After a bittersweet victory, Amanda is now the "big cheese" - whether The Circuit staffers like it or not. And since Amanda's peers spent the summer avoiding her, it seems like they're leaning more towards "not." But Amanda, after taking their often harsh criticism to heart, is now determined to "kill 'em with kindness." She kicks off the year with a brand new look and an old-fashioned ice cream social to bring the staff together. She vows to lead the paper with grace and democracy. But while the other editors are carefully measuring "ice cream socials" on the lameness scale, Amanda takes aside Alex, her "best friend" and second-in-command, to make a pact. He reluctantly agrees to do what's best for the paper and never let their positions get in the way of their friendship. However, with each new issue, it's uncertain if either of them will be able to keep up their end of the bargain.