I found it very disheartening the way that Flanagan told Kay Freestone that it was all over. In the back of a limousine while smoking a cigar. That's kind of cutthroat. And then as soon as he gets done doing that he turns to his chauffeur and says "Let's go to the party Carl" . Like what he just did meant absolutely nothing. What an arrogant SOB. No 2nd chance. Kay was great at what she did. One bad judgment call gets her fired? Hmmm.....

On the other hand I guess he was trying to have what's best for the network in mind. Obviously McAndrews didn't want her to have his job. The whole thing is just cut throat

I think you could say he's both an arrogant SOB and a typical boss. And yes, it is cutthroat, and that's what was intimated all through the episode. Kay tells it to Johnathan when she says she needs a report which will keep him there all night, "Get used to it, Junior, comes with the territory." McAndrews tells it to Kay, "At what you do, Kay, you're the best. The very best. But you make guesses, not decisions. And that's not good enough." So Flannigan's handling is in line with the business. He does try to be somewhat consoling, "Let's put that aside for the moment.", "We'll put that aside, too." before he gets to the part where she's "jumped behind the desk of a dead man". Overall, while I think he is a pretty arrogant SOB, I don't think Flannigan handled Kay's firing poorly.

I think Kay was fired before the limo encounter. Remember that Mark and the network bought her a Mercedes as sort of a parting gift? When Mark got the promotion to New York he figured it was the best time for he and K to say goodbye.

Flannigan on the other hand is arrogant Fires an employee then puffs on "that rotten cigar" while driving to the party; not a care in the world

My take

Kay wasn't fired before the limo encounter. McAndrew simply told her she was neither going to NY with him nor getting his job on the west coast. She was to keep her present job until she knew more. The Mercedes, with the license plate "KAY #1" was simply the opinion of management that she was the best at what she did. It was a consolation prize, not a parting gift.

"But you'll learn," McAndrew said.

"I'm learning already," Kay replied.

No, Flannigan fired her in the limo, while chomping on his cigar and on his way to the party.

"I'll be needing more room, the desk comes with the job."

"But you don't, Kay. Nobody ever said this job was permanent."

It was pretty callous, but I think he tried to be a little compassionate initially. Her refusal to take any real blame for her "decisions" is what ultimately led Flannigan to axe her. Imagine how he would have treated her had he known she'd killed McAndrew.

Here's something else I thought of after my initial post. It's funny how 'little insignificant things' come back to haunt many suspects. In this case sending her cleaning out from Mark's house. I wonder how many other killers got caught like this Next post I put up will be about that solely.