Just Shoot Me!(1997–2003)

Back Issues

Magazine owner Jack Gallo makes peace with his estranged daughter when she asks him for monetary help--and lands a job at the mag.

The Devil and Maya Gallo

On her first day at work, Maya decides to do a hard-hitting story on child labor overseas, while Jack tries to distract her with a plush office.

Secretary's Day

Dennis experiences an identity crisis on Secretary's Day, while Nina tries to lift her spirits.

Nina's Birthday

Maya discovers that organizing a birthday party for Nina is no cause for celebration.

In Your Dreams

Maya's life becomes a nightmare when her co-workers discover that she's had a sex dream involving Elliott.

The Experiment

Determined to prove that good-looking people have an unfair advantage in the job market, Maya concocts an experiment. She'll send two people to interview for the same job- one is unattractive but perfect for the job; the second has the brains of a Stegosaurus but is gorgeous. She soon falls victim to the very prejudice she is trying to fight when she and the good-looking guy start dating. Also, Nina begs for the chance to participate in an office prank on Finch while Jack struggles with the complicated assembly instructions to his baby daughter's dollhouse.

The Assistant

Maya's new assistant Cindy is certainly eager, but also incompetent, and Maya's work suffers because of it. Jack wants to fire her, but Maya is determined to give her a chance. However, the more time that passes, the more Cindy screws up, and the more Maya's resolve is tested. Meanwhile, Finch and Elliott sabotage Nina's radio appearance by giving her a phony Word-a-Day calendar.

Old Boyfriends

Jack has a slight problem with Maya's new boyfriend: he's the same age as Jack. When he voices his disapproval to Maya, she accuses him of being hypocritical, since he married someone her age. Both parties are left with a personal dilemma. Jack wonders if he is in fact being hypocritical, and Maya wonders if she may be dating the man to get back at Jack. Meanwhile, Nina's flirtation with a window washer proves hazardous to his health.

La Cage

At first, Elliott's attempts to warn Finch about dating his ex-girlfriend, supermodel Nikki Elston, seem like just jealousy. However, there's more than a grain of truth in his warnings- Nikki is a true nutcase who delights in putting men through hell. One of her favorite stunts is locking them on a perch in a giant birdcage. Meanwhile, Nina's attempts to get a raise from Jack are subverted by the discovery of the truth about her use of the company's expense accounts.

King Lear Jet

Jack has two tickets to a London performance of King Lear, but when he is forced to cancel his plans, he is forced to decide who to give the tickets to- the suck-ups Nina and Elliott, who just want the vacation on his private jet, or true Shakespeare die-hard Maya. The adventure that follows parallels the play. Nina and Elliott get the tickets, but their endless conniving against each other proves to be their undoing, while only Maya stays true to her father.

My Dinner with Woody

Maya's fantasy piece about a dinner with Woody Allen brings notice from a lot of people--including Woody Allen himself, supposedly. The man who shows up at Maya's office the next day is not Woody Allen, but he presents himself as such, and actually seems to believe he is. Maya finds herself playing along with the charade until their relationship and her life turn into her favorite movie, Annie Hall. Meanwhile, a mix-up over eyedrops causes Jack to temporarily lose his sight.

Twice Burned

Jack desperately wants to get his daughter Hannah a spot in the prestigious Woodbridge School, but there's one slight problem. The Gallo name isn't exactly a hallowed one there since former student Maya once burned down a wing of it. When the headmaster blames Jack's failure to take an interest in Maya's life for the incident, he has his hands full trying to right two wrongs - one to the school and one to Maya. Meanwhile, Elliott and Nina bond when they discover both are fans of blues musician Cholera Joe Hopper.

Sweet Charity

Maya's attempts to get her coworkers involved in her favorite charity are met with overwhelming indifference. Only after the PR-minded Jack goads them to help to Finch, Elliott, and Nina contribute. And only after Maya pleads with him does Jack finally contribute. Rather than giving his time or effort to the charity, he helps in the usual Jack Gallo fashion- by giving a giant check for $50,000. When he consequently wins an award for Humanitarian of the Year, Maya's jealousy gets the better of her. Meanwhile, Elliott tries to figure out why the office's nickname-happy gopher keeps snubbing him.

