Episode
Ally McBeal: Troubled Water
Overview
Ally's Thanksgiving turns into a debacle when she invites her colleagues and her parents to her apartment for dinner.
Details
- Series
- Ally McBeal
- Season
- Season 3
- Episode
- Episode 5
- Air date
- 1999-11-22
- Runtime
- 43 min
Episode context
Troubled Water is Episode 5 in Season 3 of Ally McBeal. It aired on 1999-11-22. The runtime is 43 min.
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Episode 4: Heat Wave
Risa, the bride whose wedding Ally destroyed, decides to sue Ally for intentional infliction of emotional distress; Georgia expresses outrage when Billy hires a sexy twenty-year-old as his new assistant; Ling tells Fish that she has been faking in bed.
Episode 6: Changes
Richard and Ling officially break up. Billy and Cage represent a sexy, middle-aged woman who's suing her employees for sexual harassment. The woman, Robin Jones, claims that the staff of her magazine held a "sick out" and delayed the May publication because they didn't want to work for a "nymph," which led to her being fired. After they lose the case, she and Billy argue over his chauvinism, but settle their differences with a kiss... just as Georgia walks in on them.
More episodes from this season
Episode 3: Seeing Green
Ally is plagued with hallucinations of Al Green. She talks about these hallucinations with Dr. Shirley Flott, who is seeing patients while Dr. Tracy is away. Shirley has no patience for Ally's daydreams and wants desperately to put her on Prozac. Wrestling with the idea of going on medication leads Ally to question what is so wrong about hallucinations: they bring her comfort and keep her in perspective? Meanwhile, Nelle and John defend a boy suspended for impulsively kissing one of the most beautiful girls in his class. During all this, Billy has had a series of "off the book" appointments and refuses to tell anyone, including Georgia, where he's going.
Episode 7: Saving Santa
The first case Georgia brings to Renee's new firm pits them against Cage and Fish. Georgia defends Newman's, an upscale department store against Steve Mallory, who worked as the store's Santa for seventeen years. Cage represents Mallory, who claims that he was wrongfully fired because Newman wants to hire a younger, thinner Santa. Meanwhile, Ally is haunted by visions of herself as a little girl. Ally manages to bring Georgia and Billy together to talk, and Billy sees that he wants Georgia back. But Georgia is not as eager to work things out yet.
Episode 2: Buried Pleasures
Ling's curiosity is piqued when she dreams about kissing Ally. Under the pretense of becoming better friends, Ling and Ally go on a "date". Meanwhile, John overhears Nelle talking about her fantasy, which sends him back into the depths of sexual insecurity. It seems everyone in the office is pre-occupied with the topic of sex and Billy and Renee feel they are the only people actually working. Renee defends a woman who is accused of sexual harassment by her female co-workers. The co-workers claim that she has turned the office into a sexual arena and is suing. Billy represents the company, but finds that he and Renee do not see eye to eye on the case or on the issue of a woman's sexuality in general.
Episode 8: Blue Christmas
Elaine finds a real, live six-week-old baby in a nativity scene manger and wants to keep him. Cage and Ally represent Elaine in her fight to gain custody, while the rest of the office (full of child-less lawyers) become enchanted with the baby. Even Ling considers having children. Billy attempts to reconcile with Georgia. In preparation for the Christmas party, Elaine convinces Ally to sing a sexy song but Richard and Billy have their reservations.
Episode 1: Car Wash
Without ever engaging in conversation, Ally has a steamy fling with a guy who works at the car wash. Back at the office, Fish assigns her to a case in which a big client's daughter, Risa, is trying to save her wedding. Her minister refuses to perform the service (which is two days away) because he walked in on Risa having sex with a man who is not her fiancé although Risa claims it was just one last fling. Now Risa fears that she will have to tell her fiancé everything. Because of all the female sexual activity in the office, John becomes insecure about his sexual ability. As a result of his insecurities he "loses" the spirit of Barry White. Meanwhile, Renee quits her job to open her own practice. Inspired by Renee's new freedom, Whipper joins the firm as counsel.
Episode 9: Out in the Cold
Ally befriends a homeless man and they hit it off, but just when Ally starts to think the man could be Mr. Right, she is stunned by what she finds about him. Meanwhile, Ling is arrested for running an escort service as a brothel. While defending Ling, John's past with a hooker comes to light and upsets Nelle. Billy, still on his pro-testosterone kick, hires six of Ling's escorts to follow him around and be his "assistants."
Episode 10: Just Friends
Ally has a romantic dream about Cage and wakes up thinking that he may be the one for her. When she finally gets up the courage to tell him, he admits that he often thought she might be the one for him also. Meanwhile, Elaine goes on a date with a great guy only to learn that he asked her out because his friend said she was easy.
Episode 11: Over the Rainbow
Georgia blames "Cage & Fish" for the new Billy, and is suing the firm for the break-up of their marriage. She cites many issues as leading to Billy's breakdown and the ultimate dissolution of their marriage. However, during the court hearing they discover that the root of the problem lies elsewhere.
Episode 12: In Search of Pygmies
Ling defends a dear old friend who is asked to leave his retirement home because the director finds his exuberant imagination disruptive for other residents. While Ling tries to decide whether her friend truly believes in his make-believe world or just pretends to, he suffers from a hallucination that has fatal results. Meanwhile, Ally spots a potential cute guy and proceeds to go after him.
Episode 13: Pursuit of Loneliness
Ally is pursued by a barista, but she is turned off by his forwardness so she dumps coffee on him. Later she meets him in court, where he is presiding as a judge, and after a heated exchange of words Ally finds herself in jail. After the two of them work things out, they end up on a date. Meanwhile, John is upset by Nelle's snobbish elitist attitude towards the "small" people and Billy finally kisses his assistant Sandy.