S01.E15: The Honorable Dan Fielding

[AnimeMania]

Dan ponders his future after being offered the opportunity of a lifetime. Abby can’t find time for her fiancé, Rand (Pete Holmes), and her heart lands her in some trouble. Olivia makes it a personal mission to help Gurgs pass the bailiff supervisor exam.

Premiere Date: Tuesday, May 2, 2023   8pm     NBC   
Originally Episode 13.
Pete Holmes as Rand
Carol Mansell as Louise
Nicole Pettis as Evelyn
Atul Singh as Ken
John Gowans as Elmer
Cici Lau as Fran
Brick Jackson as Cater-Waiter
Alan Heitz as Man

[Annber03]

Man, this episode really highlighted just how short Abby is! 

I like Olivia and Gurgs hanging out together, they make a fun odd buddy sort of pairing. For some reason, Olivia's response to Abby's line about Rand being a "more attractive Jack Nicholson" made me laugh. "More attractive? Clearly someone hasn't seen The Shining..." 

I can see the conflict with Abby and Rand in regards to them not being able to spend enough time together even when they are together, but it does feel a bit jarring, given how well they got on when we last saw him. Clearly the relationship doesn't seem long for this world, but still, will be interesting to see how they resolve this next week.

[ams1001]

Someone in the last episode thread said Neil needs to start acting like an adult. After this episode I would say the same about Rand. Who goes to visit a courtroom and cheers for the judge (see also: wanted a bouncy house for a grown man's going-away party; apparently can't visit his fiance in a city with a million things to do without accompanying her to work instead of entertaining himself while she's working)? I know it's a silly sitcom but sometimes it's just jarring how unprofessional everyone in this court is.

"..you know how important my work is to me"...um, your job does not include helping break an elderly man out of a nursing home.

I really wanted to like this show better than I do...

[voiceover]

Crap.  It’s that time: Season Finale cliffhangers.

The second half of the show was everything it does best — goofball  humor (❤️ Neil as a muppet), the Gurgs & Olivia friendship, and the punchlines that land.  The first half had too much Rand.

[callie lee 29]

Rand may be a lot and super immature but he's good a right to be pissed at his fiance. He or a party together for her current and then she just ditches the entire thing.... Yeah I'd be upset was well. 

 

The biggest question mark next week is not if Dan is leaving it's who from the original run is putting in a cameo. 

[WendyCR72]

13 minutes ago, callie lee 29 said:

The biggest question mark next week is not if Dan is leaving it's who from the original run is putting in a cameo. 

Well, most are gone. And some reports have Richard Moll retired and not wanting to cameo, so the only person left is Marsha Warfield's Roz.

I know she has said she was never asked back, but I guess she is still interested. So, who knows?

[roseha]

Haven't watched yet but as far as cameos go,

I'd love to see Marsha Warfield come back as Roz.  But who knows, maybe even John Astin as Buddy?

[nora1992]

How can Abby help people as a judge if she gets disbarred?  For someone who’s risen that high in the system, she has no idea how it works.

Olivia and Gurgs are the dynamic duo of the show.  Liked the visualization.

[Fosca]

It would make sense to be Roz, since Gurgs is now going to be a bailiff-trainer--maybe Roz is the head bailiff?

But I'd love to see John Astin.  I always loved Buddy.

I'm also officially now fast-forwarding through every scene that doesn't involve John Larroquette.  I'm just not enjoying the rest of it.

Edited May 3, 2023 by Fosca

[andidante]

6 hours ago, Fosca said:

It would make sense to be Roz, since Gurgs is now going to be a bailiff-trainer--maybe Roz is the head bailiff?

But I'd love to see John Astin.  I always loved Buddy.

I'm also officially now fast-forwarding through every scene that doesn't involve John Larroquette.  I'm just not enjoying the rest of it.

I'm right there with you!

[voiceover]

Buddy!!! How can I have forgotten him??  I loved Buddy!