Jesus, It's Christmas

At Maya's urging, the gang agrees to forego the usual gift-giving tradition and pool their money into a donation for someone less fortunate than they are. The recipient turns out to be night custodian Jesus Santos, whom Maya meets while working late one night. Things become extremely awkward when Jesus decides what to spend the money on- nothing but presents for Maya. Meanwhile, Finch conspires to get Elliott to let him tag along on his trip to the Caribbean for a Christmas photo shoot with five gorgeous models.

Elliott the Geek

When his favorite high school teacher dies, Elliott at first sees the memorial service as an opportunity to flaunt his flashy career and his glamorous lifestyle in his old classmates' faces. His cockiness is quickly tempered, however, by the revelation of the truth about his high school years- he was something of a nerd. When the office hears about it, his present becomes almost as intolerable as his past. Meanwhile, Jack trains Finch in the art of being influential around the office.

Sewer!

The arrival of Maya's old college roommate Erin leads to an incredibly crazy situation. Maya tries to compete with her friend's globe trotting journalistic ventures by spending a night in a sewer in hope of getting her first hard-hitting news story in a year. In the meantime, Erin takes a break from her hectic schedule and has an affair with Elliott. Adding to the craziness is Jack's surprise birthday party, with Nina and Finch supplying his boyhood idols, crazy old Cowboy Pete and his orangutan sidekick. In the end, though, it's Maya who provides the biggest surprise of all.

In the Company of Maya

When Maya develops a crush on a writer she works with, she isn't quite sure how to handle the situation. Believing he likes her, but is too shy to ask her out, Maya takes some tips from Nina on how to lead him on. The strategy backfires when Maya finds herself slapped with a sexual harassment suit the next day. Meanwhile, Elliott tries to live down his humiliation when he discovers his girlfriend is a spokesperson for a brand of hemorrhoid cream.

Pass the Salt

A surprise visit from his fireman father leaves Finch puzzled, since the two had always been emotionally distant from one another. When Red Finch suggests that he and his son spend some quality time together, Finch can only surmise that his father is either dying or having an affair. The truth turns out to be even more shocking- Red has finally come to accept the fact that his son is gay. He isn't, of course, but Finch has a hard time convincing him of that. Meanwhile, Maya invites Jack to her apartment to dinner in order to convince him that the neighborhood she lives in is not as bad as he thinks, but a robbery there that afternoon complicates the task.

The Walk

What starts out as a normal, everyday office meeting turns into a huge enigma when the easygoing Jack suddenly loses his temper for no apparent reason and refuses to talk about it. The gang takes it upon themselves to discover the reason for his outburst, but with every lead they follow, the mystery just gets deeper and deeper. While this is going on, Finch tries to attract a pretty coworker by following Elliott's advice and playing hard to get.

Nina in the Cantina

When Maya scores an interview with legendary rocker Nick Hewitt, a flood of memories is triggered for Nina of the affair they had 25 years ago. Nina describes it as the most romantic weekend of her life, and she realized he felt the same way when the song "Nina in the Cantina" hit the charts a few months later. Unfortunately, Maya learns that the song was actually about Twiggy, and Hewitt only used the name Nina for the purpose of the rhyme. Worse, he doesn't remember Nina at all, leaving Maya to engineer a big charade to keep Nina from getting hurt. Meanwhile, Elliott's extreme jealousy of Annie Liebowitz is exploited everywhere he turns, while Finch tries desperately to get rid of an ugly handmade vase given to him by Jack.

College or Collagen

Mentoring seems to be going really well for Maya- her protege; Karey is doing fabulously in her first year of college. However, Karey is now at a crossroads wondering what to do with her life. Maya tries to push her to stay in school and make the most of her college years, but she hits an obstacle in the form of Nina, who wants Karey to put her natural talents to use as a model. Meanwhile, Jack and Finch have an illicit "fling" with each other—as bridge partners.

Nina's Bikini

It's a day to celebrate for Nina: her famous bikini is about to be put on display in the Model Cafe, a sort of Hard Rock Cafe for supermodels. Her mood turns from celebration to despair, however, when she finds out exactly where in the cafe it is being displayed—over a dumpster. Finch and Maya, concerned over their friend's feelings, conspire to steal it back for her. Meanwhile, Jack has Elliott take boudoir photos of him as an anniversary present for his wife, but neither model nor photographer is without reservations.

