Last season, the show was mostly hit or miss with its cases-of-the-week. The premiere's case was intriguing but still had its moments that were excessive. This week's case of a parent suing the city and the police for the wrongful death of her son at a protest had just enough time, attention and material to make it unique and stand out from previous cases. What really added to that uniqueness was the questions coming from the jury. I have never seen that before on a lawyer procedural and it is still so refreshing to see that this series is still wonderful at keeping up with the current times. It was also smart that the hour didn't solely focus on who it was from the jury asking the questions. That would have been a distraction but the hour was able to keep its focus on the case and had it play fabulously. Sometimes all this show needs to be a fantastic episodic series is a great case-of-the-week and this one delivers nicely in a big way and without trying too hard.
In this episode, the show staged an ER reunion with former co-stars Julianna Margulies and Maura Tierney sharing a significant amount of scenes together. Although the two of them were only on the former show for one season together, they had some great interactions and it is nice to see that they still interact well opposite each other. The show was also able to introduce Tierney's character seamlessly while also giving her a distinct personality and traits. She also has her hands in many of the ongoing stories. So it should be interesting to see where they will be going with her powerful businesswomen.
For weeks now, it has been teased that the ice cream scene between Nick and Kalinda would be the most racy sequence this show has ever produced (and that is really saying something!) I was actually surprised by how early in the hour it came! I was not expecting that. However, it did also somewhat highlight the growing concerns that the ongoing Nick-Kalinda relationship is quickly becoming its own spin-off of the series. There are currently enough elements connecting them to the main plot but I just wish the show would amp up those dynamics more. I trust that future episodes will touch on those facts like - How does his appearance effect her ability to do her work efficiently? How will his case at the firm change the way Alicia composes her business? Will Hayden Clark continue to force keeping the case even when it keeps going down the illegal rabbit hole?
So what did everyone think of the episode? Questioning everything you know about ice cream cones? Love what Maura Tierney brought to the series? Share your thoughts in the comments.
