A Televisual Feast

So… David E. Kelley pulls the lamest surprise ending out of the bag for this episode, even breaks the fourth wall with it when the real murderer looks at the viewer to share the truth. It disconnects the show from its subjects, from its characters. “The Practice” is no longer about Bobby Donnell and gang, […]

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Even though Bobby’s shallow and insecure during his final monologue, it’s the perfect close to the episode.
This episode’s mostly just the engine starting–Helen and Bobby against each other in a high profile murder case, along with Eugene’s quirky case (the curse of the two case “Practice” strikes again)–but it’s decent enough. Kelley avoids most of […]

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David E. Kelley stops pretending and fully embraces “The Practice” as a soap opera this episode, a sensational soap opera.
As Lindsay and Ellenor defend a porn star accused of killing her husband on set, Lindsay battles her feelings for Bobby–while Bobby and Lara Flynn Boyle get even more serious.
Boyle is awful in this episode, just […]

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It’s the Jimmy Show as Jimmy goes to court against all odds and, dum dum dum, Bobby. Yes, Bobby sets up Lindsay to take over the case, while Ellenor, Rebecca and Eugene all become potted plants.
It’s not a bad episode–it’s the best of the last few–but it’s cheap. The whole thing relies on the trial […]

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What an atrocious ending.
The episode isn’t, in and of itself, all bad. It’s mediocre, dealing with Jimmy’s cancer case–after three episodes (or ten in the airing order, figuring for those first season burners)–it’s finally going to trial and Jimmy isn’t cutting it. It’s another episode where Jimmy comes off as a jerk, which is getting […]

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If the first new (season two shot) episode of “The Practice” after the conclusion of the burners, which redeemed the show, doesn’t put it right back in the crapper, I don’t know what would. Kelley goes all out here, going as exploitative as he possibly can–Bobby Donnell, on trial for murder… because he’s a defense […]

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The last burner–written by David E. Kelley, credited solo (which I had commented on back when I finished the first season)–pulls “The Practice” out of its hole. Three cases–Bobby’s high school girlfriend is now a call girl, Eugene and Lindsay have a woman freaking from the doctor using maggots in her leg, Ellenor is trying […]

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Here’s a fun way to spend an hour… I suppose the episode’s kind of different, dealing with Eugene’s realization of how terrible a person his actions–professionally required or not–make him. There’s a hilarious bit when Ellenor tells him to man up. It’d be more effective if the series hadn’t already done covered these problems with […]

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Jimmy’s shooting a commercial, Bobby’s trying to save his priest from a manslaughter charge (for performing an exorcism) and Eugene… Eugene’s got a whole different thing going on. The episode does feature Barry Miller as Eugene’s soft-spoken nemesis, which is a welcome return, as well Paul McCrane as Eugene’s client and McCrane’s funny enough. But […]

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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 […]

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