Season 1

2001 · 9 episodes

Episodes

1A Day Like No OtherOn the eve of the election, Elliott Baines realizes his Senate seat is in jeopardy when he discovers how badly he's trailing in the polls; his eldest daughter, Ellen, convinces him to return to Seattle to make a last ditch effort to campaign for votes; his middle daughter, Reeva, finds her life unraveling when she catches her husband in a compromising situation with another woman; his youngest daughter, Dori, finally lands a job as a newsroom photographer and is angry when she learns that her father used his connections to get her the position.
2The Whole Thump-Thump-ThumpElliott awakens to the ear-splitting sounds of drumming and smoothies being blended in the kitchen by Claude Waverley, Dori's boyfriend; when Elliott's stranded later by a dead car battery, Claude saves the day by giving him a lift and some much-needed words of wisdom while they wait for a tow truck; when Reeva suspects that her husband is having an affair, she enlists Dori's help in spying on Shel; Ellen becomes uneasy when her partners suggest that Elliott join their law firm.
3Days Of ConfusionReeva leaves Shel and moves into Elliott's house with Sam and Ruthie; Elliott's attempt to heal the rift backfires when Shel tells him more than he wants to know about the problems in his daughter's relationship; Ellen's growing attraction to Andy Carlson prompts her to withdraw from his case; after telling Dori about overhearing Claude speaking intimately on the phone to another woman, Elliott is dismayed to learn about the open relationship his daughter has with the musician; Shel attempts to patch things up with Reeva at Sam's birthday party; Reeva drops a bomb on the entire family when she announces she's pregnant and not sure she's keeping the baby; Ellen and Arthur discuss her wanting to run for Congress.
4Three Days In NovemberElliott's ex-wife Glenn approaches him to get the listing on his house in Virginia when he returns to D.C. to receive the Presidential Citizens Medal; Ellen and Dori join Elliott on the trip to lobby for Elliott's appointment as Secretary of Commerce; after initially deciding not to join her father and sisters, Reeva surprises Elliott by showing up for the ceremony; Ellen is approached to run for Congress; Elliott finally realizes that his career in Washington is over,
5The AppraisalElliott exhibits signs of depression after Ellen announces her decision to run for Congress; Elliott runs into his next door neighbor when he takes out the trash, and is cajoled into taking an old lamp to the ""Antiques Caravan"" television show; a confrontation with a shady client helps Ellen realize that she could become an influential force for change in Congress; Reeva interviews for a job in the university anthropology department, but decides to take a job selling cosmetics; Dori tags along with a famous photographer covering a big murder trial, and winds up taking the photograph that makes the front page.
6Lost And FoundElliott and Ellen clash over campaign strategy; Dori realizes that her feelings for Claude may be stronger than she thought; Reeva decides not to tell Shel about her first ultrasound appointment.
7Out in the RainReeva asks Elliott to intervene with the university president about Shel's tenure; horrified when her first big assignment entails taking pictures of a small child shot and killed during a robbery, Dori questions the ethical responsibility of publishing the photos, and contemplates resigning; an upset Arthur, suspecting that Ellen is having an affair when she spends long hours working with Andy Carlson, goes on a midnight jog in the rain and suffers a fatal heart attack.
8A Song That Never EndsGlenn attempts to reconcile with a resentful Ellen; Otis struggles to deal with his father's death; Ellen questions continuing her campaign now that she's a widow; Shel admits to cheating on Reeva and begs for forgiveness; Elliott delivers an emotional eulogy at Arthur's funeral; Dori is devastated when she learns that her mother may have committed suicide.
9Safe at Home