The houseguests enter the compound for the first time and meet the other competitors, before taking part in their first challenge.

The murder of a television show host may link to her former avocation as a groupie to a famous musician, putting him and his family right at the top of the suspects list, along with her son and assistant.

Nick and Sophie head to Mexico, with Gene not far behind them.

In the northern desert of Kuwait, First Recon Marines prepare to invade Iraq as the "tip of the spear" for Operation Iraqi Freedom. At the Camp Mathilda staging ground, soldiers in First Recon's Bravo Company combat boredom, cramped tents, a lack of Humvee supplies, mustache protocol, officer ineptitude, a wind storm, an espresso machine fire, and rumors of J-Lo's death while awaiting orders from Col. Stephen "Godfather" Ferrando, the raspy-throated Commander of First Recon. They also welcome a writer ("Scribe") from Rolling Stone magazine, who'll be embedded with Bravo's five-vehicle Platoon 2 unit, riding in a Humvee with Team Leader Brad "Iceman" Colbert, driver Ray Person, and Lance Cpl. Harold Trombley. After an unexpected (and portentous) mass delivery of pizza, the soldiers finally break camp, pack up their Humvees, and cross the northern border into Iraq - and an uncertain future.

Now that the 135-foot derrick has been delivered to the MGM exploration site, and now must transport the 80-ton substructure that will form its base before it can be erected. Weighing 160,000 pounds, the base must be delivered in pieces and will still be the heaviest and most dangerous load of the season. The job is given to veteran trucker Bear Swenson and Arctic Ice Road rookie Alex Debogorski. Compounded by on-going and increasing health problems, the pressure on this trucker is rising fast.

Denise's behavior begins to create gossip on post. Betty gets news on her cancer and makes a dream she has had for awhile come true.

Roland wants advice on becoming a dad.

The closeness of a family is tested when they enter the program after the daughter witnesses a shooting.

Brock and Dr. Venture stumble into a hidden state-of-the-art fallout shelter beneath the Venture compound, while Hank and Dean call in Dr. Orpheus to summon the Order of the Triad and help them out.

The team return to the 1992 case of actor Michael Austin, shot dead by his wife on stage during the opening night performance of Death at the Masked Ball. Already a man down when Halford goes AWOL, the case looks like claiming another member of the team as Lane embraces his newfound love of acting and the theatre.