8.3/10285 votesLoading...#1 - Boy Next Door
Season 3 Episode 16 - Aired 3/27/2000
Billy represents a woman in an annulment action case, who's deeply religious husband wants out of the marriage due to the fact that she has surgically modified her body. Meanwhile, as John gets trapped in an elevator, Nelle pulls another sleazy stunt.
Director: Jack Bender
Writer: David E. Kelley
7.9/10254 votesLoading...#2 - Angels & Blimps
Season 2 Episode 13 - Aired 2/8/1999
The lawyers are shocked to discover Ling has been keeping a secret. Ally visits Dr. Butters at the hospital one day and sees he's treating a terminally ill little boy. The little boy, Eric Stall, sees Ally in the doorway and finds out that she is a lawyer. He asks if he can retain her services because he wants to sue God. Ally tries to tell him it's not possible, but Ling, who was at the hospital at the same time, overhears and tells the boy not to listen to Ally.
Director: Mel Damski
Writer: David E. Kelley
7.9/10218 votesLoading...#3 - Cloudy Skies Chance Of Parade
Season 4 Episode 20 - Aired 4/30/2001
Larry defends Sting when a man sues him for breaking up his marriage; a Streisand impersonator sues over his nose job; Richard flirts with Cindy Margolis to make Ling jealous.
Director: Billy Dickson
Writer: David E. Kelley
7.8/10338 votesLoading...#4 - Boy To The World
Season 1 Episode 10 - Aired 12/1/1997
Judge Whipper Cone asks Ally to take on a pro-bono case of a young prostitute up on her third solicitation charge. Fish, meanwhile, wants to sue his uncle's church for discrimination, due to his uncle's overt bigotry towards vertically challenged people (short people). The church's contention is that they cannot support bigotry of any kind and allowing the uncle a service and proper burial is tantamount to endorsing the appalling views. Fish promises he will not propagate the attitudes in his eulogy. Renee talks Ally into double dating with the salad-dressing-on-the-chin guy if the Biscuit is invited.
Director: Thomas Schlamme
Writer: David E. Kelley
7.7/10205 votesLoading...#5 - Those Lips That Hand
Season 2 Episode 18 - Aired 4/19/1999
Cage and Fish's firm gets a capital case to defend a man accused of murdering his comatose wife. He insists he fired up the chainsaw and cut off her hand after she was dead. Renee, who is prosecuting, has the testimony of the coroner who thinks the wife was alive and that the amateur surgery gave her a heart attack. Meanwhile, Billy and Georgia continue to patch up their marriage after Billy's indiscretion with Ally. Both of them are working on a case in which they are representing a man suing to get his job back with an insurance company who fired him over a bad hair day.
Director: Arlene Sanford
Writer: David E. Kelley
7.7/10191 votesLoading...#6 - Over the Rainbow
Season 3 Episode 11 - Aired 2/7/2000
Georgia blames "Cage & Fish" for the new Billy, and is suing the firm for the break-up of their marriage. She cites many issues as leading to Billy's breakdown and the ultimate dissolution of their marriage. However, during the court hearing they discover that the root of the problem lies elsewhere.
Director: Alan Myerson
Writer: David E. Kelley
7.7/10211 votesLoading...#7 - The Wedding
Season 4 Episode 23 - Aired 5/21/2001
Malcolm Wyatt hires Ally to take his case. He's suing a girl for not going to the prom with him after she said yes in fall. The opposing lawyer is Larry Paul, and Ally is nervous about meeting him in court. But he never shows up, and his partner Coretta tells Ally he left for Detroit. Richard hires Jane Wilco as the office's new secretary, but after she gets the cold shoulder from some people, Richard wonders what ever happened to the friendly workplace he once built. Ally talks to Billy's ghost and decides to go to Malcolm's prom as his date and convinces him to sing solo and never stop believing in love.
Director: Bill D'Elia
Writer: David E. Kelley
7.7/10239 votesLoading...#8 - Bygones
Season 5 Episode 22 - Aired 5/20/2002
After Maddie passes out Ally finds out she is suffering from a nervous reaction to all the changes in her life, so Ally decides that the only way she can help her daughter is to move back to New York. While the news come as a big shock to the firm, Richard anticipates his wedding with Liza so Ally can attend the ceremony. While spending her last hours in the town, Ally gets a visit from Renee, Georgia and afterwards, Billy as a ghost...
Director: Bill D'Elia
Writer: David E. Kelley
7.6/10223 votesLoading...#9 - It's My Party
Season 2 Episode 4 - Aired 10/19/1998
Elaine refers a client, George Madison, to the firm who is suing a prominent feminist magazine for wrongful dismissal. The new editor in chief decided to disqualify him for the job because of his religion's views on women. George is confident in the firm and retains the services of Cage. Ally finds herself unmistakably moved by and attracted to their new client. Elaine lets Ally believe she and George are 'involved' and Ally tries to back off accordingly. Ally tries to keep her fantasies about George under control until she and Renee throw a dinner party and Elaine shows up with George as her date.
