Changes is the sixth episode of Season Three and the and the fifty-second episode of Ally McBeal.
Synopsis[]
Billy and Cage represent a woman who claims her employees sexually harassed her after she slept with her boss and, despite her lack of experience, became editor-in-chief of a magazine.
Plot[]
Billy, John and a woman, Robin are in the courthouse elevator. John is stressing out because the case they are about to start has been discovered by the press. John says cameras and reporters make him nervous. Billy tells the woman, a divorced Mrs. Robin Jones, that they really should reconsider settling this case before it goes to trial. Robin, however, wants to see it through. As they exit the elevator, several reporters and cameras rush towards them. When they ask John questions, he begins to stutter and is unable to stop.
In the morning meeting, Richard plays a video of John's news appearance over and over. The others try to get him to stop but he just keeps on playing it until John enters and catches him. Richard is unfazed. John walks away after his partner asked if he watched the news. Richard says he didn't mean anything and Ling tells him, "He knows you're meaningless." She goes on to tell the group that the firm needs more men, adding that she's looking on a personal level. Richard replies sarcastically that he'll get right to work on that.
In court, Robin is explaining that she was Managing Editor, then promoted to Editor-in-Chief when Michael Pearlman, the former Editor-in-Chief, passed away in March. She says that immediately, people started calling in sick, staging a 'blue-flu.' It caused the magazine to miss its May publication date and shortly after that, she was fired. The attorney for the employees, Mr. Bender, argues that since Robin was the boss, she had the power to fire these employees. He asks her to clarify why she instead is suing them for sexual harassment. She says they nicknamed her "The Nymph" and they circulated memos claiming they didn't want to work for a sex siren. Bender asks if she was with the former Editor-in-Chief most the time. She admits she was and that they were making love at the time. "Objection," John states, standing up. "This isn't relevant. Mr. Bender's trying to titillate the jury with sordid sex talk. They had a personal relationship. No need to air out the graphic details of something we've already fornicated to on the record." As he sits he realizes what he said and starts to stutter. The judge however overrules the objection. Robin is asked Mr. Pearlman's age and her job title when their relationship began before Bender argues that Robin made an incredible leap in job titles when she want straight from being an editorial assistant to a Managing Editor.
Ling and Richard are in his office discussing what happened on Thanksgiving. She's upset because he left her alone during the holiday. Richard tries to explain that Whipper was hurt Ling says, "I don't compete with her wattle. She has creases and crevices and folds I'll never know in my lifetime." Richard says that Whipper also cares about him and he asks her if she does. She gives a yes and he says they always have a good time, but he wonders what they really talk about. "Your house is wired to prevent any real discussions," Ling reminds him. Richard says it's time for them to face it. He says neither one of them wants to get serious. Ling turns away from him. "If there's anything to learn out there, I doubt we'll discover it together," he adds. "So we're officially broken up?" Ling asks. With a yes from Richard, Lin says she feel relief with almost no emotion.
Bender is still questioning Robin. He says that the staff at Beantown feels she is unqualified to be Editor-in-Chief, adding they believe she slept her way into the position. Robin admits that is a fair assessment of what the staff think of her, but she doesn't believe it herself. He adds that once she became Editor-in-Chief, she decided to feature herself in a pictorial wearing revealing lingerie and ae asks her why. Robin says it was to promote her own celebrity, which was then used to promote the magazine. "So, you had an affair with the Editor-in Chief?" Bender pressed. " John stands to object claiming Bender is badgering the witness and he stomps one foot on the floor. As a result, something on the bottom of th floor explodes. The jury gasps in response and John apologizes to the judge. Bender accuses John of pulling one of his famous stunts and John objects again, stomping the other foot and the other shoe also explodes.
In a side room, alone with Robin and John, Billy yells at John. Billy adds to the yelling and John also asks him not to raise his voice, then he leaves the room. Billy apologizes to Robin but she thinks it broke up the momentum and was probably effective. Billy tells her that he admires her for sticking up for herself. However, he not only doesn't think they can win, but he feels if they do, it will probably be overturned on appeal. He says the other side is offering seventy-five, unclear thousand or million. Robin however won't settle. Billy says he finds it difficult to believe that Robin was in love with an eighty-six-year-old man. Robin states she isn't the settling type and she didn't think Billy was either.
At Nelle's, John is watching the news. The footage of him stuttering is airing on every channel. Nelle tells him to turn it off. He is extremely agitated and says just because the case is a famous one, that doesn't give the reporters the right to make fun of his stuttering. Nelle tries to get him to take deep breaths and calm down.
