(Season 5, Episodes 7-9)
I’m completely not surprised to discover that Michael Emerson won an Emmy for his work on The Practice. Anyone who marvels at the character Benjamin Linus on Lost need only look to Emerson’s turn as William Hinks to see just how expert the actor is at this type of psychopath. And I don’t mean to take anything away from Ben; rather, I only mean to say that Emerson is a superstar when it comes to playing the last people you’d want to meet in a dark alley, and at the same time the first person you’d want to sidle up to at a party. Dude is crazy. And crazy good.
5.7 “Brothers’ Keepers”
I’m not sure I’d call it “controversial” like IMDb does, but the case of a man accused of sending his adulterous wife to Pakistan to be put to death under religious law was definitely an interesting one. How can the DA prove intent, or even knowledge on the part of the defendant? And can he be punished here for practicing his religion in another country? I’d call it intriguing, or thought provoking, instead of controversial. Of course I see why the jury found him guilty, but I wonder….
Mr. Carosi (Ernie Sabella) returned in search of his first jury trial win. While I think Eugene should have chosen to stay far away from him, I do feel really bad for the guy (Sabella’s character, Harland Bassett) — imagine being pathetic at your chosen profession. And I’m not talking about a job that pays the bills … by and large you have to want to be a lawyer, considering the time and money you have to put in to get there. I was not left with the feeling that he wasn’t going to kill himself at some point in the future.
The big story of the episode was Ellenor’s announcement that she was pregnant. What a sorry bunch of friends! Judge her all you want in private (Jimmy), but at least muster a bit of excitement at news that your friend is clearly ecstatic about. Jimmy came up with some nonsense about how only family can really judge and question one another, but the reality is that this was a continuation of how all of these lawyers judge their clients on a daily basis. This time it just happened to really matter.
5.8 “Mr. Hinks Goes to Town”
Michael Emerson perfected creepy long before The Others ever kidnapped Jack and his friends. Emerson guested here as William Hinks, a creepy suspected serial killer on trial for his life. The twist came in the form of his therapist, Jeannie Reynolds (Rebecca Creskoff), a friend of Lindsay’s who believed in Hinks’ innocence. Of course he was too crazy to believe in his own innocence, insisting that he was guilty even as Lindsay and Jimmy argued his innocence to the court. It was honestly an intriguing concept, even though I suspected that Hinks had manipulated the entire situation, which it would appear that he did. Before getting his not guilty he almost admitted as much to Lindsay, and her utter horror was apparent as the foreman read the jury’s verdict. I’m guessing there’s a lot more of Emerson to come.
5.9 “The Deal”
It was a perfect storm for Donnell and Associates. An old client appeared, asking for Bobby’s help with a kidnapping that he might or might not have been a part of. As it turned out he was the main culprit, and the ensuing race to come to terms with the kidnapper and save the girl led Bobby down the path of lying to his client. I mean, I could see where he was coming from, but one of the signs of a great lawyer is the ability to only see the best interest of your client. Bobby continues to fall further and further short of that bar.
Meanwhile, with Bobby blinded by the new case, he pawned the return of Scott Wallace off on Ellenor and Jimmy. Definitely a good thing for Scott, because as bad as Ellenor and Jimmy are, they’ve become superior to Bobby — I’m as shocked to say that as you are to read it. It also just goes to show how Bobby chases action and drama like a puppy. Anyway, Scott, fighting for his life back, found himself fired from his job and seeking reinstatement. How that led to him pumping his former boss and friend full of bullets I’m still not sure, but I’m becoming more and more convinced that he actually did murder his wife.
And then there’s William Hinks. He returned to the scene seemingly determined to get Lindsay. Why I don’t know, since she successfully defended him against nine murder charges, but for some reason he came after her. I doubt Helen’s involvement, or the restraining order, is going to do much. Hinks’ MO was to meet people while they both walked their dogs, and his gift of a dog to Lindsay was as sure an indication as any that he’s gunning for her hard. Just wait until Bobby catches wind of it and yells at him emotionally!
Clacked by Aryeh S.
on Dec 31, 2009 @ 12:00 EST5EDT
