Friday, August 31, 2012

Drop Dead Diva--"Pick's and Pakes" Review


    In this episode, Stacy went to court against a pake patent troll, and Jane dealt with a lawyer who was losing his mind. A subplot involved Luke and Kim dating, and a surprise announcement from Kim.
     
Jane’s case this week had an interesting twist in that the emphasis was on her co-counsel, not the client. The Surprise Turn For the Worse in the case came early in the episode and was quickly overcome in order to make room for the real story: Jane’s co-counsel, the famous Lawrence Brand, has Pick’s Disease. Pick’s Disease, according to DDD, is a degenerative frontal lobe disease which actually does cause the victim to lose their mind. Stories like these can be very affecting, because what’s scarier than losing your mind? It must be one of the scariest aspects of getting older, and to have it happen when you’re only in your fifties is terrifying and heartbreaking.
   Jane and Owen’s interactions were very nice this episode. It’s nice to see how they are with each other when they’re not dealing with dramatic questions like “is Owen going to drop dead” or “should we really get married”. Instead, in this episode they talked about houses and having children. Lex Medlin melted my heart with his delivery again when he said, “Kids!...No, I like the way that sounds!” His face!


     Stacy’s story was delivered with normal Stacy adorableness and another guest appearance by Kim Kardashian. It was nice that Stacy and Grayson got to work together on this one. It’s a good reminder that he’s known her fom back when Deb was alive, not just through Jane. They have a legitimate friendship.
     The pake-off? Fabulous. It was probably my favorite scene, because it was so cute, ridiculous, and had a great song playing in the background. The song, incidentally, is “The Kitchen” by Little Jackie. You’re welcome, because it was not altogether easy to find. 

      Stacy’s sadness over Jane moving is completely understandable, although the line about how Jane was “moving on with her life” didn’t really strike home. Stacy actually has a very successful business, is an absolute sweetheart (and stunning), and has great relationships and a lovely home. Really the only thing she doesn’t have is a guy. So it’s not like Jane is really moving on with her life while Stacy is just stuck in a rut. Nonetheless, it is sad to see Stacy and Jane separating.

     Kim and Luke’s sub-subplot was entertaining due to everyone gagging over their relationship. Even though they’re both fairly attractive people, their personalities are both too abrasive and unappealing to be combined. Unless they get paired with someone more charming or kind (like Kim with Parker or Luke with Stacy), it’s too much annoyingness to handle. However, right after she told him she was pregnant, Luke was really sweet. He said exactly the right thing in that situation; both kind and not insistent.  “I’m here if you need me.”

     Overall, a good episode! It was very entertaining, with a good balance between the fun (pake-off) and the weightier (Pick’s Disease) material. There was not enough Margaret Cho, however.

Extraneous Notes:

  • Jane’s opening scene where she knocked over the water and elbowed the Nancy Grace in the face was hysterical. I can see why it would go viral.
  • Jane’s instant recall was pretty spectacular this episode. And obvious. Doesn't anyone around her ever find it weird how she looks like she literally gets smacked in the brain by information?
  • The judge on Stacy’s case was my favorite ever in the series.“No one likes a troll!”
  • Stacy’s date to the wedding is super cute.
  • I love how matter-of-fact Jane is about how many and what gender and how far apart the children will be.
  • It’s so fun that Stacy has a successful business. I can totally see how something like that would work out, although maybe not in this economy.
Credit:
Producers: Josh Berman, Alex Taub, Craig Zadan and Neil Meron
Writers: Josh Berman



No comments:

Post a Comment