Martin (it's hard to get used to) is running the staff meeting, and he chastises everyone for their dwindling paper usage. Matt mentions some "green program" for which he got numerous memos, but Maggie (of course) pipes up that they were printed on recycled paper. Look, show, you have to give us something more here. Many of the characters on this show are getting fleshed out pretty well, and the key is that those characters have contradictions -- things you wouldn't expect from cursory exposure to them. For example, the twist at the end of this episode adds a great deal of depth to both Martin and Patti. You didn't see that coming, because it doesn't fit with what we've seen of them so far, and it makes you want to know more so you can reconcile the two pictures of them. Maggie hasn't presented as anything other than the ditzy do-gooder, and it's boring. Of course she's the one with the green initiative. Of course she's on the side of the guy suing the car company. Of course she's cheerful and bubbly to strangers on a plane. We get it, so until she does something unexpected, or at least faces a choice that reveals something new about her character, her appearances are a waste of our time. Martin holds his head as he informs her that they charge clients a big markup on copying (and he deliciously refers to this revelation as "an inconvenient truth," and it's so awesome that they cast an actor able to match Victor Garber's talent in this role) before affirming that the verdict in the case Patti mentioned has indeed been overturned and ordering Eli to take the lead once again, with him as his second. Eli actually babbles about "New Eli," and piece of paper or not, I don't know how he hasn't been fired yet. Martin, referring to Elis Old and New: "Well, perhaps you two can have a conference call." HEE. He goes on that "Old Eli" is uniquely familiar with the case, and has a settlement conference with "Jeffrey Powell" in half an hour. Maggie perks up at Powell's name and offers to help Eli, and Martin assents, saying it will be good for her to bill some "real" hours. Jordan then enters and introduces two new hires -- Keith, whom we pretty much knew about, and...Taylor, whom we didn't, unless we'd read the episode description ahead of time. This is how I knew what Taylor meant by her statement at the end of last week's episode. As Jordan introduces Taylor, Eli hears a soft knock, and looks over through the glass pane on the door to see Patti pointing at Taylor and mouthing "Rumor Number One!" Hee. That was hilarious. Meanwhile, all the associates are like, "So who has to give up his office for your daughter, boss?"













Comments