(Season 5, Episodes 19-20)
It is with deep regret that I inform you that next week you’ll have to do without my virgin diary. For some inexplicable reason, FX is only airing one episode per weekend for the next two weeks, a steep decline from the four the network was airing just a few months back. As this comes at the conclusion of season five, it behooves us all to wait until we can wrap the season up in one shot. I’m only sorry that I cannot offer you an emergency contact number like therapists do when they go away on vacation.
5.19 “Home of the Brave”
I think Helen must have become the new Bobby sometime in season five. In addition to his not doing much on a regular basis anymore, she seems to be the attorney who has the brightest spotlight shined on them from week to week. If only she were more fun to watch.
This episode picked up on Lucy’s first rape crisis center victim, the case going to court with Helen prosecuting the alleged rapist. Which is where our first fun guest star comes in: Gary Cole as opposing council. I love seeing all of these familiar faces, and it’s so hard to remember that these appearances are chronologically before my familiarity with the actors began. Although their looking so much younger does help.
Anyway, Lucy ended up being put on trial, an infuriating practice employed by someone it’s very tough to relate to: an attorney defending an alleged rapist. The scenario bothered me enough that I won’t get into it, but apparently it worked; the defendant got a not guilty verdict. What did the victim get?
Lindsay was back working a simple drug bust case that turned into a whole lot more. Manny Guzman (Maurice Compte, and yes I did recognize him as being from E-Ring) was arrested by Officer Lemay (Kevin Chapman from Brotherhood) in a veiled attempt to get to his brother Hector (Reynaldo Gallegos from all over the place) for murder. The case ended with Manny being deported and Hector staying free, but it was yet another case in a long line of them that gave every impression that it would resurface, but likely won’t. Or will waves of these people be returning in the series finale to get their revenge?
And Ernie Sabella was back as sad sack attorney Harland Bassett. Why Eugene keeps on falling for this guy’s sob stories I’ll never know (this time it was a medical malpractice suit against a drug company), but the strangest thing was Bobby. He seemed to not even know who Harland was, and yet he himself had been Eugene and Harland’s matchmaker in the first place.
5.20 “The Case of Harland Bassett”
The title’s a bit misleading, but I suppose this really was the final test of whether or not Harland could make it as a lawyer. High profile litigation against the top malpractice defense attorney (James Rebhorn) in the game, sentiment and millions of dollars all riding high.
The plaintiff contended that an antibiotic that the pharmaceutical company made had caused a young girl to go into liver failure, necessitating her to go through two liver transplants and live the rest of her life on anti-rejection medication. They dragged out all of the experts who said that, while it couldn’t be concluded to a medical certainty, they were sure it had been the medicine that had affected her liver. Plus it was a thirteen year-old girl sitting in court in a wheelchair. Slam dunk.
Slight problem though. The medicine said on the label that it had not been proven safe or effective for use in persons under the age of sixteen. The plaintiff argued that doctors prescribe off-label all of the time, and therefore the pharmaceutical company had an obligation to test their medicine in kids.
But the use instructions were clear on the label. The only thing opposing council should have said to any of the plaintiff’s witnesses on cross was: “Was she over the age of sixteen when she was given the medication? No? No further questions, your honor.”
And the jury still found for the plaintiff and awarded her $5.6 million. Great day for Harland, good day for Eugene (at 30% of Harland’s 30% contingency fee), bad day for things making any sense.
But at least now Harland’s gone. Right? Right?
Clacked by Aryeh S.
on Feb 04, 2010 @ 13:00 EST5EDT
