The Attitude is the seventh episode of Season One and the seventh episode of Ally McBeal.
Synopsis[]
Ally clashes with a client's rabbi and dates a handsome District Attorney while Georgia considers suing her law firm's senior partner for sex discrimination.
Plot[]
Renee introduces Ally to handsome D.A. Jason Roberts who asks Ally to dinner. Fish later assigns Ally to the case of Karen Horowitz, who wants to sue her Rabbi. Karen explains that she wants to re-marry, but her ex-husband is in a coma and the rabbi won't grant a a Jewish divorce without the ex's consent. Meanwhile, Georgia's boss, Jerry Burrows, moves Georgia from litigation to the firm's corporate division because his wife is jealous of him working alongside Georgia. Billy advises Georgia to talk to John Cage, who tells Georgia to talk to Burrows once more before he goes in on her behalf. Ally meets with Rabbi Stern and they immediately clash. She calls Jewish laws 'silly' and he calls her 'bitchy.' Ally finally stomps out of the synagogue.
Georgia meets with Burrows again and he sympathizes, but won't rescind the transfer. Jason visits Ally's office to confirm their date. Ally, whose face is blotchy from Elaine's acne treatment, attempts to hide. Karen arrives and tells Ally her ex-husband has died, so she can now remarry but Rabbi Stern, due to Ally's interference, now not only refuses to perform the service, but has thrown Karen out of the synagogue. Cage meets with Burrows, saying only that he is deeply 'troubled' and will return This makes Georgia perplexed, but Billy assures her that Cage is simply 'different.' That night, Ally's date with Jason goes well until he gets a blob of salad dressing on his chin and Ally obsesses about it. The next morning, Renee tells Ally she is crazy for being bothered by dressing and that Ally will be alone forever if she doesn't change her mindset. Cage tells Georgia that her best option is to accept her transfer and start looking for another job but Georgia says she wants to sue her boss. Ally meets with Rabbi Stern again but the meeting degenerates again immediately as she even insults his yarmulke. This time, though, to Ally's surprise, he laughs and says he will welcome Karen back and perform her marriage. Cage preps for his meeting with Burrows by playing bagpipes. At the meeting, he and Burrows discuss who would win a lawsuit. Cage suggests the best option would be settlement. When he leaves, he refuses to tell Georgia and Billy how it transpired. Rabbi Stern comes to see Ally and asks her for a date, saying she is one of the few people he has met brave enough to stand up to a Rabbi. Caught off guard, Ally turns him down.
Renee tells Ally she has too many excuses for dumping men. Jason next arrives and asks Ally out again. Ally kisses him to erase the memory of the salad dressing, then agrees. Cage, Georgia and Billy meet with Burrows. Georgia and Billy grow angry and walk out then it transpires outside, that it was all part of Cage's strategy. Cage tells Burrows a jury would side with Georgia. Ally goes to Rabbi Stern and says she will go out with him after all; she is going to take more chances from now on with "Mr. Not Likelys." Cage finally informs Georgia he has won her a $311,000 settlement, payable immediately , but she will have to quit her job. Fish offers Georgia a temporary position at their firm, which she accepts. Later, at the bar, everyone celebrates. Ally enjoys her new status as a "man-eater" by dancing with the Twins.
Trivia[]
Ally's a Methodist.
Goof[]
Ally refers to Gorbachev as a deceased president of Russia. In fact, Gorbachev was the last prime minister of the Soviet Union, not Russia, and was not only alive at the time of broadcast, but lived until August 30 2022.
Script[]
- Full transcript can be found here.
Songs[]
- This Guy's In Love | Vonda Shepard (cover)
- Ally's dinner date with Jason.
- Searchin' My Soul | Vonda Shepard
- Theme song featured at the end.
List of songs in the episode can be found here.
Cast[]
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
- and Gil Bellows as Billy Thomas
Special Appearances By
- Peter MacNicol as John Cage
- Brenda Vaccaro as Karen Horowitz
Guest starring
- Steve Vinovich as Jerry Burrows
- Jason Blicker as Rabbi Stern
- Andrew Heckler as Jason Roberts
- Vonda Shepard as Herself
- Brenda Vaccaro as Karen Horowitz
- Brooke Burns as The Girl
Uncredited
- Eric Cohen as Dancing Twin #1
- Steve Cohen as Dancing Twin #2
- Richard Rossi as Cute Barfly
Producers[]
- David E. Kelley - Executive Producer
- Jeffrey Kramer - Co-Executive Producer
- Mike Listo - Producer
- Robert Breech - Co-Producer
- Steve Robin - Co-Producer
- Pamela J. Wisne - Co-Producer
- Jonathan Pontell - Supervising Producer