“ Why is Ally in the classroom? She's wasting class time and disrupting the learning environment. Teacher, make her turn her desk to the wall and put her giant lollipop head down. ”
The miniature pit bull terriers are SO CUTE. They've won in the Garden three times! Oh, aerial shot of Boston, woo! Ally is in class with Kid, peppering the teacher with questions about the reading list. Why is Ally in the classroom? She's wasting class time and disrupting the learning environment. Teacher, make her turn her desk to the wall and put her giant lollipop head down. I saw Ally with gum! Ally says she doesn't want Maddie to read the novelization of Annie because "it disparages orphans." Not to mention makes people start singing that the sun will come out, tomorrow. And betting their bottom dollar that tomorrow, they'll be sun. Why, just thinking about. Tomorrow. I'll stop. A boy sitting to Kid jerks a thumb at her and says she "looks like Goldilocks." Ally's hand flies into the air and she alerts teacher that the "chunky kid insulted" her "daughter," and she's concerned about Maddie making friends, and the "fat kid" looks nasty to her, and "prejudice comes in smooth reads, because bigots cannot spell." Maddie is mortified. Me, I saw the ads for the episode, and was expecting this.
Court. Ray questions his client, asking if he didn't fire the AIDS woman because he discriminated against her. The guy says "law firms lose money on associates because [they] are training tomorrow's partners. If a partner is not going to be here tomorrow...[he] has a fiduciary responsibility." What a bad argument. The same argument could be made for anyone without an unwavering dedication to the job -- like, someone with a family, or a risky habit, like skydiving. Corretta steps up, and hears the guy say that "before September, the firm was doing well, but now...this is a new day." Also, the title of the episode. Okay, my boyfriend works in a law firm here in Philly, and he says they have had no change in business. They are as busy as ever. And, this isn't the guy's reason for firing AIDS Woman -- he fired her because she has AIDS, not because of the economy. So, why is this even coming up? Oh right, DEK is continuing to footnote the events of September 11 to give his meatless show context and heft, I guess. Nice try. Corretta asks whether AIDS Woman failed to perform her job duties in any way. Guy is all, yeah: "Part of an associate's job is to build a client roster and maintain it over time, for the future. She has neither time nor a future." But Guy "hates to sound cold." How about, "hates to sound full of shit"? No -- that, he loves. Corretta says AIDS Woman "billed out more than her salary." Guy says the "clients weren't paying their bills." So, that's her fault? Get a fucking bill collector, or TAKE THEM TO COURT, Guy! Corretta yells, "You dumped the one with AIDS!" Ray objects. Albert Hall doesn't say anything, and Corretta continues. Um, Ray, you are really ineffectual as a lawyer, dude. Judge didn't even hear you! Guy finally yells that he didn't fire her for having AIDS: "It's because she's dying! The firm has to rebuild financially, emotionally...." Corretta's all, what do you mean, "emotionally"? He says he stated his reasons for firing AIDS Woman. Judge tells him to answer the question. "Two of our people were on the first plane....The last thing we need is...." Corretta asks whether he's "protecting his firm from dealing with more loss." Guy says, "You say that like it's nothing. Trust me, it's not nothing." Oh, wow, that's in bad taste. Really, really bad taste. Like, I bet the cast and crew of Frasier are calling each other right now, pissed off, as members of the TV community who lost someone they worked with and yet didn't milk it into a fucking plotline. Granted, two planes did take off from Boston's Logan Airport, but Jesus fucking Christ, DEK! Guy's logic is so flawed and irrational! We all deal with loss -- you can't "prevent" it from happening! What an anti-hero. I mean David E. Kelley, of course.