Episode 1: Carnival

As he and Burton are fleeing the parking lot where they left a man bloodied and beaten, Nick spots Taliek Allen running away from the office. On a hunch, he sends Burton home before heading upstairs where he finds both James and lawyer Larry Mooney shot to death. And after refusing to confirm the police detective’s theory that the shooting was in retaliation for James mistakenly beating Taliek, Nick returns home to find that his dad went back to look for the man they assaulted. Meanwhile, after Shannon apologises for suggesting he acted inappropriately, Burton learns that she intends to live with her father, Roy Cantwell, and his new girlfriend.

As Alvin asks Lulu to stay on until he can find a lawyer to replace James, a social worker arrives with Joey Smith, a nine-year-old son of a circus sideshow performer who has accused the carnival’s owner of sexually molesting him. When Joey says that he wants to live with his dad, Alvin turns him over to Nick, who heads for the carnival where the boy’s mum, Amy, works. Unwilling to admit that George Meadows did anything untoward with her son, Amy insists that Joey be sent back home. But as Joey awaits a custody hearing in a shelter, his dad, Harold Watson, agrees to ask his wife and children to consider taking him in.

As Nick and Lulu struggle to define their relationship, Burton tracks down the man he and Nick assaulted and offers him money to forget it ever happened. When Alvin suggests setting up a scholarship fund at James’ alma mater, Nick is forced to tell him the truth about the murder. After Watson announces that his family doesn’t want the boy, Nick heads for court where, under pressure from his mum, Joey recants his allegations against Meadows. However, upon after hearing the facts in the case, the judge decides that, for now, the boy should remain in Pittsburgh. Finally, when Cantwell asks Burton to take her back, Shannon persuades the elder Fallin to give her another chance.