|
  The show opens with Vonda singing
Silver Bells, and Ally walking on the street, looking inside shop windows. John is looking out the window watching
the snow fall when Nelle approaches him. He’s stunned, as she’s in a dark colored gown with one shoulder exposed.
She explains that she’s going to a client’s Christmas party. Nelle turns to leave, and John then sees mistletoe
above her and tries to sneak up to her to kiss her. John moves stealthily up to her, but she turns around and
spoils his surprise. She gets ready to kiss him when Richard walks up. Billy then interrupts, saying there’s
a problem with Sheldon Maxwell- he just got fired. Richard says he’s the lead bond trader for Tamarak Mosely,
and he’s also their biggest client. Richard then calls in all the lawyers to help work on the case.
  Ally walks in from the elevator and Elaine
fills her in on the case. She says that Sheldon is Richard’s biggest client, and the one who made starting the
Fish and Associates firm possible. Ally trips over the Christmas lights that Elaine is stringing, and walks into
the office to meet Sheldon. Sheldon says he was fired because his company thinks he’s lost his mind- he saw a
unicorn, and told people about the sighting. Billy offers to take the case, and says Ally will help him. Ally
is clearly shocked that this man saw a unicorn.
Ally walks off the elevator to find Helen Gamble (Lara Flynn Boyle) standing
there. You might remember seeing her and Ally interact during the Ally McBeal/The Practice Cross-over show last
season. Helen stares at Ally’s outfit and tells Ally, "Maybe
you could eat a cookie" Ally responds with, "Maybe we could share it".
Ally runs into Renee and tells her she’s got a   crisis at work, and might have to miss the
party. Ally runs back to the elevator, running into Matt Griffin( Richard T. Jones) as she does so. Matt has
come to see Renee. Renee yells at him, she told him she didn’t want to see him. (Matt was an old flame of Renee’s,
who is married) John is stealthily sneaking up to Nelle, trying to sneak in a kiss, but once again, Nelle spots
him first. They get ready to kiss again, and are interrupted this time by Ling. She is full of holiday cheer,
and greets everyone in a very friendly tone. Of course everyone is shocked that Ling is being nice, and are  w ondering what she’s up to. Ally says, "Merry
Christmas? What’s the catch?", John once again notices mistletoe,
and leans over to kiss Nelle, but she moves, and he ends up touching Ling, who screams. Ally and Billy are discussing
the case, and Richard says that he really wants to take care of Sheldon, please work hard on this case.
  Ally has gone home, and hears the TV in the apartment. She opens Renee’s
bedroom door without knocking, and is shocked at what she sees. Renee and Matt are in bed together, and I can
tell you, they sure weren’t sleeping. Ally screams, and says sorry, and quickly leaves the room.
 
The next morning Ally and Renee are talking over breakfast. Ally asks
what about Matt’s wife, and Renee tells her that Matt said that relationship is basically over.
m
Billy asks Elaine where Ally is, and is told she’ll meet  him at the courthouse. Elaine has on safety glasses, and is constructing a stage inside the law firm. She’s
even using power tools, and nailing wood together.
m
Billy and Attorney Nixon are arguing their sides of Sheldon Maxwell’s
case,   with Whipper (Dyan Cannon) presiding. Billy argues that Sheldon seeing a
unicorn in no way affects his job performance, but Attorney Nixon disagrees. Jackson Poile (John de Lancie) is
the boss who fired Sheldon (DooL watchers will know him as playing Eugene, back in the good ole Days.) Ally pipes
up to say that when she was in 3rd grade she was class president, and still believed in Santa Claus. Ally says
that that belief didn’t interfere with her role as president. Whipper calls a short evidentiary hearing, and Ally
looks victorious.
  John is talking to Richard about Nelle. He would like to kiss her, but have
it be his move for once. Richard is full of funny lines tonight, saying "Your move is in the yellow pages under escort services." Richard says that John is intimidated by Nelle’s beauty, her long legs, the incredible
hair, the porcelain face- that’s it, she reminds him of his toilet seat, and holds up the broken piece of the seat
to prove the point. John asks Richard to please leave the room.
  Mr. Nixon is questioning Sheldon about the unicorn sighting. He’s trying
to prove that Sheldon is mentally unstable, and asks if Sheldon was ever treated for depression. He says that
yes he was, and sought medical attention. He told his doctor about seeing the unicorn, and his doctor diagnosed
him as "lucky".
  Ally and Billy go into her office, and Billy shuts the door. Billy asks
Ally if she knows why he wanted her on the case. Ally says, "Because
I’m a good lawyer?" Billy says no, that’s not it. Ally
says, "Because you’re leaving Georgia?" Ally imagines that her head blows up like a balloon, and she pops it, and goes
flying around the room, just like deflated balloon. Billy says he   wanted Ally
working with him, because " I remember"
. Billy remembers Ally telling him she saw a unicorn when they
were 7. Ally says that must have been one of her fantasies, and she’s learned to know that it’s impossible. Billy
tells her that he remembers everything about that day.
  Matt and Renee are talking about his wife. Matt tells Renee that he would leave her,
but he’s afraid of destroying her so close to Christmas. Renee says that they have no future as long as he’s living
with her. She won’t do that to her, or to herself. Matt says he needs some time. He then drops a huge bombshell-
his wife is 4 months pregnant. Renee is completely taken aback, and she gives him a look, and gets up and leaves.
  Renee stands outside the restaurant, totally in shock. Ally comes up to
her on the street, but Renee blows her off, saying she needs to get back, and they can talk later.
  Ally finds Renee at the courthouse, and Renee tells Ally about Matt’s wife.
Ally asks Renee what she needs from her. Renee says that Matt knew her before she was strong, he knew her when
she was weak. Ally is afraid that Matt will hurt her. Ally has gone back to the office, and is telling Billy
about Renee. Billy asks if it’s   the worst thing for Renee to be with him,
and Ally says he’s *married*. Billy
says he doesn’t get her, "On the one hand,
you reject the world of absolutes, on the other hand, you live by them."
Ally says only on some of them, and wants to know what Billy’s point is, but he doesn’t know.
  Jackson is on the stand, with Billy questioning him about his religion.
Billy’s trying to compare the Catholic faith and the seeing of Jesus as the same thing as Sheldon seeing a unicorn.
Billy says that maybe Sheldon saw an apparition, but it’s not grounds for termination. Ally asks Sheldon if he
would be willing to take a lesser position in the company, or if he would admit that he had a hallucination. Sheldon
says he needs to believe that he saw it. He asks Ally if she’s seen a unicorn too. She confides that she did see
one when she was very little. He says he knew that she had, and the people who see them share some of the unicorn’s
traits- lonely, with virtuous hearts. Ally says that she petted it, she walked   right
up to the unicorn. "He was magic, and he
let me pet him." Sheldon says that legend has it that only
pure spirits can approach the unicorn, and Ally says that "I
was lucky he showed up when I was 7." Sheldon asks if she
touched his horn, since that could lead her to love. Sheldon didn’t get close to the unicorn, but won’t have another
chance if he stops believing in the unicorn.
  Ling is still in the Christmas spirit, and
even has gifts for the lawyers. Elaine and Georgia are both shocked, and say so. Nelle has overheard them, and
tells them they could give Ling a break since she’s
"trying to reach out to the less fortunate." Nelle
then leaves, with Elaine and Georgia standing their with their mouths open. Elaine shakes her gift, and says she
thinks it’s ticking.
 
Back at the courtroom, Attorney Nixon is pleading his case. He’s arguing
that Sheldon’s mental health clearly would affect his clients, therefore he should be removed before he causes
harm to the client’s stock portfolios. Billy takes his turn, saying that personally he believes that Sheldon
hallucinated, and that Sheldon saw the unicorn as hope, and   why should anyone have any
say in where he looks for that hope? Billy says that all people want to be happy, they just get there in different
ways.
