Season 2, Episode 03:
Public Execution
Peter drives back with Alex after getting married in Vermont. Despite his attempts to tell her to leave him alone, Alex discovers that the New York Globe ran a front-page story on the ceremony and cajoles Peter into giving her his apartment key so she can move in.
Adam and Jordan are having lunch again and discussing how he's finding life in the city. Adam sheepishly admits that he's been seeing someone, and reluctantly tells her that he's seeing Linda Fairchild. She reacts in shock, and tries to dissuade him by saying that she's still married, but he tells her to reserve her judgement until she meets Linda in person.
Later, Linda visits Adam at work and once again tries to dissuade him from starting a relationship with her, but they both realize how much they need each other and make plans to have dinner that night. Linda also warns him that Allan is a vindictive man and will try to come after him.
That night, Peter once again attempts to talk to Robin outside NYU, but she calls him out for trying to rekindle their relationship now that he's married, and asks him to let her go. When he gets home, he finds Alex trying to pressure him into sex for their honeymoon, but refuses to go along with it and storms out in frustration. Robin later visits him again and tells him that she can't stop thinking about him, and they begin to make love.
Linda is also trying on dresses to show to Carrie, who also figures out that she's going on a date. Linda jokingly tells her she's just going out for dinner with a friend, but Carrie is shocked when she hears a knock at the door and sees Adam outside and Linda leaves.
Adam and Linda go skating at a local rink and she asks him afterwards to tell him more about his ex-wife. Adam talks about Dianna and admits that he was devastated when she left. He concludes by saying that he's happy that she's half-a-world away...
The next morning, he arrives at work, only to be startled when Dianna reveals herself to be sitting in his chair. He stands in shock as she tells him that she learned of his acquisition of Communique and wanted a tour. She antagonizes Rachel before Adam pulls her away and asks what she wants. Dianna tells him she wants to have lunch with him before she walks off. At a nearby restaurant, Dianna tries to tell him how she was in town to shop, but he is unmoved and tells her he wants nothing more to do with her.
At the same time, Alex goes to meet Linda for lunch at the Zinc Bar. Despite Linda's attempts to tell her that the only reason Peter agreed to marry her was for the sake of her child, Alex coerces her into funding a small reception. When Peter returns home that night, Alex tells him that she knows he cheated on her and forces him to attend the reception.
Gil and Rachel go out to have dinner with Jordan, and Gil finds that he and the book editor aren't so different. After they get back home, Rachel calls out Gil for flirting with Jordan, but he counters that it was nice to talk to someone who doesn't treat him callously like she does.
Dianna also finds Jordan's address and visits her apartment, much to her shock and surprise. Dianna uses the visit to learn more about Adam's relationship with Linda, but Jordan gets fed up with her lines of questioning and pointedly tells her to stay out of her life before she leaves for work.
Adam orders Gil to make a buyout offer for Dianna's share of Brock Media, and he goes to deliver the offer to her while she's getting ready for a massage at her hotel. After patronizing him a bit, Dianna agrees to consider the offer.
That night, Adam and Jordan attend the wedding reception and greet Linda, who is pleasantly surprised to meet his daughter. At the same time, Alex is talking up a group of socialites while Peter drinks heavily at the bar. Gil arrives and tells Peter not to drink so much, and the latter admits to him that he's still seeing Robin. Gil is shocked by the revelation and tells him he's treading on dangerous ground.
Allan also shows up to the party along with Dianna, and they awkwardly greet Adam and Jordan. Linda is shocked that Adam didn't tell her she was in town, and they act snarky towards each other in the ensuing conversation. Dianna tells her that she's going to win back Adam's affection before leaving.
The next day, Adam apologizes to Linda for not telling her about Dianna, and they both agree that they can continue to focus on their relationship and ignore her...
Alex goes back to the fertility doctor and once again asks for help. After he tells her again that there's nothing he can do, she comes upon an idea and tells him she'll be in touch. She goes home later that night and finds Peter trying to undress Robin in their apartment. After throwing her out, Alex begins to suffer from chest pains and collapses on the couch. As Peter phones an ambulance, Alex tells him that she's losing the baby...
Tropes:
- Clingy Jealous Girl: Rachel becomes this after she sees Jordan flirting with Gil, despite her attempts to argue otherwise.
- Contrived Coincidence: Alex's plan to fake losing her child only works because she shows up at Peter's apartment at the very moment when he's trying to have sex with Robin.
- Deadpan Snarker: Dianna.
- Double Standard: Jordan calls out her father for going after a married woman, when he had just previously tried to control her life by threatening the man she was seeing.
- Drowning My Sorrows: Peter begins drinking heavily as a way to cope with his marriage to Alex.
- Henpecked Husband: Peter becomes this after getting married to Alex.
- Hope Spot: Adam and Linda's romance begins on a lighthearted note, but they are soon forced back to reality when Dianna enters the picture.
- Jaw Drop: When Carrie discovers that Linda is dating Brock, complete with goofy background music.
- Kick the Dog: Alex kicks her own father out of the wedding reception, on the basis that he's embarrassing her just by being there.
- Stealth Parody: The episode spoofs the Romantic Comedy genre, via Linda and Adam's relationship plot. Both of them are nervous and unsure of what they'll do, the scene where Carrie discovers he's dating her mother is backed by a light-hearted "comedy" soundtrack and Reaction Shot, and their ensuing date feels like a traditional Meet Cute.
- Tempting Fate: Adam tells Gil that, compared to Dianna, taking over Rush Media is going to be a "walk in the park"...
- What the Hell, Hero?:
- Robin calls out Peter for trying to continue a relationship with her, despite getting married to Alex.
- Gil also calls out Peter for still seeing Robin after getting married.
