Ally McBeal (1997–2002): Season 3, Episode 11 - Over the Rainbow - full transcript

Georgia blames Cage & Fish for the new Billy, and is suing the firm for the break-up of their marriage. When Richard and John are called lascivious, John gets mad and even. But when he rips into Georgia on the stand, Billy defends his wife, Ally is outraged for being Exhibit A, and Richard is sad that his firm has turned into anger and bitterness instead of fun.

Previously on Ally McBeal.

Where does it say women aren't
sexual objects? Of course they are.

- Do my knee.
- It's just that simple
with you, isn't it?

Sex, sex, sex, sex, sex!

[Georgia Screams]

I love sluts.

I fantasize about
getting spanked.

[Screaming]

What are you, crazy?

What was that? I feel it should
be my right to control you.

- [Grunts]
- I expect you
to give up your job.



[Mouthing Words] [Man] ♪
There's a new man in town ♪

Exactly.

- It's a look. Like it?
- No.

- No.
- Yes.

- I quit.
- But-But-But-But...

I've decided to work
for Renee. Sorry, and

thank you for everything
you've done for me.

You locked me out?

It's nothing personal, Georgia.
It's just I-I can't trust you.

Georgia? What's the matter?

- I can't work
with that pig-ass bastard.
- Billy?

If I don't get space from him during
the day, I'll go looking for it at night.

Maybe we need to take
a break from each other.

You're not looking to take a break,
Billy. You're looking to make one.



- Georgia. Uh... Hi.
- This is for you.

You're filing for divorce, just like
that? Renee's representing me.

Soon as you decide on a lawyer, let
me know so we can get them together.

And you had to serve
the papers yourself? Yes.

[Vonda] ♪ When all the
world is a hopeless jumble ♪

♪ And the raindrops tumble
all around ♪ [Thunder Rumbling]

♪ Heaven opens a magic lane ♪

♪ When all the clouds
darken up the skyway ♪

♪ There's a rainbow
highway to be found ♪

♪ Leading from your windowpane ♪

♪ To a place behind the sun ♪

♪ Just a step beyond the rain ♪♪

[Billy] Hey.

[Thunder Rumbles]
Workin' late, huh?

Oh, well. [Chuckles]

I didn't bring an umbrella, so
I was, you know, waiting for it.

Uh, to let up. Waiting
for the rain to let up.

"Waiting for it."

I'm making progress, Billy.

I'm not waiting for
a "him" anymore.

Just waiting for... "It."

[Sighs] Whatever "it" is.

How about you? Are
you gaining on... "it"?

Me? I'm doin' fine these days.

Hmm. Billy. Look at you.

Bleached head, walking
around with the Billy Girls.

I know you're smart enough to
realize how ridiculous you've become.

[Sighs] Are you angry with her?

Or is it some kind of protest
against the way life turns out?

I don't know. Maybe if
life's one giant pretense,

why not just join
in and partake?

Hmm. ♪♪ [Brass Sting]

♪♪ [Brass Sting]

You are headed for a
breakdown. You do know that?

You really think you're
doin' a lot better than me?

You're standin' there, starin' in
a window, waiting for something.

You don't even know what it is,
but you're waiting for it just the same.

Because I know it's out
there, whatever "it" is.

"Out there." Look in here.

[Thunder Rumbles]

What do you see in here?

Nothing. The place is empty.

No, it's a roomful of people
with lives at the end of the day,

lives which they all go home to.

You and I? I think I work late
because the emptiness here...

pales compared to the nothingness
that waits for me in my apartment.

And you? I think you're a little
addicted to the ding in the elevator.

Excuse me? You say
you're not waiting for "him."

Maybe you are, maybe you're
not. Maybe it really is an "it."

But every time that
elevator goes "ding,"

the doors open and something comes out,
you're hoping maybe it'll be your life.

Oh. Well, now I'm convinced
that your breakdown is in progress,

because that is the
most ridiculous thing...