The Kiss

It all starts out innocently. In order to help Elliott get a great deal on an apartment, Maya agrees to pose with him as a married couple. To complete the charade, the two are forced to kiss. This development is harmless enough… until they find themselves kissing again voluntarily. "Awkward" could hardly begin to describe relations between them afterward. They work through it, but by the end both Maya and Elliott realize that the long, bumpy road, wherever it may lead, is just beginning for them. Meanwhile, when Jack discovers Finch has been renting out his parking space, it leads the two into a battle over trust.

Bravefinch

Finch's complaints about doing petty errands bring an unexpected response from Jack- he hires a personal assistant, Kenny. Having his territory infringed on soon becomes the least of Finch's worries, as Kenny threatens Finch violently when Finch speaks up. To make matters worse, no one believes Finch because Kenny is all brightness and sunshine to everyone else. Meanwhile, Nina's attempts to quit smoking backfire in two ways: Nina becomes even more amorous than usual toward everyone, while Maya, mistaking Nina's nicotine patch for a Band-Aid, gets unwittingly hopped up on nicotine and becomes relentlessly hyper.

Jack's Old Partner

While writing his memoirs, Jack suddenly contracts a horrible case of writer's block. He then realizes why- he has come to the place in his memoirs where he fired his old partner Herb just before Blush took off. Discovering that his old partner has been toiling in a toyshop in Connecticut for 30 years earning a meager living only worsens the guilt. In an attempt to make it up to him, Jack gives Herb a high position in the magazine only to rediscover the reason he let Herb go in the first place- Herb is terrible at the magazine business. Meanwhile, Nina's problems with an IRS audit seem to be over when the female auditor takes a liking to Elliott, but in fact, they're just beginning.

Amblushed

When Jack sends Maya in his place to an NYU forum on Women in the Media, she sees it as an opportunity to speak up for the viewpoints that Blush often tends to push by the wayside. Unfortunately, she never gets the chance, as the forum turns out to be an ambush, where Maya is crucified for Blush's negative portrayal of women. She ends up lashing out at everyone at Blush, but things only become worse when her comments find their way into NYU's campus newspaper, which Finch promptly distributes at the office. Soon afterward, the truth is discovered- Jack knew all along what would happen at the forum, and it's left up to Maya to turn the tables. Meanwhile, Nina attempts to stage a comeback by posing in head-to-toe gold body paint for Elliott, but her constant sniping at the photo shoot annoys Elliott so much that he pretends to be out of the solvent required to remove the paint, leaving Nina to walk around golden for a few days.

The Emperor

Maya and Finch attend designer Oscar Milos's fashion show using Nina's tickets. At the party, a drunken Maya makes some caustic remarks to a newspaper reporter, resulting in Milos pulling $3 million worth of advertising from the magazine. Maya decides to try and get the advertising back herself, without help. Meanwhile, Jack helps Elliott with his new girlfriend. Jack sends Elliott's date poems, flowers and much more in Elliott's name. She ends up dumping Elliott because "he" was smothering her.

Rescue Me

An ordinary office blood drive turns into a storytelling session, as Finch, Elliott, and Nina relate to queasy donor Maya and nurse Tisha the tales of how Jack rescued them from rather desperate situations. Finch applied his shiftiness to a job as movie usher before the manager fired him for trying to sneak a customer into a sold-out show. Luckily, the customer, Jack Gallo, took notice of his methods. Elliott was a down-and-out amateur photographer reduced to selling his output on the street and faced with the prospect of taking a job at a grocery store in New Jersey, but in the nick of time, his talent was noticed by a patron named Jack Gallo. Finally, Nina had come a long way from her successful modeling career--she wore a mermaid suit at a boat show before someone stopped by who remembered her keen fashion sense--none other than Jack Gallo.

Eve of Destruction

Maya's mother visits the magazine and promptly becomes embroiled in a battle for a painting with Jack. Meanwhile, a new efficiency expert "hired" by Jack turns out to merely be Jack's golf caddy.

What the Teddy Bear Saw

Jack enlists Finch to stop off at his house and check up on his new nanny. However, Finch ends up having sex ("Twice!") with the nanny. But his joy may turn to embarrassment after he discovers Jack had a hidden camera installed in the room that they used. Meanwhile, Elliott neglects a favor Maya asked him to do, and Nina joins a cult.

Steamed

Jack wants the tenants on the floor above Blush to move. Maya is taken in by Finch's lie that he wants them to move so he can build a free daycare center. The real reason: a steam room. Meanwhile, Nina meets with her former model roommate, who is now fat.

