The Inmates/ Axe Murder

The Inmates: Ally McBeal

Episode: 20

Production Code: AM120

First Air Date: April 27, 1998

Writer: David E. Kelley

Director: Michael Schultz

# of Times Richard said Bygones: 2

Recurring Characters:

Bobby Donnell

Guest Stars:

Lisa Gay Hamilton as Rebecca Washington
Steve Harris as Eugene Young
Camryn Manheim as Ellenor Frutt
Kelli Williams as Lindsay Dole
Kelly Connell as Dr. Peters
Isaiah Washington as Michael Rivers
Alaina Reed Hall as Judge Elizabeth Witt
Michael Brandon as D.A. Adam Dawson
David Burke as Harry
Tony Amendola as Judge Walter Swan
Al Pugliese as Joel Hurt
Daniel Dae Kim as Testifying Police Officer
George Cedar as Judge Jonathan Harker
Donna Murphy as Marie Hanson
Paul Jenkins as Detective Kale
Renee Goldsberry as Ikette #1
Vatrena King as Ikette #2
Sy Smith as Ikette #3

Axe Murder: The Practice

Episode: 32

Production Code: 0W19

First Air Date: April 27, 1998

Writer: David E. Kelley & Todd Ellis Kessler

Director: Dennis Smith

Recurring Characters:

J.C. MacKenzie as Fred Spivak

Guest Stars:

Calista Flockhart as Ally McBeal
Gil Bellows as Billy Thomas
Kelly Connell as Dr. Peters
Michael Brandon as D.A. Adam Dawson
Reni Santoni as ?
Daniel Dae Kim as Testifying Police Officer
Lynn Hamilton as a Judge
Donna Murphy as Marie Hanson
Shunie Bailey as Guslet
John Kendall as Glenn
Janet S. Blake as Slauson
Dan Schaffer as Dr. Seymore Holt
Maira Price as Dr. Elaine Madison
Randy Kovitz as Dr. Marcus Johnson
Mijanou van der Woude as Reporter #1

Synopsis:

"Ally Donnell - McBeal," Ally stammered upon meeting renowned criminal attorney Bobby Donnell. The cross pollination episode of David E. Kelley’s two babies is centered on a wealthy client who is brutally murdered and the wife, Marie Hensen is implicated.

Ally predictably, and realistically is squeamish at the crime scene, she gets blood on her hand and faints. “He’s even more dead than I thought, that's the most dead person I've ever seen," All, upon seeing the murder victim. Ally tried to de-sensitize herself to murder by watching old murder mystery movies, making herself more horrified in the process. "I like the law but prefer soft-core," Ally on criminal cases.

Billy doesn’t want the case farmed out to someone, this is apparently to show that ambition is one of his vague characteristics aside from being eye candy for our heroine, especially necessary when Ally goes just as googly-eyed for the handsome and single Bobby. To assure Ally fans that this won’t be a completely sober episode like your average Practice one is, Richard feels prickly Eleanor’s wattle upon their first meeting.

Renee finally gets a story to call her own, this is more landmark stuff than if Ally made it through an hour without whining. She meets this guy at the courthouse, determines he’s date material and when he gets a bit too hot and bothered she uses her kickboxing skills, much to every wanna-be Xena’s delight. "How was your date?" Ally seeing Renee's date passed out on the floor. "You can lead a man by the penis but it's the wrong way to tame him," Ally to Renee on bringing a guy to the apartment that she barely knows. Renee broke a bone in her date’s neck & he pressed charges, she enlists Ally and The Biscuit’s services.

Tensions were running high between the two diametrically opposed firms. "These people are nuts, we go in there arguing insanity & these people are the inmates," Eugene on Fish, Cage, and Associates; and Bobby basically wonders how they got their licenses. "They're not really in yet but they'll be coming back" Ally, when Helen made a snappish remark about the length of her hem. Helen asked "How do you know?" and Ally replied "Because I'm wearing it." As for the client she believes she was Lizzie Borden in a past life. "If I weren't separated by bars I wouldn't be caught dead with you, or maybe I would," Ally to the client.

There’s something about Fish: "The outside world doesn't get the joke," a Fishism about the firm. "We caught him at a hockey game, how gay can he be?" was Richard's claim when he fired a straight man. Richard argued that gay waiters have the elitist quality necessary for a French bistro. Just in case you feel like counting, he said bygones twice; now a tougher tally, how many times does Regis Philbin say incidentally in any given show?

Billy helped argue that Marie is insane, the actor playing cockiness with pride. Mrs. Hansen & her psychiatrist, Dr. Peters were having an affair. The client refused to plead guilty & took the stand. Ally convinced the psychiatrist to retake the stand thinking it was to prove insanity. Eugene made it look as though the psychiatrist may have murdered Mr.Hansen. Ally was mad at Bobby & Eugene for their tactics. "If I closed my eyes I could almost see you as a hero, too bad my eyes are open," Ally to Bobby. Dr. Peters shot himself in the head as Bobby was making his closing, it turned out he really was guilty. A mistrial was declared.

Afterwards, Billy embraced a very shaken Ally, the most elaborate sweeps stunt of them all.

AM-120 & 0W-19 ©1998 Almost Human