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Season: 3 Episode: 12 (58 overall) Production Code: #3M12 First Air Date: February 14, 2000 Teleplay: David E. Kelley Writer: David E. Kelley & Josh Caplan Director: Arvin Brown # of Times Richard said Bygones: 0 Guest Stars:
Orson Bean as Marty Brigg
Synopsis: The best and worst thing about any hour of Ally McBeal is the viewer is left so totally unprepared. Will it be a "very special" episode of Blossom or blissful Seinfeldian nothingness? The ride up in this week’s roller coaster was certainly harmless, though it’s about time Ally got off the dating merry-go-round and found something slightly more permanent. Anyway, the overwhelming sight of store shelves stocked with heart-patterned boxers has sent most everyone for a loop at some point, so it came as no surprise when Ally (queen of over the top) rear-ended a cute guy. Do you like Ally’s ever-present desperation or would you like a genuine display of (warning: overused phrase) girlpower to come shining through? Said object of obsession was mostly a Brendan Fraser nice kindly doofus, whose only annoying trait at first seemed to be a holdover preppy haircut from the pre-Clooney as Caesar days. However, it turns out he possessed a pig snort Revenge of the Nerds laugh and was promptly given his walking papers. Should something so seemingly miniscule matter or is Ally beyond the norm of superficiality? That led to the screaming upside down freefall on the aforementioned amusement park ride that is this so-called comedy. Ling faked blindness; I can totally buy that. Ling loves old people; I’m afraid not. The normally cranky lawyer’s out of the blue best friend Marty was a senior who saw menacing pygmies (dark-skinned ghoulies as dancing babies) and was therefore being evicted. This was those Fox development wizards test-marketing McBeal: The Retirement Years. Admittedly Marty being hit by the car was horrible, but it lacked impact. To the cynical, it was like they were trying to hit the emotional high of last year’s "Blimp." We get that these lawyers have humanity, it needn’t be shoved down our throats. Would you like to see more continuing storylines, where we could get to know a character first instead of the uncomfortable sitcom style resolutions? Tragic comedy ultimately made this emptier than the box of chocolates you opened yesterday. |