Director: Jace Alexander
Writer: David E. Kelley
7.6/10256 votesLoading...#10 - Love On Holiday
Season 4 Episode 7 - Aired 12/4/2000
Elaine gets sued by a former office clerk because she called him "peanut" due his size. John thinks Larry was ridiculing him by making fun of his relationship with Kimmy and her mother. Nelle and Ling compete about who will have the most bids from the charity auction dinner date and Cindy (Mark's ex-girlfriend the transvestite) has plans for Richard for charity auction.
Director: Bethany Rooney
Writer: David E. Kelley
7.6/10175 votesLoading...#11 - The Man With The Bag
Season 4 Episode 8 - Aired 12/11/2000
John and Nelle defend her father who was fired from his job as a teacher because he claims he's Santa Claus, Ally feels threatened when Larry's ex comes to town. Richard and Ling lip synch at the office Christmas party.
Director: Billy Dickson
Writer: David E. Kelley
7.6/10179 votesLoading...#12 - In Search Of Barry White
Season 4 Episode 19 - Aired 4/23/2001
John loses his ability to channel Barry White while going up against Larry in a case involving a man who wants to clone his late wife; Nelle hooks Elaine into on-line romance; Ling's feelings for Jackson grow more intense.
Director: Adam Arkin
Writer: David E. Kelley
7.5/10471 votesLoading...#13 - Pilot
Season 1 Episode 1 - Aired 9/8/1997
Ally McBeal, 28, and a recent graduate of Harvard Law School, is harassed on the job by a senior associate. When she confronts the partners, it backfires and she loses her job. On the street, she literally bumps into an old classmate, Richard Fish, who offers her a position working for his new firm. She accepts, despite her misgivings about his ethical standards. While being introduced to her new fellow associates, she receives the shock of her career.
Director: James Frawley
Writer: David E. Kelley
7.5/10280 votesLoading...#14 - Cro-Magnon
Season 1 Episode 12 - Aired 1/5/1998
Ally is shocked to discover that her biological clock is ticking, unleashing strange libidinal impulses in her. During a sculpting class with live nude male models, she and Renee become enamored by one particular model with obviously generous endowments. Meanwhile, Ally has taken on the case of the 19-year-old son of an important client, who has been charged with assault because he slugged a guy in a bar who was verbally harassing his date. The boy tells Ally he felt justified because he warned the guy first, which serves to increase Ally's cradle robbing interest in him.
Director: Allan Arkush
Writer: David E. Kelley
7.5/10244 votesLoading...#15 - Theme Of Life
Season 1 Episode 17 - Aired 3/9/1998
Ally, Georgia and Renee sign up for a kick boxing class to relieve stress. Ally and Georgia wind up having to fight each other because they're both beginners. As they start to carp more and more at the office, all pretext towards civility drops in the ring and their matches in the class increasingly intensify. Ally takes on a case about an attractive surgeon accused of performing an unauthorized and controversial transplant procedure. Cage insists it's time for her to visit with his smile therapist and she agrees. Fish, meanwhile is in hot pursuit of Janet Reno, who is still in town, and is once again busted by Whipper, when she smells perfume on his wattle finger.
Director: Dennie Gordon
Writer: David E. Kelley
7.5/10220 votesLoading...#16 - Car Wash
Season 3 Episode 1 - Aired 10/25/1999
Without ever engaging in conversation, Ally has a steamy fling with a guy who works at the car wash. Back at the office, Fish assigns her to a case in which a big client's daughter, Risa, is trying to save her wedding. Her minister refuses to perform the service (which is two days away) because he walked in on Risa having sex with a man who is not her fiancé although Risa claims it was just one last fling. Now Risa fears that she will have to tell her fiancé everything. Because of all the female sexual activity in the office, John becomes insecure about his sexual ability. As a result of his insecurities he "loses" the spirit of Barry White. Meanwhile, Renee quits her job to open her own practice. Inspired by Renee's new freedom, Whipper joins the firm as counsel.
Director: Billy Dickson
Writer: David E. Kelley
7.5/10192 votesLoading...#17 - Blue Christmas
Season 3 Episode 8 - Aired 12/20/1999
Elaine finds a real, live six-week-old baby in a nativity scene manger and wants to keep him. Cage and Ally represent Elaine in her fight to gain custody, while the rest of the office (full of child-less lawyers) become enchanted with the baby. Even Ling considers having children. Billy attempts to reconcile with Georgia. In preparation for the Christmas party, Elaine convinces Ally to sing a sexy song but Richard and Billy have their reservations.