[Elevator Bell Dings]

I knew it was after hours, but something
just told me to get in that elevator.

Somebody would be
here. Can I help you?

What's your name?
Um... Uh, Ally McBeal.

Um, well, my middle
name is Marie.

But, uh, I-I just go by Ally.

What's yours?

Pross. Pross?

Pross what? Process server.

Can you accept a summons
on behalf of your firm?

[Elevator Bell
Dings] [Doors Open]

Georgia. What do
you mean, "Georgia"?

She's suing the law firm
for breaking up the marriage.

♪ I've been down this road ♪

♪ Walkin' the line
that's painted by pride ♪

♪ And I have made
mistakes in my life ♪

♪ That I just can't hide ♪

♪ Oh, I believe I am ready ♪

♪ For what love has
to bring Yeah, yeah ♪

♪ I got myself together ♪

♪ Now I'm ready to sing ♪

♪ I've been searching
my soul tonight ♪

♪ I know there's so
much more to life ♪

♪ Now I know I
can shine a light ♪

♪ To find my way back home ♪

♪ Oh ♪

♪ Baby, yeah ♪

♪ Oh, yeah ♪♪

The firm. H-How can she sue
us for breaking up your marriage?

D-Did the firm kiss Robin Jones?

D-Did the firm soak
its head in Clorox and...

And-and-and-and pledge
allegiance to schmuckhood?

Did the firm...
All right, Richard.

Clearly this is just a
frustrated, angry, weak woman...

looking to exact a pound of flesh
like typical, angry, male-hating,

frustrated, embittered
weak woman like to do.

Clearly.

What is her cause
of action, anyway?

She is claiming this firm was
a sexually charged arena...

which interfered
with marital relations.

- [Nelle Scoffs] What?
- Oh, please. That's even too bogus for me.

We have to be
able to squash this.

- She's also got a claim
for emotional distress.
- Excuse me.

I know I skipped classes in law
school, but how can she sue for this?

- Wh-What am I missing?
- She is blaming us
for the new Billy.

♪♪ [Brass Sting]

All right. We all go in on this.

I want solidarity.

Billy, you can draft the motion to
dismiss on the way. It's boilerplate.

Elaine can... type and fax.

This is one thing I hate about
having money. People sue you.

[Elevator Bell Dings]

Do you think it's
good to walk in with an

army? It hardly makes
us look like an underdog.

It'll give the feel
of consensus.

One lone, angry expatriate against
a consensus of reason. There she is.

- She's represented
by Tiny Tim.
- Who?

[Richard] Tiny Tim Fallow. He's
probably the best divorce lawyer in town.

And he's mean. He
is a mean little man.

[All] Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.

- Georgia, what are you doing?
- My client
is represented by counsel.

- She's my wife. - [All] Billy.

If you have anything to say
to her, you address it to me.

All right. You're an embittered,
angry, little man-hating bitch.

I think we should just go in.

I have to admit, counsel,
this seems a bit of a stretch.

Your Honor, this firm is
dominated by sex... interoffice sex.

The two senior partners
both sleep with associates.

The women there constantly throw
the offer of sex in Billy Thomas's face.

The two senior officers have never
done a thing to alter this behavior.

Ultimately, it has led to the
demise of my client's marriage.

This is a no-fault state.

She's not suing her
husband. She's suing your firm.

Yes, because she's
unable to sue her husband,

she's looking to lash out at somebody,
and we have become the easy target.

Question of fact, that's
for a jury to decide.

This action is a direct
result of a marital breakdown.

As a matter of public policy,
we don't entertain lawsuits...

Nor do we allow tortious
behavior to go unchecked...

simply because of some
kind of bogus... I... I have...

- I have not finished yet.
- [Judge Norway] All right.

Look, I want to hear exactly
what we're talking about.

A short evidentiary hearing. Two witnesses,
and I can establish an offer of proof.

I think we'll adjourn till 2:00.

- You can call
whoever you want.
- [Gavel Raps]

[Spectators Chattering]

This is crazy.