The next day in court, Billy is questioning the publisher of the magazine. He says he really had no choice but to fire Robin, since part of her job was to command respect and loyalty from her subordinates and she was unable to do that. The publisher does state Robin wasn't really given a chance since she was only Editor-in-Chief for one issue. Bender in return, gets the publisher to admit that circulation was probably published because of Robin's pictorial. He asks the publisher if he was surprised that Pearlman, the deceased picked Robin to succeed him. He answers that nothing surprises him anymore. Bender further asks if he was surprised that they were sleeping together. John objects and repeatedly says 'asked and answered'. The judge tries to get John to settle down but John protests.
Back in the side room again, Billy tells John that he is off the case. John is shocked and he tries to tell Billy that he is an associate and he can't tell a partner he is off a case. There is a short pause before Robin steps in and fires him herself. "I don't want you at my table anymore, Mr. Cage," she declares.
Georgia is washing her hands in the unisex when Ling emerges from a stall. "So," she begins, "You and Ally's father. You broke up already?" Georgia reminds her they weren't going out and that they didn't even know each other's last names. She says she doesn't want to talk about it. Ling says she herself is going through an emotional time, that she and Richard 'separated' and she was just looking for some emotional companionship. "Forgive me for turning to you," Ling adds. Georgia expresses mild concern for Ling and asks if there is anything she can do. "Well, Ally's dad was really cute," she states. "If you're done with him..." she turns and looks into the mirror, then screams when she sees in that mirror that Ally has quietly come out of another stall and is not happy. Ling then tells Ally she would make sure her father was finished with her mother first. Ally replies says her parents are working it out. Ally heads s to the sink to wash her hands and Georgia asks her how it's going and getting the answer, she leaves.
Ally tells Richard she's sorry that he and Ling broke up. As he tries to touch her wattle, he says he feels the independence will be good for him. Georgia then opens the unisex door and remarks, "Richard. I forgot. I quit." She says she has decided to go to work for Renee. Richard still wants Georgia to wait one night and make her decision in the morning and she reluctantly agrees. When she leaves, Elaine exits from yet another stall. Richard tells her to get the locks on Georgia's office changed tonight so she can't sneak out files.
In Nelle's office, John is pacing back and forth in front of her desk. She keeps telling him to breathe deeply. He says he's upset because he was fired off the case, but Nelle says she doesn't blame Billy or the client. "I'm tired of people thinking I'm this funny little man," he says. She tries to make him feel better by telling him that people don't think that, but Ling interrupts, wishing to chat to her close friend but Nelle tells Ling to go away. John explains that he is used to being made fun of in every instance except for when he is in his haven, the courtroom.
One of the people who participated in the 'blue flu' is on the stand. He says they were insulted by having to report to the woman who had been sleeping with their former boss. He tells Billy that they decided to start calling in sick, knowing that Robin had the right to fire them.
In the side room, Billy tells Robin that he's got the other side up to a hundred, not sure a thousand or milling but she still won't take it. He tells Robin that the last point made on the stand was a strong one – that she could have fired them. Robin wants Billy to give her his take on all of this. Billy remarks that, "I think you're a bit of a gold digger, looking to capitalize on a stupid law that works as an equalizer for weak women. And if ever a jury found the right case to take sexual harassment law and say 'shove it,' this would be the ideal opportunity." After arguing. she asks if Billy hates women. Billy replies he doesn't, but he does hate their chances in this lawsuit. Even more argument ensues.
The next morning, in Billy's office, Sandy is massaging Billy's temples. Robin then comes up behind them. Robin says she usually counts to ten before she sees him but she has increase the payment it to a hundred. They bicker back and forth for a minute before leaving for the courthouse.
Richard enters John's office and tells him he had a dream last night that John went into a post office and opened fire with his shoe. John however tells him to go away. Richard then apologizes for hurting John's feelings when he played the news video over and over again. John accepts the apology and asks if he wants something else. Richard recounts his horrible week with Ling splitting up with him and Georgia quitting. John recounts his favourite story and ends telling Richard they will not change.
Billy gives his closing argument. He goes over all the things the staff did, from emails and conversations by the water cooler, to getting Robin fired. He says they proved that together, they had more power than she did. He says the staff is hoping the jury will feel the same way they do. That Robin couldn't have any good ideas because she's pretty and because she fell in love with an older man. In his closing, Bender says that Robin might have the talent to run a magazine, but she didn't have the credentials and his clients resented that. He says that it isn't sexual harassment.