The Mask

Halloween is no treat for Maya when Finch gets her to wear an embarrassing costume to the office. Luckily, she meets her Prince Charming in an elevator. Meanwhile, Jack confesses to a dirty trick he played on a young impressionable Maya; and Elliott and Finch hatch a plan to find out if Nina's friend Binnie really exists. Finally, Finch claims he wasn't the least bit scared by Alfred Hitchcock's horror masterpiece Psycho, so Elliott sets out to prove he's lying.

Funny Girl

Not impressed with Maya's lame attempt to play a prank on him, Finch claims that women just aren't as good at practical jokes as men are. To prove him wrong, Maya tries to convince Elliott he's being stalked, but it turns out the joke's on her-in a big way. Meanwhile, Jack fears that he's really beginning to look his age, so he decides to look into plastic surgery.

Two Girls for Every Boy

Finch is convinced that a model likes him, only it turns out that she likes Maya instead. He sets out to create the ultimate male fantasy: watching two females go at it. All is going well for Finch, until Maya finds out and the two females decide to turn the tables on him. Meanwhile, Elliott and Nina go overboard in their insults after Jack tells them that he just wants to be one of the guys.

The Withholder

Finch returns from Jamaica after a failed attempt at romance with Courtney, who played him, as it turns out. Elliott steps in to try to prove what a friend he is to Finch by giving her a dose of her own medicine--getting her hooked on him and then telling her to kiss off. Unfortunately, the plan goes awry when he ends up liking her and they start dating for real. Meanwhile, Jack makes another bet with Donald Trump--whoever loses less weight has to wear a dress during their golf game. However, he makes the mistake of asking Nina for help with his diet.

Puppetmaster

Maya's coworkers find it strange when she begins dating Steven, the host of a children's puppet show. As far as she's concerned, though, their relationship is going very well--until she suspects Steven is using the characters on his show to criticize her. Meanwhile, Nina decides to enter the entrepreneurial world, but her choice of investments--a nightclub that doesn't even have a name--is questionable indeed. Also, a heartfelt confession of Elliott's (he sometimes wishes he was a woman) during the guys' emotional viewing of Brian's Song comes back to haunt him.

The List

Jack fears for his reputation when he falls to #100 on the Power 100 list. Nina's idea to improve his standing by sending out a special collection of Blush covers to remind people how important the magazine has been backfires, as Elliott is made #100 because of his brilliant photography. Meanwhile, Finch meets idol Mark Hamill at Bartini's and annoys the hell out of him.

How Nina Got Her Groove Back

Nina gets into a catfight with modeling rival Margo Langhorne, then becomes upset when Margo decides to retire from modeling. Jack is upset that Donald Trump has a sandwich named after him and gets Finch to attach his name to a park. Maya's new boyfriend enjoys taking his shirt off in public. And Elliott's wearing new shoes to please his girlfriend, but they only make him slip.

How the Finch Stole Christmas

Finch sneaks a look at the office Christmas presents and is disappointed by his when he discovers that it's not what he wanted. So, he sabotages the office Christmas. Meanwhile, Nina learns the true meaning of casual wear, Elliott protests the commercialization of the holiday and Maya rags Jack about his selfishness.

Slow Donnie

Jack and Finch discover a pneumonic-message system in the wall. Meanwhile, Elliott invites Maya to his house for his ""slow"" brother's birthday party. At the party, Donnie reveals to Maya that he's not really ""slow."" Maya tries to tell Elliott that Donnie's not stupid, but just ends up looking silly herself. Jack's inanity causes Donnie to reveal his act. And a gift of a parakeet explodes into a living nightmare for Nina.

A Spy in the House of Me

When Maya's first love John Kenny pops back into town, she becomes as happy as she's ever been, as the two find their old spark back in full force. However, Jack is angry about the whole thing, as he still has not forgotten when he walked in on the two of them fooling around one time. Maya then learns the true horror of the situation- the only reason they were separated in the first place was because Jack had pulled strings to get him into the Royal Shakespeare Company, and she becomes instantly fearful that he will once again begin to interfere with their relationship. Meanwhile, Finch uses a "tough love" method to train a new intern while Nina's television appearance is ruined when an old allergy acts up.

