A local garbage strike puts Tommy in the difficult position of mediating between the garbage collectors’ union, controlled by Freddie Cork, and the mayor of Providence. To end the strike, he is forced to surrender a piece of his independence to Judd. Eileen struggles to pull out of a tailspin after her lover Carl ends their illicit affair. Michael’s continuing effort to expand his criminal activities is thwarted when he discovers that his old gang has lost its teeth and that he and Pete are on their own. He’s further disappointed when he goes to visit his old girlfriend Kath Parry and finds that she’s married and has two children. In the end, Michael’s frustration explodes in the wrong place at the wrong time in front of the wrong person -– his eight-year-old niece, Noni.

Based on a tip from Moe Riley, Treasury agents, looking for Michael’s counterfeit currency, raid Rose Caffee’s house during Sunday dinner, when the entire family is present. The agents don’t find the currency, but bad publicity generated by the raid causes the Speaker to kill an important real estate deal that Tommy desperately needs. To survive, Tommy is forced to pledge his fealty to the Speaker. For Tommy’s oldest daughter, Mary Rose, the raid initiates a growing fascination with her dangerous uncle, Michael. Michael, in revenge for the raid, frames Moe Riley for murder.

When Declan and Ralph mistakenly shoot an undercover Federal agent, Michael steps forth to help them get rid of the body. Though Declan and Ralph get away clean, their partnership is now contaminated. Tommy’s embarrassed that he had to borrow money from his in-laws and sets out to pay them back. Using his political pull with the zoning board, Tommy lands himself a big fat real estate commission. Eileen’s substance abuse gets out of hand and causes her to abandon the family cat out in the woods. Guilt-stricken, she returns to retrieve the cat and is arrested for erratic behavior. Forced to bail her out, Tommy can no longer deny the problems in his marriage. Mary-Rose finds a joint in Eileen’s pocket and can’t resist trying it. When her uncle Michael catches her, her fascination with him only intensifies. She ends up working in his liquor store after school.