Why isn't this episode over yet?

Hey, I just noticed that there aren't any blipverts in this episode yet. I wonder why. Maybe they ran out of black and white film. Amy apologizes to Maxine for calling her obstinate, but Maxine agrees that the name fits. They have a wee chuckle over the crazy unlikihood of being assigned to the same case, before Maxine gets down to business and informs Amy that none of them can see Joe the Witness, due to his fragile health. Amy tells Maxine that she'd like to wait for Joseph to feel better, but that they all know that isn't going to happen. So, they have to speak to him. Maxine suggests that Amy recuse herself. She refuses. They argue. It's boring. Amy says she get a subpoena. Maxine says she'll go over Amy's head to have it "quashed." Amy stamps her foot and says they are going to talk to the witness and they're going to do it NOW. Maxine snaps, "Amy, I forbid it!" Amy turns slowly and spits, "It's not Amy, it's Judge Gray." She is sooooo grounded.

Amy and the posse head into Joe's hospital room. She lays down the ground rules, telling all and sundry that they cannot cause the witness any undue stress. I guess due stress is OK. They get to the door of the ICU and are meet by, yes, Maxine, backed by Chip, who I am sure is scared that Maxine will kill and devour him if he doesn't let her run roughshod all over the hospital. The plainclothesman informs Maxine that if she does not let them in, he will have to arrest her. Amy gives her mother the stink-eye, and asks quietly that she not "make [Amy] put [Maxine] in jail." Maxine is still smarting from the "Judge Gray" comment, so she snarks at the top of her lungs that Amy has "made it very clear that [Maxine] can't make her do anything." The Posse rolls its collective eyes. The plainclothesman puts Maxine in handcuffs and leads her away. Amy tries hard to think of a way to keep her mother in jail for longer than just the next few hours.

At the State Pen, Vincent sits on a bench in the back of the visiting room, while Donna talks to Oscar on one of the those phone things, where he's behind a glass wall. You've seen Law and Order, you know what I mean. Oscar, for his part, is a very sweet looking man. I bet he didn't kill his own mother. And if he did, well, I bet he's the type who'd help Amy kill her own mother, as long as she asked nicely, and bought him a pizza. Oscar calls Donna "buttercup," and expresses surprise at her visit. She launches into some rigmarole about honesty, but he interrupts to ask her if it's Vincent back there, waiting for her. He's recognized him from the picture on the back of his book. Donna starts to begin her confession again, but Oscar interrupts to comment that Vincent is "smaller than [he] thought." Oscar gives Vincent a jovial wave, and tells Donna that he likes Vincent's work, although he characterizes the subject matter as "a little jejune," which, in Oscar's opinion, Vincent made up for with "strong narratives and energetic prose." Donna wants to know if Oscar would like to talk to Vincent, which he totally would. Vincent seems scared by this entire experience, but he saunters up to the phone and asks Oscar "how's it going?" Oscar stares at him, and then just bursts into tears. This freaks Vincent out, and he bails back to the bench. Oscar tells Donna that his attorneys told him there wasn't enough evidence to support his petition, and that he doesn't think he'll ever get out of jail. He sobs like a little girl. Donna traces with her finger the part of the glass that corresponds with her jailbird husband's face and touches her cheek to the glass. On his bench, Vincent looks sympathetic. Well, who knew? I kinda dig Oscar. When it comes right down to it, of course, how can you dislike a guy named Oscar Pant, murderer or no?