himself a great father. Despite her desperation to stop Mencken that night, Shiv suggests that Kendall at least tries. She proposes reaching out to Nate again to see if he will match Mencken's deal. Kendall agrees to give it a shot.
Shiv fakes a call to Nate, but quickly gets caught out when Kendall then calls Nate himself. Shiv then finds herself unable to regain the moral high ground and realizes that attempting to sway Kendall back to her side based on principles is futile. The night has been lost as ATN declares Mencken as the winner of the election. Mencken's acceptance speech contains veiled references to the corrupt nature of politics and a longing for something clean in the polluted landscape.
Kendall tries to convince himself that Mencken is someone they can do business with. Roman nonchalantly remarks that they have simply created a night of entertaining television and that nothing consequential will come out of it. Shiv, in a somber tone, acknowledges that things do happen, but in this case, Roman is correct. It was all just a show, and nothing significant will come out of it, apart from the presumed death of the GoJo deal. The effects of this election, beyond that, are inconsequential to real people.
Pam informs Tom that it will take months to determine the actual winner of Wisconsin. This means that the truth will never be known, so if anyone genuinely cared, they are left in surprise. However, Tom is more concerned about the personal attacks he is facing from other news organizations regarding ATN's prematurely called Wisconsin result.
As Shiv storms out of ATN headquarters, which already displays a triumphant Mencken graphic in the lobby, she calls Matsson and informs him that they will now release his controversial figures, using them against her brothers.
During the late-night drive home, Kendall contacts Rava and requests to speak to the children, fully aware that they are already asleep. Rava doesn't bother rejecting his offer to come over and wait for them. Kendall acknowledges that he will see them all at the funeral the next day. After ending the call, Kendall attempts to portray himself as the winner of the night's events, remarking to his driver, "Some people just can't cut a deal."
