photo: cbs
Poisoned Pill
Original Air Date: Nov 9, 2010
Patricia Morris Buckley — Sr. Staff Writer
pmb@thetwocentscorp.com
We’ve been waiting for this for a long time: We finally learn about Kalinda’s sexuality. She’s… oops, you’ll have to wait a bit for that info.
But the episode does start with Blake, the other investigator, slyly threatening to “out” our favorite female snoop. Has he really found out something worth blackmailing her with or is he still fishing? Yeah, I know the answer, but I really am going to make you wait for that.
The women of the firm are thrilled with their big case, a class action suit against a pharmaceutical company that manufactured an antidepressant that causes people to get violent. Their test case is Caitlyn, the daughter of a woman on the meds who killed her husband and then herself, a case that could open the door to more lawsuits or slam it tight. Diane and Alicia are then broadsided when there’s a change in attorney.
Let’s just pause here to gloat about the awesomeness of Michael J. Fox, who is Louis Canning, a New York lawyer with a neurological disability (not Parkinson’s, which is what Fox has in real life). I’d pay just to watch him act. Luckily, when he’s on TV, I don’t have to.
Canning quickly uses his disability to his advantage. He makes Alicia late by asking for her help, then he takes his medicine in front of the jury (see? Drugs good, not bad). He also knows how to make the case interesting, while Diane and Alicia are trotting out dry medical data.
Then Canning brings up that Caitlyn’s mother was jealous of the women he worked with. Then he finds out that her mother also thought her husband and Caitlyn were having an affair, information that comes from her mother’s therapist. Uh-oh!
Blake is doing his best to find something to help with the case. He digs up a former client of the therapist who had sex with him. Canning, seemingly defeated, agrees to a $35 million settlement. Finally, there’s cash flow at the firm. But as they’re celebrating, Canning comes to the party and discloses to Alicia that the drug company thought they’d have to cough up $90 mil, so they brought in Canning to settle for $50 million. He did so well, he took home the extra $15 million as a tip!
Only Fox could play harmless, cunning, condescending and malicious at the same time. Yes, he’s really that good. Pleeeease, could he come back?
Meanwhile, Eli is trying to find something on Wendy Scott-Carr, the attorney that’s entered the race for state attorney. Finally he discovers that she had a $19,000 breast enhancement. As that stubborn Peter doesn’t want to go negative, Eli leaks the info to Childs, who comes out with cartoon viral video. But then Wendy admits that she had breast cancer and then reconstructive surgery. Now Childs has egg on his face and has to fire his campaign manager to deflect the blame. Eli’s only mad that it didn’t knock the sainted Wendy out of the race.
Worst yet, someone has video of Grace, Alicia’s daughter, saying she supports Wendy. Seems she resents daddy’s negative campaigning. That’s a bit of a problem.
OK, now to the really juicy part. Yes, Kalinda has a…. girlfriend – or rather, a bitter ex-girlfriend. It’s public defender Donna Seabrook (Lili Taylor), who looks as if she’s out for vengeance and accompanies Blake to the firm party. That looks like a powerkeg ready to blow and is sure to make great TV!
So Kalinda makes a quick trip to Cary’s office to dig up dirt on Blake. Cary wants something in return, a request he makes with arched eyebrows. Hey, didn’t he watch the last scene. She doesn’t play on your team buddy! But Cary does dirt up something about Blake and about crystal meth. Wonder where that’s going?
Were you surprised about Kalinda’s sexuality? Wasn’t Michael J. Fox great? Do you think Grace got grounded, like, for life? Give us your TwoCents….
TheTwoCents 