Lies & Dolls

Maya becomes smitten with a United States Senator, but loses him to Nina through a series of deceptions on Nina's part. Nina convinces him that she is an old-fashioned Southern belle with no vices whatsoever, and that Maya is a drug addict. Also, when it is revealed that Elliott stole a Six Million Dollar Man doll as a kid, he becomes racked with guilt over it while Finch can only think of the potential collector's value of the item. Finally, Jack decides to see what life is like from his employees' point of view and moves his desk into the center of the office.

Nina Sees Red (1)

Red Finch is visiting and Dennis is trying to avoid him because of his father's recent divorce. Elliott is excited about the possibility of working with his crush, Tyra Banks. Red and Nina go out for dinner...and more. Elliott meets Tyra but scares the hell out of her due to Jack's stun gun. Red and Nina announce their engagement. Part one of two.

Nina Sees Red (2)

Finch takes the news of the engagement quite badly. Not only is he concerned for his father's well-being, the prospect of having Nina as his stepmother terrifies him. However, when a night of passion puts Red in the hospital, it causes him to seriously question his impending marriage. After a heart-to-heart with both Red and Nina, Finch finally convinces both of them to call it off. Meanwhile, Elliott miraculously gets another chance with Tyra Banks, but once again, Jack accidentally screws things up for him.

Hostess to Murder

Maya's attempt to host a murder mystery party is plagued with problems. Elliott wants to ditch the party for an Armani gala being held on the same night, Nina shows up with Maya's old boyfriend Derek, Jack wants to wear Elliott's costume, Finch is trying to make time with the caterer (who is dressed as a large-bosomed French chambermaid), and gamemaster Larry is a down-on-his-luck actor who spends most of the party on the phone with his agent. Everything is thrown into chaos when Maya's next door neighbor suffers a heart attack and drops dead -- and everyone but her thinks it's part of the game.

Toy Story

As a prank, Finch switches the cards on two of Elliott's birthday gifts: those from Maya and Persky. As a result, Elliott believes that Persky has given him a really cool video game system, and Maya has given him a box of kinky sex toys. When Maya invites him over that night to have some fun, he naturally gets the wrong impression, and is forced to give his relationship with her some deep thought. Meanwhile, when the racehorse Jack bought with Robert Goulet acts up before the big race, he enlists Nina's aid to calm it down.

Miss Pretty

Maya decides that since the new Miss Pretty column is so good, she will do a column on Miss Pretty. Finch then informs her that the new Miss Pretty is actually a man, but Maya thinks that will make the article even better, and insists on meeting him. The trouble is that Miss Pretty is actually Finch himself-and he is determined to keep the office from discovering it. He tries to escape from the mess by hiring professional scam artist Kurt to pose as Miss Pretty, but things only get worse when Maya falls for him. Meanwhile, Nina finds herself roped into an unwanted friendship with a woman she can't stand, and Elliott and Jack find themselves in hot water when they accidentally insult an Asian-American executive from an important advertiser

Maya's Nude Photos

Maya's enrollment in a photography class causes problems on multiple levels between her and Elliott. Elliott takes an immediate dislike to Maya's teacher, Martin Spancer, when he insults Elliott's work for being too commercial. Then when he assigns Maya to do a nude self-portrait, Elliott claims that he only gave her the assignment so that he could see her naked body. Believing that Elliott's accusation is based on his personal dislike for Spancer, she disregards him. However, when Spancer raves about her nude photos and invites her to go away with him for a special weekend session, Elliott becomes even more convinced that his intentions are purely sexual. Meanwhile, Finch becomes extremely jealous when Nina's new assistant Brad begins entertaining Jack with magic tricks.

And the Femmy Goes To...

The nominations for the annual Femmy awards are in and Maya, Nina and Elliott are nominated, while Finch isn't even invited to the ceremony. Jack switched Maya's nominated article and nominated a picture of Elliott's that was actually taken by a chimpanzee. At the dinner, Finch scores a seat at the models' table while Maya and Nina prepare speeches. Elliott is going crazy with guilt until he loses. Nina wins after 12 straight years of losing. Maya wins for the article, which Nina trashed in her acceptance speech.

Softball

The staff prepares for the annual softball game against the magazine Cosmo. Jack hires Steve Garvey, so that he can play on the team. Maya turns out to be a great pitcher but becomes too competitive.

Shaking Private Trainer

Jack vows to get in shape after throwing his back out playing with Hannah and hires a personal trainer who used to be a Navy SEAL. Meanwhile, Finch and Maya collaborate on a screenplay, leaving Elliott out in the cold.

