Central Park West S01 E01-E04

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Season 01 Episode 01
"Stephanie and the Wolves" September 13, 1995

Successful editor Stephanie Wells moves from Seattle to a fancy, luxurious apartment in Central Park West along with her writer husband Mark Merrill. She's been offered a job as the editor of the trendy magazine "Communique", owned by the very wealthy Allen Rush. Allen is married to Linda Fairchild Rush and the stepfather of her grown-up children, Peter and Carrie. Carrie writes a column for "Communique" for a ridiculously high salary and her bitchy attitude immediately gets her in conflict with her new boss, Stephanie. Peter, however, has a very successful career as a lawyer at the district attorney's office and is doing good. His good friend, Gil Chase, works a broker and dumps his girlfriend Deanne Landers after he's thrown away all her money on a bad investment. She then shows up at his work and promises to get him back. Peter, Gil, Carrie, and their friend, Nikki Sheridan, a talent SoHo art gallery owner, play softball in a park and are joined in the game by beautiful Alex Bartoli. She and Peter later walk around in Central Park West and seem to fall instantly in love. Allen has arranged for Mark to get a teaching job at a respectable school but Mark feels the school board is giving him the job as a favor to Allen and not because of his abilities. Deanne sues the company Gil works for. Peter and Alex have a romantic dinner together and are photographed. Carrie arranges a party for Stephanie. There is of course a hidden agenda; Mark is also present and Carrie goes out of her way to seduce him by pretending she's a big fan of his writing. Deanne's law suit goes nowhere but she's not planning to let Gil get off that easily. Alex turns out to be a journalist. The picture of her and Peter and everything he's said to her is to get printed on the first page of the newspaper she works for. She feels guilty, though, because she's fallen for him. Carrie makes progress with Mark and he lets her read the play he's working on.

Season 01 Episode 02
002 "Chess Moves" September 20, 1995

Alex tries in vain to convince her editor John to drop the article on Peter. Tired of Carrie's intrigues, Stephanie drops her column. A vengeful Carrie goes to Mark and tells him she's got a producer for his play. Deanne shows up at Gil's apartment, takes off her clothes and says she's willing to forgive him. Gill pulls back at the last minute and Deanne swears a terrible revenge. Stephanie is arranging a party but Mark can't attend as he's meeting with Carrie about the production of his play. Stephanie thinks Carrie's intentions are rotten. Carrie tells Mark that she is the producer interested in the play and convinces him to go along with the plan. Linda suspects Allen of cheating with Stephanie. Gil takes a sexy model, Monique, home with him to have sex. However, Deanne still has a key to Gil's flat and goes there and pretends she is Gil's girlfriend. Peter and Alex are falling very much in love. Alex reveals the truth as the article on Peter hits the newsstand. The article includes much material on a secret investigation of the mayor's office that Peter had confided in Alex. Peter doesn't want to see her again. Carrie and Peter eat dinner with Allen and Linda. Carrie wants Allen to give her $250,000 to produce Mark's play and it ends with a fight. Peter and Alex both want reconciliation but everything seems to work against it. With the truth about the investigation of the mayor's office out, Peter's boss, D.A. Jack Collins, takes him off the case. Nikki has an affair with Allen. Deanne can't afford her apartment after Gil has thrown away her money so she forces Gil to let her move in with him.

Season 01 Episode 03
"The Best, False Friend" September 27, 1995

Gil calls the cops on Deanne but the police have a hard time believing that Deanne is keeping him "hostage" in his own apartment. Stephanie hires fancy fashion editor Rachel Dennis from London to work at "Communique". Rachel, who has just divorced from her husband in London, turns out to be an old friend of Carrie's and she is to stay in Carrie's apartment until she finds her own. Since all of City Hall knows about the investigation of the mayor's office, Jack wants Peter to see Alex again and fool her to print wrongful information about the investigation to throw everyone off track. Reluctantly, Peter takes Alex out to dinner and gives her the fake information. Gil comes home and finds his apartment stripped as Deanne has run off and given all his stuff to the Salvation Army. But that's not all: Deanne has the code to Gil's computer at work, and causes massive problems for him. Carrie warns Stephanie that Rachel is after her job and shouldn't be trusted. Stephanie refuses to believe her. Meanwhile, Carrie hires a theater to produce Mark's play. When Rachel learns Carrie is producing the play, she runs to Stephanie and informs her that Carrie cannot possibly produce the play as she has no money except her "Communique" salary. Steph looks into it and discovers that the theater Carrie allegedly booked hasn't heard of her. A guilt-ridden Peter warns Alex about the scam he's pulled on her. But she doesn't believe him and prints the story. This results in "The Globe" having to print a first-page retraction when they learn they've been set up, and a furious John fires Alex. Gil locates Deanne and threatens her to finally leave him alone. Nikki is not too thrilled about her affair with Allen. While Steph works late, Carrie drops by Mark. She acts very seductive and starts kissing him but Mark breaks it off. Unnoticed to him, Carrie places her earring on Steph's night stand.

Season 01 Episode 04
"Days of Thunder" October 8, 1995

Stephanie discovers Carrie's earring. She keeps it from Mark and instead returns it to Carrie at work and forces her to tell Mark she's unable to produce the play. Peter and Gil meet Rachel. Gil is very attracted to her but Rachel completely ignores him in favor of Peter. Carrie arranges a stage reading of Mark's play at a theater in the Hamptons. Mark must go there alone with Carrie because Stephanie can't come as she has arranged an urgent meeting with Allen about several circulation figures full of discrepancies she's found. But when she tells Allen he gets mad and orders her to stay off. Rachel tries to build up a friendship with Steph but secretly accesses the "Communique" computers and leaks information on the circulation figures. Desperate to get acquainted with Rachel, Gil tags along to the Hamptons. However, Rachel instead opts to go to a banquet where Peter will be attending. Alex is serving people drinks at the banquet. She gets embarrassed but Peter convinces her to meet with him later. However, Rachel treats Alex like a servant and manages to sabotage this meeting. At the celebration of Mark's play at her family's cottage, Carrie lures Mark into the pool where she rips off his boxers. But Mark manages to avoid temptation again. Nikki breaks it off with Allen and he yells at her she can kiss her gallery goodbye. The news on the discrepancies has leaked to the press and Allen advises Stephanie to find the leak ASAP. Carrie realizes Rachel is after Peter and informs her Peter is off limits to her.