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Marriage Counselor Mess

Ed's legal case this week centers on his former high school girlfriend, Cara Parsons, née Christiansen. We know something is up when we see her for Ed inside Stuckeybowl. It turns out that Cara wants Ed's legal advice on whether she can pay a co-worker to find out if her husband George is going to cheat on her. It turns out that the husband has a bit of history, having been caught by Cara with another woman before she and George get married. That incident led to a prenup, where George promised to pay Cara $100,000 if he ever cheated on her again.

Matrimonial lawyers often find themselves in the dicey situation of being legal advisors, while being asked to also provide extra moral "umphh" to clients. Ed shows why it's better for lawyers to stick to doing what they know best -- the law -- rather than provide inspirational guidance: he gives his client bad advice by telling her to start a divorce action against her husband, only to drop it later if her husband will just honestly tell Cara whether he has cheated on her. Ed mistakenly thinks that his own personal experiences will lead his client to the right legal answers.

But that leaves Cara no better off than she was before. Decides to leave her husband (like Ed left his wife after he caught her sleeping with someone else). Yet without an ongoing legal action or negotiations with her husband, Cara and George are still married, property or support issues remain unresolved, and she will not be able to collect the $100,000 from the prenup violation committed by her hubby. Maybe that was good moral advice, but it sure doesn't seem like sound legal counsel.

Teachers As Parents

At a time when troubled teens are taking the lives of other students or themselves, the relationship between Carol Vescey and guest star Ann Meara's music teacher character, Mrs. G., reminds Ed viewers how important it is for teachers to be there for students who need help when they're feeling confused and overwhelmed. It turns out that Mrs. G filled in as a mother figure for Carol after her mom died, always ready to lend an ear or a helping hand. The torch is passed to on to another compassionate teacher when a likeable, but distraught teen keeps pouring orange Kool-Aid into other students' lockers.

One of this show's highlights takes place during Phil Stubb's rendition of "We Are the World," personalized to show support for Mrs. G when the school principal decides to can the music program -- and the teacher who runs it.

Who Voted For Dubya?

Nancy Burton is going through more than a little separation anxiety with her daughter Sarah, who she now leaves in the care of a babysitter. Lawyers with kids can relate to this. They're likely to tell her that it's just a passing thing. But Nancy's fear and suspicion regarding the intentions of her babysitter Carmella are over the top. She walks on thin ice, asking Carmella a very personal and very political question, so her dismay at the answer is not surprising: " I vote for Dubya," Carmella says with a smile, "because Gore is so stiff, like a piece of wood."

Other Reviews  West Wing  The Practice  Ally McBeal  Law & Order

Making Music And Making Love

Justin Long steals the show as the suave and sophisticated Warren Cheswick. Whether he is telling Mrs. G and the rest of the Stuckeyville High orchestra that nobody has to tell him "how to make a woman sing," or trying to seduce the baby sitter Carmella, his wit is infectious.

We never really learn whether Warren does make it inside the Burton house, but my money is on the kid. He's a suave and smooth talker who could sell the Brooklyn Bridge if given the chance. "Bite the forbidden apple, Carmella. You will find it sweet."

Bite the apple, Ed fans, bite the apple.

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