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The Guardian Season 1 Episodes
Season 1 Episode Guide
22 Episodes 2001 - 2002
Episode 1
Pilot
Tue, Sep 25, 2001 60 mins
In the pilot, lawyer Nick Fallin (Simon Baker), who is sentenced for a drug-related crime to work at a child-advocacy office, has his first case: deciding the custody of a boy (Erik Knudsen) who witnessed his father murder his mother. Dr. Thomas Reed: Kenneth Welsh. Laurie Solt: Kathleen Chalfant. Burton Fallin: Dabney Coleman.
Episode 2
Reunion
Tue, Oct 2, 2001 60 mins
Nick asks his father's firm to represent a boy (Erik Knudsen) who saw his father kill his mother in a suit against the pharmaceutical company whose drug caused the man to kill his wife. Dr. Thomas Reed: Kenneth Welsh. Barbara: Rusty Schwimmer. James: Charles Malik Whitfield.
Episode 3
Paternity
Tue, Oct 9, 2001 60 mins
Nick represents a wheelchair-bound boy (Jesse Plemons) whose mother (Karina Logue) is a jail-bound prostitute, but to help the boy, he must find his biological father to get child support. Jerry: John Pyper-Ferguson. Rachel Shell: Justine Miceli. Bart Shell: Nicholas Pryor.
Episode 4
Lolita?
Tue, Oct 16, 2001 60 mins
Nick represents a 15-year-old girl (Shelly Cole) who claims her stepfather raped her, but Nick's solution creates more trouble for the child and uncovers new clues to the case. Meanwhile, Nick questions why his father refuses to handle a bankruptcy case involving a steel-mill company. Al Sandro: Sal Landi. Jenny Sandro: Dyan Kane. Barbara: Rusty Schwimmer. Amanda: Erica Leerhsen.
Episode 5
The Men from the Boys
Tue, Oct 23, 2001 60 mins
Nick represents a gay 16-year-old (Aaron Paul) who was arrested for solicitation, but he runs into trouble when he tries to place him with a gay couple rather than a shelter. Carol Ritter: Lisa Pelikan. Edward: David Valcin. Alvin: Alan Rosenberg. Burton: Dabney Coleman. Jake: Raphael Sbarge. Laurie: Kathleen Chalfant.
Episode 6
Indian Summer
Tue, Oct 30, 2001 60 mins
Nick represents a teen (Heather McComb) who will be separated from her younger sister if foster parents only adopt the younger girl. But his recent acquaintance with his client complicates the case. Wayne Haller: John Walcutt. Amanda: Erica Leerhsen. Jake: Raphael Sbarge. Alvin: Alan Rosenberg.
Episode 7
Feeding Frenzy
Tue, Nov 6, 2001 60 mins
In order to help a mentally disabled man (Evan Jones) accused of murdering a drug dealer, Nick must reconnect with a loathsome dealer from his recent past. Meanwhile, Jake is arrested for the accidental death of a fellow lawyer he struck while driving. Sheila: Petrea Burchard. Samantha Furnan: Daphne Ashbrook. Alice Dempsey: Brooks Almy.
Episode 8
Heart
Tue, Nov 20, 2001 60 mins
Nick becomes attached to a 12-year-old girl (Lily Nicksay) who will die soon if she doesn't have a heart transplant but won't get one unless she is adopted. Meanwhile, Burton represents a company trying to oust its CEO (Robert Loggia), who is dying of cancer and is an old friend of Burton's. Sarah: JoBeth Williams. Abe Hopeson: Holmes Osborne. Warren: Michael Bryan French.
Episode 9
The Funnies
Tue, Nov 27, 2001 60 mins
Nick is torn between helping Barbara (Rusty Schwimmer) when her son is busted for drugs and handling a Fallon & Associates case against a stubborn toy creator who is preventing a deal worth millions. Jake: Raphael Sbarge. Alvin: Alan Rosenberg. Burton: Dabney Coleman.
Episode 10
Loyalties
Tue, Dec 11, 2001 60 mins
At Legal Services, Nick gets a new boss, Louisa "Lulu" Archer (Wendy Moniz), with whom he works on the sensitive case of an Arab-American restaurateur (Bernard White) who's sued by the parents of a teen vandal he attacked for breaking into his restaurant. Salaam Hassan: Lamya Jezek. Larry Hines: Robert Joy.
Episode 11
Home
Tue, Dec 18, 2001 60 mins
Nick represents a boy (Erik Knudsen) who wants to live with his father after the man is acquitted of murdering his wife; Alvin represents his ex (Polly Draper) in a wrongful-termination case. Meghan Barstow: Anna Gunn. Dr. Thomas Reed: Tom Amandes. Donald Sample: Lawrence Pressman.
