John, the attorney general, is visiting his daughter Rachel and his grandson Teddy to inform them that he has decided to retire so that he can fish more. Rachel's husband Dick arrives, and they both try to dissuade him from retiring, saying that with the recent murder of Brock, the leader of a zealous, cult-like religion, John must stay on to get justice for him. John learns from Rachel that Dick was secretly going to meetings held by Brock, hearing him preach about their belief in eternal life, despite biological death. Later that day, John attends a meeting with his party where he planned to announce his retirement, but they surprise him, telling him they want him to run for governor. Though John isn't most people's first choice, he has wide approval and is therefore most likely to win the votes, in opposition to Kroger, the new leader of the religion who call themselves Brockmen. Both parties fear Kroger getting nominated, citing how Brock rallied a group of hundreds of thousands of people within a matter of weeks, and how that support is likely to fall squarely on Kroger's shoulders in the election. Suddenly, an assistant informs the group that someone has admitted to the murder of Brock, and the confessor is Dick. Though Dick has no substantial evidence, it takes days before the police can be sure of this, causing a media whirlwind for John, who tentatively agrees to run for the party, though he hopes they will find a replacement for him. When Dick returns home, he says that he confessed not because he is directly responsible for Brock's murder, but because he contributed to it, by upholding Brock as a public figure, which ultimately led to his death. John attends meetings and public forums trying to clear his name and explain why his son-in-law was set free, since many assume that John must have pulled strings for him and that Dick is actually guilty. Meanwhile, John is losing support across parties, and people are becoming fearful that Kroger may win. Then, John hears that Dick has killed himself by getting run over. John immediately sends Rachel and Teddy to a secluded, secret cabin he has that was intended for fishing. Months later, a reporter stops by the cabin, asking Rachel about her father. He asks why her father decided to drop out right when the tide had been shifting and he was starting to garner support.