fguliuzza Reviews

L.A. Law (1986–1994)

At Its Best There Were Few Better

[10/10 · 11 May 2012]

This was a seminal show -- probably the first "lawyer show" that wasn't really a detective program in disguise. L.A. Law introduced us to many of the particulars of a law firm: The staff meeting, administrative hearings, appellate court argument, as well as almost all aspects of criminal and CIVIL litigation. It was an amazing program that, when it focused on the intriguing cases that came to the firm, was arguably the best show on television in the late 80s and early 90s. If I recall correctly only Hill Street Blues, The West Wing, and L.A. Law won 4 Emmys for best drama (now maybe Mad Men?). There's a reason this show ranks in the upper echelon of television dramas.

To be fair to its critics, however, I can't remember ANY program that was this good that, almost abruptly, became so bad! Although I continued to watch it until the end, it was hit-and-miss at best, and sometimes just plain terrible after the fifth season.

The Andy Griffith Show: Opie and the Bully (1961) Season 2, Episode 1

Captures the parent-child relationship in a most special way

[10/10 · 23 December 2006]

I know the episode where Opie saves the baby birds is often identified as THE classic show from this series but I would suggest that "Opie and the Bully" really showcases the relationship between Andy and Opie better than any other -- and let's face it, that's what made this program so special.

When Andy discovers that Opie has been paying off the bully, he takes his son fishing and shares a story about how he, Andy, was ordered away from their fishing hole by a bully when he, Andy, was a boy. He told Opie how he stood up to the bully and, after taking the punch in the nose that the bully had promised, he rose up to defend himself. Opie asked what happened after that. Andy told him, "We fished this spot today didn't we?" "Yeah," noted Opie, "yeah!" The next great scene is when Opie comes to Andy and asks him to hold his school clothes down at the office. Andy knows that the boy is going to face the bully and the tenderness his displays when he picked up Opie to hug him is just tremendous. The scene does an amazing job of showing the combination of pain and pride that a parent feels when they have to let their child go into the world knowing that the child is going to get hurt (whether the child is 6 or 36!).

Among the other great Andy-Opie moments certainly include Andy's parenting of Opie when the boy shoots the mother bird and a tremendously underrated episode where Opie makes friends with a telephone repairman named Mr. McBeeVee (where Andy demonstrates just how much he trusts his son -- when there's no rational basis for doing so).

The Paper Chase: Judgement Day (1984) Season 2, Episode 15

Publish or Perish Debated

[9/10 · 30 June 2006]

This is a very fine episode of The Paper Chase. Not only does the series put life in a graduate/professional school under the microscope, generally, but this particular episode takes on the essential question of what should define a faculty member's job description at an institution that aspires to be regarded as elite. In fact, it really is asking what do we really expect from our outstanding colleges and universities.

The law school has to award tenure to two of four candidates. We are introduced to two of the candidates. Each unwittingly represents a side in the debate among those on the tenure committee. The point of contention is between those who press for outstanding scholarship and those who insist upon exemplary teaching. One candidate is an exceptional young scholar who seems to publish much more frequently than many of his senior colleagues. The other struggles as a writer (so one wonders how he landed the tenure-track position at "Harvard" LS in the first place) but the episode portrays him as a phenomenal classroom instructor.

Okay, some of the arguments in the debate are a bit shrill and the classroom instruction doesn't seem nearly as rigorous as one would find in a third year seminar (and, surprisingly, we learn that Kingsfield really aspires to win his students' affection as well as their respect; huh?), but the debate over the mission of the institution is very real. Is its primary purpose to teach students in the classroom or to hire faculty who are successful at teaching others with their pens (word processors)? I think many a student who has attended a fine research university only to sit in a perpetual stream of classes taught by graduate assistants has asked that same question (as have those who work at a college where plenty of faculty hide behind the mantra "but we're a TEACHING institution" in order to sidestep their responsibility to write).

Kingsfield has a great line during the tenure committee debate: "The purpose of a university is to nurture talent -- talent in its students and the talent of its faculty."

L.A. Law: Pilot (1986) Season 1, Episode 1

at its best there were few better

[10/10 · 21 December 2005]

As I indicated previously, this was a seminal show -- probably the first "lawyer show" that wasn't really a detective program in disguise. L.A. Law introduced us to the staff meeting; administrative hearings; appellate courts; as well as almost all aspects of criminal and CIVIL litigation. It was an amazing program that, when it focused on the cases, was arguably the best show on television in the late 80s and early 90s.

To be fair to its critics, however, I can't remember any program that was this good that (almost abruptly) became so bad! Although I continued to watch it until the end, it was hit-and-miss at best, and sometimes just plain terrible, after the fifth season.