If only I could get her alone.

Could you help me
distract the lawyer? How?

[Yelps]

[Gasps] Oh.

[Groans]

[Alarm Bell Rings]
[Elevator Stops]

I am represented by
counsel. Yeah, yeah.

What are you doing?

[Sighs]

You know, last night,

I was standing in my office,
staring out the window,

and actually it, uh...
It made me think.

Suppose somebody hated
the way their life turned out.

Who would they sue?

And then I thought,
well, that's pretty silly.

You... You can't file a lawsuit
just because you hate your life.

But that's exactly what you're
doing, aren't you, Georgia? Ally!

Wh-What happened to Billy, it wasn't
coincidental that he was working there.

Th-The place is
over-sexed... Oh, come on.

Look at you!

Two years ago, we all
called you Julie Andrews.

Now you can't even go to a car
wash without jumping somebody.

[Snorts]

[Chuckles, Clears Throat]

Yeah. And, uh, two years ago,

whatever your
problems were with Billy,

you weren't a person
to turn on your friends.

[Switch Clicks]
[Elevator Starts]

I do not cultivate a
chauvinistic work environment.

That's ridiculous. Move
to strike that, Judge.

Is it your opinion that
women are sex objects? Yes.

All women? Not the ugly ones.

Fat, that depends
on individual taste.

- Objection.
- Uh, withdrawn.

- Mr. Fish,
are you attracted to wattle?
- Yes.

- Touching it? That's a sexual
act to you, isn't it?
- Very.

Excuse me. What is "wattle"?

It's the skin that hangs from the neck of
older women... in some cases, older men.

You've got a little going,
though it... it does nothing for me.

Mr. Fish, you go
around your office...

touching women's necks,
don't you? I try, yes, I do.

And you also touch women's knee
pits to sexually arouse them, do you not?

Yes. In the office?

Objection. These
questions have no relevance.

They go to the sexually
charged arena...

which contributed to the
failure of my client's marriage.

There is no proximate cause
between an office environment...

I would appreciate
being able to question this

witness without these
aggressive interruptions.

Let's just get through
this. Mr. Cage, sit down.

- Mr. Fish, you have
a unisex bathroom?
- Yes.

And what is the point of that? So
we can all go together when we go.

[Elevator Bell Dings]

"So we can all go together
when we go"? I was under oath.

What happened? Richard
buried us, that's what happened.

- We need to put John
on the stand.
- John? Why?

[Babbling] They just put Richard up
as an example of our senior partner.

We need to show the
judge the other one.

Do you have any idea... This
morning, she had a ridiculous case.

After your testimony,
she suddenly doesn't.

What did I say? I like wattle and an
occasional knee pit, a group tinkle...

That makes me a
chauvinist? What?

[Stammering]

The idea that we
influence Billy Thomas...

He is a grown man. He
makes his own decisions.

Well, sir, he has gone
through a change lately.

Well, why is that our doing? Just
because we have a unisex bathroom?

Just because we have one lascivious
senior partner? That's outrageous.

One lascivious senior
partner? Are you lascivious, sir?

Uh... I most certainly am not.

Ever hire a call girl?

Did you not hear the question?
Did you ever hire a call girl?

It was years ago, before
I knew my character,

and I will not sit here
to be disparaged.

Are you currently
having a sexual

relationship with an
associate in your firm?

She's my girlfriend. A partner can't
have an associate for a girlfriend?

Ever spank her?

One time only, and
that... With her consent?

It was a misunderstanding.
Big old hair brush?

Medium size. That young
blonde thing over there?

She would be the one,
yes. Her name is Nelle.

Nelle. Young blonde
Nelle. How fun.

With a medium size brush.

Georgia?

Promised you'd
stay out of it, Renee.

- These people are your friends.
- Really?

Hmm. Richard was
the one who told Billy...

not to apologize for
being chauvinistic...

