On "The Mary Tyler Moore Show", it had a wonderful ensemble cast. However, among the least favorite for me was Phyllis. A little bit of her was just fine in the shows, but any episode that featured her was difficult for one major reason...she was nearly impossible to like. And, in "Assistant Wanted, Female" is Phyllis at her worst.
Now that the evening news is changing format from a half hour to an hour, the overworked staff have even more work. As a result, Mary asks Lou if she can hire an assistant to help her with the various tedious tasks. When Phyllis learns about this, she begs for the job. However, when Mary actually hires her, Phyllis is a lazy, backbiting and thoroughly annoying person. But, since Mary is such a nice person, she has a devil of a time firing her.
I think they should have toned Phyllis down a bit. Her character was much more self-absorbed and nasty than usual. This is Phyllis at her very worst. As a result, I couldn't wait for the episode to end. Yes, it was REALLY tough to watch.