Nina's Choice

After yet another relationship goes sour, Nina realizes that her lack of romantic success is probably due to her tendency to make bad choices in men. Her resolve to start making good choices is tested almost immediately when her old boyfriend Roy breaks out of prison and she falls in love with and begins dating not only Roy, but also the cop who is pursuing him. Meanwhile, Jack, Finch, and Elliott engage in a series of wagers on how predictable each other's behavior is.

The Odd Couple (1)

Finch is very frustrated when an old nemesis, Barry, shows up one day to gloat over his success. Not only does Barry own a successful business, but he is also engaged to their high school homecoming queen. Finch agrees to a double date with Barry and his fiancée, and he wants desperately to show Barry up by scoring a better looking date. He finds his answer in the form of Adrienne, a gorgeous supermodel. Adrienne would normally be way out of Finch's league, but by manipulating her many insecurities, he makes her fall for him. However, he still has one more obstacle to overcome: Adrienne's ex-boyfriend has decided he wants her back. Finch is forced to take desperate action if he wants to hold on to her, and does—he asks Adrienne to marry him, and surprisingly enough, she says yes. Meanwhile, Jack makes plans to have his photo taken in front of a new painting in his office, but unfortunately, he doesn't realize that the painting depicts an obscene act.

Hit the Road, Jack

Jack interrupts Nina and Finch. Finch plays hard to get because he wants revenge on Nina. Allie leaves Jack and Maya and Elliott attempt to comfort him.

A Night at the Plaza

A Divorce to Remember

Finch and Adrienne return from a wonderful honeymoon in Tahiti, but upon their return, Finch is hit with a hard dose of reality. If he is to maintain his "cool" image in Adrienne's eyes, he will have to give up a lot of his favorite things, such as action figures, sci-fi conventions, and cat shows. What makes this so problematic is that his cat Spartacus has just made the finals of a big cat show, and winning has been a lifelong dream of his. Meanwhile, Maya and Elliott fret over whether their marriage is legal or not and end up seeking out the help of the cult's strange lawyer, Larry. Larry successfully annuls the marriage, but the two are left still unsure about the possible future implications of the whole affair.

Guess Who's Coming to Blush

Jack hires a woman off the street to run the desk. The staff thinks its because Jack wants to seduce her. This causes her to quit. When the staff finds out that Jack didn't hire her for that reason, they convince her to come back to work. Meanwhile, Finch tries to get a distraught female co-worker to take comfort in his arms.

Mr. Jealousy

Finch is scared about Jack liking Vicki, so he sets her up to look bad, but he's not sure when she'll get him back. Meanwhile, Nina brings in a woman off the street to prove to Jack that he was wrong to hire Vicki. She is worried though when the woman gets lost in the building.

Nina and the Rocker

Nina starts dating a British rocker named Simon Leeds. Meanwhile, Maya convinces Vicki to give her the details of her divorce. And Jack is prancing around showing off his new pocket watch until Elliot gets one too.

Halloween? Halloween!

Nina is throwing a Halloween party! At the party, Finch and Elliot compete for Blush's newest cover model, Kelly. In the end Finch gets her, only to find she is a lesbian who thinks he is a woman. Meanwhile, the jealous Elliot tries to keep Vicki from going home with a guy she met at the party.

Da Sister Who Loved DiMauro

Gina Gershon guest stars as Rhonda, the beautiful but foul-mouthed sister of Vicki who immediately falls for Elliott. But when Elliott feigns interest in Rhonda only to ultimately make himself seem more interesting to Vicki, he finds himself in an awkward situation and only Finch can save him. Meanwhile, Jack annoys the entire office when he sets up closed-circuit cameras everywhere in an attempt to keep his eye on everyone while is home recovering from foot surgery.

That Burning Passion

Passion enflames Maya, drawn to a fireman hunk who's Vicki's estranged spouse; jealousy rages between Nina and her rocker beau.

The Write Stuff

Nina's ego figures in a reshoot of her famous pinup pose; Finch's collegiate woes work on Maya's sympathies.

It's Raining Babies

A Nina-Vicki tangle is the devilish work of Finch, a mischief-maker ripe for a comeuppance. George Lucas plays himself in a cameo role.

Watch Your Backdraft

Maya's tryst feeds office gossip, thanks to blabby Nina; Finch's scheme for a reserved parking space runs afoul of prying Elliott.

