Helen's Office of Quick and Decisive Pain. The trial picks up after a commercial break separating the first and second parts of the episode. Helen examines her fake files while listening to her television. According to the fake news, the courthouse is already packed with press, and if you didn't get yourself a pass, you are plum out of luck. Okay. The large ten-tonne truck barreling toward me is carrying a huge load of signs. All of them say, in bold Century Gothic font: We. Get. It. Yes, this is a high-profile case. Yes, the Senator is pleading for his life. Yes, there is more here than meets the eye. Any. Way. Helen packs up her briefcase while the camera pauses for a moment on Hunky DA, grimacing. We focus on the fake reporter giving his fake commentary: Blah the entire city is asking the same question, blah what was Senator Ellison really thinking when he fired the gun, blah was the shooting an act of vengeance or was he truly defending his wife. The Drama of His Defenseless Women's melody is droll in the background.
The Firm. Senator Ellison and his wife Marsha are watching the same newscast. Ellenor comes into the conference room where they are seated and says, "Let's go." The two get up to leave.
The Fake Courthouse of Immeasurable Pain. An elevator dings. This spurs the cameras into slow motion. Reporters fling themselves at the opening doors like wedding guests throwing rice at the happy couple. The immaculate head of Emperor Rod emerges. Ellenor Frutt, Senator Ellison, and Marsha Ellison follow him. They all wear expressions of extreme reverence. From the other direction, like gladiators in a Roman arena, the prosecution floats in from the other side. Armed with only their wit and wonder, Team Prosecution is looking for blood. The reporters rush around them. You can only hear from a distance -- or at least that's what they would have us believe, as the sound is muted and hollow. Cameras flash and voices scream as the two sides enter the courtroom, ready for battle.
Helen stares toward the bench before standing. Her bony knees are knocking. She laces her string-bean fingers behind her in the small of her back, and begins: "This trial is not about who shot and killed James McNown." She addresses the jury. The defendant did that -- there is no disputing that. No, this trial is about why Senator Ellison shot and killed the man. The evidence is conclusive: Ellison discovered his wife in bed with the Dead Man; he became enraged, and then shot him. Blah he destroyed the evidence, dee he covered up the crime, blah he tried to get away with it. Helen: "There's an old saying in the medical profession. When you hear hoof beats, don't think zebra." Um, okay…but if I were picking analogies, I probably would have picked one that was at least a little bit relevant. I'm pretty sure there are neither wild horses nor zebras roaming the streets of Boston on a regular basis. ["And what the hell has the medical profession got to do with anything? I mean, I get it, and yet…huh?" -- Sars] Helen explains her rationale; instead of looking for some far-fetched diagnosis, one should just see the obvious. Because drawing wild horses and zebras into the conversation is the easiest way of, um, stating the obvious. Right. Moving on. The commonwealth will ask the jury to see the facts for what they are: obvious. Uh-huh, okay -- because Helen runs with the truth in every case she tries. Sure. On to Ellenor's opening statements. Blah she agrees with the DA, dee the trial is about why Ellison "fatally wounded" the Dead Man, blah it was Mistaken Self-Defense. Ellenor sets the scene. She talks to the jury in the second person, just so that they'll understand exactly how Senator Ellison felt. It's like a Choose Your Own Adventure of a trial. Blah the person you love is being killed blah. It's all very dramatic. Ellenor's evidence, presumably the same evidence Helen's team has access to, will prove that Senator Ellison acted in the best interests of his family. Yawn. Been there. Heard that. Don't believe it. Carry on. The entire case is built on what was in Senator Ellison's mind, on both sides -- it's a hard one to argue. Ellenor finishes and sits down, and Hunky DA whispers something into Helen's ear.
The jury is looking at a crime-scene photo from the night of the murder. The Dead Man is posed atop a bloody white sheet with his left arm and leg extended, looking fatally wounded. Detective Mike is on the stand. He explains to Hunky DA that this is what the victim looked like when the police arrived on the scene. Alan asks who was present when they arrived at the residence. Mike replies that Senator Ellison, Marsha, Allison, and Ellenor were there when he got to the scene. Lowe points to the fact that Ellenor was there before the police. Mike agrees with him. Then he asks who called the police: Ellenor. Did anyone call 911? No. Odd -- Ron Livingston does the whole cross-examination thing in the same tone of voice he used in Office Space when he told the consultants he was pretty much not doing any work at all during the day. But it works just as well here, and I was concerned that it might not. Anyway -- blah why did you arrest Senator Ellison? Because there was a gunshot wound to the head, at close range, resembling an execution. Ellenor objects. Mike rephrases. Blah they found the gun on the scene, dee it belonged to the defendant, blah it had been wiped clean of fingerprints, dee how many times can we go over the same freaking evidence, blah. The results of the trace metal test were negative. But didn't the defendant fire the gun? Yes. But the police think that Ellison either wore gloves or wiped the residue clean. Alan starts postulating about the crime, making stuff up, and the Emperor Rod objects, only to have Finkle allow the line of questioning. Now, Mike thinks Ellison was going to hide his identity as the shooter, but changed his mind and decided to go with self-defense. Alan inquires after Ellison's wardrobe on the night of the murder. Mike notes that he was wearing freshly laundered clothes. Lowe: "So, after the shooting." Pause. "The defendant." Pause. "Did a load of." Pause. "Laundry." Mike nods.
Bobby's cross-examination, as per usual, makes him Defender of the Possibilities. Isn't possible that after a gruesome shooting, a person might not want to stand around in bloody clothes? Okay, because Ellison washed his clothes, he became a suspect. Isn't it possible that a person splattered with blood after said shooting might want to take a shower? Yes, Mike agrees that this is possible. Then Bobby gets all condescending on Detective Mike's ass. Bobby's hands do their impression of Dracula coming in for the kill. Detective Mike thinks that because the Senator had taken a shower and washed his clothes, he was a viable suspect. Because the dead guy in his bed hadn't tipped them off or anything. Yawn. Even reasonable doubt is trying on this show, and it is the fundamental cornerstone of the American justice system. Salt pinching. Finger flipping. A half-hearted objection from Helen about Bobby being argumentative, and finally Bobby gets to his point: in some cases, despite being the shooter, the trace metal test has turned up negative, meaning that the Senator might not have been wearing gloves after all. It's rare, but it happens.
The Firm. The lawyers are seated around the Table of Plotting Possible Defense Devices, reviewing the events of the day. Ellenor thinks it was a weak showing by the prosecution. Up : Jason Perlmather, former aide to the Senator. Ellenor's ready. Ellenor is always ready. She turns to Lindsay and asks what the consultants thought: Maguire, good; calling the police after the lawyer, bad. Oh, and they thought The Emperor was "a little aggressive." Rod pouts. Methinks they hurt his feewings. He wooks like he's going to cwy. Poor Empewor. Ultimately, the jury consultants believed Maguire. How does one get a gig as a jury consultant? Seems pretty sweet to me. The news from Lindsay sours the mood, but only for a moment.
The Trial of Senator Ellison's Big "Mistaken" Pain. Said aide is on the stand. Hunky DA is questioning him. Apparently, the days before the shooting found the Senator acting out of sorts. Hunky DA straightens his Hawaiian shirt, flips off his Birkenstocks, and asks: "How were you in a position to know this, Mr. Perlmather?" Well, he was the Senator's aide; he was with him for up to twelve hours a day. "Did you ask him what was wrong?" Ellenor objects. The Hunk counter-argues that it is a declaration against interest or something. I'm too busy focusing on his chin to really understand what he was saying. Moving on -- the aide thought the Senator was having trouble at home: "After working for him for eleven years, I developed a pretty good barometer for when things weren't going well [in the marriage]." Yes, you heard me. He used the word "barometer" without cracking up and spitting his soda crackers all over Hunky DA. Ellenor gets up and smacks down the whole Senator Ellison Barometer Boy argument. Yadda yadda he was guessing, blah he worked with the Senator for eleven years, blah.
The Resounding Roundtable of Pain. Lindsay informs her glorious co-workers they are "in some trouble." Why? For the jury to believe the Senator's story, everything in court needs to be going their way, and it's just not, what with the suggestion of marital trouble. Okay, except that every single couple on the face of this earth has had some trouble at some point in time. If anything, that would signal that the relationship is, oh, I don't know -- normal. They bicker about whether Keith really did shoot the guy by mistake. Bobby asks who's up for the prosecution. The Lump says it's Sandra Levy, the woman who works with Marsha, but because the affair has already been established, he's a little confused as to why they are still calling her. Okay, these are Jimmy's exact words: "There's nothing she could say that would hurt us." Keep that in mind for later in this episode. They discuss more prosecution strategy, specifically whether or not Team Get Him, And Get Him Good is going to call Allison.
Meanwhile, Helen and Hunky DA are talking about the very same thing over a beer and a fake meal. Imagine that -- a contrived conversation on The Practice. Ah, I am so not shocked. Helen thinks that it would work in their favour to have Allison up there on the stand; if they believed she was lying to protect her father, the courtroom would believe it too. Alan leans in, takes a deep breath, and exhorts: "Now, Helen, they're planning to call her. That means they prepped her for cross. It's too dangerous." Then he asks if she's ready with Levy. Helen twiddles her fingers over her crossed arms in a faux-Ally McBeal moment. Then she says, "Do you hear what they're calling us on the news?" Pause. "The Steam Team." Oh. Good. Lord. I am laughing so hard I don't know whether or not to breathe or roll my eyes. Alan asks, "Why's that?" Perhaps because they're "steamy." Bwah ha ha ha ha! A pathetic attempt at sexual innuendo follows. It's too embarrassing to even type. They bond. They whine. They postulate. They pose. Blah, hurry up and get it on already.
Fake news reporters are out in droves, covering the trial. Rod and Eugene watch the coverage in Rod's office. Jack Quinn, fake news reporter number twelve who has appeared on this show, comments on how the defense is really bearing the Beast of Burden regarding the case. Eugene has a bad feeling. Bobby whines, "But we haven't even put on our case." Number Two responds, "A big part of our case is Marsha's unflinching support, which isn't so great right now."
The Trial Where They Convince You of Pain. Ms. Levy is on the stand. I'm not even going to go there with all the not-so-subtle references to current events that DEK is throwing out this episode. She states that she, Mrs. Ellison, and Mr. Ellison were all at an office party. Mr. McNown was the Chief Financial Officer of their company, and he was Ms. Levy's boss. Helen asks what Ms. Levy saw at the party. Well, she saw Mrs. Ellison and Mr. McNown "dart" into an office. Then she pressed her ear up against the door and listened carefully because she suspected there was something going on between them. She heard Mrs. Ellison was angry. She heard Mrs. Ellison say, "It has to stop." Did you hear anything else? No. A few seconds later, Mr. Ellison went into the room. The Strings of Surprise Testimony bleat into the background. Jimmy's face falls. Ellenor loses her poker face. Especially when Ms. Levy says that she overheard the Senator say, "I will not be humiliated." Then he stormed out too. Ms. Levy, are you positive this was two days before the shooting. Yes. She is absolutely positive. A steaming mad Lump rises from his hot seat. He tries to take her out with his non-verbal non-battery, but when Jimmy asks why she didn't tell him about Senator Ellison entering the office after McNown, she responds with a simple "You didn't ask." Damn. It's not often that The Lump screws up this badly, and even he knows it.
The day of heavy courtroom back-and-forth ends, and the usual fake reporter community follows Team D-Fence out toward the client room. Bobby keeps saying "no comment." Once inside the client room, Jimmy starts yelling about Levy's testimony being "unfair surprise." The Emperor wipes the imaginary chalkboard clean with wide sweeping gestures before he breaks into a rousing chorus of "Well, I know my name is Simon, and the things I draw come true." Then he yells back, "But it isn't unfair surprise!" He sweeps his arm back in front of him like he's bowing to his partner after a square dance, or to the Queen. You take your pick. "She was on their list." Jimmy mutters something. Ellenor starts screaming: "It isn't unfair surprise, Jimmy. It was a screw-up and it was yours. How could you miss something?" Jimmy tries to redeem himself by claiming that Ms. Levy is lying. Ellenor walks toward Keith and asks, "Was she lying, Keith?" The Melody of Massive Mistakes tweaks. "You knew." Ellenor clenches her teeth: "You knew about the affair." Pause. Twiddle. Pause. "So you murdered him." Bobby says Ellenor's name. She snaps, "I am talking to the client." Bobby counters with a little "I'm not interested in what the client has to say." Blah he tells her she's not interested in anything the client has to say. Marsha wants them to see if the DA's office is still willing to plead. Ellison doesn't want to plead the case out. The couple starts to bicker. If he pleads out now, the world will think he's guilty. Marsha: Still thinking about becoming governor, you can't be serious. Keith: That woman doesn't know what she heard. Marsha: Oh, don't be an idiot! Keith: She can't be sure. Marsha: You are guilty in everyone's eyes. Ellison reaches his breaking point and makes like he's going to slap Marsha straight across the face. He composes himself. Allison watches her parents while looking a mixture of uncomfortable and really upset. Ellenor, Bobby, and Jimmy just stare at the Senator, who walks over to the window. Bobby takes control. He doesn't think the DA will offer anything at this time. The only course is to proceed with the self-defense argument. They strategize about how to deal with Ms. Levy's testimony. They rally around the cause. Bobby exits to check with the clerk to see when they go back. A single tear slides down Allison's young, impressionable face. Yawn.
Blah more fake reporters blah.
Bobby tells his co-workers to turn off the television. Rebecca wants them to change the plea to insanity. It's late. They are grasping at straws. Emperor Rod says no. The judge would never allow it. "Where's Jimmy?" Lindsay says he's in the conference room. Then Rod calls to Ellenor, who gets up, preparing for the spit-fest that is essentially the boss's admonishment for telling off Jimmy in front of a client. Blah never again blah. Apparently, they don't need to be inviting malpractice claims along with losing the case. Then he heads into the conference room to console Jimmy. Blah mistakes happen. Blah never again blah. Jimmy sort of half-smiles through his misery.
The Media Circus in Front of the House of Pain. Ellenor and Bobby arrive at the Senator's house. They make their way through the crowd.
In the living room, Ellenor and Bobby sit on one couch diagonally facing Senator and Mrs. Ellison. Ellenor: "Your fate is obviously in your hands now. For your testimony you can maintain self-defense." Blah you have a gift when it comes to persuasion blah. Blah juries are loath to convict celebrities. Blah. Ellenor advises him to do a "big mea culpa" and admit that he acted in a rage. Ellison: "What would be the purpose of that?" Bobby butts in, "I think the jury might believe it and you'd have a shot at manslaughter." The lawyers are afraid that the jury won't believe Keith's confession and will then convict him of murder. Keith shakes his head, bouncing to the Coda of Cracking Cases, and says, "Those aren't choices, Ellen-ner." Blah you people are miracle workers. Whine I want my miracle. Chortle: Give me my miracle! Allison wells up again. Ellenor: "It's not coming, Keith." Pause. "Now tell us what you want to do." He's going to take the stand, and he's going to testify that he acted in self-defense. Ellenor says, "You're going to go to prison." No, he's not. Dammit! He's not.
The Very Day. Things are not looking good for Team Ellison. Keith is quietly reflecting over a cup of coffee. Ellenor enters the client room and pontificates: "You remember how we used to talk Shakespeare." He quips, "You're about to tell me I've become your favourite tragic hero." Blah their friendship waned. Blah she became a blight, blah the unseemly defense attorney, blah. Not great photo-ops to be seen with an attorney who defends rapists. Don't you worry, Keith; Ellenor gets it. Keith protests. In fact, he even looks upset. Blah he came to her, because blah charged with murder, blah they're the best. Yawn. He needs to "listen to the expertise you hired." Ellenor: "If you stick with self-defense you will lose." If he tells everyone he lied, his life will be over. Blah family blah. Blah his wife's going to leave anyway -- more non-dramatic, non-tension-building crap. They whisper-argue. I can't win this. Yes, you can. The music clatters on and on. All we need is one juror! Keith: "People love me, Ellen-ner. They love me." Yawn. People at MBTV do love you, Dylan Baker, but not as Senator Ellison. As Senator Ellison, you suck, because DEK sucks.
Fake reporters. One of them pushes Ellenor into a wall. Boy, it's a jungle out there.
Bobby approaches and asks, "What happened?" Ellenor explains Keith's "digging his feet in." Okay. Their strategy: They call on Allison "up and down." And then they call Marsha. Don't know if it's up and down or not. The Lump apologizes. Ellenor tells him it's not his fault. Even though it kind of is his fault. But it's nice of Ellenor to make the gesture. The Three Amigos bust a move into the courtroom.
Allison's testimony. She was close to her father. She overheard her parents fighting. It would get worse. It would get better. The courtroom is very, very bright. Ellenor asks if Allison ever talked with her father about the problems between her parents. Yes. Did he ever talk to her about the affair with Mr. McNown? Ellenor asks if she thought her father would have told her about the affair? She does. Because every father should have a conversation with their daughters about their spouse's extracurricular activities. Because every parent should involve their kids in every little piece of their marriage. Because playing monkey in the middle with your daughter's emotions is really the right thing to do. What-freaking-ever. Allison's opinion is that her father did not know about the affair. Ellenor asks the girl to tell her story. The movie was sold out, so they came home. Allison went upstairs. She "heard them." And we get to hear her Symphony of Subtle Sub-truths. Pardon? Allison starts to get really snotty. Her mother and Mr. McNown were "in her bed, doing what they usually did when Dad and I were out of the house." Ellenor's jaw drops and she steps forward: "And you knew it was Mr. McNown?" Allison insists that her father didn't know about the affair. Pause. But she "certainly did." What, she didn't tell her father? No -- she went back to her room, "eventually." But first, she got the gun and shot him. Bam! Everyone in the courtroom stutters! Judge Flipping-Out Finkle screams: "Chambers!"
Said chambers. Ellenor jumps right in: "I had no idea she was going to say that. None of us did!" Helen doesn't believe that for a minute. The judge interjects. Did Allison ever before suggest that she was the shooter? Ellenor says no. Hunky DA tries to put in his two cents' worth, but he's railed back by the judge. Finkle wants to be the only one talking right now. Of course, Bobby takes that as a cue to open his charmingly disdainful trap: "Your Honour, none of us saw this coming." Except anyone who actually watches television. Except anyone who might have watched a courtroom drama in their time. You know on that little show called Law & Order where the daughter killed the lover because she was mad at her parents? Yeah, that one -- it reeks of familiarity, doesn't it? Helen claims that Allison committed "blatant perjury." Perhaps, but the judge suggests that the prosecution's only recourse is a rigorous cross. Well, Helen will make a deal right now. She'll drop all the perjury charges in exchange for Allison's admission that she lied. Okay, they have a situation. Ellenor shouldn't be representing the daughter; right now Allison needs her own counsel, and Ellenor doesn't think having Allison admit that she lied is in the best interests of the Senator. Hunky DA insists that Ellenor has an obligation to take the offer to her client. He's right. Oh, he is just so very, very right! They all start bickering, as people on The Practice are wont to do. Judge Finkle: "You have an offer to take to the girl. If she refuses, you can impeach her on the stand and then arrest her after her testimony." He points at Bobby, Ellenor, and Jimmy: "I want your bar cards by the end of the day." He's holding them until he can figure out whether or not this was one of the stunt The Firm is famous for encouraging clients to participate in.
Back out into the Den of Press Pleas, Team Ellison muddles their way back into the client room, where Ellenor tells off Allison. She's a smart aleck. Until Ellison interrupts and says, "I'm willing to plead guilty." Ellenor: "You want to plead guilty now?" Yes. Despite the fact that now he might actually have a shot at winning, he's not going to let his daughter take the fall for him. Marsha is suspiciously quiet. Allison, unfortunately, isn't. She wants to talk. Her father won't let her. "Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but I just gave you reasonable doubt." Bobby: "You also just confessed, Allison." Blah they could try you for murder. Ha! Then she'll just say her confession was a lie to save her father! There! She's got the whole justice system worked out! Isn't she a smart senator's daughter? If he's acquitted, they can't try him again. Bobby insists that they could try her for perjury. Then Allison snarks back: "A fourteen-year-old girl trying to help her father. Something tells me I won't go to jail for that long." Damn, this kid is insolent. If I had talked that way to a grown-up, my mother would have killed me. I remember I tried to call a neighbour by his first name once instead of using a salutation, and I got grounded for a week. The music dongs away at an annoying pace: "Are you really so sure I committed perjury, Mr. Donnell?" For the second time this episode, Ellenor thinks she's got it all figured out: "You're both covering for her!" Ellison screams on about how he wants to plead guilty. He's the client, and he's going to plead guilty, conditioned upon the fact that nothing happens to the little spoiled brat sitting to him. Man, this family is messed up. It's all lies and innuendo. You've got to wonder what the heck a Tuesday night dinner conversation would revolve around. "Could you pass the salt?" "Do you really want me to pass the salt?" "Just pass the salt." Pause. "I said PASS THE SALT."
Blah. The Senator also wants a press conference before he's taken into custody. Those are his terms, and he orders Ellenor to take it to the DA. Ellenor asks Bobby and Jimmy to take Allison and Marsha out the back door. The Senator seethes: "Why?" She. Just. Needs. A. Second. Wow, Ellenor has certainly perfected that clenching your teeth in anger while you talk voice. Bobby hauls them off, leaving the Senator alone with his friend, who sits down at the table and says, "If there is anything you are more committed to than your political career, it is your daughter. Is she taking the rap for you, or have you been taking the fall for her all along?" He doesn't answer the question, just repeats his plea to plead guilty. Ellenor wants an answer. Keith whispers, "Make the deal."
Helen's Office Where They Make Deals of Pain. Bobby, sigh, brings them the deal. Bobby, sigh, throws in the part about the press conference. Helen, sigh, thinks he thinks she's a big idiot. Then she accuses him of orchestrating the entire ordeal. He's offended. She throws him out. It's War of the Roses, television-style. Alan chastises Helen. Then he asks Bobby to wait outside for a second. Then Hunky DA lays out all of their cards for Helen, and they do not look good: a charismatic, persuasive defendant; no eyewitnesses; another person taking credit for the crime; face it, they are screwed. They'd be crazy to walk away from the deal, and they can't risk a straight appeal. Hunky DA is going to accept the deal. He walks out to confer with the Emperor.
Blah fake reporters report the plea.
Blah The Firm watches the news and wonders aloud, "Hm, what's the plea?"
Blah the fake reporters say, "It's a manslaughter conviction."
No. I'm not kidding. That's actually what happened.
The Courtroom. Judge Finkle looks over the deal. He asks the defendant to rise. They go through all that official court stuff. Everyone understands. The gavel is pounded. The judge states that Ellison can be escorted to his press area by the security guards, and then into custody. The matter is adjourned. Or so you'd think. Ellenor wants to know the truth. Keith remains mute about it, preferring to brush her off instead.
Helen complains to the media about the outcome. She should really stop her whinnying and moaning.
Senator Ellison walks up to the podium. He "agrees with Ms. Gamble that this is a terrible day." Then he explains that Allison tried to mislead the jury. He maintains that the story is exactly as he confessed in the first conference. The camera pans back behind the podium where Marsha and Ellenor are standing. The attorney whispers, "You think you're helping Allison?" Pause. "She's going to end up as another teenage suicide." Now, in what universe did DEK think that was a good argument to make? "And you know it." Pause. "And if she is the shooter. I am going to eventually prove it." Wow, Ellenor's strong-arm technique is pretty pathetic. It's more like one of Bobby's arms flapping through the wind then it actually is threatening. She severs any legal representation with the daughter. Marsha: "Do you think if Allison did this I'd stay quiet?" Ellenor doesn't know. The Senator drones on and on in the background. Ellenor thinks Marsha might not want her daughter to ruin her entire life because of an affair she had. Marsha says she never had an affair. Ellenor snarks, "Excuse me?" Then Marsha admits, under attorney-client privilege, that she was the one who murdered the Dead Man. That it was Keith who was having the affair. That Keith is gay.
Now, I know it's not prudent to investigate the victim, but don't you think, in their zealousness to find out whether or not Marsha was having an affair, that they might have, well, checked out McNown? Figured out he was gay? At least, oh, I don't know, looked through his apartment or something? But no, that might have been logical, or at least probable -- no, here on The Practice DEK just feels it necessary to jerk the audience from one plot twist to the like a fifteen-year-old joy-riding with his parents' stick-shift car for the first time. Pathetic. Keith and Jim McNown were in the bed that night. That's why they found no powder burns on Keith; that's why they found no semen on Mrs. Ellison. Yawn. Helen didn't trace metal her hands or test her for powder burns. Now the information that Marsha actually committed the crime is hidden behind privilege, and Keith is going to jail for a crime he didn't commit. Just like The Fonz. Just like Scott Wallace. Just like every other damn defendant on this show. Apparently, the Dead Man wanted to go public with the affair. That's why Keith said he didn't want to be humiliated. See, if McNown was going to go public about the affair, someone should have known he was gay. The cops could have at least figured it out. Instead, they figured it out the way Marsha wanted them to; they just had the wrong spouse. At the end of Marsha's speech, the Senator's voice comes back into the scene; his commitment to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts will never wane. He'll be back, don't you worry; he'll be back, and Lord, that's what we're all afraid of.
week: Ellenor fights to get the truth told about what happened the night McNown was murdered, and Charles S. Dutton guest stars. But remember, The Practice starts at the very special time of 10:09 -- very special indeed.