CBS' All Rise - Episode 1.10 "Dripsy"
Lola exercises a rarely used judicial power when she fires a lawyer for failing to provide a robust defense for his client. Also, Mark's dad, Vic, is arrested for murder.
In 2018, there were 495 scripted shows airing amongst the linear channels and streaming services. The way people are consuming content now is so different than it used to be. It happens according to one's own schedule. As such, there is less necessity to provide ample coverage of each specific episode in any given season from a show. Moreover, it is simply impossible to watch everything. As such, this site is making the move to shorter episodic reviews in order to cover as many shows as possible. With all of that being said, here are my thoughts on the next episode of CBS' All Rise.
"Dripsy" was written by Sunil Nayar & Aaron Carter and directed by Patricia Cardoso
Lola is forced to relocate to a different courtroom here. A drip quickly builds to a flood of destruction in the first act. That was a concern everyone was aware of and knew needed to be taken care of immediately. However, it's only after the damage is done that something seems to happen. It displaces Lola for a little while. That doesn't force her to change her perspective on the law or her case though. Sure, it means she gets a new judge's assistant. Sherri is left behind to worry even though she should be relaxing. She believes she knows how to best serve Lola because she has been working with her so efficiently lately. Of course, that may just be disregarding the backlog of cases she has previously complained about. She simply has respect for the system and the way to best articulate things with her judge. Lola appreciates that as well. That is just a small element of this story though. Of course, the new judge's assistant is incredibly condescending and dismissive of Sherri's advice. That's absolutely horrifying. He doesn't quite get his comeuppance either. It plays as this cute thing happening that no one should be annoyed by. And yet, Sherri should rightfully be upset that her power is being taken away from her. That's what makes it land when she delivers the tragic news of a high speed car chase involving a criminal who appeared in Lola's courtroom. All of this is mostly just fodder for an episodic story. Lola and her team are back in their regular courtroom by the end of the hour. That just comes with the threat that Lola may not sit on the bench for much longer. Sure, that threat should not be taken all that seriously because her position as a judge gives the show its storytelling hook. Without it, the drama could still function as a solid legal procedure. With it though, it offers a unique perspective by showcasing the many ways in which judges actually try to make the process fair. Of course, she is currently presiding over a trial in which the defendant believes that everything is rigged against her. The system has already let her down once. That is a memory that stings for Emily as well. She wants to do better by her client the second time around. And yet, her actions have to prove that she can better defend her client. Her words at the moment are just empty promises. Her client doesn't have trust in the system. It all works out for the best in the end. It just comes with a lot of intervention in which it seems like the client may not be the one making the decisions. It all works out for her so she should be celebrating. However, Lola decides to fire the defendant's first lawyer because he is incompetent when it comes to presenting his case in a criminal trial. He is a divorce attorney used to practicing the law a certain way. It's much different in this specific environment. He is out of his depth. However, Lola is the one who makes this bold change. She believes she wields the power to do so. The review board will ultimately get the say of whether or not she can do that. Of course, it's veiled in a much larger case of prosecutors filing a complaint saying that she is biased towards defendants. She views that as her former colleagues turning against her now that she is a judge. It proves that the system may inherently protect those in power. Prosecutors certainly have the ability to make or break someone's life. They have that power and wield it in immense ways in which they proclaim to always be right. Mark is proven wrong about his sleepwalking case. Instead, he realizes the victim committed insurance fraud. But his life is also spiraling at the moment because his father has been arrested. He may want to step up and defend him. That may offer him a greater perspective for the decisions Vic has made throughout his life. But that would come at the expense of his job in the DA's office. That's a responsibility he may not be so willing to give up. Lola had the offer to do something better. Mark has something much more personal but inherently complicated as well. But he could reasonably leave his job even though that has defined so much of his role in the show so far. That's more viable than Lola being removed from the bench.
