“It is dire, Alex—no Bueno.”—Cory

When last we left, Cory (Billy Crudup) stepped up to shoot his shot. He managed to get Cybil (Holland Taylor) out of UBA, and he thought that cleared the way for a deal with Paul Marks (Jon Hamm). But as the episode ended, he was spurned.

Now, we pick up with Upfronts. It’s a crucial time for Cory and UBA. Not only do they need to have a big showing with the advertisers, but it’s also that big showing that will help secure a loan to keep the network afloat. Cory is maintaining an outward calm, but the cracks are starting to show.

After a somewhat successful morning presentation, it’s up to Stella (Gretta Lee) to push the advertisers while Cory preps the big party. Alex (Jennifer Aniston), meanwhile, is pushing for her shows and projects to get funding. Cory confides that the situation isn’t great, and a lot is riding on getting a deal done. He also shares that the Marks deal is dead, and that Alex played no small part in its death.

Alex, taking it to heart, tries to step up. She hunts down Marks and tries to woo him, taking him for a day on the town. Will it work? More on that in a minute.

Stella, meanwhile, has an expensive lunch with the ad bros. She tries to maintain her standards and sense of dignity, but that’s not the game these two play. They offer the deal Stella needs, but she has to sell her soul a bit. In this case, that means paying the server, a fellow woman of color, to lick a puddle off a table. Reluctantly Stella agrees to close the deal, but it’s clear a piece of her has died.

When she arrives at the party, she learns that Cory’s network-saving loan has fallen apart, too. Turns out Fred (Tom Irwin) is behind the backers, and if Cory takes the loan Fred will use it as an opportunity to ruin UBA. So, Cory is scrambling.

Elsewhere, the episode did provide an opportunity to see Bradley (Reese Witherspoon), who was MIA for episode three. Her relationship with Laura (Juliana Margulies) has come to light, but not in the way Bradley feared. Turns out, Cory managed to pay to suppress the racy video, for now at least. That’s saved Bradley from dire embarrassment, but she’s not quite ready to jump back. In with Laura. Will that change? Time will tell.

Just as things were looking dark at the UBA party, and for UBA itself, some hope arrives in the form of a helicopter. The door swings open and both Alex and Paul Marks hop out to attend the UBA party. Will the network be saved? That’s a question for future episodes.

Episode MVP: Alex. She went to work and proved not only her value but her powers of persuasion. For now, she’s not only the MVP for the show, but for the whole network.

Matthew Fox is a graduate of the Radio, Television and Film program at Biola University, and a giant nerd. He spends his free time watching movies, TV, and obsessing about football. He is a member of the FSWA. You can find him @knighthawk7734 on Twitter and as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast.