All Rise Review: I Love You, You’re Perfect, I Think (Season 1 Episode 17)
Lines are crossed for the greater good on All Rise Season 1 Episode 17, “I Love You, You’re Perfect, I Think.”
If there’s one sure way to highlight the flaws in our legal system, it’s by laying out the difference between what’s considered legally correct and what’s considered morally right.
Lola grapples with this dynamic both in her own court and in a climax to her relationship with Judge Benner. So do Mark and Lisa herself. They all pay the consequences that come.
Having all of Benner’s actions laid out gives both Lola and the audience the chance to grapple with them. A morally right but delayed choice of the past costs her the chance at attorney general, and Lola is the one who must make her see this.
Because Lisa has so far been a mentor (and sometimes a rumored threat,) she’s existed in an area where we’ve had few opportunities to see her a real, flawed human being. We get that here for better and for worse.
We can understand her reflexive anger over what her peer sets at her feet, even if we know Lola is right. While things seem okay between then now, more issues are on the horizon. Nothing is easy when facing one’s own demons.
Mark is also haunted by his earlier actions, even if he only played a supporting role in a case that convicted one man of another’s crime. It lights the kind of fire that causes him to seek justice at considerable expense to himself.
It’s important to note that Thomas is not totally wrong in this situation, and that there are reasons to follow even flawed laws. We can debate if it’s right that Mark winds up facing temporary demotion, but his boss isn’t a villain for following through.
Still, there is little ethical about a keeping an innocent man in prison for the sake of legal technicality. We love that he takes this fall willingly, and that Sam puts herself at risk too. I’m especially happy she’s finally getting to be more than a possible threat to Lemily.
We only get a bit of our favorite couple here, and while they don’t play directly into the overarching theme of the episode, they do present complexity even when they aren’t indirectly facing each other in court.
An “I love you” is a major step for any relationship, but for a person recovering from an abusive one, it can be a lot more. Emily’s avoidance is treated with a light and often comedic hand, but that doesn’t stop the portrayal being a serious one.
I’m a little torn that she eventually returns the sentiment as much as she can, because I might lean toward finding another way to express romance. As Mr. Rogers tells us, “there are many ways to say I love you.” It’s a lovely moment all the same.
Emily’s case in Judge Carmichael’s court does bring back that element of a clash between morals and the law, especially because it forces Lola to confront a moment when what felt ethical to her wasn’t the right answer.
Releasing a man from prison who later gets himself killed has haunted her and put her job at risk. Now, it means analyzing the risk factors of a soldier lashing out from PTSD and deciding how accountable he should be.
The discussion of mental health here is just as important as the one about ethics, and I love seeing fellow judges get in on that action. The population of mentally ill in jails is a stark sign of another flawed national system.
Lola makes the best decision she can, handing a very reduced prison sentence with treatment. Would she have let Tommy go entirely if not for her own past? With her conscience, it’s likely. Still, her choice shows that all sides of this debate can be messy.
Last but not at all least, Sara sticking it to Judge Campbell for demeaning and sexist terms is a fantastic moment and yet another way this episode presses important issues in front of us.
I feel like I often shove mentions of Sara in randomly at the end of the reviews. Sadly, she’s still not getting the screen time she deserves. Give us her family, her backstory, her relationship with Judge Benner. I’ll take more Sara any way I can.
What did you think of this episode of All Rise? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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All Rise airs Mondays at 9/8c on CBS.
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Caitlin Wyneken
Caitlin is an elder millennial with an only slightly unhealthy dedication to a random selection of TV shows, from PBS Masterpiece dramas to some of the less popular series on popular networks. Outside of screen time, she's dedicated to the public sector and worthy nonprofits, working to make a difference in the world outside of media.