A Televisual Feast

Another first season burner, this time with David E. Kelley trying out the revered lawyer with memory loss, though guest star James Whitmore (as Bobby’s mentor) is suffering due to a stroke, not mad cow. The show continues to ring up the guest star money with Valerie Perrine, playing a mix between herself and maybe Suzanne Somers, an actress only remembered for her role as a sitcom sexpot. Jimmy gets her case and spends the episode being inappropriate. Besides the spots for guest stars, I can’t figure how this episode got made. Jimmy comes off as a creep, Bobby and Lindsay take a backseat to Whitmore… it’s all very strange.

Then there’s Eugene’s case. He finally loses it and beats a client (a child murderer) in court. Titus Welliver plays the client and is totally wasted. After whining and emoting the whole episode–it’s a strangely paced episode, most of the cases resolved by the halfway point–Eugene goes to the kids’ funeral and walks out with a smile on his face. The only good thing about his arc is it establishes a friendship between he and Ellenor. Of course, Rebecca is there, but she has to be….

Something happened to “The Practice,” like Kelley lost faith in Bobby as a protagonist. The problems plague the second season, both in episodes made for the season and first season burners. Also, the cases have gotten a lot less compelling. If the attorneys aren’t going to be interesting, the cases have to be (Perrine’s doesn’t even get to court, for instance).

It’s a real disappointment… but I’m pretty sure these burners are almost over.

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