Ep 8. Ruby Shoals

In Alpha House season 1 episode 8, "Ruby Shoals," the four Republican senators living in the titular Washington, D.C. residence find themselves at odds with each other and with the world at large.

As the episode opens, Senator Gil John Biggs (played by John Goodman) is still reeling from the revelation that his wife Louise (Amy Sedaris) is sleeping with his chief of staff, Bradley (Matt Malloy). Meanwhile, Senator Andy Guzman (Mark Consuelos) is preoccupied with his upcoming wedding and his fiancé's desire to have a lavish affair, while Senator Robert Bettencourt (Clark Johnson) is struggling to find a way to spin his opposition to a proposed bill that would provide funding for stem cell research.

The main plot of "Ruby Shoals" revolves around Senator Louis Laffer's (Ed Begley Jr.) attempt to derail a bill that would help his home state of Louisiana recover from a recent hurricane. Laffer, who is up for re-election, finds himself at odds with his colleagues when he refuses to compromise on a plan to divert funding from the Department of Homeland Security in order to pay for the hurricane relief effort. Under pressure from the party leadership, he eventually relents, but not before causing a major rift between himself and the rest of the group.

As the senators battle it out over the proposed bill, other subplots come into play. Senator Biggs' rival, Senator Thad Dunnington (played by Gary Cole), makes a surprise visit to the Alpha House, where he tries to convince Biggs to support his bill to legalize marijuana. Meanwhile, Andy struggles to come up with a prenuptial agreement that satisfies both him and his fiancé, and Robert finds himself the subject of a negative news story after he is caught on camera in a heated confrontation with a protester.

All of these plotlines converge in the tense final scenes of the episode, as the senators come to a final decision about the hurricane relief bill and its implications for their own political futures. As always, the show's sharp writing and excellent performances keep the viewer engaged from start to finish. Whether you're a fan of political dramas or just looking for a smart and entertaining show to watch, "Ruby Shoals" is definitely worth checking out.