That he was right to
want me to be subordinate,

to rub his feet, serve his sexual
needs and cook him dinner.

Nelle constantly flirts
with him. Ally kissed him.

Yet John Cage never lifted
a finger to curtail any of it.

Who does that
leave for friendship?

Oh. Oh. Ling.
Which... [Chuckles]

♪♪ [Soul]

♪ See the way he
walks down the street ♪

♪ Watch the way
he shuffles his feet ♪

♪ Oh, how he holds his head up
high when he goes walking by ♪

I have to admit, I'm
enjoying it a little.

- This trial?
- Yes.

To see friends tearing and clawing at
each other... that would be fun for you.

I just can't believe she's
actually making a case of it.

Look, Billy, we need you to come
off, uh, sympathetic tomorrow.

Y-You need to disguise what you've
become. John, are you doing direct?

- He's still not talking.
- I'm taking the direct.

Uh... Billy, the main thing
is to come off reasonable...

Like Richard said,
sensitive to Georgia.

I'm ready, Nelle. Just ask
me the questions. I'm ready.

Why do I have a bad feeling?

♪ That's no reason why I
can't give him all my love ♪♪

[Billy] We had communication
problems, I suppose.

We drifted apart.

These communication problems... did
the law firm of Cage & Fish play a part?

Of course not. If I could
have saved my marriage...

by working somewhere else, I
would have absolutely done that.

But the problems, they ran a little
deeper than a unisex bathroom.

Not to air out
the dirty laundry,

but why do you think your
marriage failed, Mr. Thomas?

To be honest, I don't know.

The last couple years, we seem to
have grown angry with each other.

We don't laugh like we used to.

And rather than address
it, we just let it slide.

And, uh,

it slid too much.

It slid too much. And
you just couldn't stop it.

I don't appreciate your
sarcasm, Mr. Fallow.

I apologize. You said you
would have left the law firm...

for the good of the marriage if
you thought it would help? Yes.

You didn't see working side by side with
a former girlfriend as a possible threat?

You're referring to my relationship with
Ms. McBeal. That relationship was over.

- You kissed Ms. McBeal
last year, did you not?
- Yes. I don't defend it.

It was probably symptomatic of
things deteriorating with Georgia.

When you say, "There's a new man
in town," what do you mean by that?

I think it refers to me finally recognizing
some of my deep-seated values.

Which are
old-fashioned? Perhaps.

"A woman's place is in the home."
That one... I said, "a mother's place."

I have no trouble
with women working.

I said when they become
mothers, they should be home.

And when did you first share this sentiment
with your wife? Couple months ago.

What about a wife's
obligation to satisfy a

husband sexually?
You said that too, right?

A spousal relationship
is sexual, Mr. Fallow.

Tell me about the Billy Girls. They're
women I hired to accompany me to meetings.

Six beautiful
models. It's a look.

And they dangle off
you like accessories?

Success begets
success, Mr. Fallow.

You show up dripping with beautiful
models, it makes a statement.

That's all I was doing.

Uh, Your Honor, I must
object. He's ruining our case.

Let's not apologize for it, Richard.
That's what dooms marriages.

- What does?
- Men apologizing
for who and what they are.

Men bowing to this
idea that they're failures.

It's insidious. Women,
they pick, pick, pick, pick.

It's a day-by-day
brainwashing, till one day

the man wakes up feeling
he's not good enough.

You want to know what
happened to my marriage,

Mr. Fallow? She
made me feel less than.

And then I decided to
live up to that prophecy,

and I got sick, sick, sick
of the pick, pick, picking.

And she still wants to pick.
She still wants to attack.

And because the law says
she can't pick, pick, pick at me...

in a no-fault state,
she's suing the firm.

That's why we're here, Judge.
That's why she's sitting there,

why I'm sitting here,
why you're up there.

Women, as a
gender, are vindictive.

They live to belittle men,
to make us feel small.

And she hired you as
her lawyer, Mr. Fallow,

because you're the
tiniest one she could find.

