In Episode 10, the pipeline project causes major conflict as Governor Harper pushes it forward, claiming it will create jobs for minority communities, but in reality, the jobs do not go to people of color, who instead face environmental harm. Harper also forces pastors to sell their land for the pipeline, with some pastors like Reverend Jones colluding with the governor through bribery. Antoinette devises a plan to delay the pipeline by designating one of the churches, where Martin Luther King Jr. once preached, as a protected historical site, which legally cannot be demolished, thus halting the project temporarily.

Antoinette Dunkerson is the first Black woman to become lieutenant governor of Mississippi. In Episode 10, she faces the challenge of opposing Governor Harper's pipeline project, which threatens minority communities and involves corrupt dealings. She uses her political acumen to find a legal way to delay the project by protecting a historically significant church, despite facing resistance and a hostile work environment.

At the end of Season 1 Part 1, Governor Harper suffers a health emergency and is rushed out of his office. The exact fate of Harper is left ambiguous, but it is implied that the stress from a confrontation with Antoinette may have triggered a heart attack. Antoinette jokingly denies causing his condition, indicating it was unintentional.

Reverend Jones is revealed to be corrupt and in cahoots with Governor Harper. He accepts bribes from the governor and persuades other pastors to agree to sell their land for the pipeline project, despite their unwillingness. His actions facilitate the governor's plan to push the pipeline through minority communities.

The church where Martin Luther King Jr. once preached is significant because Antoinette uses its historical status to legally protect it from demolition. Mississippi laws prohibit modification or destruction of historical sites, so by designating this church as such, Antoinette successfully delays the pipeline project that requires the church's land, buying time to fight the governor's plans.