:::: insert my laughter here ::::

This was a VERY FUNNY episode!! Very reminiscent of the glorious second season of Ally McBeal. We had wicked witch music, dancing in the Unisex, and good ol' Barry White. Lots of fun!

The case: A guy wants to clone his dead wife so he could fulfill their wish and have children.

The lawyers: John Cage vs. Larry Paul

Let the games begin!

When I first read the spoiler for this show, I predicted that John would win the case. Only because Larry had already won a few times prior to this, and I thought DEK would allow John to win this one. Of course, I should know better than to presume to figure out what DEK is thinking -- as always, he's full of surprises.

Did you notice that when John's client told him that the opposing lawyer would be Larry Paul, you can hear the sound of a car crash? I missed it the first time around. Very good use of sound effects! And very appropriate. We have come to know Larry as a very smart and very good lawyer. Opposing him in court would not be an easy task, especially with the difficult case that John had on his hands. So that's why John seeks out Ally and asks her for advice on how to beat Larry. At first, Ally doesn't want to help because there's a conflict of interest. After all, can she really conspire against her boyfriend? But John convinces her that his client is also her client, so Ally finally gives in. She tells John that with Larry, it's all about rhythm. If John can break Larry's rhythm in court, Larry will become vulnerable. And naturally, John takes this bit of information and uses it to his full advantage..... the only way John "The Biscuit" Cage can -- with oddities and quirks abound!

Every single courtroom scene in this episode was hilarious. Loved the beginning when Larry was trying to make his case in front of the judge, only to be interrupted by John every two seconds. LOL. Great comedic chemistry between these two actors!! We already know what a great actor Robert is. Well, Peter MacNicol ain't no slouch himself (he's one of the best actors on television, hands down). And the two of them working together -- I love it!

There's a nice scene back home at the apartment with Ally, Larry, and Renee. The girls are at home, eating popcorn, and gossiping about Ling and Jackson. Larry comes home and is greeted by Ally with a kiss (!) -- is it me or are there not nearly enough kisses between Ally and Larry?? He tells her that he's up against John Cage in court. When she asks how that went, Larry tells her that John is an odd man and lets her know about the stunts that John has been pulling on him. Ally, knowing full well that it was her who advised John to do that, can't hide the smile on her face. Larry notices her smile and asks her what's up. After all, as Larry points out, Ally doesn't smile on principle. Nice memory from DEK! In the first season, Ally told Renee that the reason she doesn't have wrinkles yet is because she had the good sense not to smile growing up. Anyway, Ally finally confesses that she told John to do what he could to break Larry's rhythm in court. Larry doesn't seem very happy that Ally went behind his back and did this, but Ally points out that John's client is also her client and that this wasn't a betrayal. Well, Larry is surprised that Ally is offering John advice when she, herself, couldn't even beat him in court. He knows exactly how to push her buttons, doesn't he? LOL. How can Ally advise John when she will never be able to beat Larry herself? That's what he asks her. And the wording is not lost on Ally. She's astounded. She'll never beat him in court? Never? Not ever, Larry replies. Hee hee. Gotta love his confidence! Of course, Ally is defensive and informs Larry that she will beat him one day. Also, she says that John will beat him now. I guess Larry really enjoyed his foot rub the last time because they bet each other another one. Let the games continue!

Side note from me: I hope before this season is over, Ally does beat Larry in court. If only to see the look on his face :)

Loved the scene when John finds out that Ally tipped Larry off. Peter MacNicol's facial expressions are just laugh-out-loud hilarious. I love the Biscuit!

The courtroom fun continues. Larry can't get through his cross-examination without John constantly interrupting him. John points out that Larry is constantly mocking him. The exchanges between them are so funny. There's a wacky little scientist on the stand who loves using the word "fascinating", which gets on Larry's nerves. And John even brought a prop with him -- a buzzer! LOL. It's very reminscent of the clicker he brought to court in the first season. By the end, he's using the buzzer to buzz his objections. Larry seems fed up with it, but never loses his cool. From one good lawyer to another....

I have to backtrack a little and mention a gem of a scene. For some reason, whenever Ling sees Jackson, she sees him walking in slow motion. Ally tells her it's probably because she's in love. It doesn't fail.... when Ling sees Jackson, he's moving in slow motion. Ally must have told Larry all about this, because when he comes out of the elevator and sees Ling there, he starts walking in slow motion with the funniest look on his face. Priceless!!! Ling seems confused, but Larry comes back into normal-paced reality and asks her how he did. Very funny, Ling says.

And speaking of a gem of a scene, this next one truly sparkles! Unisex dancing, anybody??? John knew that the only way to get full confidence in court, he would have to find Barry White within him again. But it hasn't been easy. Where's Barry? he wonders.

FLASHBACK: In the second season, there was a great scene. It started with John in the Unisex bathroom, looking into the mirror, and dancing to Barry White music. The camera pans over and we see Richard dancing next to him. Soon, Elaine emerges from one of the stalls and the three of them start dancing together. Ling comes in, watches them for a bit, and figures -- why not? And she joins in too! The four of them dance together in the bathroom. Truly a memorable scene! And a scene that demonstrated the quirkness and likeability of the Ally McBeal characters.

Well, we got an encore!! Larry and Jackson find themselves in the Unisex together, exchanging formalities. And then we begin hearing that familiar tune -- that Barry White song. John comes out of the stall, pushes Larry away from the mirror, and begins dancing, smiling, and mouthing the words to the song. He's thrilled that he found Barry again! Well, Larry and Jackson are looking at him like he's the oddest man on the planet! LOL. The looks on their faces are great. "What are your thoughts, Jackson?" Larry asks. They agree that John is an odd little man. John could care less what they think and he continues to smile and dance in utter delight. Then the greatest thing happens -- Larry and Jackson join him and the three of them begin dancing together! LOL!!! I was cracking up so much during this scene. Obviously, I can't do it justice by writing my thoughts down. It's something you have to see for yourself. It kind of solidified Larry and Jackson as true Ally McBeal quirky characters. It was great!

Okay, back to the courtroom! It's time for closing arguments. John has his confidence back, but unfortunately for him -- his case is just too tough to make. Larry's closing, as usual, is very good. He took his glasses off for some of it. Can I just say that he is a very good-looking man? :) Okay, thanks. I loved it when Larry sat down and John buzzed his buzzer. LOL. I'm laughing just thinking about it.

The judge makes his ruling. He agrees with Mr. Paul. Sorry, John. Larry wins this one. But what was really nice is when Larry offered his hand to John and said, "I don't want a re-match." It was like Larry's way of acknowledging that John is a good lawyer and that this case took some effort on Larry's part. The song Only You begins playing. RDJ fans see the connection -- he was in a movie called Only You.

Poor Ally. She has to give Larry another foot rub. We see them back on the couch again. Last time, Larry was reading a book. This time, he's on the computer. Both times, Ally's the one giving him the foot rub. LOL. The look on her face is amusing. She pretends she doesn't like doing it, but we know that she's really enjoying it. Come on, is there anything she wouldn't do for her man?

Great episode! I just want this season to last forever...

Guess what? Next week it's Ally's 31st birthday!! In the first season, she had a sad birthday -- Greg Butters, her former boyfriend, left her and moved to Chicago. In the second season, she had a sad birthday -- she was already noticing wrinkles and had no 'special someone' in her life. In the third season, she had a sad birthday -- Billy had just died. Now it's the fourth season...... she has Larry.

Will there finally be a happy birthday for Ally McBeal?