And it'll save time when it
comes time to belittle you.

Is that your final answer, or
would you like to call a friend?

[Sighs]

[Knocking]

Well, th-that was
quite the performance.

Under oath. Had to
tell the truth, didn't I?

I'm worried about you.

You don't act like
the Billy I know.

And this?

Well, it was cute for about
a half a second, and...

It's not funny if
you're cracking up.

Are we over the rainbow, Ally?

Is this it? I'm sorry?

You remember when we were
kids, we used to sing that song,

"Somewhere Over the Rainbow."

Oh, grow up, Billy.

We are grown-up.

That's the problem.

We've gone from being
people with bright futures to...

people who should be
living their futures now.

Are you serious? Yes.

I get angry when
I think I'm not.

I get scared when I think I am.

I'm an attorney...

with a failed marriage
and a bleached head.

All these things
are your own doing,

and all these things
you can change.

Ally?

Do you really think
I'm cracking up?

Yeah.

[Exhales] May-Maybe we
should call Ling to the stand.

She can verify women
live to belittle men.

What are your thoughts?

You have to talk
at some point, John.

- Anything?
- Not a word.

My advice... I still don't
think she has a case.

But on the chance she
beats our motion to dismiss,

and after Billy's
little performance,

why not throw 10,000 at her,
give her a sense of victory.

- Oh, come on.
- We don't have to
admit liability.

You want this to go to
trial? 10,000 is cheap.

[Exhales] What... What
do you think, uh, John?

- All right, uh, Nelle...
- No.

- You're talking again.
- I wanna put Georgia
on the stand.

I wanna get her.

- Let's just see if we can...
- No.

She disparaged
me. I wanna get her!

Yeah.

[Sighs] I've never
seen him like this.

He's not talking. He's got
this nasty look on his face.

Well, when he gets
boned for trial sometimes.

I-I think Georgia
made him angry.

Oh, my God.

We're heading over.

I... take it... you're... ready.

I certainly take
responsibility for myself.

I'm not denying that.

All I'm saying is that Cage & Fish
should also take a little responsibility.

But why? It's a place of work.

Yes, where female associates
suck senior partners' fingers,

where secretaries give
mouth-to-mouth with their tongues,

where men are kissing women,
women are kissing women.

It's Club Med with ties.

And, sexual arena that it is,
it undermined my marriage.

And if we truly are to take
the institution of marriage...

as seriously as
we all pretend to,

then I think this law firm ought
to take some responsibility...

when they help to destroy one.

[Water Pouring]

[Continues]

[Stops]

Thank you, Ms. Thomas. I
think you said that very clearly.

[Chair Scrapes]

You say the arena of Cage &
Fish jeopardized your marriage.

Did you ever once ask your
husband to stop working there?

No, because the... Your
answer is no. Thank you.

You talk about sex,
sex, sex in the workplace.

Ever sign up for a sculpting class solely
because of the endowment of the male model?

Yes or no again, limiting, of
course, all your responses to the truth.

Okay. I signed up
because I was curious.

Thank you. By the way, mention
has been made of the unisex bathroom.

Did you ever lodge a complaint
with either Richard Fish or myself...

about the lavatories
being unisex?

- Once again, if you could limit
your answer to the truth.
- No, I never complained.

Thank you. So you
never asked Billy to

quit, you never complained
about the unisex,

you certainly didn't complain...

- about the male model having a gigantic...
- Objection!

- You made love in
the unisex once, didn't you?
- What?

- You and Billy in a stall, naked...
- That happened once.

We were trying to rekindle... Ever
make love on the conference table?

Ah, who cares? Mind if I walk?

You caught your husband kissing
another woman, didn't you, Georgia?

That's right. Two weeks after
you were kissing another man?

Yes, but... The father of this woman
right over there, isn't that correct?

Yes. Who is this
woman, Ms. Thomas?

Ally. Ally?

Does she have a last name,
or do we just call her Ally?

