Mike makes the staff work on Oscar Sunday due to a screw-up of Paul's. The staff reminisces about their favorite movie moments to pass the time.
A champagne filled New Year's celebration at the Mayor's mansion gets out of control, resulting in more than a little embarrassment the next day, especially for Mike and Nikki. On the big night, Nikki's date, Jay, two-times her and a protective Mike not only gets even--he gets Nikki. Meanwhile, Stuart is undone over the death of his family cat and Stacy makes James question his own virility.
The Pope is visiting New York City, leading to spiritual revitalizations for Mike and the mayor. Carter fixes Nikki up with a friend of his. And Paul's turtle is loose in City Hall.
Caroline's agent (Taylor) likes the idea of featuring her comic-strip character on a cereal box, but the artist flakes out after a closer look at the product, which she feels has an unfortunate resemblance to a certain part of the female anatomy. A chaotic focus group sessions does little to allay her misgivings.