Drop Dead Diva: Would I Lie to You by Kara Howland

I forgot just how much I love this show. When I first heard the concept last summer I figured I’d give this show one chance. I mean, who would think a dramedy about a blond, size 2 model reincarnated as a brainy size 16 could be so much fun? Not me. I’m glad Lifetime gave it a chance and I’ve been hooked ever since.

I think we’ve all been on pins and needles wondering who this Ethan guy is. Are Jane and Ethan (Brian Krakow!) really married? When did this happen? Why is it a secret? It turns out the big hearted Jane married Ethan seven years ago to get him on her insurance. He was unemployed at the time and his leukemia was threatening his life. Although Tony is entirely correct in pointing out that Jane committed insurance fraud, I have a hard time finding fault in her actions. I do, however, think it’s a little too convenient that she’s guilty of committing this fraud while she’s working on a pro bono case that takes on healthcare. But, I’m not really watching the show for the legal cases. I’m watching for the fun musical numbers, the sassy judges, and the great relationships Jane has with her bestie and the people she works with.

And I’m so glad Fred is back. He kept going on and on about how he’d been traveling the world and having adventures of a lifetime. It sounded a little too good to be true and I love that Stacy ended up discovering his lies. She is so fun when she’s cute and ditzy but she’s hilarious when she puts things together for herself – especially when she’s the first to figure it out. And just why is Fred back, you may wonder? Because Jane’s life is once again in disarray. She needs her guardian angel back. When he helps Jane figure out she’s mad at Ethan—those flutterings she’s been feeling are anger not attraction—Jane stands up for herself. Before they got married Ethan knew he’d be taking a job in Argentina. He never told Jane he’d applied for the job and then broke up with her by postcard (perhaps not as bad as a post it but he is approaching Jack Berger territory). The Jane she was back then was probably heartbroken by this rejection so the Jane she is now stands up for herself. She tells Ethan to get a lawyer and draw the papers up. Just because Ethan’s in love doesn’t mean he can get out of this for free. There are consequences.

And consequences spill over into Jane’s professional and dating life. Tony had been introduced to Ethan as an expert witness then a plumber. When he finds out Ethan is Jane’s husband, he’s reluctant to stay on her disbarment case but does…until he finds out about the insurance fraud. Then he’s outta there. Grayson, in the meantime, completely believes in Jane. Even though she’s broken client/attorney privilege he thinks she’s done the right thing by being a “defender of the truth” and preventing a larger fraud. And when Tony bails, Grayson goes to Parker to see what can be done for Jane. Grayson makes a great case but Parker doesn’t agree to take over for Tony until Jane proves she’ll do anything to help her pro bono client.

And, of course, they win. Even though Parker wanted Jane out of the door as fast as possible to “protect the firm” he steps up and does the right thing in a jam. We can’t say the same thing about Kim though. She damages Jane’s case early on when she’s called as a surprise witness. She proves she has no respect for Jane by saying really offensive and hurtful things in court. I like their adversarial relationship though. I think it pushes Jane to be more outspoken when someone is being threatened or demeaned. It makes her an amazing lawyer. And it’s fun to hate Kim. On a random note, what do you guys think of Kim’s new hair? I think it suits her character perfectly. She’s a frosty bitch and now her hair reflects it. I’m just saying…

And what’s new on the love front? With her pending divorce, it looks like she and Tony should be in the clear. Tony says he’s always felt her mind has been on someone else – just as Grayson passes by her window. But it seems like Jane is ready to give up on him for now. Tony wants to slow things way down and maybe that’s a good thing.

And, oh yeah, Jane wins her pro bono case. Jackie Williams, who desperately needs a pacemaker for her enlarged heart – one that is considered experimental – gets her last minute reprieve. The healthcare provider agrees to cover the procedure but only because Jane threatens to take on all 200 of their clients who also need the surgery. All pro bono so there are no legal or ethical concerns.

Random:
-I loved Judge Paula’s appearance at the beginning of the episode. I would have liked to see her sing backup for Jane, but the dancing was great. Did you see Grayson and Parker as cops in the background? Priceless and yummy.

-Stacy acknowledging Canada as our beloved neighbor to the south. Give her more to do! She is so funny.

-Margaret Cho. Teri is great in the musical performance and she knows just which buttons to push to get Jane to basically do whatever she wants. Watching her push Jane’s buttons to get her to take the pro bono case was pretty impressive.

-Parker can be great comic relief as well. When he called Grayson an English major, I laughed out loud and TiVoed back to watch it again. He can be a total hardass but eventually his heart ends up in the right place. Eventually.