All Rise Review: Keep Ya Head Up (Season 2 Episode 2)

After returning at a frantic pace in its season 2 premiere, All Rise settles down a bit in the second half of the story arc. Some relationships are healed, others not so much, but each character reminds us why we love and admire them.

The case that sees Mark, Rachel, and Amy all in Lola’s court remains the centering point, and there’s a lot that’s inherently frustrating about it. I just can’t get on board with feeling anything empathetic for Jesse or his parents.

I am glad for the opportunity for other characters to force Mark to confront his areas of ignorance. The conversation with Luke is a necessary one highlighting how his stubborn attempts to step in can become a form of white saviorism.

Still, giving Jesse anger management issues just feels too much like an “out”. It’s almost literally a “get of out jail free” card. His condition and his choice to approach and specifically target Black people in his rage are separate issues, even if one heightened the other.

Thankfully, a lot of this is rectified by Lola taking the time to make sure that inherent racism is publicly and personally acknowledged. In a world where Black people face so much violence, it’s important that Jesse isn’t just seen as a victim with an excuse for his actions.

Lola struggles both with dismissing the hate crime charge and accepting the plea. They may both technically be the correct legal choices, but they also speak to issues in society and the court system that the show takes the time to make us feel.

Emily’s storyline brings even more feelings as she works now to ensure her client gets a proper burial. It offers a slightly different angle on her constant work for justice while giving us the fierce and passionate Emily we love. But lets take a minute to talk about that guy.

It’s hard to avoid letting bias slip in when we’ve shipped Lemily so much for the first season. I’m reluctantly opening myself to the probability it will be a while before they reunite, though I still have to believe they remain the ultimate endgame.

Joaquin himself is complicated. On the one hand, he’s a genuinely sweet guy who has a legitimate reason to track down Emily and express his gratitude—at first. He helps Emily raise the money she needs, and I am totally on board with #LawyerBae.

Then we get to how he keeps tracking Emily down. Most of his interactions with her, sweet and helpful as they are, start with him showing up uninvited and initiating every contact. It’s likely the two will at least have a fling. I’m not sure how I feel about starting it this way.

The whole Emily/Luke/Sam thing remains questionable, too. It’s a hopeful sign, though, that Emily pushes so hard to make the discussion with Sam about her cases actually be about those cases and the people involved.

It does reflect on her emotional state, but that’s more about her grief for Carol than it is for any relationship angst, showing again how she fights the problems of the very system she’s a part of. Her determination to hear each backlogged client is admirable, even if it might not be feasible.

Finally, we need to see what has actually happened between Luke and Emily to push them apart. Their meeting at the protest, although marked by Luke’s obligatory presence as a deputy controlling the crowd, still showed their love for each other. What comes next?

There’s a lot of relationship turmoil in general. Mark and Amy’s division in court this week hints at an essential issue in their relationship. At least for now, I’m not sure it’s portrayed as insurmountable. Future episodes will have to show us which way they go.

That’s another reason we find it so welcome to see Benner pursuing what we hope can be a healthy digital dating life. It’s even more welcome to see Sara helping her and bringing humor and levity into yet another element of the strange world we’re all in.

After their falling out in the premiere, we’ve been anxiously waiting to see Lola and Mark patch up their relationship. It’s beautifully handled, breaking down the barriers that have kept them from talking though the issues and making the conversation itself so important.

Robin is influential in nudging Lola to forgive Mark, but the writing never downplays Lola’s pain. In their scene in the doctor’s office and especially in another with Benner, Lola speaks honestly about her experience as a Black woman and the daily struggles it presents.

That honesty—telling Mark he can’t ever fully understand what she goes through—along with a genuine apology and promise to listen from Mark himself, are essential first steps toward the promise of real progress. I hope it plays out on screen in future talks.

In the moment, it’s so wonderful to see their friendship back with every element we love. Lola is heartbreakingly vulnerable about her fears for her child. Their weight is very real, but so is the love of this little family already waiting to welcome Baby “Bean”.

 

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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