The Practice virgin’s diary – “You down with G-O-D?”

(Season 7, Episodes 6-7)

Lots of religion this time from David Kelley, the man who brought us Alan Shore. But in putting Catholicism and Santeria back-to-back, Kelley left me unclear as to his view of the religious world. Either he’s a religious man himself, whose perception of the entertainment industry is like many people’s — nowhere else is freedom of speech as well-represented as in Hollywood. Or he has an expunged criminal record hidden somewhere that tells the tale of a minor setting his church on fire. Could go either way.

7.6 “The Telltale Nation”

With all of the Catholic Church molestation cases in the news these days, it’s easy to forget that this episode of The Practice actually aired eight years ago. I was fascinated by the unusual nature of the case — victim #1 was suing victim #2 for failing to warn #1 that #2 was being raped by a priest when recommending the priest to victim #1, his friend, as a therapist (follow?).

The legal side of the case was whether or not a victim has a “duty,” in its legal sense, to a fellow victim, a claim that a plaintiff must prove in a civil case … and the only thing the case should have been decided on.

But the emotional side of the case is obviously hard to ignore. The two men were best friends as kids. The plaintiff had asked the defendant if the defendant’s priest was a good person to talk to, as he was having some problems. And at the time that he was recommending his priest to his friend, the defendant had already been a victim of molestation at the priest’s hands. The argument of shame for why he didn’t say anything is a good one, but if the defendant had reasonable opportunity to save his friend, does he not share in the culpability as well?

Certainly not to the tune of $1.4 million, the verdict returned in favor of the plaintiff. Remember, the defendant was also a kid molested by his priest. You can’t negate that. But he does owe his friend something … I’m not sure it’s monetary, but it’s something.

I didn’t see why the news that their client was being sued by someone else for failing to report on the priest was a “dum, dum, dum” moment at the end of the episode … was it established that the new plaintiff had asked their client for a recommendation, or that they more than knew one another in passing? What was meant to be another of the show’s unanswered leaps off the cliff fell flat for me.

As did the entire episode between Bobby and Father Patrick (Robert Prosky). Bobby’s an idiot, responding in completely the wrong way, as he’s wont to do lately. And as for Father Patrick? If he truly believes that “when you leave the Church, you leave the faith,” he’s a bigger dope than Bobby is.

And Jamie needs to find a better person to idolize. “Zeus in Heaven!”

7.7 “Small Sacrifices”

From a great episode to a mediocre one. I feel like the Santeria thing has been done ad nauseam … although generally whoever sacrificed the animal is found guilty. Why do I feel as if a memorable Law & Order: SVU did this just a few years ago? Not sure why this was a case of cruelty to animals, though … does a religion have to have a certain number of followers before being afforded the freedom provided to it by the Constitution?

I also don’t get how the statutory rape case that Bobby and Jimmy were stuck with ended up being about “did he or didn’t he,” as opposed to “he did, but was it forcible rape too, or only statutory.” But it did serve to reinforce just how unbearable Bobby is now. Asking the judge what constitutes “adequate” representation? And his miserable closing … was that supposed to be seen as a grand moment? Because he looked like a buffoon. And regardless of the not guilty verdict, he didn’t serve his client at all, and should be brought up before the bar on misconduct.

And Father Patrick showing up at the courthouse was embarrassing. Catholicism has given us some good material on this series, but I think at this point it’s time for the Church to pass the series by … and take Bobby with it.

Clacked by Aryeh S.
on Jul 08, 2010 @ 13:00 EST5EDT