Plot

Ella and Caleb are stunned when agency owner, the malevolent and devil-incarnated Amanda Woodward, walks into WPK Publicity and immediately fires most of the staff, including Caleb. The brutal and wicked Amanda makes it clear to Ella that the Anton V. launch party with Riley better go off without a hitch or Ella can vacate her office too. When Ella is forced by Amanda to tell Riley to spin a fabricated story about her childhood to the press for publicity reasons, Jonah advices Riley to defy them and tell the truth about her upbringing, but they both soon regret it. Meanwhile, Auggie finally succumbs to Violet's flirtatious ways while he desperately tries to clear himself of the Sydney murder charges. Also, David asks Lauren out on a date, but she turns him down fearing that he may find out her secret profession. At the same time, David learns about Auggie's arrest and thinks someone tried to frame him for Sydney's murder which leads David to Michael's current wife, Vanessa, who may know more than what she's telling.—matt-282

Amanda Woodward returns as the dragon lady, and turns out to be the W in WPK who insists that the Anton V. jeans campaign is really Anton Y. and Caleb is thrown out on his rear. Auggie is ostracized by all except eager fox Violet who shows him a far nicer alternative to succumbing to his alcoholism, and David shows his softer side with the rustle of autumn leaves to homesick Lauren, while Michael's silver steed turns out to be the unlikely place where the most incriminating evidence is stored. Tested for loyalty, Ella is accosted by the lure of a lesbian thrill-seeker, but when told to choose between friends and career, she makes a surprising choice.—RavenGlamDVDCollector, ElectricLadyLand

His girlfriend's picture spread for the Anton V. jeans campaign is going to be in Diva magazine, so Jonah races Riley (Jessica Lucas) to the newsstand. Tastefully sexy, The barefoot model wears only her denim jeans with her upper body shielded by her arms. Elated with the double page spread opening shot, and seeing Riley's glamorous image decking out the side of a bus, Jonah buys all the stock of the magazine from the pleased attendant.

At WPK, Caleb is very much impressed with the choice his flame made. He wants Ella Simms (long-legged golden fox Katie Cassidy) to guard the newcomer, staying within ten feet of her at all times. Actually, that's the orders from New York. Ella doesn't think much about the New York opinion, and off-handedly informs Caleb he could go tell New York just excactly that. Trouble is brewing, and wafting their way, a thunderstorm, in fact, a la The Devil Wears Prada (2006) only this is the boss from hell, Amanda Woodward (now icy-cold Heather Locklear) from the original Melrose Place (1992), menacingly sailing their way (to the tune of Livvi Franc's "Now I'm That Bitch") on two-toned high heels. In time to tell Ella that she could relay the message to New York herself. Turns out Amanda is the W in WPK. Caleb is totally surprised by her showing up two weeks ahead of time. She tells him "You know how I love surprises. This LA branch is drowning in red like a steer in a slaughterhouse.. Now, when I hired you to give this place a makeover, I didn't mean smear it with lipstick and turn it into a five-dollar hooker. This office is pathetic!" She snubs the Anton V. project, referring to it as Anton Y., since a jeans campaign is below WPK standard, and instantly suspects Caleb of having had ulterior motives putting in so many man-hours, stressing that word. The writing is on the wall for gay, sports-obsessed Caleb. "You could have been a leader, Caleb," she tells him, but your focus shifted from your client's assets to your client's ass. You're fired. Get out. Take your bat and balls with you."

Back at Melrose Place, David is impressed by athletic Lauren doing her exercise routine al fresco. He says it's too early to be awake and doing exercises, but she counters he should blame Los Angeles for having no seasons. Homesick, she misses Cincinnati with its browning leaves this time of year, not to mention cups of cocoa and Skyline Chili. They both get texts from Violet, informing them that Auggie has been arrested and is being held in a downtown jail. David visits him, incredulous as to why Auggie's blood was found on the murder weapon. Auggie reveals that he tried stopping Sydney from doing another line of cocaine, and that she came at him with that knife. David, admitting that he came to with that knife in his hands, is assured by Auggie that he couldn't have killed Sydney, because Auggie found him out cold. Bits falling into place and picture clearing up, David voices his suspicion that Michael framed them for the murder he committed. David then assures Auggie that he will post his bail and is going to snoop about in Michael's business looking for evidence validating that notion.

Ella meets Amanda in her office. Ella reveals Amanda is her inspiration. Apparently, her boss knows a lot about her personal background, absentee father, and bed-hopping mother. . Why does the President of WPK have such an interest in the junior publicist who was a waitress only a year ago? Amanda hands her a scripted bio that Riley is to adhere to, not a kernel of truth in it though, painting Riley as a girl who grew up impoverished on the mean streets. When Ella hesitates, Amanda lets her know she could easily be replaced. Put on the spot by this threat,Ella obeys.

Ella brings over Riley's outfit for the launch party, and Jonah confides in her that his "Living in Reverse" project has been assigned to 'redevelopment hell' leaving him stranded. She is told by Riley the bio provided by Amanda is all fictional, and Riley is not the rags-to-riches stereotype WPK is pigeonholing her to be. Ella, while admitting that she and Riley may not be the best of friends, stresses that her job is on the line. Riley wants to know why Ella would even consider working for this draconian lady boss, but Ella reveals the emptiness of her friendless life, not coming home to hugs or voicrmails from proud parents the way Riley does. "My life is my BlackBerry." Of course the money is a bartering tool. The couple needs the $10 000, and even though fulfilling the contract compromises her standards (what if her first-graders find out Teacher's a liar?) , Riley reluctantly agrees to perpetuate the lie in order to meet the promotional obligations.