I guess we could
just call her Ally,

couldn't we, because
this isn't just a woman.

This isn't just a fellow associate,
is it, Georgia? This is Ally.

Ask that she be marked and
identified as Exhibit A, Your Honor.

[Huffs]

- Exhibit A is a former
girlfriend of Billy's?
- Yes.

Exhibit A, uh, grew up with
Billy, was love at first sniff.

And in fact, Georgia,
reminding you you're under oath,

Exhibit A is quite likely the true
love of Billy's life... true or false?

- I don't know.
- You don't know? You don't know.

Well, have you
ever confronted Billy,

telling him you believed Exhibit
A to be the true love of his life?

Yes. Ever express your belief,

during your employment at Cage & Fish,
that Billy was still in love with her?

- Yes.
- Did you make room for
the possibility, Ms. Thomas,

that your husband working side
by side with the true love of his life...

might be detrimental to the
well-being of your marriage?

Of course I did. But yet, you
never once asked him to quit.

- You never once said,
"Work someplace else"?
- Only...

Yes or no? No.

And you're here today,
begging the court to

take seriously the
institution of marriage?

How much regard did
you show for your own?

You watch as your
husband works side by side

with a woman he
might still be in love with.

- You watch without...
- And I was stupid not to...

Your complaint says nothing
about you being stupid, Georgia.

Your complaint says nothing about
you kissing the father of Exhibit A.

I didn't know he
was her father. No.

You thought you
were kissing a stranger,

didn't you? Was it some
kind of sexual dare?

- No! It was more about
getting back at Billy.
- Hmm. It was about your anger.

Yes. That's what this is all
about, isn't it... your anger.

I'm angry. I d... Did you
go to a marriage counselor...

- after you were caught
kissing Exhibit A's father?
- No.

Did you seek therapy after you
discovered Billy kissing Robin Jones?

No. Did you bother to have a
single discussion with your husband?

It wouldn't matter. Yes
or no question, Georgia.

After you saw your
husband kissing Robin Jones,

on the heels of your
kissing the father of

Exhibit A, did you have
a single conversation,

or did you just pull your wedding ring off,
plop it on the table and say, "I quit"?

- Which was it, Georgia?
- The latter.

Subsequent to that, did Billy make attempts
to reconcile? He made one feeble attempt.

Did you make any
attempts to work it out?

No. And here you are today,
exalting the institution of marriage,

suing a workplace for undermining
your relationship with your husband,

when you have done
nothing to help it.

You watched without protest as he
worked side by side with Exhibit A,

you kissed Exhibit A's father,

you don't bother to get any
counseling to save the relationship,

and you come into this court
blaming us, blaming a law firm,

- asking us to take responsibility...
- All right, John. That's enough!

You're not being
sued here, Billy. I am.

I said that's enough!

Well, I'd like the
court to note...

I had a big finish planned.

I don't like being
made an exhibit.

My grand finish, you
just cut me right off.

You'd done enough
damage. Oh, damage.

Didn't get to me. I'm the
one who's been slandered.

[All Talking At Once]

[Ling] Did you see the way
the bailiff was looking at me?

I'm the little blonde thing getting
diddled by the senior partner.

Thanks for coming to my defense,
John. You didn't cross at all on that.

[Elevator Bell Dings] This
is my knee pit, my chastity.

What happened?

John made me his exhibit. He just
introduced me right into evidence.

Attacked by my own side...
Exhibit A, that's what I am.

[Door Slams]

[Door Opens]

Were you displeased
with my performance? No.

John, you did great.
Chewed her right up.

You were a vicious little
piranha in there. Well done.

What's the matter?

Remember when I came to you with the idea
of starting a firm? I listed four reasons.

Do you remember? First... Money.

Second... Money.

Third... Fun.

Fourth... Money.

What happened to number three?
We have fun, Richard. I have fun.

[Scoffs] One member of
this firm is suing us, John.

It's about a marriage.
It's about us.

