All Rise Season 3 Episode 11 Review: Unwanted Guest
This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the series being covered here wouldn’t exist.
It’s been a very long wait for All Rise Season 3 Episode 11, “Unwanted Guest.” After months of silence, the network seems to be mostly burning off the remaining episodes of the show’s now-final season, so let’s send them off with the respect they deserve.
The most prominent cliffhangers of episode 10 left us with two characters’ lives hanging in the balance: Teddy and Ness. At various points in this episode, the show does its best to convince us of the worst regarding them both.
Considering the state we last saw Teddy in, it’s both a surprise and a relief that Mark and Sara’s grim discussions of him only relate to him quitting. Even that doesn’t last. Teddy renters the courtroom in the middle of the main case of the hour to considerable shock from everyone.
That case centers around a young native American woman being defended by a team of Luke and Emily(!) after driving a bulldozer through a nearly complete construction project on stolen land. Mark and Teddy represent the college facing thousands in repairs.
It soon turns into a bit of a mess, heightened by the school ignoring our defendant’s long series of protests against usage of the land as well as her own background—she grew up white and has only taken these protests up after discovering native heritage a couple generations back.
Suffice it to say that nobody really comes off as quite as much of a hero as they’d like to believe. It feels right overall when the jury sides with her, but much of that is tied to a long history with major real-life parallels. That, and it’s fun to see Lemily work together so successfully.
That’s about where the fun stops. There are a few other more lighthearted moments, from the return of Lisa Benner to sweet moments of friendship and romance for some of the main couples, but much of the hour ranges from distressing to depressing.
Where Teddy is proven to be okay relatively early, Ness lingers in a coma for nearly the entire episode. Suddenly, she crashes as doctors swarm. Tragedy feels close at hand. It’s terrible both for everything she has in front of her and for all the people who love her.
Miraculously, she pulls though too. Her revival before Sara and her parents closes out the episode, and it’s comforting to end on a note of joy. Not everyone gets to share in that, and heartbreak looms in all forms for several other characters.
For one thing, not everyone does make it through alive, though the loss comes unexpectedly. Amy’s ex-husband Collier passes soon after being in recovery. If I’m being fully honest, it’s hard to connect as deeply as we should. We’ve barely seen him, and care much more for both Ness and Teddy.
Still, we certainly care for Amy, left sobbing in Mark’s arms. We care too for Sherri, whose bittersweet reunion with her parents turns more bitter when she learns her father is essentially dying while trying to opt for natural “treatments” that won’t save him.
And then there’s Lola. Why haven’t I yet mentioned the judge who is by most accounts the main character of the series? If you remember the final cliffhanger we were left with, you should be able to guess. Let’s just say the news isn’t good.
We already know that Robin witnessed her illicit kiss as the crisis ended. She doesn’t, and it causes her to wait entirely to long to reveal the truth. Before she finally can, Robin shares his knowledge. By now, he’s decided to take off to visit his family, Bailey in tow.
Even without loss of life, it’s the most brutal blow we’ve faced yet, heightened by Simmone Missick’s acting as she faces the devastation of losing her husband and daughter. I already know in my heart that it’ll only be temporary, but still.
After all those months of waiting, this is where we’re left. Nearly everyone is alive, but everyone is considerably worse for wear. I’m sure we’ll start to move towards recovery, but for now I’m desperate to see these characters get some of the happiness they deserve before the show ends.
This episode was written by Gina Gold and Aurorae Khoo and directed by Mo McRae
What did you think of this episode of All Rise? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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All Rise airs Saturdays at 9/8c on OWN.
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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.