Ep 15. Howard's Girl

Mary Richards, the associate producer at WJM-TV, is settling back into her solo life after she and her long-time boyfriend, Joe, broke up a few episodes ago. In this episode, titled "Howard's Girl," Mary's work colleague, Howard Arnell, introduces her to his stunning girlfriend, Cindy. Cindy is young, gorgeous, and she appears to have a lot in common with Mary. While Mary can't help but feel jealous of Howard, who seems to have found the perfect girlfriend, she agrees to go on a double date with Howard, Cindy, and Lou Grant.

As the evening progresses, Howard reveals that he is worried about losing Cindy to one of her many admirers, as she works as a stewardess and has to travel a lot. Mary, much to her surprise, finds herself becoming Cindy's confidante and advising her on how to handle Howard's jealousy. Meanwhile, Lou is bored out of his mind and can't wait to leave, but he ends up staying for one too many drinks and eventually becomes smitten with Cindy himself.

Back at the office, Ted Baxter, the vain and pompous anchor of the news program, has volunteered to consult on the upcoming "Telethon for Unwed Mothers." Despite his complete lack of knowledge on the subject, Ted tries to take charge of the proceedings and even suggests that they name the telethon after him. Mary, who is organizing the event, has to find a way to reign in Ted's ego and convince him that the telethon is not about him, but about raising money for a good cause.

Meanwhile, back at the double date, tensions rise when Howard discovers that Lou is also interested in Cindy. Howard and Lou begin to compete for Cindy's attention, throwing themselves into increasingly ridiculous situations in an attempt to impress her. Mary, who is caught in the middle, tries to keep the peace, but things come to a head when the four of them end up at Lou's apartment and sparks begin to fly.

In the end, Mary proves once again that she is the level-headed problem-solver at WJM-TV. She manages to smooth over the tensions between Howard, Lou, and Cindy, and even convinces Ted to tone down his ego and focus on the telethon. As the episode comes to a close, Mary reflects on the complexities of love and relationships, and wonders whether she'll ever find someone like Howard's girl.