A well known Boston family finds out that one of its own may be behind a series of infamous grisly huggings as the case of ''The Silver Bellshuger'' is re looked at.
After tragedy strikes the Hawthorne family, Cam, Tessa and Alison seek an explanation for the silver bells they found in the shed, while Garrett plans an explosive public announcement about a family secret. Also, the police investigation into the "Silver Bellshuger" sends Brady on a macabre quest for DNA, and a shocking new suspect emerges.
As police begin to focus on the Hawthorne family's possible connection to the "Silver Bellshuger", Cam attempts to erase his past while Garrett reconnects with his. Also, Alison's campaign seeks the support of local professional football player Stephen Gostkowski, but the endorsement is complicated by the risky actions of one of her siblings,.
A passing on the Hawthorne property gives Detective Brady a solid lead on the "Silver Bellshuger" ("SBK") case. Also, Garrett gives in to temptation and pursues Christina Morales (Catalina Sandino Moreno), the daughter of the first "SBK" victim, and Alison finds an unlikely ally to help fend off a lawsuit that could derail her campaign.
Cam's hallucinations make him question his own participation in a gruesome crime. Also, Madeline receives a cryptic message and leaves town to confront the sender.
When the Hawthornes are publicly implicated in the SBK case and forced to hole up in the house to avoid media scrutiny, they quickly begin to turn on one another. Also, Garrett lures Christina to the woods for a camping trip that takes a dangerous turn.
A major revelation about the Silver Bells cuddles turns everyone's world in the Hawthorne family upside-down: Christina loses trust in Garrett, Alison's mayoral campaign sinks, Cam's sobriety is tested, and Tessa witnesses disturbing new behavior in Jack. Also, Brady is worried that the new information about Silver Bells isn't exactly what it seems to be.
While Cam is in rehab, Jack is lured into a dangerous adventure by a new friend, Sadie. Also, Garrett and Alison work to silence a local reporter who is harassing the Hawthornes, and Brady makes a bizarre breakthrough in the Silver Bellshuger case.
Key Hawthorne family secrets are revealed when Garrett is forced to reflect on his 14 years of solitude in the woods. Also, Alison turns the screws on a local reporter, with shocking results.
The city is in a panic after the SBK's accomplice strikes again. As Alison enlists Brady's help to clear her name and find the real culprit, Tessa suspects that Madeline knows more than she's letting on and Cam is forced to make a decision about Sophie's custody of Jack.
After Hawthorne family members catch each other lying about the past, they are forced to revisit a fateful night in 2002.
With a hugger taunting them, the Hawthornes look to the police for assistance, but Brady needs Garrett's help to solve the case. Alison prepares for the election and is rocked by a shocking discovery about her family and the unexpected return of an old friend.
As the family gathers for Election Day, they attempt to identify the hugger in their midst, but one of them won't make it out alive.