Bates Wilder

Tommy Caffee is a rising star in Rhode Island politics and the prince of his home ward, a working class Irish district known as the Hill. Local gangster Patty Mullin’s murder opens the door to the return of Tommy’s brother Michael, whom Patty had sworn to kill. As Michael starts reclaiming his lost criminal enterprises, Irish mob boss Freddie Cork threatens to whack Michael unless Tommy throws state contracts Freddie’s way. Meanwhile, Michael gets into a beef with Moe Riley, one of Freddie Cork’s underlings, who is currently in control of Michael’s old turf. Eileen Caffee, Tommy’s wife, has secrets of her own: she’s meeting an old boyfriend, now a postman, at a local motel, where they smoke dope and have sex. In the end, Michael achieves a tenuous treaty with Freddie.

When Speaker Donatello's critical condition makes Tommy the heir apparent for the Speakership of the House, Freddie Cork maneuvers to get on Tommy's good side. With the Italian mob, the Rhode Island Police, and the Feds after him, Michael's obsessive need to find Colin puts everyone in jeopardy.

Rose sows unrest between her sons, which leads Michael to throw a wrench into Tommy's big real estate deal; Freddie asks Declan to use his police badge to negotiate with the competition; Tommy and Dana see more of each other.

As Tommy begins his reelection campaign, he turns to his sister, Mary-Kate for support, since he is still upset with Eileen and her infidelities. Estranged Irish cousin, Colin Carr (Brian F. O'Byrne), returns to Providence and stirs up trouble for Tommy, while his cop brother-in-law Declan continues down a slippery slope with his drugs and alcohol.

Tommy's frustration with his new role as Speaker Donatello's errand boy leads him to consider a risky career change. With Michael still refusing to speak to Tommy, Colin arranges for both brothers to attend Rose's birthday party. Rose tries to hide her deteriorating health. Eileen struggles to meet the demands of her growing family while becoming more invested in her job at Social Services. Michael's relationship with Attorney General Franklin starts to unravel when Michael hears that Freddie Cork is getting bail. To avoid serious outside scrutiny, Tommy asks Declan to run a special investigation into corruption in the state house. Declan accepts, looking for real justice.