Contains spoilers for this episode and earlier episodes.
Brent decides to recruit a secretary while the company is supposed to be cutting costs. He interviews Stuart Foot and Karen Roper, quickly making his preference for Karen obvious despite claiming the decision will depend on merit. His conversation with her drifts away from qualifications towards her interests and whether she has a boyfriend. He offers her the job and invites her to join the others at Chasers that night.
Tim remains determined to leave Wernham Hogg and return to university to study psychology. He also has to endure Keith discussing the embarrassment of his invitation to Dawn. When Tim and Dawn speak again, she suggests that any drink should include Lee, keeping the encounter safely within their existing friendship. Donna's late arrival causes a different argument. Brent is upset that she stayed out with a man, while Gareth uses a health-and-safety session to pry into her private life.
Brent accidentally headbutts Karen while showing off around the office, undercutting his efforts to impress his new employee. The evening at Chasers offers little improvement. Finch supplies crude chat, Gareth's attempt to meet a woman leads to an awkward conversation with her husband, and Brent continues presenting himself as the staff's protector. Donna arrives with Ricky, revealing which colleague she has been seeing. She rejects Brent's objections and makes clear that he cannot choose her relationships for her.