Laurel tells Gustav and Rochelle that she knows how to stop the bugs' plan. She figures that the war and the internment camps are a distraction from their real plan: cherry blossoms. Global warming has extended the cherry blossom season, but it's ending in 38 days. The bugs need the hothouses to breed, and Gustav says that they need to sabotage them. Laurel says that Luke is stopping the budget and prepares to talk to him. Gustav wants a team hand-holding first.
Laurel goes to Red's office and finds Red there with Gareth's parents Sam and Nora. She realizes that they're One-Wayers, and Red explains that Laurel is a Democrat and Luke's brother. Gareth comes in and Nora hugs her son, and Red points out that he's dating a Democrat and Laurel dated Michael Moore. Laurel talks to Gareth privately and asks him for the full blueprints for the hothouses. He agrees and wonders if Laurel is good with his parents, and Laurel kisses him. He suggests that they have sex even though his parents are in the next room, but Laurel sees Luke on the news and realizes that he's the only one at the sit-in, and says that she has to go.
In the committee room, Luke tells Laurel that the other Senators got tired and went back to their offices. He figures that drama would bring the Senators back, and gets an idea. He asks the Capitol officer, Ryan, to arrest him. Ryan wonders why he would do that, and Luke pays him some money. Soon, Ryan is leading Luke away and Luke complains about fascist republicans. The other democrat Senators rally yo the cause when they see Luke on the news.
Gareth searches Red's desk and finds a locked drawer. He forces the lock with a letter opener and finds a gun inside. There's also a photo of a woman, and Gareth finds a security badge in Red's jacket pocket. Gareth calls Laurel and tells him what he's found, just as Gary the Intern comes in and asks if Gareth needs anything. Gareth assures him that he's fine and says that the security badge is to the construction site. Laurel says that she loves him and then admits that she just said it but isn't sure why. Gareth smiles and says it back, and Laurel calls Rochelle and tells her about the security badge.
When Luke returns to the committee room, he finds the other Democrats singing in support. Red calls Luke and suggests that he come to his office so that they can negotiate in private. Luke agrees to see him the next day at lunch. Once Red hangs up, he takes out Ella's gun from the drawer... and realizes that someone forced the lock.
Luke returns to his office and finds Bob waiting for him. Bob says that he leaked and the special prosecutor disappeared. The director tells Luke that he has a witness, and warns that he might have to resign if it comes out. Luke calls Laurel in and asks her to listen to Bob threatening him. Bob hands him a message saying to stop the sit-in and says that they'll discuss their options later. Luke tells Laurel that there is no witness, but Laurel wonders if Duke is the witness.
Laurel goes to her parents' home and finds Dean listening to "You Might Think." He seems dazed, and insists that he told the CIA the truth. Laurel reminds Dean that he told him to never embarrass the family, and that he accused Luke of betraying the family after Luke lost his first Senate race. Dean insists that it isn't personal, but Laurel says that he wanted to hurt Luke because he lost. A bug crawls out of Dean's ear, and she tells him to let the bugs out and come back to them. She tells Dean to make Luke proud, but he goes out jogging.
Later, Laurel meets with Gustav and Rochelle and explains what happened. Rochelle figures that shame is a deep human emotion and if they can reach Dean's shame then they can drive the bugs out. Gareth arrives and gives Laurel the security badge. He talks to Laurel privately and Laurel admits that she's commitment-phobic. She tells Gareth that he doesn't have to say that they're getting too serious, and Gareth says that he thinks that he loves her, too, and thought he should say it if the world was going to end. Laurel says that she loves him and they kiss.
Gustav puts his photo on the badge while Rochelle does research and learns that salt kills cherry blossoms. They buy all the salt at the grocery store and Gustav puts on a suit and the fake badge. Rochelle and Gustav go to the Manassas construction site carrying the salt and go to use it on the beds. A worker, Brian, complains that Gustav is making Rochelle do the work, and hauls the wheelbarrow into the greenhouse. Gustav claims that he's Red and Brian worker eagerly shakes his hand. However, they come to Anthony and they quickly turn around. Anthony realizes that something is up and they run out. The agent checks the wheelbarrow and discovers that it contains salt.
Laurel joins Luke at the sit-in and says that shame might have an impact on the bugs' infection. Luke warns that Dean doesn't shame easily, and Laurel says that Dean cried when she reminded him what he said to Luke the night he lost. Her brother doesn't believe it, insisting that Dean was their manager not their father, and Dean always loved Laurel more than him. Luke says that the camera Dean gave Laurel for her ninth birthday would make Dean ashamed.
Laurel goes back to her parents' house and plays the video she made when she got the camera. Dean comes in and on the film, a tired Dean comes in and says that he couldn't get away. His wife Liz accuses him of not being at the office while a young Laurel secretly records the entire conversation. Dean tries to turn it off. Laurel refuses, and Dean begs her to turn it off. He says that he didn't know Laurel was there, while Laurel says that she loved him then and still does. The young Laurel breaks into tears, and Dean collapses as the bugs crawl out of his ear and across the carpet to the door.
