Episode Report Card Gwen: D | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT I Will Survive
By Gwen | Season 3 | Episode 17 | Aired on 04.16.2000
Dr. Lipps or whoever is on the stand, talking about rage making people lose control. She talks about the humiliation Nora suffered. Then the prosecutor takes his turn, saying that the doctor "managed to use all the right buzzwords." He asks if rage excuses murder. They argue. The prosecutor says that Nora's anger was certainly out of control. This prompts the sad oboe and chagrined glances all around.
At the office, Ally's telling Richard he should fire Mark. Ally, don't you have work to do? I think Richard should fire you. Richard says that he loved Billy as much as Ally did. Ally says he didn't. Richard says okay, that he only liked Billy, but the truth is that Billy was boring. He wants to change the subject but Ally won't let him. She wants to know why they have to move on so fast. He asks if she expects him to hold séances. He eventually gets his back to her and looks really sad. "BILLY IS DEAD!" Ally yells, and they loved him and Richard just went out and hired someone to fill up his office, and then she bawls. Richard says very soberly that maybe Ally can stand walking by Billy's office, but that he, Richard, can't. He says that they're all trying to get through this in their own way. Ally apologizes, saying that she knows Richard's been hurting, too. Richard says that Mark's a good lawyer who will bring in money and that's the bottom line. You can tell that he's really sad, though. Ally asks if he's okay and he says he's fine. She starts to leave but then turns and hugs him. He wipes at his eyes a little and then looks like he might cry after she leaves. This was a good scene.
"Murder Two?" Nora's asking. Ling says that's what the prosecutor's offering, but that it's still a life sentence and there's no use taking it unless Nora has no plans. Nora bellows that she's not taking a life sentence. "Don't take a tone with me, Nora," says Ling. "I wasn't the one who offed your husband. And you were a terrible crier." Ha. Gotta love Ling. For the second time this hour, Ally walks in and says, "What's going on?" For this she gets a salary? Ling tells her that Mark is giving the summation the next day, because his nickname is The Closer. Ally says that that may have nothing to do with the way he practices law and asks where he is. Ling says, "He's in Bill--, er...-ly's office." Ally gulps at the air and says she'll go in their with an olive branch because Richard wants this to work.
Ally knocks on the office door and then enters and finds Mark in his own personal dental chair, having his teeth cleaned by some woman. "What the hell?" mutters Ally. Mark explains that he gets his teeth cleaned three times a week. Wacky Quirk Alert! Mark says it's the little things that win trials -- fresh breath, clean teeth. Ally asks what planet he's from and goes on bitchily until Mark asks if she's gonna cut him any slack at all. She calls him a nut. Sounds like the pecan calling the cashew crunchy, to me. She tells him not to mistake this for chemistry. He dismisses her, saying he has to work on his closing. He says he thought he might have some private space in his own office. "No, no, no, this isn't your office and it doesn't become your office with a stupid piece of tape!" yells Ally. Ally, please shut up and get off the screen, as your loathsomeness is becoming repetitive. Mark just nods, then leaves with his little napkin bib still on his neck. "Hey, thanks a lot for making me feel so damned welcome," he says softly. This reminds me of a woman who used to work with me at the Randall's deli. She was a total rude bitch to me for no reason at all until we all had to go to some deli-worker seminar downtown and she ended up having to ride there in my car. Then she spent the thirty-minute drive telling me about her abusive live-in boyfriend and all her other problems. Hi, Kathy! Enjoying the show?