Episode Report Card Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT All Work and No Play is Unheard of by These People
By Gwen | Season 4 | Episode 2 | Aired on 10.29.2000
At court, Renee questions her plaintiff. He describes being hit on by Myra, John and Nelle's client. Myra is played by Marcia Cross of Melrose Place fame. She was psychotic Dr. Kimberly, so you know that she'll be evil in this guest role, too. Renee's client describes how Myra purposely brushed his arm and then fondled his "groin area." The sex they then had was consensual, but afterwards he felt pressured to continue having sex with Myra the Boss, so he quit. Throughout the plaintiff's testimony, John cringes. Then Myra brushes John's arm and he squeals like a girl. Nelle cross-examines, ascertaining that the sex was consensual and that Myra never threatened to fire this guy. She mockingly sympathizes with him for having to get it on with Myra. Georgia and Renee object. Nelle tells the plaintiff, "Suppose I were interested. Would you sue me?" The others object again.
At Fish & Cage, Richard tells Cindy they'll get her an injunction. Richard bellows out that they won't mention Cindy's penis. You know, I'm so glad they managed to say "penis" yet again. At first I was afraid they'd only use "dumbstick" and "groin area" and thus break their streak. Ling is called away to a meeting. Mark walks by and tells Cindy "hi" in a very friendly way. Cindy tells Richard that she's nervous. Patting her shoulder first gently and then jocularly, Richard says that "this kind of subject matter" is the reason he got into law. Mark scopes Cindy out as the oboe plays quizzically.
Most Contrived Scene of the Hour time. The female lawyers of Fish & Cage, along with Elaine, Renee, and Georgia, hold their "Cage & Fish Women's Bar Association meeting" in Ally's office. Ally tells them they're pathetic and they need to be "proactive" in their social lives. Nelle says that she doesn't even want a personal life. She rants, "What's the goal? To get married? Yuck. Half of them end in divorce, the other half end up with children. Is that what we want -- to have our breasts swell up with milk so some crying, sniveling baby can suck them dry? So they'll sag in perpetuity like two big wet mounds of tissue with nipples, with no hint of their original character?" Well, that's certainly not what I want to see happen to Nelle. I'd prefer it if she stayed at the firm and let John call her names. If she could lose more weight, that would be nice, too. She's not yet thin enough. I can still almost see those mounds of tissue. "This meeting isn't about motherhood, Nelle. It's about recognizing...life is a little more rich with a partner," Ally tells her. Hey, Ally, start a cult on your own time, all right? Nelle argues that women make better partners than men for everything except sex. Okay, we get it. Nelle's a man-hater. Her little invectives are supposed to make us sympathize with John next time he sexually harasses her, right? Whatever. Georgia asks if Ally has a plan. The plan is to ask Mark how he goes about meeting eligible women. There are groans and the meeting is adjourned. Ally opens her office door and Richard falls through it. As women file out, he tells Ling he's not comfortable with her "going on a manhunt." She tells Richard not to worry, that she won't be looking for anyone like him. Richard expresses surprise at Ally's behavior. He thought she didn't need a man. "Ah don't," Ally drawls, trying to smolder. "Ah want one." God forgive me for saying this, but at that moment I wished I could slap her hard enough to make her head slam against the office door. That's wrong, isn't it? She walks away and Richard says, "I like that." Luckily a commercial break follows and I have a chance to chant my mantra: "It's just a TV show. It's just a TV show. It's just an extremely annoying TV show and you're getting paid for this, Gwen."