Benched Episode 1.09 A New Development

New boss Geoffrey is riding Cheryl about her recent bad performance. She tells him she's in a slump.

Nina says she'd be happy to occasionally give Cheryl pointers. But Cheryl has another idea.

Meanwhile, Nina tells Trent she's tired of defending his callousness to her co-workers but he doesn't understand why he needs defending.

Trent shares confidential intel about why he's been on the warpath to clean up the homeless downtown. Nina understands but isn't sympathetic.

It doesn't take Nina long to spill the beans about Trent's directive from on high to Phil and Carlos.

The problem with telling Carlos is that he can't keep secrets. Now homeless advocates are protesting outside the courthouse. He claims he only told one person.

Now Cheryl's really stressed about her make-it or break-it trial. Nina wonders if Cheryl has ever thought of doing something a little easier.

Nina fesses up to Trent that she leaked his secret but then begins to wonder why he told her in the first place.

Whether or not Trent actually listened to Nina's request to throw Cheryl's trial, the result is that Cheryl wins one for the poor huddled masses-and keeps her job.

Nina realizes that Trent has been orchestrating this entire scheme to get help for the homeless while simultaneously satisfying City Hall and the rich real estate developer.

Later, Nina tells the team that Trent had his hands up all of them like puppets the whole time, thus ruining their victory celebration.