In Fortune, Colorado, Lou Grant, an aging beauty queen, has been on a five-year losing streak. She lost her husband and daughter during the plague. She lost her son Steve after their funerals when a long-held secret about his father came to light.

She had promised her dying husband she’d protect the ranch for their kids. To help her keep that promise, she forms a cockamamie partnership with a nearby rancher which puts the ranch on the brink of failure. She is certain her luck is about to change when she hires a new manager to run things until she can make amends with Steve.

When Steve finally breaks the ice and visits the ranch at Christmas, she believes her troubles are nearly over. He is her Obi Wan, her last hope to complete her promises. The new ranch manager is skeptical of Steve. Even Lou’s Magic 8 Ball says, “Ask Again Later.”