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Reviewed by Joel Zand February 20, 2001 Big Rudy's Back In Town It's a huge surprise when former Stuckeybowl owner Big Rudy (John Goodman) comes back to town for a visit. Well, not just any visit. After hearing how Ed has turned the bowling alley into "the" place to be in town, Big Rudy wants to buy the alley back from Ed. Will he? Big Rudy may be a tough negotiator (setting ferrets free amidst happy bowlers causes quite a stir), but he's got a bad reputation that follows him. Whether it's his treatment of Phil Stubbs, or his intriguing past with Shirley, this guy is a big loser when it comes to ingratiating himself with Stuckeybowl's employees. When Ed and Phil set up a security camera to record any of Big Rudy's evil deeds, they're taking candy from a baby, and Big Rudy is disgraced in a big way. Bonnie's Revealing Secret Ed's newfound crush is not the woman that he thought she was. It turns out that Bonnie's mysterious past (remember the control thing?) is catching up with her. All the time that she's been chasing after, or being chased by Ed, she's already decided to accept a clerkship in D.C. with a well-known judge. "The judge is one of my heroes," she explains, but she still decided to have a short-lived tryst with Ed. Their relationship lasted as long (or as short) as many high school romances, which is saying much. But both have gained confidence and courage to date again after having left relationships that were never meant to last. There's a nice parting of the ways when Bonnie leaves town in her SUV. Given that they're lawyers, don't be surprised if the ex-D.A. is found driving a Ford Explorer [PDF] with Firestone tires. This Case Rocks Ed's latest client is the lead singer and apparent songwriter of a local band, The Solids. Amanda, one of the band members, was rudely given the boot by her colleagues; so she turns to Stuckeyville's lawyer for some intellectual property advice. It seems that the band keeps playing songs that Amanda says are her original works. Ed doesn't win the case for his client, but it's not his fault. Turns out that his client simply can't prove that she wrote the songs she claims she did, because she can't produce the notebook or any other evidence to support her testimony that she's always had a notebook in her possession to jot down lyrics that suddenly come her way. According to Amanda, someone in the band took a five-finger discount to her notebook the week before she was kicked out of the band.
This is a timely topic since band-related litigation seems to be a big thing these days. The Eagles former guitarist Don Felder is in court suing founders Don Henley and Glenn Frey alleging that he was improperly canned. Michael Bolton was recently slammed with a $5.4 million verdict in favor of the Isley Brothers, for whom a jury ruled that Bolton infringed upon their rights to "Love Is A Wonderful Thing." Then there are the BoDeans, the Milwaukee rockers who hit the brewers of Boston-based Samuel Adams beer with a trademark infringement suit for trying to pass off rights to malt beverages with names like BoDean's and BoDean's Twisted Lemon Tea [PDF]. Can you imagine? The Book Club Guy When Carol and Molly decide to get involved in Nancy Burton's book club, they quickly discover that they're interest in books is nothing compared to their interest in Jeff, another member who -- as luck would have it -- is a teacher at another school across town. Things get complicated quickly. Molly is gaga over Jeff, but Nancy doesn't know this when she sets up Jeff as Carol's date on a night when Carol, Bonnie, and Ed were supposed to go out for dinner together. Yeah, it's a little complicated. After embarrassing her in a matter of seconds, Jeff and Carol have a terrific evening together, but Jeff quickly learns that Carol would never want to lose Molly's friendship just to go out with Jeff again. As I was saying, it's complicated. But not as complicated as NBC's decision to show the same Ed episode on two consecutive nights this week (Tuesday at 10:00 p.m. and Wednesday at 8:00 p.m.). Is it Sweeps Week already? Are there more surprises in store for bowling alley lawyer wannabes? Stay tuned.
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In a curious role reversal with the show's protagonist, Joel Zand is a New York solo practitioner who left his Midwestern roots behind to work with Findlaw. He has represented New York City landlords, tenants, and folks with pets in pit-bullesque litigation (always representing the underdog, of course). Zand received his J.D. from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, and his B.A. from the University of Chicago. |
