This episode aired in 1989. The episode opens where FYI is trying to do the 1980's decade in review. Jim, Corky, and Frank are there. Murphy is nowhere in sight. Murphy's co-workers are annoyed that she is not there. They don't have much. They've hit a total mental block.
Murphy thinks that Lewis is her new secretary -- there must be a conspiracy in personnel. Murphy sends him away saying he is busy, but he butters her up by complimenting her on one of her interviews. Murphy decides to spare him a few minutes. They go into her office.
Lewis asks her for comments about a memo that she wrote the President of the News Divison saying what she thought of al the people on her show. Murphy is horrified. She asks Lewis how he got it.
It's the next day. Jim, Corky, and Frank are having lunch at Phils. Again Murphy is nowhere in sight. Before they had too little material, now they have too much. They have to figure out what to cut. Murphy enters, says she wants to help, but has an important meeting.
A few days later, Murphy is still trying to coax Lewis into dropping his story. Right now he is driving her Porsche up and down her driveway. Eldin is shaking from it. Murphy has taken Lewis on a special White House tour, Andy Rooney's tailor, lunch at the Press Club, and an arcade where he played Donkey Kong ($40 worth) and still couldn't win! Eldin is totally sick of this kid and its obvious in the conversation between them. He informs Murphy: "My rates just went up."
Lewis still won't do anything about the memo, he's still going to print it. Murphy asks his price. What he wants to kill the memo forever. Lewis says he'd kill the memo if she goes to an eighth grade dance with him. Murphy is so crazed, she's actually considering it. Murphy finally realizes that its stupid and says that he can go ahead and print the memo and she can handle the consequences. She sees his briefcase, and tries to inch it away so that he won't see it and she can keep the memo. But Lewis sees, and leaves with his briefcase.
Corky, Jim, and Frank are still working on the '80s in review. Murphy is too cheerful, too friendly, giving too many compliments. She's hiding something. Murphy passes out the memo for them to read before it hits the presses. She thought it would be better that way. Everyone is uncomfortable. Jim reads that he is "stiff." After they finish reading, they ignore her.
The next day, the article is supposed to be printed in Lewis's school newspaper. Murphy gets the paper, and its not printed anywhere! Relief and remorse set in. Relief because its not there, remorse because she shared it with everyone. Lewis enters. He gives her every copy of the memo. The editor cut his story. He is sad that the story was cut. Murphy actually cheers him up. She sends Lewis back to work (his new idea for a story is "When Good Hall Monitors Go Bad") and gets her keys back.
Corky, Jim, Frank, and Miles have chosen to forgive her... Frank is being a little less mature about it, but the rest decided some points she made were valid. Murphy is going to treat them all to lunch. She feels relieved. Frank says he wants Murph's parking spot. She tries to convince him to take her new Nintendo instead. All he wants is that spot. Everyone is friends again. The ep fades to black.
What Murphy said when she was handing out the memo: By the way, Frank, I haven't said this to you in a long time, but I think your pieces are among the most substantive in network television. And Jim, driving over here, it occured to me that for all the years you've been at the anchor desk, you've always remained in touch with the audience. And Corky, what can I say?... What can I say?... You've grown. (later) Miles, that was one of the finest examples of authorative problem-solving I've ever seen. Now if I could interrupt the work of the greatest news team in the world, I'd like to share something with you.
Some parts of the memo that were quoted during the episode. Jim Dial needs to be careful he doesn't become too comfortable in his role as senior anchor. He could lose touch with our audience.
Sometimes Frank Fontana gets caught up in the flash of the story and ignores the substance.
"Any network that's busier counting beans than finding good stories is doomed to mediocrity."