Pictures of Lily

At Vicki's suggestion, Jack asks all the Blush staff regulars to anonymously evaluate his work. Finch, Nina, Maya, and Elliott submit signed appraisals that only include words of praise, while Vicki anonymously tells Jack the truth. By process of elimination, Jack knows who the criticism came from, and he is spurned. Vicki consoles him and finally convinces him that the truth is healthy. Jack then insists that everyone tell him something honest, which sends Finch into a tailspin of vitriolic criticism. Meanwhile, Nina sprains her ankle after Maya suggests she walk somewhere, and Maya has to take Nina's place at a fashion event. When Maya has a great time, Nina becomes jealous.

The Comedy Stylings of Rivers & Red

Jack and Finch prepare for a meeting with Tate Gittling, the publisher of Blush's biggest rival magazine, in an attempt to join together for a charity function. But when Finch becomes romantically involved with Gittling's assistant, Bridget (guest star Judy Greer), he drops his guard and she sets him up to make Jack look bad. Meanwhile, Nina becomes jealous of her rock star boyfriend's (guest star Simon Templeman) celebrity status.

The Talented Mr. Finch

Finch forgets to tell Jack about an important meeting with foreign clients, so he assumes Jack's identity and attempts to close a deal without Jack's knowledge. Meanwhile, Nina and her rock star boyfriend Simon (guest star Simon Templeman) force themselves to go clean in an attempt to get Nina's hard-partying granddaughter (guest star Sasha Barrese) to change her ways, and Elliott seizes an opportunity to confront his high school bully (guest star Jason Marsden).

There's Something About Allison

Finch's old buddy Brandy - a transsexual woman whom Finch knew as Bert - joins Finch at their high school reunion. Meanwhile, Maya and Elliott decide to become intimate, but without any strings attached.

Rivals in Romance

Rivalry over a charity event leads to tension between Jack and a fellow magnate (Alan Rachins), whose comely assistant gets hot and heavy with Finch.

A Simple Kiss of Fate

Jon Lovitz portrays Nina's estranged, foppish husband, who still enthralls her. Elsewhere, Maya's swept away by an environmentalist (Stephen Dunham) her father dislikes.

Donnie Redeemed

Elliott's duplicitous brother (David Cross) returns, accompanied by his fiancée and now deeply sorry for conning his sibling in the past. The sudden turnaround doesn't convince Elliott, who's determined to prove this is another scam.

My Fair Finchy

The outrageous behavior between Finch and his sexy partner (Gina Gershon) galls Maya, who sets out to rein in the stallion. Also: Jack and Maya compete for an office-cleaner's favor in a feud that gets way out of hand.

Son of a Preacher Man

The outrageous behavior between Finch and his sexy partner (Gina Gershon) galls Maya, who sets out to rein in the stallion. Also: Jack and Maya compete for an office-cleaner's favor in a feud that gets way out of hand.

The Last Temptation of Elliott

Richard Kind ("Spin City") plays a boorish intern at Blush with a crush on Maya. Also: Elliott is drawn to the women at his Bible-study class that's crashed by lascivious Finch, passing himself off as a sinner anxious to be saved.

For the Last Time, I Do

Nina feels threatened by Skyler, an old fling of Simon. Skyler would be the minister at their wedding reception. Jack and Finch scam to get rid of her. Meanwhile Maya has found the perfect man, who turns out to be a senior in High School.

Future Issues

The series finale centers on a send-off for retiring Jack, whose staffers share memories, shed tears and pay affectionate tribute. Finch puts his feelings into rap, while Nina likens Jack to---what else?---"a perfect glass of Scotch."

Evaluate This!

Staff critiques vex Jack, who demands honesty and gets it, especially from servile Finch; a role reversal with Nina makes Maya a partygoer.

The Goodbye Girl

Vicki's back in the hairstyling biz and is now dyeing to give Blush the brush; Nina takes under her wing a female impersonator who's going to portray her in a cabaret show; and Dennis rides roughshod over Elliott, his new assistant.

Finch in the Dogg House

Jack discovers Finch and Allie; he fires Finch the next morning. Two weeks later, Jack has a new secretary, for whom Elliott and Nina cannot decide their feelings for. Finch wants to come back, but finds a job as Snoop Dogg's assistant when Jack refuses. After Allie tells Jack the truth about how she came onto Finch, he decides that he wants his old assistant back.