Bluff City Law – Perfect Day
Oh. My. Goodness. This episode blew me away. Let’s get to the recap and hope I can collect my own thoughts for the end.
Will Sydney keep her license?
We open with Sydney stubbornly refusing to tell the judge where her client is and Elijah making sure she understands the stakes. This could be a career breaker for her, land her in jail and change her life forever.
The second piece of this puzzle comes as a dramatic introduction to Layla Hosmani. We sense Sydney being followed in the parking garage and just as we are sure something is about to happen to Sydney, it is Layla. She attended school at Vanderbilt while Sydney was there, but why stalk her in a dark parking garage at night? Her life is on the line.
Layla is a Saudi Arabian journalist whose work has crossed the government. Having fled to the United States via Jordan, she planned to seek asylum in the US. By the time she arrived in DC, her own government had labeled her a terrorist negating any claim to asylum. If she contacts US authorities she will be deport and killed upon arrival in her own country. So, Elijah has Bri take her to a safe location while they work on a plan. Brianna has her hands full trying to keep a journalist off the grid.
Strait and Associates pull out all the heavy hitters for this kind of case and Elijah, Sydney and Anthony team up. After reviewing the evidence sent by the Saudi government in requesting Layla’s extradition, Elijah asks where they are. To give both Anthony and Elijah plausible deniability, she declines to tell them and offers to call Brianna.
Here they come…
As Anthony calls her paranoid, Della is ushering a US Attorney, US Marshall and the attaché’ from the Saudi consulate. The situation quickly escalates when the US Attorney attempts to deescalate. The extradition hearing has been set for the next day, not giving the team much time.
In the safe house, Briana keeps losing at backgammon because “a woman on the run needs funds”. Sydney calls with news of the hearing the next day and a still not solid plan of attack. Back in the courtroom, the judge warns Sydney again. Sydney refuses to reveal the location of Layla and is remanded into custody. Elijah assures her they won’t stop until Layla is safe and Sydney is out.
Taking over for Sydney, Elijah delivers a powerful argument on the bravery of journalists speaking truth to power and how it does not make her a terrorist. How she is brave to risk it all to speak truth and that appearing in court would be to sentence her to death.
As Elijah seems to be making the smallest progress in discrediting the “evidence” the prosecution brings in a witness, Farhad Hosmani, Layla’s brother. Elijah and Anthony discuss a cross examination strategy via legal pad. Fearing he would be killed if they questioned him, they pass on the cross. As court recesses until morning, the judge tells Elijah he will recommend felony aiding and abetting charges for Sydney and transfer to a federal facility if she doesn’t produce Layla to the court.
After discussing the situation with Layla, they find their plan. The team persuades the judge to allow Layla to testify from a remote unknown location. The camera operator “clumsily” reveals the location and room number of the camera’s location. The ball is set in motion as the Saudi consulate sends assassins to the broadcasted location. Tension builds as we watch men walking through the halls, using a taser on a member of the housekeeping staff to get a key and waiting for the inevitable.
The lawyers of Strait and Associates had a better plan than that. They relocated Layla to another room but left the camera to capture the evidence. The US Attorney dismisses the case and grants Layla and her brother safety in the US. One more time Elijah, Sydney and Anthony have managed to win an impossible case.
As Sydney is processed out, she tells Elijah about the case she caught while behind bars. He is even less surprised by it than we are as viewers. Yes, Sydney helps the young art student out as well.
In Jail
Without surprising anyone, Sydney doesn’t just sit idly by while she is in jail. She meets her next-door cellmate. Tony, a young art student arrested for vandalism and at risk of losing his scholarship if he pleads guilty. Why did he do it? For a girl. He painted her name on the building with hummingbirds. Sydney asked if it worked. “We’ll see.”
Thankful for Elijah
Flashback to 24 hours earlier where we find Emerson assembling a video of “Thanks to Elijah”. Della attempts to rush off before making the video but chooses to make time to honor Elijah and try to help him through his first Thanksgiving without Carolyn.
While he secretly tries to edit his video, Elijah checks in to see if eating out is genuinely ok for the holiday. Elijah reminisces about Thanksgiving being the perfect day when Carolyn was alive.
Rich Man George
George and Jake are enjoying a celebratory dinner after the city’s attempt to restore George’s life. His record is clear, and he has plenty of money to get out there and live again. George wants to reconnect with his son and set up a trust for him. It is a big step, but George says he is ready. Jake is distracted by Sydney on a bad first date and offers to “rescue” her, but not before George astutely points out Jake’s interest in Sydney. A little dinner theatre with Jake starring as a paralegal, and Sydney is rescued from said date. The tension between these two continues to build as she declines his ride home.
George plays around on the piano pondering what to say to his son. As George questions why Jake has a piano he can’t play, the two create a discordant symphony that beautifully represents their friendship. George, moving slower, more plaintively and Jake driving a little quicker melody, with more notes and more flair. By music theory, it was awful, by measure of humanity, a thing of beauty.
Jake drives George to see his son and in trying to calm George’s nerves, reveals more about his own life experiences. Jake’s life was marred by the leaving of his own father and his mother refusing to accept that he wouldn’t return. She filled the space with men who may fit the mold as a replacement for a bit, but nothing ever lasted long term. Along the way, Jake lost faith. In a heartfelt talk, Jake tells George how he restored Jake’s faith in husbands and fathers. He thanks George for that gift and George exits the car to face the fate of his own relationship with his son. Tense moments as they see each other face to face, a warm embrace and a sense that it will all work out for George.
Thankful
The whole crew (even Robbie) have gathered for Thanksgiving. Della, Jake and Anthony are all in the kitchen. Robbie is trying to figure out where he fits, and Sydney and Elijah are playing host. Emerson seems to be navigating his first Thanksgiving among this new family comfortably. They toast to family and Jake gets a call about George. He figures he needs to pick him up from another fountain dance and heads out.
A Triangle of Comfort?
Jake is gutted by George’s death. A man that entered his life via Post-It note exits even more dramatically. Jake stays by the river screaming and processing until he must go somewhere. He finds himself at Sydney’s door. They share a powerful moment that is interrupted by someone else coming down Sydney’s stairs…Robbie. Jake excuses himself to find some way to pick up the pieces of the day.
My Thoughts
This episode is a masterpiece from beginning to end. The cinematic feel of the camera work, the powerful story lines on all sides, the exquisite acting from the excellent writing, this one is special. If Scott Shepherd doesn’t get an Emmy for his performance of George, I don’t know for what those awards are given. As great as that performance was, I don’t think it works without Barry Sloane’s personification of Jake. The duo played such a beautiful story together throughout the season. I’ll admit, my gut was worried about George the entire season so while the ending didn’t entirely catch me by surprise, I was impressed that the writers carried it through. While we all hate the outcome, the story arc was thoughtful and beautiful.
I equally loved watching the family dynamics change as Elijah, Sydney and Emerson figure out their new family arrangement. Is it all just perfect now? No. Each character still has issues through which to work, but the progress made through the season gives hope to viewers.
We got some insight on each member of the firm, but I want so much more. Please NBC, give us a season 2!!!!! The writing, the acting, the story arcs and even Memphis have so much more to offer us. Viewers, get to work, watch it, tell others to watch it. Let’s build the audience to get our Season 2. Until then, thank you to the cast, crew, and creatives for a spectacular, thought-provoking season of television.
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