The Practice
Bobby Donnell is the head of a struggling Boston law firm that seems to constantly struggle with ethical themes while defending murderers, rapists, etc. Jimmy, Eugene, Ellenor and Lindsay are junior attorneys with the firm, the streetwise receptionist, and Helen the firm's frequent adversary with the D.A.'s office in this smart and clever weekly series.
- Metascore74
- 1997-2004
- 8 seasons
- ABC
- Suspense, Drama
- TV-14
Bobby Donnell is the head of a struggling Boston law firm that seems to constantly struggle with ethical themes while defending murderers, rapists, etc. Jimmy, Eugene, Ellenor and Lindsay are junior attorneys with the firm, the streetwise receptionist, and Helen the firm's frequent adversary with the D.A.'s office in this smart and clever weekly series.
Season 8 Episode Guide
22 Episodes 2003 - 2004
Episode 1
We the People
Sun, Sep 28, 2003 42 mins
As the 8th season begins, nothing in the firm is as we remember. Bobby, Lindsay, Rebecca and Lucy are all gone, leaving Ellenor, Eugene and Jimmy at the helm. Ellenor also hires an old friend, attorney Alan Shore, recently fired from his firm for embezzlement. Jimmy and Eugene defend a woman who killed a drug dealer in her neighborhood in cold blood, desperate to stop him from selling drugs to children. Ellenor and Jaimie defend a man accused of killing his wife and unborn child, but begin to suspect he is actually protecting the real killer.
Episode 2
The Chosen
Sun, Oct 5, 2003 41 mins
Alan takes the case of a lawyer (Sharon Stone) fired for claiming that she can talk to God. Ellenor's client Stanfield (Chris O'Donnell) takes the stand but doesn't come off well. His daughter exposes a shocking secret.
Episode 3
Cause of Action
Sun, Oct 12, 2003 42 mins
Alan invites Shelia (Sharon Stone) to join the practice. She takes the case of a cuckolded husband. Brad Stanfield shocks Ellen with the truth. She conveys it to Alan, who takes it to the D.A., thereby risking disbarment.
Episode 4
Blessed Are They
Sun, Oct 19, 2003 42 mins
Alan defends a John Doe arrested for his attraction to public toilets. Brad Stanfield's new attorney moves to suppress the truth about his client. Still traumatized over recent events, Sheila defends a taxidermist who has stuffed his mother's head, and believes the head is Saint Katherine. Tara promises Roland Huff that she and Eugene will get him out of jail. Realizing that she has become unstable, Alan asks Sheila to leave the firm. Jimmy deals with a pregnant nun who's suing her superiors for throwing her out.
Episode 5
The Heat of Passion
Sun, Oct 26, 2003 41 mins
Eugene is forced to defend a white supremacist. Jamie represents a woman who was refused by an airline because of her size. Meanwhile, Alan and Tara try to piece together a defense for Roland Huff.
Episode 6
The Lonely People
Sun, Nov 2, 2003 43 mins
Eugene and Jimmy continue their defense of white supremacist Jonathan Macklin, when the case takes a surprising turn. Alan and Tara try to help Roland Huff, who is fast unraveling. Jamie questions her relationship with Eugene.
Episode 7
Rape Shield
Sun, Nov 9, 2003 42 mins
Jimmy defends a man accused of aggravated rape, who faces 25 years in prison. Alan and Jamie get in trouble when Ellenor and Eugene discover the truth about Melissa Kenner's settlement with the airline.
Episode 8
Concealing Evidence
Sun, Nov 23, 2003 41 mins
Alan Shore hacks into opposing counsel's computer to win a settlement for a client suing a drug manufacturer for causing her husband's suicide; Shore hides a murder weapon to protect a mentally unbalanced client accused of murder.
Episode 9
Victims' Rights
Sun, Nov 30, 2003 42 mins
Alan Shore defends a twelve-year-old girl who is trying to escape an arranged marriage in her home country. Meanwhile, Eugene tries to help a man who is seeking justice for the brutal murder of his wife.
Episode 10
Equal Justice
Sun, Dec 7, 2003 40 mins
Alan Shore uses unorthodox tactics when he's appointed by the court to defend a young man accused of murder. Meanwhile, Tara must try her first case when she's thrown into covering Shore's previously scheduled client.
Episode 11
Police State
Sun, Jan 11, 2004 40 mins
After a policeman is shot to death, Jamie and Tara arrive at the hospital where the suspect is being treated, and are shocked to find the police torturing him for information. But the real shock is when they discover no one seems to have the authority or the willingness to put a stop to it.
Episode 12
Avenging Angels
Sun, Jan 18, 2004 40 mins
Jimmy and Jamie defend an elderly man, retired dock worker Walter Josephson, who is accused of killing a member of the local Irish mob, and Alan Shore agrees to help his friend Dwight Haber - by any means necessary - who discovers his lawyer wife Eve is cheating on him.
Episode 13
Going Home
Sun, Jan 25, 2004 40 mins
Alan returns to his childhood home of Dedham, Mass. to defend a childhood friend; Paul Stewart who is wanted for the brutal murder of the town party girl. Alan tries to come to terms with secrets of his Dedham past, and learns that when it comes to going home, nothing ever changes; nothing stays the same.
Episode 14
Pre-Trial Blues
Sun, Feb 22, 2004 43 mins
An ongoing, sensational murder case besets Shore with pre-trial anxieties centering on jury selection; a hostile judge; a priest's confession; and suspicions of malpractice that involve a manipulative witness for the prosecution.
Episode 15
Mr. Shore Goes to Town
Sun, Mar 7, 2004 43 mins
Shore plays hardball to defend his client, exposing a priest friend's secret, as well as the affair he had with the accused's mother.
Episode 16
In Good Conscience
Sun, Mar 14, 2004 42 mins
Eugene and Jimmy conspire to get rid of Shore without telling Ellenor. Jamie sues a hospital for negligence in the death of a pregnant woman.
Episode 17
War of the Roses
Sun, Mar 21, 2004 42 mins
Shore sabotages the firm's computers, and he hires Crane, Poole and Schmidt to sue them for wrongful termination. Alan meets Denny Crane (William Shatner) for the first time. Ellenor defends a woman who slapped a cop.
Episode 18
The Case Against Alan Shore
Sun, Mar 28, 2004 43 mins
The firm fights Shore and Denny Crane in court. Ellenor tries to re-hire Tara to get her back on the side of the firm.
Episode 19
The Firm
Sun, Apr 18, 2004 42 mins
Friction at the firm gets to Jimmy, who's torn between loyalties and principles. Meanwhile, tension besets Shore as he crosses swords with his brilliant but erratic new boss, whose behavior raises questions of competence.
Episode 20
Comings and Goings
Sun, Apr 25, 2004 40 mins
When Shore resolves a difficult case, Hannah finds herself extremely attracted to him; Eugene is offered a shot at a judgeship; and Berluti's practice attracts many clients, and also a threat from another neighborhood lawyer who sees Berluti as poaching turf.
Episode 21
New Hoods on the Block
Sun, May 2, 2004 41 mins
Berluti's new practice is threatened by a lawyer who considers the neighborhood "his" turf; Hannah and Ellenor face off in a products liability case; Shore admits his feelings for Tara; and Eugene is appointed a judge.
Episode 22
Adjourned (a.k.a. Cheers)
Sun, May 16, 2004 42 mins
Eugene becomes a Superior Court Judge, and is furious when his first case includes Alan Shore. Shore tries to fend off the advances of a co-worker, and Bobby Donnell tries to sidestep a final farewell party with the members of the practice.