Luke meets with Red, who asks him to stand still. As red starts to take out the gun, Laurel calls Luke and he steps aside to take the call. She tells him what happened to Dean, while Red tries to get a bead on the pacing Luke. Luke then says that his father is sick and they'll avhe to delay their meeting.
Gareth comes in and asks if Red needs anything, and Red asks if anybody has been in the office. Red says that Gareth is the son he never had--sometimes--and goes to put on his jacket. Gareth steps outside and meets Rochelle and Gustav, and Gustav gives Gareth the badge, Gareth goes back and Gareth puts the badge on the floor. When Red realizes that his badge is gone, Gareth points it out and Red takes it.
At the hospital, Luke and Laurel wait in the hallway. Laurel says that her entire childhood she wanted to see Dean display some shame for what he did for their mother. Now that he did, she feels awful. Luke hugs her.
Rochelle tells Gustav that they need to sabotage the cherry blossom trees because that's why the bugs are. If they make the blossoms drop early then the bugs will have nowhere to go. Rochelle has done the research and says that they can use ammonium nitrate fertilizer to do it.
Laurel and Gareth have sex, and Laurel says that shame can reach the person inside. Gareth warns that Red doesn't do shame. Afterward, Gareth points out that Red keeps Laurel "Lana," and asks for her laptop. He checks the archives and finds Red doing an interview where he broke into tears because he's shamed about someone called Lana. Gareth figure that the photo he saw in Red's draws is Lana.
Gustav and Rochelle take fertilizer to the cherry blossoms and a police car pulls up behind them. The officer says that they were speeding, and Rochelle insists that they weren't. She wants to record the conversation, and the police soon arrest them. Anthony arrives and confronts them.
Red and Bob approach Luke at the sit-in, and Red says that Luke has had people steal his security badge. Bob tells Luke that there's a sex tape and points at Scarlett. Luke tells the Sneators that it's time to bring the sit-in to a close now that they've made their point.
Anthony asks what the fertilizer is for, and Gustav claims that it's for a tree. Gustav tells them to check his work ID, and they find a NSA badge. The police officer releases him and apologizes for the misunderstanding, while Anthony storms off. Rochelle is shocked to learn that Gustav actually is a NSA agent.
Laurel watches as the budget passes as-is to go to the Senate. She confronts Luke and demands an explanation, but he says that they didn't have the votes. Luke is with Cole reviewing a motorcycle helmet bill, and Cole explains that the law overrides the farm bill on issues that cross state lines. Luke says that Red lost: he just doesn't know it yet.
In his office, Red sees the bill and is furious. He discovers that Gareth is out but finds Laurel waiting. He invites her to his office and says that it's time for the adults to talk.
Rochelle is complaining to Gustav that he didn't tell her he was a senior NSA intelligent agent. Gareth finds them and Rochelle says that Laurel went upstairs to find him.
Laurel asks about Lana, and Red says that it doesn't matter because they have everything for a permanent majority. Undeterred, Laurel says that she looks like Lana except for her hair, and explains that Lana was Red's first love. Red turned Lana in because she was an illegal immigrant working in his dorm, and he hated himself. The Senator insists that he wasn't in love with Lana, and Laurel says that Red is ashamed of what he did. She tells him that Lana died in Guatemala when she was sent back there, and tells Red to let it out. Red draws the gun just as gareth comes in. he sees the gun and jumps red, and Laurel tries to grab the gun. Red tells Gareth that he loves him and begs him to stop, and then gun goes off. Red glares at them and then screams when he realizes that they shot him in the butt.
The queen flies out of Red's ear and heads for the door. Gary comes in with Red's smoothie and accidentally steps on it, and apologizes to Red. Once he leaves, a high-pitched screeching echoes through DC.
Bugs crawl out of Senators' ears throughout DC. The bugs swarm through the halls and go to Red's office to mourn their queen. Laurel and Gareth realize that they're trapped and climb up on Red's desk.
Gustav and Rochelle treat the cherry blossom trees with fertilizer and wait. Rochelle wonders why Gustav hasn't used his connections, and Gustav says that he was on leave and figures that Rochelle has a crush on him. She starts to walk off but stops. Gustav figures that it's because of his magnetism, but Rochelle points out the cherry blossoms on the ground... and the thousands more falling off of the trees. Laughing, they hug each other.
The bugs form a pile around the queen's corpse. As they watch, Laurel and Gareth queen. Red, puzzled, looks up and asks what's going on.
Laurel leaves politics and DC, and she and Gareth get a place together
Red never pays the price and gets re-elected twice as Senator. Despite the fact that half his brain is missing, no one notices.
Dean stays in the hospital, dying.
Gareth and Laurel vote for their respective candidates.
Luke is forced out of office but ends up working on Wall Street right before the next market crash.
A bug flies out of a cherry blossom.
Written by Gadfly on Sep 12, 2016