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Ally McBeal

What I'll Never Do for Love Again

Season 5, Episode 20, Aired May 06, 2002

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Elaine auditions for "A Chorus Line", but doesn't get a call back. She accidentally bumps into the casting director, whom she finds attractive and nice. They go out for dinner and end up having sex. The next morning at work Elaine feels horrible for not giving her full self at the audition and Nelle tries to comfort her. Richard's father seeks for his help. He's being sued by his former secretary for sexual harassment. He fired her because he was falling in love with her, which damages his 40 yearlong marriage.moreless

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Cast & Crew

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GUEST STAR
Charles Kimbrough

Charles Fish
GUEST STAR
Nestor Carbonell

Miles Josephson
GUEST STAR
Janet Carroll

Ellen Fish

Calista Flockhart

Ally McBeal
Greg Germann

Richard Fish
Jane Krakowski

Elaine Vassal
Vonda Shepard

Herself
Portia de Rossi

Nelle Porter
Regina Hall

Corretta Lipp

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Fan Episode Reviews (1)

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Overall, probably one of my two favorite ally mcbeal episodes, all because of Elaine and her fantastic singing/dancing/acting!

10

"Perfect"

By janekrakowski, Jun 06, 2006

I have seen this episode about twenty times, and let me say, it is a keeper! I do find the bits with Richard and 'Lolita' a bit dull, but Jane was amazing!

Richard's father has a sexual harrasment case, and he has no odds of winning. He fell in love with his secretary and was forced to fire her to save his marriage. He needs Richard to represent him, but Liza takes the case.

All is going well, and Liza is proving her point that when you need to save a marriage, you NEED to save a marriage. However, when Liza spots an angry woman in the seats, the case is turned upside down!

The angry woman is Richard's mother. She files for divorce saying 'Your father has had infedelity's before, but I was always the one he loved. I was the one he LOVED. What claim do I have today?' Richard realises there is no hope in helping his parents.

But Liza is determined. Her closing is so strong and powerful, it gets FishSenior off easy and both back together. However, Richard has a surprise in store for Liza.

Her plot is that she is auditioning for a travelling version of A Chorus Line! Her first audition is unsuccessful since they turn her down because she is not experienced. She talks back to the director and they end up having dinner. Elaine spills her life story about how she always dreamed of dancing but never had the opportunity to do so. He ends up telling her that she should take the leap someday and she says that it was today.

We see that Elaine has slept with the director but comes into work a little tense. When Nelle gets angry with her and calls her a b**** Elaine overeacts and throws something at her. Nelle comes in and says with a sigh 'What's wrong?' Elaine ends up telling her that she slept with the director, not to get a part, and she feels that she didn't go all out in her audition. 'I picked a safe t*** and ass song' and she says its because 'I would have an excuse if I didn't make it'

Nelle, oddly enough, talkes to Miles and says to please give Elaine another chance, to at least see her do what she really can. When Elaine finds out about Nelle's meddling, she gets angry again. She tells Nelle 'I don\'t need your charity and I don't want his pity' Nelle says that its hardly charity and its certainly isn't pity, she wants Elaine to try because Nelle has never had a passion in her life, and it wouldn't be fair to see Elaine miss out on it. 'Unlike our parents tell us, life isn't filled with opportunities'

Elaine re-auditions with the stunning Music and the Mirror. She is amazing in this scene. I have heard her sing that song a million times, one was particularly real and she blows your mind. The song is that she needs another chance, just like Elaine does. Nelle, is in the audience, and she is crying.

Elaine comes back to balloons from Nelle, but unfortunatley 'They already cast the part, but I WAS good enough!' Elaine knows the world hasn't seen the last of her, and she is gonna prove it.

The episode ends with Richard telling Liza he loves her, and Elaine walking home, carrying a bunch of balloons.moreless
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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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TRIVIA (1)
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- Elaine performs the song "Dance: 10; Looks: 3" from the musical A Chorus Line, a show about performers trying out for a perfectionist director. The musical first premiered on Broadway in 1975.
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QUOTES (0)
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NOTES (6)
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- Calista Flockhart (Ally McBeal) only appears briefly after the opening credits.
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- Featured Music: "Teach Me How To Shimmy" by the Coasters "Dance: 10; Looks: 3" by Hamlisch/Kleban "Mustang Sally" performed by Vonda Shepard "The Music and the Mirror" performed by Jane Krakowski "What I Did for Love" from "A Chorus Line" performed by Vonda Shepard "Steppin' Out With My Baby" performed by Bryan Anthony
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- Jane Carroll, who played Charles Kimbrough's wife in this episode, also played his wife Doris on a comedy show Murphy Brown.
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- This episode was retitled several times. It's also known as What I Did for Love and Reality Bites.
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- The other casting director/producer of "A Chorus Line" is Bill D'Elia, the series real life executive producer. He went uncredited in this episode.
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- Josh Hopkins (Raymond Milbury) does not appear in this episode. Hayden Panettiere (Maddie Harrington) is seen in this episode, but doesn't have any lines.
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ALLUSIONS (2)
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- Charles Fish: But that's why I fired her! Love without sex is an empty experience. Senior fishism. This quote by Richard's father is an allusion to Woody Allen's 1975 film "Love And Death", referring to Boris and Sonja's conversation: Sonja: Sex without love is an empty experience. Boris: Yes, but as empty experiences go, it's one of the best.
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- Episode Title: "What I'll Never Do for Love Again" This episode's title is a play on the song "What I Did for Love" from A Chorus Line. The song is also sung by Vonda Shepard during the episode.
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