Episode Report Card Deborah: C+ | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Grace Under Pressure
By Deborah | Season 1 | Episode 14 | Aired on 02.05.2004
Will and Toni are questioning a suspect in Yardley's beating. He claims he was home when it happened, and states that he's not saying any more until his lawyer arrives. Will says that two witnesses have identified his car. He adds, "The little league bat you used -- your kid's, nice touch -- was found in a dumpster two blocks away. But you were home the whole time. I'm sure your lawyer will find that an excellent defense." The suspect says he's not talking to Will, who explains that when a perp remains silent and remorseless, the jury has a tendency to give him the max. Isn't it usually the judge who decides the length and severity of a sentence? Doesn't the jury simply make a finding of innocence or guilt? Will asks Toni what the maximum sentence is in this case; she says, "Forty years. No parole." Will: "A small price to pay for doing the Lord's work." The suspect asks, "You think God intended someone like him to minister to people?" Will isn't sure: "I don't have [God's] phone number, like you seem to." The suspect starts welling up and asks, "What should I have done? He touched my boy." Toni looks up from her scribbling. The suspect goes on: "He molested my son. Fifteen. What the hell would you have done if somebody did something like that to your kid? What the hell would you have done?" He cries a bit and tries to compose himself. If this is the first they've heard about this, then what was with that "nice touch" remark a few minutes ago? Between that and the jury comment, the writing was pretty weak for such a short scene.
Dinner time at the Girardi house. Helen and Luke are making dinner while Joan studies at the kitchen table. I like how helpful Luke is -- he always seems to be helping more with the cooking than the other two. Will's looking through some papers and asking what they are. Joan says they're stuff for her mother to sign: "Permission slips and tests." Will reads a permission slip and says, "You can't do this. It says there's a danger of physical injury." Joan: "It's a nature walk. We're going to be looking at beetles." He persists, and Joan takes her book to another part of the kitchen, whining, "Mom!" Helen tells him it always says that: "It was on their permission slip when they went to see Hairspray." Will wants to know why they went to see that: "How is that 'school'?" Helen: "It's theatre, honey!" ["Plus it's loaded with local Maryland colour!" -- Wing Chun] Helen takes the papers and asks Will to set the table.