Back at the office, Georgia finds her door is locked. Richard tells her it isn't personal but that he can't trust her. "One of the reasons I hired you was because I was sure you would steal files from your old firm," Richard says. "That's a compliment, business ethics-wise." Richard starts to work the nameplate off of Georgia's door. Ling comes up and asks if Georgia is really leaving and asks if she can have Georgia's office. "I don't know why you two broke up," Georgia huffs, "you are so made for each other!" Richard tells her to hold on as he rips the nameplate off the door. Richard tells Georgia if she doesn't like Renee's firm, the door is open for her to return. Georgia starts to cry and walks to the unisex. Ally is there fixing her lipstick. Georgia whines to her she likes Cage and Fish but cannot stand Billy. Sandy enters but Georgia yells at her to get out. Suddenly, Georgia tells her to hold it but Sandy just leaves. Ally says she isn't sure that quitting her job is the answer. "You're right," Georgia says, "I should just leave him." There's more talk between the two and with John appearing, Ally wants to gain support from her.
The foreman reads the verdict. Before he can finish the list of charges, the judge asks him to just say it. They find in favor of the defendants. Billy tells Robin he is sorry, but Robin says she should have just settled.
Next, Georgia is meeting with Renee. Renee says the pay is pretty lousy but Georgia will keep a piece of any action she brings in. Georgia wants to know how big the firm will get. Renee tells her that for now, it's just herself, Georgia and Whipper. "We're walking a bit of a plank here," Renee says. "We don't have many clients yet. Are you sure you want to do this?" Georgia answers yes. Ling next marches into Richard's office and asks if she should quit as well. They also argue much but Ling doesn't quit.
John is in the unisex, wearing enormous, red boxing gloves. He is hitting one of the stall doors. Ally comes running in to find out what's wrong. "Do you think you could wear bigger gloves?" she says, laughing. He says they are to protect the door, and his hands. He continues hitting the door and Ally gets in between John and the door. Ally, the wiser one, brings John to her office to talk it off.
Robin exits the elevator at the firm. Richard comes up and asks if he can help her, then tells her she has something on her neck. He pretends to get it off but is just using that as an excuse to touch her wattle. Since she doesn't know about his fetish, she says thank you and continues to Billy's office. "It's a little sweet male chauvinist pig," she says. Meanwhile, in Richard's office, Richard makes the moves on Ling's knee-pit while Ling licks his finger. Meanwhile, at a café, Ally and John sit and talk.
Back at Billy's office, Robin and Billy continue to kiss. She starts to take off his shirt. Billy stops it from going that far, but they do continue kissing as the door opens and Georgia walks in. "Georgia. Hi. This is Mrs. Jones," Billy says, at first sounding a little nervous about being caught. "Mrs. Jones, my wife, Georgia. We were just…um...kissing," he continues, now sounding as if he is standing up for himself. "I thought you quit?" he says. "I quit my job," Georgia says, "and now I quit you." She walks to his desk, taking off her wedding band on the way, then places it on the top of the desk.
Script[]
You can find a transcript here and here.
Songs[]
- New Man in Town | Mighty Sam McClain
- At the start after flashbacks.
- Me and Mrs. Jones | Billy Paul
- Billy kisses Robin Jones in his office.
Starring[]
- Calista Flockhart as Ally McBeal
- Courtney Thorne-Smith as Georgia Thomas
- Greg Germann as Richard Fish
- Lisa Nicole Carson as Renée Raddick
- Jane Krakowski as Elaine Vassal
- Vonda Shepard as Herself (credit only)
- Portia de Rossi as Nelle Porter
- Lucy Liu as Ling Woo
- with Peter MacNicol as John Cage
- and Gil Bellows as Billy Thomas
Recurring Cast
- Dyan Cannon as Whipper Cone (only in flashbacks)
- Gina Philips as Sandy Hingle
Guest Starring
- Dan Butler as Attorney Bender
- Andy Umberger as Mr. Fordham
- Drew Snyder as Hughes
- Farrah Fawcett as Robin Jones
- D.C. Jefferson as Reporter #1
- Nancy O'Dell as Reporter #2
- Jerry Lambert as Reporter #3/Anchor
- Jack Shearer as Judge Alan Rancor
- John Harnagel as Foreman
Producers[]
- David E. Kelley - Executive Producer
- Jonathan Pontell - Co-Executive Producer
- Shea Farrell - Associate Producer
- Roseann M. Bonora-Keris- Supervising Associate Producer
- Mike Listo - Producer
- Steve Robin - Producer
- Pamela J. Wisne - Producer
- Kim Hamberg - Co-Producer
- Peter Burrell - Coordinating Producer
- Nat Bernstein - Consulting producer
- Mitchel Katlin - Consulting Producer