Ep 15. Assistant

In the fifteenth episode of the fifth season of NewsRadio titled "Assistant," the team at WNYX receives a new assistant named Paula, who is taken in by the station's personalities. Paula is initially seen as a godsend by Dave due to her ability to lighten his workload but is slowly revealed to be somewhat inept at her job. As the team learns more about Paula's past, they also begin to understand how and why she acts the way she does.

Meanwhile, Matthew has a run-in with a producer from another station who thinks he looks like a famous movie star. Matthew loves the attention and begins to act more like the actor, much to the confusion and concern of the WNYX staff.

As the day continues, tensions rise between Paula and Bill when he insists she do her job properly. Dave steps in and tries to take care of the situation but ends up making things worse. Catherine tries to help Paula by giving her a makeover to boost her confidence, but this only leads to more problems.

Things come to a head when Paula's blunders cause a live broadcast to go awry. When the dust settles, the team realizes that Paula's flaws are also what make her endearing and they decide to keep her on as their assistant.

Throughout the episode, the team grapples with the idea of what makes a good assistant and if they should prioritize competence over personality. In the end, they find a balance that works for them and welcome Paula to their quirky family at WNYX.