Fairly Legal – Start Me Up

• Title: Fairly Legal – Start Me Up
• tv.com: link

Still reeling from the news that Justin (Michael Trucco) cheated on her while they were married and the fact that the boat she was living on recently exploded, Kate (Sarah Shahi) gets a new job mediating a case between a hospital and the FBI who used their influence to bump a dying patient on the donor list in favor of an important witness for a case against the New York Yakuza.

Meanwhile, Lauren (Virginia Williams) is approached by a fashion designer and longtime client (Mark Margolis) whose former employee is ignoring a non-compete clause and has opened up shop down the street from her former employer. Complicating the situation is the fact that she’s represented by Reed & Reed’s new partner Ben Grogan (Ryan Johnson). Despite her loyalty to the original client Lauren is shocked to see Kate side with Grogan’s client for the future of Reed & Reed.

The more Kate learns about how moving up the donor list actual works the more disgusted she gets with the entire system. After charming one of the FBI Agents (John Brotherton) to learn more about the case she will have to move quickly if she’s able to save the life of the one person who desperately needs the transplant. With only hours before the liver must be used Kate finds a way to deny the FBI’s witness access to the liver, but she’ll need Justin’s help to do it.

The episode does a good job at offering up not one but two cases where there are no clear cut answers. Kate and Lauren have to come to terms with letting go of an old client for the future good of the firm and Kate chooses to help the couple who used money to get themselves bumped up the list over the interests of a dangerous killer. The introduction of Brotherton as Agent Hughes bares mentioning as the episode teases possible more between Kate and the young FBI Agent somewhere down the line.