(S01E11) Didn't Stephanie March have shorter hair last week?

This week we have another instance of Nick Potter (Jordan Bridges) wrestling with his demons. He's trying to save a reformed gang member from jail and he goes over ADA Jessica Rossi's (Milena Govich) head to Bureau Chief Alexandra Cabot (March), who recommends a lesser sentence. I thought we got over Nick's psychological problems with his mugging last week, but this episode may be out of order. On a side note, we get to see very little of Rossi this week. Her only storyline is to establish that she's not a high-class gal because she doesn't know what 'Cocktail Attire' means or what Foie Gras is.

Lately, it seems like the star of this show is Anson Mount (DDA Jim Steele). He gets a lot of major storylines. This week, he was trying to prosecute the rape of a girl who is into some kinky sex stuff. He gets one of the defendents to flip on the other two and gets his conviction, despite the fact that the witness is too embarrassed to talk about her rape on the stand with her father in the courtroom. And, it turns out, she has a legitimate fear. She ends up dead at the hands of her father, who thinks she's a whore. Steele goes to the crime scene and tries to girl-fight the father (seriously, it looked like they were slapping each other). I liked the twist at the end- I didn't really see it coming, although I was only halfway paying attention to this show. I'm over it. I'm glad next week is the season finale. I don't care if it returns. I hate the storytelling format.

On the side, Steele is still somewhat in love with Alexandra Cabot, who is having an engagement party. There is just no chemistry between these two.

The good chemistry is between ADA Christina Finn (Julianne Nicholson) and ADA Brian Peluso (Eric Balfour). Finally, Balfour starts to see Finn as more than a friend. They flirt. He asks her out to dinner after a dinner party, giving the excuse that he doesn't like buffets. The episode ends with the two at a table and Finn letting the phone ring as her boyfriend calls.

The throw-away storyline this week was on ADA Billy Desmond (J. August Richards), who lets a fortune teller he's prosecuting get into his head. She warns him about spilling mustard on his tie and then she tells him to go back to that blonde legal aid who plays in a band, from a couple of episodes ago.

Next week: A two-hour season finale with guns! In the courtroom!