After suffering a heart attack during a sexual encounter with the doorman, Alice (Jayne Meadows) is forced to convalesce at her doting daughter Dott's.

A publicity campaign launching Ellie's new novel brings surprises gallore: a visit from her estranged, contrified parents -- and news that she is adopted.

Dott and Peter try to prevent Ellie from finding out they are meeting with her professional rival, romance novelist Nancy Garver Hill. Things become complicated when Dott finds out Nancy Garver Hill is actually a beer distributor named Chuck Rooney, and a confidentiality agreement prevents her from telling Ellie -- who has just begun an affair with Chuck.

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Having witnessed Dott's bond with Brendan during a robbery, Ellie decides to have a baby and begins interviewing prospective fathers.

The Prosepect of posing for a famous photographer has Dott and Ellie each considering a change of face by a famous plastic surgeon (Bronson Pinchot).

Worried that her son is spending too much time with Val, Dott enlists Ellie's help in winning back her son's devotion by cooking him a meal. Meanwhile, Ellie and Stephano compete for the affections of Ellie's new bodyguard Wolf.

Ellie's scheme to get Val out of her hair backfires when Val's estranged husband (Robert Clohessy) arrives to sweet-talk his wife back to New Jersy -- and ends up making a pass at Ellie.

Stephano quits after a fight with Ellie, and a desperate Dott hires Val as his replacement.

A big-time TV producer (Jon Polito) sets out to make a miniseries from Ellie's latest novel, ""High Sierra Streetwalker."" Donna Mills plays the tempermental, hitrionic star signed for the lead.

Ellie is suffering from writer's block as the deadline for her latest novel passes, and Dott goes all out to break her out of it.

Ellie's (Jean Smart) book tour is sidetracked by her college nemesis, Val (Faith Prince), who comes between Ellie and her publisher, best friend Dott Emerson (Mary McDonnell).

Dott falls headlong for a motivational speaker, and Ellie goes to extremes to get her name in the tabloids.