Pepper Dennis is a competitive reporter who has it all. Looks, intelligence, savvy. Still, her dreams of being the anchor for Chicago's top television nightly news desk are dashed when Charlie Babcock manages to snatch away the job instead. Now Pepper must contend with the rigors of reporting while dealing with her live-in sister, Kathy, and her best friends/co-workers Kimmy and Chick.
Pepper goes undercover to expose a poker club that goes beyond just gambling. She also attends a sexual harassment seminar with Charlie which causes some awkwardness between them. Meanwhile, on the verge of a reconciliation with Bryce, Kathy learns that Bryce has been hooking up with her best pal.
Pepper loses her cool during an on-air segment, landing her some couch time with the network-sanctioned psychiatrist, who thinks she needs to resolve her longstanding issues with Charlie. Meanwhile, she's clued in to some intense college fraternity hazing when she comes to believe that Kathy has a problem trying to make everyone happy. The situation escalates and Pepper is soon one of another house pledge's hostages.
Pepper reluctantly asks Charlie to be her date to a posh wedding, at which Kathy is a bridesmaid, when her parents lament her lack of a husband. Pepper is soon trying to uncover the truth about the bride, however, when she takes off before making it to the altar.
Pepper tries to bring up her sagging audience approval rating, which has disastrous results, prompting the audience-friendly Charlie to give her some pointers. Meanwhile, Kathy puts together a chi-chi fundraising event, during which time she makes a personal connection with Pepper's brother Mitch.
Pepper clashes with new news director Les Gaye, who is replacing former director Jack, while in the midst of covering a big celebrity murder trial. Charlie and Chick take over the story when she is told to go on vacation, but the two call on Pepper when they find themselves in over their heads.
Pepper is the talk of the town when she breaks wide open a story of corruption in the mayoral race, but her involvement in the story also leads to a romantic spark with the mayoral candidate she is investigating. When Charlie sees the two kissing, he begins to feel some actual jealousy. Meanwhile, the woman Kathy began temping for at the station plans to come back from her maternity leave, which could leave Kathy without a gig.
Despite being wooed with romantic weekend trip plans, Pepper is forced to put a halt to her burgeoning relationship with Mayor hopeful Curtis Wilson due to a potential conflict of journalistic interests. Meanwhile, Kathy surprises Pepper and Charlie with office birthday celebrations.
Pepper meets eligible Chicago quarterback Grady Harper and decides to accept his offer of a date. When Charlie, a huge Grady fan, decides to intrude on the couple's dinner, however, Pepper is surprised to find Grady more engaged with Charlie than with her, causing her to think his preference isn't for women. Meanwhile, Pepper and Chick go to Chick's high school reunion.
Pepper and the news team are up for several major awards at a journalism function, but decide to spring to action and arrange an on-the-fly broadcast when Chicago's major airport experiences disaster just as the awards show is being held. Meanwhile, Kathy inadvertently injures herself after hesitantly attending a sex toy-themed party.
Pepper is thrown in jail after refusing to give up the identity of her secret informant when a local scandal breaks. While in prison, she stumbles upon another scandal involving prison houses and bad food. Meanwhile, Charlie shows up at Pepper's place later on with a surprising bit of information of his own, and Kathy thinks about going to night school to improve her career track.
Pepper goes undercover to expose the truth about a dating agency after Kimmy joins and raises some suspicions about its services. Meanwhile, a viewer has some serious complaints about Charlie's newly whitened teeth.
Charlie tries to get Pepper to marry him in order to keep himself from being deported, but after she agrees and the two plan a wedding, they both discover that they genuinely are in love with one another. Meanwhile, Chick and Blanca come to their own realizations about love, while Kathy and Charlie's immigration officer hit off.