V
verdantheart
Guest
Let's talk about the legal drama here. There's been a lot of changes for the 2003-2004 season, so there's a lot to talk about. The ratings are back up over last season so far, and there seems to be a lot of controversy over the new character (Alan?) played by James Spader.
Personally, I like the character. He has no illusions about the law being some sort of noble profession and the basis of the profession being sacrosanct. The basis of jurisprudence is not about discovering the truth--otherwise, it would not be an adversarial system. Evidence would not be thrown out--instead, those who obtain evidence illegally would be punished, but evidence would still be used. If the truth mattered above all. But enough about the US "justice" system.
It seems ironic and interesting to me that the one character who is considered the sleaziest--an embezzler with no ethics whatsoever, is the one character in the series who seems to have the greatest compassion and respect for his clients no matter what offense they've committed--and he tried his best to help his mentally ill friend (Sharon Stone) while the others in the office (all on their moral high horses) put their noses in the air sans compassion. He was the one who had the guts to do what was needed to get an innocent little girl out of prison at considerable damage to his reputation--what reputation, you say? He doesn't really care, but Eugene does, he cares about the firm's reputation.
I'll tell you what though, I'm loving the sleazebag a lot more than these folks brooding over their moral responsibilities. For once I'm not with the critics. But then I've always been a little subversive . . . What a breath of fresh air.
Personally, I like the character. He has no illusions about the law being some sort of noble profession and the basis of the profession being sacrosanct. The basis of jurisprudence is not about discovering the truth--otherwise, it would not be an adversarial system. Evidence would not be thrown out--instead, those who obtain evidence illegally would be punished, but evidence would still be used. If the truth mattered above all. But enough about the US "justice" system.
It seems ironic and interesting to me that the one character who is considered the sleaziest--an embezzler with no ethics whatsoever, is the one character in the series who seems to have the greatest compassion and respect for his clients no matter what offense they've committed--and he tried his best to help his mentally ill friend (Sharon Stone) while the others in the office (all on their moral high horses) put their noses in the air sans compassion. He was the one who had the guts to do what was needed to get an innocent little girl out of prison at considerable damage to his reputation--what reputation, you say? He doesn't really care, but Eugene does, he cares about the firm's reputation.
I'll tell you what though, I'm loving the sleazebag a lot more than these folks brooding over their moral responsibilities. For once I'm not with the critics. But then I've always been a little subversive . . . What a breath of fresh air.
