"Darren is apparently backed by at least the Nakatomis," said Bough. "Since Seattle is part of the Villiers' sphere of influence, Samantha's ex-husband Richard maneuvered her into Darren's position when he got moved up to Tokyo. Darren planted the idea in the ears of the Yamanas and the Nakatomis that he thought Samantha wasn't competent enough to manage the entire Northwest operation and he's been using these defections as proof that others in the company agree with him."