Summary
“Sliding Floors” uses two very similar cases to make a point about classism, while Mark has a big decision to make, and Lola realizes she doesn’t have to do everything on her own.
This recap of All Rise season 2, episode 3, “Sliding Floors”, contains spoilers. You can check out our thoughts on the previous episode by clicking these words.
“Sliding Floors” continues the trend of All Rise feeling much more serialized than the first season, and in multiple different ways. The cases are one thing. But Lola’s pregnancy and long-distance relationship with Robin, as well as Emily’s burgeoning romance with Joachim and frustration with the system – not to mention lingering connection with Luke – all keep cropping up again and again. There’s still largely a case-of-the-week format, but the overarching thematic and character development is much more obvious in this outing, and even the cases seem specifically designed around where the characters are in their personal and professional lives.
Mark, for instance, receives an anonymous missive containing pictures which throw the outcome of an old case he worked into some considerable doubt. The possibility is raised that he was manipulated to protect a police mistake, and he has to debate whether or not to reopen that case – and thus old wounds – at great risk to where he is now just for the sake of his principles. Of course, he decides to reopen the case anyway.
The big courtroom drama of “Sliding Floors” pertains to Maya and Tiara Gage, two very similar women convicted of the same crime but who have nonetheless been treated very differently because of their socioeconomic circumstances; Maya and is well-off and Tiara isn’t, which makes all the difference. This plot ropes in not just Lola but also Emily, Luke, Sam, and Benner. It’s making a necessary point that there are many forms of privilege and many forms of prejudice and that sometimes one aspect of a person overrides the other. Through this case, Luke and Emily find common ground in their idealism – though Luke is largely reaching conclusions that Emily already reached a long time ago – and Emily resolves to clear her caseload with the same kind of righteous energy that she’s becoming known for as #LawyerBae.
This episode also raises the idea of support systems, which factors into the Gage cases somewhat but is most obviously examined through Lola’s pregnancy. When she experiences some worrying pain in her stomach, her office quickly floods with doting people, from Luke and Sherri to Mark and Benner, all of whom are willing to provide the help that Lola is too stubborn to ask for. Deep down, that’s what she needs, and while she gives up on assembling a crib by herself, she knows she has people around her who care. And who could need more than that?
What did you think of All Rise season 2, episode 3, “Sliding Floors”? Comment below.