Her tiny little lawyer
attacked you in that

witness chair, me. It
comes from hurt. You can't...

And you attacked her. You
just bullied her like-like they're...

I am... I am not a b... A
b... a b... a b... a b... a bully.

I don't like that word. When I
was little, I was picked on by b-b-b...

Those people, and I don't like that word,
and I'm... I'm not that kind of person.

Well, y-you went to
town on her, that's all I...

Well, may I remind
you this is about a war?

Exactly. It's a war.

Win or lose, we lose, John.

[Sighs]

When I was little, I just
hated the grown-ups.

And I would vow
when I grew... old,

I-I didn't wanna
become an adult.

I think you've succeeded there,
Richard. You know what I mean.

I harbored this fantasy that
we'd all get to be kids at this place.

We'd work together
and play together. Fun!

Look how it's turning out.

War.

We...

What happened?

Wh-What are you talking
about, departments?

I'm saying departments...
Litigation, Corporate, Real Estate.

We don't have that kind of
structure. I'm saying we should,

and I want you to be
administrative partner.

I don't want to be administrative...
We need to be more systematized.

This informality is stupid. The associates
don't know their place. They overstep.

Where is this coming from? We should run
this place like a law firm for a change,

instead of a warm-up
act for happy hour.

Oh, please. We need to be
more disciplined and less social.

Nobody here is really
friends anyway. Oh, balls...

John! Let's run this place
like a damn law firm, okay?

That way, nobody gets hurt, and
we don't bust up any lousy marriages.

[Mouths Word]

Nothing? I called her.
She wouldn't even pick up.

I suppose after John's
ambush... Oh, bite me.

All right. What should
I have done, Billy?

All right!

What happens now? Final
statements, then the judge rules.

Ally, would you
mind if I came down?

It all sounds so vicious, and
it's just not fair for me to miss out.

Sure, Elaine. Come
on down with us.

Certainly, in sexual
harassment laws,

the legislature has
intended for companies...

to take responsibility for things
that happen in the workplace,

especially when the behavior
works a hardship on an employee.

It's the very same principle
we're applying today.

The environment at Cage
& Fish has become vulgar.

The vulgarity is fostered
by the senior partners.

Richard Fish, as he testified,
believes women are sex objects.

Did it all have an influence? Billy Thomas
now walks around with models flanking him,

espousing his newfound philosophy
that wives belong in the home,

ready to rub the husband's feet
and poised to serve them sexually.

Did it negatively impact my
client's marriage? Look at them.

None of these people at
Cage & Fish are in relationships.

Unless we count the one
between Mr. Cage and Ms. Porter,

which evidently involves some
form of corporal punishment.

The place has the
integrity of a strip club.

It is our contention that no employee's
marital union could survive working there.

No union ever has. And sure,
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas were free to quit,

as Mr. Cage kept drumming.

But the courts have
rejected freedom to quit

as a defense in sexual
harassment cases.

The court should
also do so here.

Are we saying that Georgia Thomas
bears no responsibility? Of course not.

But is it unreasonable to say...

that Cage & Fish
bear a tiny bit of it?

Of course not.

[Exhales]

Mr. Cage?

You know, when I was
six or seven years old, uh,

I remember watching my father
getting dressed for a funeral.

A man in his office had died.

And I asked him, "Well,
was he a nice man?"

And my father said he
really didn't have any idea.

Said he'd really never
gotten to know him.

Well, they'd worked in
the same firm for 17 years...

and hadn't really gotten
to know one another.

How sad is that?

We all certainly
know each other.

I know about his
neck wattle fetish.

I know the reasons
he bleached his head.

This one here can get
you a blimp in a pinch.

This one invents face
bras and will lick the

cappuccino foam off
my nose if I'm not careful.

This one I love.

And this one I love too.

Imagine that.

In my own firm,

Richard Fish and Exhibit
A are my best friends in life.

Nelle Porter's my lover.

Imagine. I get to go
to work each day...

with people I care
so deeply about.