  Elaine is coaching John, as he’s singing a song about wanting a hippopotamus
for Christmas. He says it’s really not him, and tells Elaine to get someone else. Elaine then starting singing
while Billy walks by her, and Richard comes up and asks Billy how the case went. Billy says that he gave it his
best shot, and Whipper is going to rule that day.
  Renee is at the apartment, dancing around
the Christmas tree. Ally comes in and wonders what she’s doing. Renee says that she hears Ally’s theme song,
"Tell Him" and they dance to it together. Renee hears the music screech and says who is she kidding?
Renee, "I just need you..... to keep pounding
me with common sense."Ally, "Renee, common sense is killing us. We keep saying that all we want is love, and
we keep applying all these rules on how we want it to come along"
Ally says that Renee doesn’t open up to people, even her best friend. Renee says that’s just how she is. Ally
says that "Eventually that will get you....Matt,
if he gets in there, you should be with him." Ally says.
Of course, Renee is shocked at hearing Ally say that.
John has once again spotted Nelle underneath the mistletoe, and tries
again to get that elusive kiss. He goes for it, but ends up kissing Georgia by accident.
 
Renee is getting the candles lit for Matt’s arrival, and asks Ally about
him. Ally says part of her still thinks it’s a crazy idea. Segue to the courtroom, as Whipper is saying who is
she to decide crazy, and that people just seem to be more empty in these times. She says that there are alot of
lonely people out there, looking for hope in strange places. She decides that those people can keep their unicorns,
and says the   motion is unlawful, and they are adjourned. Billy says that
next time Sheldon shouldn’t tell people if he sees a unicorn, and he agrees.
k
  Elaine is doing her performance at the party, and she’s really a good singer.
She’s singing, and cracking a whip on her pretend reindeer, Richard and John, who have red noses on. During it,
Ally and Billy are talking about the case. Ally said that she had thought all the whimsy had gone out of Billy,
she hadn’t seen it in a long time. She tells him that she misses him more at Christmas time, but leaves before
he answers. He follows her into her office, and tells Ally that it was she who made him believe in things he couldn’t
see, and he "so misses that." They reminisce about a past Christmas, and Ally is glad to know he still does
remember everything. Billy puts a piece of mistletoe above her head, and leans over to kiss her on the lips.
Billy then wishes her a Merry Christmas and goes back out to the party.
  Matt has finally arrived at the apartment,
saying he had problems getting out. Renee is ready to go to the party, but Matt doesn’t want to go out in public
with her. Renee says she knows he doesn’t want to destroy his wife, but she’s not going to let him destroy her.
She says it might be a mistake to end things, but it’s the only mistake she’s willing to make right now. Renee
tells him no hard feelings, and sees him out. They exchange presents before he goes.
  Everyone is getting ready to leave the party,
and Ally compliments Elaine on her performance with Elaine responding, "I gave like a little drummer girl, didn’t I?
John sees Nelle at the elevator, and tries for that kiss one more time. He almost makes it this time, but his
nose whistle gives him away. Nelle says it’s not going to be his move, it’s going to be her   move, is that ok with him? Nelle then kisses John, and they get onto the elevator together. Ally is
getting ready to leave, when all of a sudden she sees a beautiful unicorn in front of her. She gives it a hug,
and tells it not to be a stranger.
 
We now see Whipper, who is looking at a book with a picture of a unicorn in it. Renee is hanging up her stocking,
Ally is slowly walking home, Billy and Georgia are talking animatedly while walking and Elaine is enjoying the
snow as the credits roll.
Errant thoughts:
- Glad to see that Renee came to her senses, before she
got in too deep with Matt.
- Ally’s hair looked better tonight, not as stringy as
in past episodes.
- Nelle still annoys me with her "It’s going to be my move, not yours"- to John. I still think she has an agenda, and will end up hurting John.
- I miss Whipper and Richard together, but he and Ling
together is slowly growing on me.
- Ling didn’t have center stage tonight, finally no lawsuits
from her.
- I think DEK addressed the thin issue tonight, showing
his two thinnest actresses in a scene together.
- I don’t think Billy is having feelings for Ally, although
I did think that near the beginning of the episode.
- Jane is a great singer!
|