Episode 12
Causality
Tue, Jan 8, 2002 60 mins
Nick's first case for Kirk & McGee, overseeing the transfer of an auto-parts company from a father (John Lafayette) to his son, is handled poorly. Meanwhile, Alvin learns that a woman he represents in a child-abuse case is the daughter of a woman he represented in 1982. Ella Kurtz: Vernee Watson-Johnson. Hilary Kurtz: Nicole Prescott. Carter Sloan: Gary Dewitt Marshall.
Episode 13
Privilege
Tue, Jan 22, 2002 60 mins
Nick comes back to work for his father and they contest a will involving one of Burton's friends (John de Lancie), but he makes a startling discovery about the case that doesn't look good for their client and puts Nick in an ethical dilemma. Ray: Michael Phenicie. Jake: Raphael Sbarge. James: Charles Malik Whitfield. Burton: Dabney Coleman.
Episode 14
Family
Tue, Feb 5, 2002 60 mins
Burton's sister-in-law (Christine Estabrook) asks him to handle the sale of her company. The reunion stirs up painful memories, especially when he learns she's dying from cancer; and Nick tries to help her son (Dan Byrd) prepare for what he went through. James: Charles Malik Whitfield. Jake: Raphael Sbarge. Burton: Dabney Coleman. Nick: Simon Baker.
Episode 15
In Loco Parentis
Tue, Feb 26, 2002 60 mins
When Nick confronts a woman (Tonya Pinkins) whom he helped regain custody of her children, but suspects is still using drugs, she locks herself and her baby in her apartment with a gun. Doris Greene: Myndy Crist. Laurie Solt: Kathleen Chalfant. Burton: Dabney Coleman.
Episode 16
Solidarity
Tue, Mar 5, 2002 60 mins
Nick discovers that one of his cases at Legal Services creates a conflict of interest with a case he's handling at his father's firm; and James (Charles Malik Whitfield) helps his troubled nephew, who shot his mother's boyfriend. Lulu: Wendy Moniz. Jake: Raphael Sbarge. Burton: Dabney Coleman. Nick: Simon Baker.
Episode 17
The Divide
Tue, Mar 12, 2002 60 mins
Nick (Simon Baker) represents two brothers---one who's smart, one with brain damage---who face being separated when their foster parents only want to adopt the gifted brother. Meanwhile, Jake (Raphael Sbarge) tries to help his father, who could lose his house to a loan shark. Burton: Dabney Coleman.
Episode 18
Mothers of the Disappeared
Tue, Mar 26, 2002 60 mins
A woman seeks Nick's help in declaring her missing daughter dead so she can receive the $95,000 held for the girl in trust. However, a teen comes forth claiming to be the missing child. Alvin: Alan Rosenberg. Laurie Solt: Kathleen Chalfant. Burton: Dabney Coleman.
Episode 19
Lawyers, Guns and Money
Tue, Apr 9, 2002 60 mins
Nick reluctantly helps Lulu's fiancé (Johnny Sneed), who is arrested for picking up a prostitute; and represents an ex-con whose ex-wife wants to terminate his parental rights. Burton: Dabney Coleman. James: Charles Malik Whitfield. Jake: Raphael Sbarge.
Episode 20
Shelter
Tue, May 7, 2002 60 mins
The bond between Nick and Lulu (Wendy Moniz) grows stronger when they represent two homeless teen parents with a newborn who want to marry. The couple were found living as squatters in the home Lulu and Brian are thinking of buying. Jeanette: Valerie Giocondo. Denny: Brian Casey. Wade Meyers: Pat Skipper. Brian Olsen: Johnny Sneed. Carol Munday: Jennie Vaughn. Burton: Dabney Coleman. Nick: Simon Baker.
Episode 21
The Chinese Wall
Tue, May 14, 2002 60 mins
As Burton prepares to become a Federal judge, he passes the reins of the firm to Sen. Nathan Caldwell (John Rubinstein) and his assistant (Evan Handler), whom Nick dislikes. Meanwhile, Lulu thinks her grandmother is being abused in a nursing home. Rose Valent: Patience Cleveland. Wade Meyers: Pat Skipper. Kenneth Van Gergen: Bob Morrisey.
Episode 22
The Beginning
Tue, May 21, 2002 60 mins
In the first-season finale, Nick's life is thrown into confusion when he realizes that his father's transfer of the firm to Caldwell (John Rubinstein) has come at a great price; and the police pressure Nick to help them find Mandy (Jamie Brown). Mitchell Lichtman: Evan Handler. Det. Darger: Stephen DuVall. Kate Shaw: Courtney Stevens. Dr. Reed: Tom Amandes.