 

[merylinkid]

On 5/2/2023 at 9:09 PM, ams1001 said:

Someone in the last episode thread said Neil needs to start acting like an adult. After this episode I would say the same about Rand.

That was me.   And I agree.   Geez Rand, you are a grown up with your own job.   I remember in the Apartment episode she was bummed Rand couldn't make it to see her because  ... he had to work.     Now he's some rube who just yucks it up all the time.   Although I did like he said he loves small talk with people.   So he isn't just this immature bundle of nerouses (sp?  I know, but you know what I mean).

Also, no mention of trains at all.   Well okay the subway story but it was not a TRAIN story.    So  last week its "our whole relationship is the cute thing about trains, oh dear will that get old?"  To this week with nary a mention and it turns out Rand is good at planning parties.     And it was a nice party.   He really is the perfect spouse for a judge -- good at small talk, able to get people together, plans well.      Unlike Neil who can't put two coherent sentences together if he is asked to do anything.     So again WHY would Abby choose Neil over Rand?

but seems Abby is choosing her JOB over Rand.   Oh yeah, I developed this whole life while you are not here and I am not willing to accomodate you at all.   And WHY did she need to go bust out the guy?    This is some random woman she met in Court when the woman APPEARED IN FRONT OF HER.   Forget the whole breaking in thing, getting this personally involved with someone who appeared before you is BAD.     Like disbarred bad.     

The show can be funny.    Olivia helping Gurgs and putting Gurgs in her happy place was so good.     Only time I liked Neil was as a muppet.     And Dan as an old timey accountant was HILARIOUS.     Also the British lady "I also use my accent" looking at Olivia like "why are you being so weird."    Great job by the actress with such a small role.   They need to focus on the cases being funny, not manufacturing situations so they can be funny.

[MrAtoz]

1 hour ago, merylinkid said:

 Forget the whole breaking in thing, getting this personally involved with someone who appeared before you is BAD. 

I would have thought that even TALKING to her without the attorneys present would be an ex parte communication, which is very much forbidden.  Granted, I only went to the Jack McCoy School of Law (everything I know, I learned from Law & Order), but still, it seems bad.  Especially after the episode a couple of weeks ago, when they were so concerned about information that Abby had gotten from a sealed file.  Do they care about legal realism, or not?

[merylinkid]

30 minutes ago, MrAtoz said:

I would have thought that even TALKING to her without the attorneys present would be an ex parte communication, which is very much forbidden.  Granted, I only went to the Jack McCoy School of Law (everything I know, I learned from Law & Order), but still, it seems bad.  Especially after the episode a couple of weeks ago, when they were so concerned about information that Abby had gotten from a sealed file.  Do they care about legal realism, or not?

Well the case was over.   So she was free to chat with the judge.   And talking about her boyfriend is not really talking about the case.   I mean I chat to judges about life all the time.   One of them performed my wedding.    He was really begging me to change my hard to pronounce last name and was unhappy when I stopped by his office to tell him I was hyphenating it.   So that wasn't the bad part.   Even trying to mediate with the nursing home supervisor, who was a HOOT with her just "fed up to HERE" attitude with the things old folks get up to, was not bad.    Again it was the case but trying to avoid FUTURE problems possibly.   Where she crossed the line was agreeing to bust old guy out.  Then actually DOING IT.

[ams1001]

Is it really that easy for random defendants to walk into the judge's chambers? That seems...unwise.

[AncientNewbie]

On 5/4/2023 at 7:38 PM, ams1001 said:

Is it really that easy for random defendants to walk into the judge's chambers? That seems...unwise.

I've never been in the particular part this court is supposed to represent, but no. In reality both back doors out of the court room--to prisoner holding and to the hall with the judge's office--would be secure entries and there wouldn't be a public hallway by the judge's office. 

Edited May 8, 2023 by AncientNewbie