Idealistic young lawyer Tucker Kerwin (Martin Short) has developed an understandable infatuation for gorgeous fellow associate Sara James (Shelley Smith) his colleague at the prestigious Wall Street law firm Bass & Marshall. The statuesque bottle-blonde was of a physical type popular back in the day and she would do quite for herself now. But no man could hope to keep her for long.
Her law degree from Stanford shows more ambition than character in context with everything else we see. Sara - a venal sort of gold-digger and power-monger with no evident sense of shame has gathered an impressive stable of suitors quite quickly, would never consider a man at her level of power and means and certainly not lower. Tucker is so beneath her radar that she finds his attentions amusing and quaint.
A corporate law-firm will offer her opportunity to meet her first husband who will more than likely be quite affluent and powerful. From there she can meet her second husband - possibly a future president. She hasn't managed her expectations or seen a need to. Nights at galas, drinks in the Blue Room at the Algonquin and brunch at Tavern on the Green will offer introduction to many well-heeled inamorato.
Tucker - her associate and contemporary, for all his flaws, will more than likely be making six figures before he is 35 - IF he can take the weight of the most morally reprehensible litigation his firm constantly throws his way. Plenty of the most materialistic women would find him quite a catch. But he wants Sara.
Sara acts unprofessionally showing up to work in an black cashmere evening gown. She undresses down to her silk teddy right in front of Tucker in her office whilst talking to him like he is a female confidant instead of a male colleague. The timing is poor. They are set to work together representing Julius Barnes (Jack Gilford) a college professor/author accused of plagiarizing the writing of one of his students. Tucker's unrequited feelings become obvious to the client who surprisingly offers help.
Tucker asks fellow associate Leslie Dunn (Alley Mills) who is a tad smitten with him and not exactly surrounded by male admirers, if he can use her as surrogate to sound out the approach Julius has coached him on to use to woo Sara. In so doing, Tucker treats Leslie as poorly as Sara has treated him and been as utterly oblivious to HER feelings as Sara was with his. Tucker is at very least awarded the pat on the head of Sara affirming that he is "A sweet little person". Leslie has the last laugh but she and Tucker continue to looking for something out of reach.
Because it is Bass & Marshall, the client is, of course, the bad guy - somebody who has enriched himself enough to afford their hefty retainer to defend against those who might seek actual justice. Because that client is played by Jack Gilford there is a tither of humour almost immediately. But this guy is a villain in someone's life story. As light-hearted and human a representation of the sinister as he is, nothing changes what Julius Barnes has done even if he helps Tucker.
Shelley Smith did quite well giving audiences a little more of the nuance which made Sara James tick, in effect constructing a defense for her. But Sara remained a one-dimensional supporting character at that point not quite ready to become lead. The other cast members suitably asserted their characterizations in a way that told the story adding subtext to their characters subtext. Jack Gilford was also a solid guest-star for any sitcom.
With all that going for it this episode then features a comedic performance by Martin Short that crosses over into pure genius involving a take on the balcony scene from Romeo & Juliet that is comedy gold. The writing can only be so good on it's own. A performer can bring it to life in so many other ways with how they interpret it. That is what Martin Short continuously did on this series in portraying a character who certainly thinks he is a nice guy and acts like a nice guy but is continuously betrayed by his absurd ambitions in service to very bad people.
How nice is Tucker really? How nice are any of them? In the first episode Tucker was tasked with a case in which he had to help argue in favour of a property developer's right to tear down a 200 year old cathedral. In this second one he is helping defend an indefensible client in Barnes who offers him poor advice which Barnes has likely stolen from other people. If he is a nice guy he is most certainly an ineffectual one.
The sum total of Tucker's activism consists of neurotically expressed guilty feelings. But that has consistency. If he is deluded enough to think Sara will ever see him in a romantic way he is probably deluded to think he can make a difference for the better at Bass & Marshall. He is that much of dreamer which can make him likeable even if he isn't nice (Which we see him try to be).
Her law degree from Stanford shows more ambition than character in context with everything else we see. Sara - a venal sort of gold-digger and power-monger with no evident sense of shame has gathered an impressive stable of suitors quite quickly, would never consider a man at her level of power and means and certainly not lower. Tucker is so beneath her radar that she finds his attentions amusing and quaint.
A corporate law-firm will offer her opportunity to meet her first husband who will more than likely be quite affluent and powerful. From there she can meet her second husband - possibly a future president. She hasn't managed her expectations or seen a need to. Nights at galas, drinks in the Blue Room at the Algonquin and brunch at Tavern on the Green will offer introduction to many well-heeled inamorato.
Tucker - her associate and contemporary, for all his flaws, will more than likely be making six figures before he is 35 - IF he can take the weight of the most morally reprehensible litigation his firm constantly throws his way. Plenty of the most materialistic women would find him quite a catch. But he wants Sara.
Sara acts unprofessionally showing up to work in an black cashmere evening gown. She undresses down to her silk teddy right in front of Tucker in her office whilst talking to him like he is a female confidant instead of a male colleague. The timing is poor. They are set to work together representing Julius Barnes (Jack Gilford) a college professor/author accused of plagiarizing the writing of one of his students. Tucker's unrequited feelings become obvious to the client who surprisingly offers help.
Tucker asks fellow associate Leslie Dunn (Alley Mills) who is a tad smitten with him and not exactly surrounded by male admirers, if he can use her as surrogate to sound out the approach Julius has coached him on to use to woo Sara. In so doing, Tucker treats Leslie as poorly as Sara has treated him and been as utterly oblivious to HER feelings as Sara was with his. Tucker is at very least awarded the pat on the head of Sara affirming that he is "A sweet little person". Leslie has the last laugh but she and Tucker continue to looking for something out of reach.
Because it is Bass & Marshall, the client is, of course, the bad guy - somebody who has enriched himself enough to afford their hefty retainer to defend against those who might seek actual justice. Because that client is played by Jack Gilford there is a tither of humour almost immediately. But this guy is a villain in someone's life story. As light-hearted and human a representation of the sinister as he is, nothing changes what Julius Barnes has done even if he helps Tucker.
Shelley Smith did quite well giving audiences a little more of the nuance which made Sara James tick, in effect constructing a defense for her. But Sara remained a one-dimensional supporting character at that point not quite ready to become lead. The other cast members suitably asserted their characterizations in a way that told the story adding subtext to their characters subtext. Jack Gilford was also a solid guest-star for any sitcom.
With all that going for it this episode then features a comedic performance by Martin Short that crosses over into pure genius involving a take on the balcony scene from Romeo & Juliet that is comedy gold. The writing can only be so good on it's own. A performer can bring it to life in so many other ways with how they interpret it. That is what Martin Short continuously did on this series in portraying a character who certainly thinks he is a nice guy and acts like a nice guy but is continuously betrayed by his absurd ambitions in service to very bad people.
How nice is Tucker really? How nice are any of them? In the first episode Tucker was tasked with a case in which he had to help argue in favour of a property developer's right to tear down a 200 year old cathedral. In this second one he is helping defend an indefensible client in Barnes who offers him poor advice which Barnes has likely stolen from other people. If he is a nice guy he is most certainly an ineffectual one.
The sum total of Tucker's activism consists of neurotically expressed guilty feelings. But that has consistency. If he is deluded enough to think Sara will ever see him in a romantic way he is probably deluded to think he can make a difference for the better at Bass & Marshall. He is that much of dreamer which can make him likeable even if he isn't nice (Which we see him try to be).