Photo Credit: USA
“Shame on you, fool me once. Shame on me, fool me twice.”
That’s a familiar, old saying and one that most viewers probably thought could never be applied to someone like Kate Reed (Sarah Shahi). After all, a big part of Kate’s job is being able to read people well, and so, is it even possible for her to be duped? We find out tonight that the answer is a resounding “yes” – and not just by someone, but by a teenager, no less.
This week’s mediation case involves a girl, Eliza Davis, who is being expelled from a private school for cheating on a mid-term. The cheating case seems pretty solid, but Kate is called in because Eliza’s father is threatening to cause a huge stink since it is common knowledge that cases of cheating are swept under the rug if your family can afford to make a big donation to the school. Unfortunately for Eliza, her father can’t afford to “buy” her way out of this mess. To make matters even more complicated, Kate actually attended the school – Burgess Hall School – and was very much like Eliza – a middle-class rebellious girl who didn’t seem to fit in anywhere. Seeing what she thinks is a kindred spirit, Kate decides to try and help Eliza.
The first step is getting Eliza’s side of the story, and what Kate discovers is very shocking. After a little bit of nudging (but looking back on it, probably not enough!), Eliza opens up and makes the damning accusation that the teacher, Mr. Wade, said she cheated because she wouldn’t return his romantic advances. Holy crap! Of course, with Kate being the champion for the underdog, she is ready to go ballistic and insists that the teacher be fired immediately. Lauren (Virginia Williams), being the logical and levelheaded one, suggests taking it slow and investigating the claims first.
Well, all I can tell you is the school should have listened to Lauren, because after firing Mr. Wade, it was discovered that all of the texts and love letters that Eliza showed to Kate “as evidence” on her phone Eliza actually sent to herself using a phone “spoof app”. Eliza knew she was going to be expelled, and so, set up Mr. Wade, knowing the school would side with her and allow her to come back. At first, I was completely stunned that Kate could even be fooled like that, but then I realized just how manipulative this Eliza bitch really was. When Kate confronted her, it was like she was talking to a completely different person – Eliza just laughed at her and pretty much called her stupid.
Fortunately for Kate, it wasn’t quite over yet. The turning point came when Kate realized that Eliza just didn’t seem smart enough to pull off this entire scheme – it seemed to require a certain level of maturity and sophistication that she just didn’t have. Just seconds away from awarding Mr. Wade a huge settlement for defamation of character, Kate realizes that Mr. Wade and Eliza were in cahoots and set the entire thing up themselves. Oh, yes, Kate, you were not fooled twice and thus, saved the day!
But, the best part of the entire episode came from the continuation of the pissing contest between Ben (Ryan Johnson) and Justin (Michael Trucco) from last week. Ben and Justin end up working together again as part of a plea bargain for a performing artist who bungee-jumped off of the Golden Gate Bridge. Ben wants community service and a modest fine for his client, but Justin, being the hard-ass that he is, wants jail time. They quickly discover that they should have come to an agreement instead of going to court.
The assigned judge turns out to be a very creepy middle-aged woman who either likes stimulating legal debates, younger men, or both. Ben and Justin end up arguing their cases in the judge’s chambers and at her home over dinner, all of which provided this episode with some much-needed comic relief. Perhaps the best lines of the entire episode came after Ben and Justin “escaped” the judge’s house:
“Oh, God, I left my keys in there. Should I go back in?” – Ben
“I wouldn’t! I’ll call a cab…” – Justin
In other character development, I’m sensing Kate and Lauren are actually starting to understand each other, which if you think back just from the beginning of the season seems to be a miracle in itself. At the end of the episode, there seems to be a glimmer of hope for the relationship as Kate admits that she needs to be more levelheaded, and Lauren tells Kate that she wishes she could be more spontaneous. Those are baby steps but ones definitely in the right direction.
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