I'm tickled. Is there a point?

Yeah. The point is
that Richard Fish...

shouldn't apologize for
this place that he's built.

The place where my
father was employed,

where people worked
side by side for 17 years

without really getting
to know each other...

That's the place where there's...
Where there's something wrong.

Here, where people are in each other's
lives, Richard Fish can be proud of that.

I'm proud of that.

Yes, there's some... some finger
sucking on occasion, a knee pit...

Uh, seems everybody's kissed everybody
else at one time or another, but...

We're kids.

The partners are in their 30s,
the associates are in their 20s.

Even if we're not still kids,

I guess we all like
to pretend we are.

And today, you
know, suddenly it...

It's become very difficult
to cling to that illusion...

because a very
grown-up thing is going on.

A marriage is falling apart.

Two people that we adore...
Their marriage is ending.

And it hurts.

Georgia's angry at Billy,

and she's angry at the firm,

maybe because she
feels betrayed by it.

You know, ugly things aren't
supposed to happen at Cage & Fish.

All of our bumps and bruises can usually
be covered with... with a "Bygones."

But this one can't be.

This one, their
hurt runs deeper.

Now, you had your
lawyer grill me on the stand.

I then turned on you, becoming the bu...
uh, the bu... uh, the bu... uh, the bu...

[Stomps Foot] uh, mean person.

All the while, Georgia,
we continue to adore you.

I mean, you're one
of us... Suing us.

Now, if your goal here
was to make us feel...

some of the pain that you
feel, you've already won.

But as for us breaking
up her marriage?

I think we all know better.

[No Audible Dialogue]

Did he say how long he'd be out?

He wanted us to stay close,
so he must be deciding quickly.

[Sighs]

I know this will
sound stupid, but...

When I left, not even a cake.

Two years I worked with you,

by you, going to the
bar at night, and...

When I left, you just padlocked
my office so I couldn't take files.

All that time I
was just his wife.

No, that... That
isn't true, Georgia.

Is-Is that what this is about?

None of you even
called to say "Hi."

Come on.

Judge is back.

All right. The
court recognizes...

the expanding exposure and liability
stemming from workplace environments.

Be it civil rights, health
or sexual harassments,

we're only too happy to
get in there and legislate...

when we don't like
what's going on.

But assessing blame
when it comes to marriage?

That is still a path we
are loath to go down.

I don't think this firm
made it any easier...

for Mr. and Mrs.
Thomas to stay married.

But this is a no-fault
state, and in the end...

Well, that's the end.

The petitioner's lawsuit is
dismissed without prejudice.

But if I'm in the neighborhood,
and I have the urge to pee,

- you can be sure
I'll visit your unisex.
- [Chuckles]

Adjourned. [Gavel Raps]

Well, that's a relief. Good job.

Ally, John, good job.

[Spectators Chattering]

Hey, hey.

You really were suing the firm.

Look, Georgia, you-you
left so suddenly that...

And don't you think that we feel
the void now that you're gone?

No. I don't.

Well, then we need
to work on that.

We can start with, "We're all
going to dinner. Come with us."

- [Chuckles]
- Please.

That's okay.

Georgia, you don't have to file
a lawsuit to spend time with us.

[Chuckles] Come to dinner.

Uh...

Okay.

Uh, uh... Listen, uh, J-John?

Your words, your closing, I
just... I just want you to know...

I thought it ran a
little long. Yeah.

We do have something
here, don't we?

The people,
the-the... The friends?

We have built
something... special. Right?

♪♪ [Piano] Indeed.

[Vonda] ♪ Somewhere ♪

♪ Over the rainbow ♪

♪ Way up high ♪

♪ There's a land ♪

♪ That I heard of ♪

♪ Once in a lullaby ♪

♪ Somewhere ♪

♪ Over the rainbow ♪

♪ Skies are blue ♪

♪ And the dreams ♪

♪ That you dare to dream ♪

♪ Really do come true ♪♪

[Woman] You stinker!