New York City, 1985. A gay couple's relationship is rocked by the revelation that one has AIDS; a young man named Joe Pitts is offered a job by conservative icon Roy Cohn...who also learns he has AIDS.

Louis abandons a hospitalized Prior; Joe and Roy confide in each other over drinks. Later, Prior hears voices from his hospital bed while Louis solicits sex from strangers, and Joe makes a drunken confession to his mother.

While Joe is being seduced by Louis, Prior is being aroused by the baffled Angel. Meanwhile, Roy's health worsens; Harper's hallucination is interrupted by reality; Prior tells Belize about his divine mission; and Hannah tries to help Harper.

Louis arranges a meeting with Prior; Joe visits Roy in the hospital and gets an unwelcome father's blessing; Prior drags Belize to the courthouse for a surprise meeting with the clerk and later strikes up a friendship with Hannah. High on morphine, Roy paints a different picture of heaven.