In the opening scene of Mrs. Playmen's first episode, Adelina Tattilo, the publisher of an erotic magazine, finds herself among the 30 most influential women in the world as recognized by the UN. However, her inclusion stirs up a storm of public outrage, particularly given her line of work, alongside names like Indira Gandhi and Simone de Beauvoir.
The episode takes us back in time to a few years ago, when Adelina prepares to attend a party with her husband, Saro Balsamo. A woman named Elsa tries to enter the party but is stopped by the guard. Adelina intervenes, allowing Elsa to enter and introduces her to her photographer friend, Luigi Poggi.
At the party, Saro is surrounded by reporters who query him about the success of his magazine, Playmen. As Saro introduces Brigitte Bardot as the girl of the month, Adelina enjoys herself but grows upset when her ex-lover takes the stage to perform with a band. Saro attempts to distract her with a sensual dance invitation. Meanwhile, Luigi and Elsa end up making out at the party and end up in Luigi's studio, where he takes photos of her. While Luigi captures Elsa's essence through his lens, the two hook up and Luigi takes nude photographs of her.
Adelina and Saro later retreat to a hotel room for a romantic interlude. However, as Saro is about to make love to her, Adelina stops him and leaves the room. Luigi, an assistant to the lead photographer for Playmen, Sarti, is also caught up in the drama. When Adelina shows up at the office looking for her husband and learns that Saro is in Paris, she is arrested along with him for publishing pornographic material in their magazine. The Playmen magazines are seized from the office and other paper stands.
At the police station, Adelina learns that she has been made the editor-in-chief of Playmen and is taken into custody after Saro flees Italy. Her bail plea is rejected, and she is sent to prison. The next morning, she is released and taken home by her son, Lorenzo.
Adelina storms into the Playmen office, confronting Chartoux with a fiery determination. She learns the shocking truth that Saro had manipulated her into becoming editor-in-chief as a means to save himself from impending arrest. The veil of deception is further lifted when Saro's flight from the country is revealed, evading fresh charges such as fraudulent accounting, misappropriation of funds, and embezzlement that loomed over the failing magazine empire.
Adelina's mind races as she sifts through her husband's office, discovering a shirt marred with lipstick stains. Seeking solace, she turns to an old friend, a priest, and pour out her heart to him. She dares to ask if divorce is an option, only to be met with the stern reminder that God's forgiveness is not for sale.
That night, a call from Saro interrupts her thoughts. He lures her with a bunch of erotic photos, urging her to publish them in the next issue. Adelina's sanity teeters on the edge as she accuses her husband of infidelity. But Saro, with his smooth talk, manages to soothe her frayed nerves.
As the night deepens, Adelina makes her way to the office where she stumbles upon Luigi in the darkroom, developing photographs. Her eyes catch Elsa's photos, and she turns to Luigi with a proposition: to publish these instead of Saro's sleazy creations.
The next day, Adelina swaps out the photos like a masterful chess match, replacing Saro's offerings with Luigi's work. She entrusts Chartoux with the task of featuring common women and their stories in the upcoming issue of Playmen. Luigi meets with Elsa, offering her a generous sum of 120 thousand Italian lira for her consent and assuring her that the nude photos will remain private, only to submit the topless ones for publication.
Chartoux reveals to Luigi that it was Adelina who had submitted the photos for publication, setting the stage for Elsa's friend's pride to turn to disbelief when Elsa reads the paperwork. Meanwhile, Adelina boldly informs Chartoux of her move, explaining that Saro's photos would have triggered another police nightmare. And just when things couldn't get more dramatic, Elsa bursts into the office, creating a scene, accusing Luigi of betrayal and confessing that he never officially shot those photos.
Adelina's heart raced as she attempted to thwart the publication of the photos, only to hear Chartoux assert that they had already been dispatched for printing. Her efforts proved futile as she learned that the police were on their way to confiscate the magazines. In a bid to outmaneuver the law enforcement officers, who were on leave over the weekend, Adelina implored Chartoux to delay the release of the new issue until Saturday.
The magazine, featuring a nude Elsa, hit the stands and swiftly became one of the most successful issues of Playmen. Meanwhile, the police chief informed cop Andrea De Cesari that he would be relieved from the case once Playmen was brought down.
Late one night, Chartoux found himself at a gay strip club, where he encountered Luigi. After a moment of hesitation, Luigi followed Chartoux and initiated a kiss. Ettore, on the other hand, found Elsa late that night and engaged in a vile act of slut-shaming, ultimately raping her under the pretense that she had consented to undress for the magazine cover.
Saro called Adelina to inform her that he would not be returning to Italy due to an active arrest warrant against him. As Saro left for France with the singer from the party, Adelina was left shattered and considered ending her life, but ultimately backed down. Elsa, broken and battered, walked home after the attack.
The next morning, Adelina marched into the Playmen office and addressed the team of men working for Saro as her new boss, bringing an end to the episode with a sense of resolve and determination.