David arrives at the Mancini mansion, only to be confronted by a furious Vanessa, who informs him that Michael is at a medical conference in Rome, and that she has filed a restraining order against him after Noah's injury. David blurts out his suspisions re Michael, telling her that Sydney was about to reveal the truth about the affair to her, and warns Vanessa to leave. She wants him off the property.

Arriving for work, dressed to kill, Ella climbs out of her convertible, and is intercepted by Caleb, who wonders why Amanda appeared like a bolt from the blue. He reveals that Amanda showed an undue interest in Ella, going through her personnel file and client list, and warns Ella that she should leave, but Ella is committed to WPK.

Auggie is given the cold shoulder at Melrose Place, with everybody of the in-crowd assuming him to be the killer. Even Riley, which hurts the most. It is only Violet (stunning redhead fox Ashlee Simpson) who reaches out to him, but he is so unsure about himself, that he wants the relationship to remain merely platonic. She agrees to this, but is clearly dejected.

At the event, Jonah is stunned to see blow-ups of Riley lining the walls. The paparazzi singles her out, and interviewers bombard her with questions. There is especially one who inquires re her impoverished neighborhood days, and it turns out she is from leading glossy Vogue. Amanda signals to Ella to get Riley out of the way.

David and Auggie figure that Michael would have hidden anything he had to hide where his wife wouldn't find it. Perhaps in his top-of-the-range silver Mercedes convertible? Yes, at night, and dodging Vanessa as she comes back home, he finds a ziplock bag with bloody jewellery. He particularly remembers Sydney wearing that necklace.

Riley tells Ella she is worried about her little students finding out about her double life. Of course, the velvet rope wouldn't be lifted for any of them, Ella reminds her. Lauren also shows at the launch party, all dolled up, and Riley is relieved to see a friend. When Lauren inquires re David's whereabouts, Riley latches on to her interest in him. Lauren shyly admits that she kind of has a crush on him.

Melissa Saks (raven-haired bob-cut Wendy Glenn), a successful talent agent, has a career proposal for Ella, become a talent agent herself with a corner office of her own, instead of simply mopping up after celebrities, and she steers the somewhat-bemused young blonde to a quieter corner and comes on to her, with Ella playing along, while Cascada's "Evacuate the Dancefloor" joyously blares in the background. More money is offered, but Ella is adamant that, while she doesn't want to burn any bridges, she prefers to remain loyal to WPK.

Lauren comes home to find that David has done a setup in her living room simulating the leaves of fall and there is even Skyline Chili to boot. But she realizes he had broken into her home. David releases a shower of leaves and they kiss passionately, starting to get undressed, but any intimacy brings Lauren back to cold reality, and fearing that the truth of her call girl lifestyle will be discovered, she pushes him away.

At the event, Riley is asked about gang violence, and it becomes too much for her. Jonah tells her she must do what she must do, and, even as Ella rushes forward to intercept, her need to live up to the values she has instilled in her little charges becomes overpowering, and she lets the whole cat out of the bag. Triumphantly, the Vogue interviewer is going to have a field day exposing the sham. Ella rushes after Riley, who is off with Jonah in a taxi, so it's too late. Ella laments to herself with a whine that Amanda is going to skin her alive, but Amanda, overhearing, snarls that even that would not be satisfying enough. Meanwhile, Melissa reports to Amanda that Ella nibbled at the bait but didn't go for it, so she passed their loyalty test. Ms. Saks point out that Ella is cute, but Amanda snorts "so are puppies."

Auggie dives into the pool as Riley and Jonah arrive. Emerging, he confronts the couple. He has figured that Riley was the one who betrayed him, and wants to hear from her herself how she has made up her mind about him. Jonah intervenes. When they leave, a dejected. Auggie, who is a recovering alcoholic, goes for the half-empty bottle of liquor. Later, Violet finds him in his room, and tries dissuading him by taking her top off (shielded by camera angle) and passionate lovemaking ensues.

Ella and Amanda meet at a restaurant. Amanda wants to know her goal. Ella reveals her aspiration to be just like her boss, but Amanda is not impressed, for if she couldn't even handle this little babysitting task... She expects of Ella to coldly report Riley to school officials for having used sick days to pursue a more lucrative occupation, but now she has gone too far, and Ella declines...

Riley cellphone rings, and she is notified by the school principal that she is fired. She and Jonah are now without income, and she refuses to accept a handout from her mother, but what are they to do? A dismayed Ella overhears their frantic conversation and is incredulous that Amanda could have sunk to such pettiness.

Congratulating David on showing his romantic side, she is told about the necklace he had found. But come off it, Michael is a surgeon, Ella points out. No way would he let an incriminating clue as obvious as that, lie around in his car...?

Amanda enters Sydney's apartment, looking for what she came for. Goes straight to the walk-in closet. Finds the hidden compartment. There is a safe. She knows the combination. Opens it. Only a letter inside. Addressed to her. It is a note from Sydney taunting her that she would never find it.