Director: Jonathan Pontell
Writer: David E. Kelley
7.5/10195 votesLoading...#18 - Sex Lies & Second Thoughts
Season 4 Episode 1 - Aired 10/23/2000
Brian asks Ally to move in with him, but she questions the entire relationship mostly because their sex life is lackluster. She turns to Renee and a new therapist, who has oddly taken over Tracy's office, for advice. The therapist is weirdly understanding of her problems. She eventually decides to break up with Brian. Then she learns the new therapist isn't really a therapist at all, but a lawyer. Sparks fly between them nonetheless. At the firm, Cage and Fish represent a woman who wants her six-year-marriage annulled because she suspects her husband married her for her money. The woman, who is unattractive, says she and her husband were always great friends and she believed he just had no interest in sex. However, after she catches him cheating on her with a model, she changes her mind about him.
Director: Bill D'Elia
Writer: David E. Kelley
7.5/10257 votesLoading...#19 - Tis The Season
Season 4 Episode 6 - Aired 11/27/2000
The Christmas season is approaching, and while Ally is thrilled about it, Larry has nothing to celebrate. He confesses to her that he has a 7 year-old son who lives in Detroit with his mother, and ever since they split Larry finds Christmas sad and lonely. Meanwhile, Kimmie insists that John sings at the bar after he lies about his college band, and he doesn't do as bad as everyone thought he would. Elaine is lonely and performs at the bar to regain self esteem. Mark asks her out on a date. John and Ling handle a case about a news anchor who was fired for saying on TV that there's no Santa.
Director: Arlene Sanford
Writer: David E. Kelley
7.5/10174 votesLoading...#20 - Reasons To Believe
Season 4 Episode 9 - Aired 1/8/2001
The Nicholas Engbloom comes to Cage & Fish looking for John to help him with a murder case. Melanie West suffers with Tourette's syndrome and accidentally ran over her boyfriend. She claims to have done it on purpose, only not to be humiliated as she has been her whole life. John convinces her to tell the truth and they win the case. While handling the West case, Nicholas finds himself involved in a divorce case. His wife wants to end their long time marriage because he won't retire and she feels like she can't compete with his work. After his wife almost dies, Nicholas abandons the practice, this time forever. Meanwhile, Richard teaches Mark how to use a "sex song" in order to please Elaine in bed, and John asks Melanie on a date.
Director: Ron Lagomarsino
Writer: David E. Kelley
7.5/10183 votesLoading...#21 - The Ex-Files
Season 4 Episode 10 - Aired 1/15/2001
Larry's ex-wife asks him for his permission to take their son to Canada, where she is moving. They argue over why can't one of them move closer to the other so their son can grow with his two parents around. Jamie asks Larry why can't they get back together and Larry says because she's not Ally. They kiss. Larry tells Ally, who overreacts about it until he explains her that Jamie is and will only be the mother of his son. They make up. Meanwhile, Ling's ex-fiancee comes to ask her if they still have a chance, but Ling doesn't want to destroy her girlfriend's happiness. Melanie is fired from her job for scaring the children and John takes it to court.
Director: Jack Bender
Writer: David E. Kelley
7.5/10192 votesLoading...#22 - Hats Off To Larry
Season 4 Episode 12 - Aired 2/5/2001
Larry's son flies in from Detroit and goes to Cage & Fish looking for Ally. He wants to sue his parents for emotional damage. Ally and Sam bond, and Larry has to take him back to Detroit. He doesn't want to say goodbye to Ally, who suffers with his departure. Larry promises to return. Meanwhile, Nelle is representing her dance instructor/lover Sam Adams in court. He's suing his ex-partner for stealing his dance moves. Cindy McCauliff returns to the office looking for Richard. (S)He wants to marry a man, but after the court denies it Richard offers to perform the ceremony at the office.
Director: Jeannot Szwarc
Writer: David E. Kelley, Melissa Rosenberg
7.5/10180 votesLoading...#23 - The Getaway
Season 4 Episode 16 - Aired 3/19/2001
To escape their ruined love lives, Richard and John go for a vacation to Los Angeles. It turns into a working vacation however when John not only must get Richard out of legal trouble but also helps a woman divorcing her wealthy husband who paid someone to seduce her. Meanwhile Richard helps a struggling actress leave her agent who is in fact using her to run an escort service.
Director: Bill D'Elia
Writer: David E. Kelley
7.5/10197 votesLoading...#24 - Nine One One
Season 5 Episode 7 - Aired 12/10/2001
Ally helps a minister who was fired from his church for not believing in God. Ever since his wife was brutally murdered, he has been questioning his beliefs and he asks Ally to talk to his son. Ally is surprised to see Malcolm again and encourages him to sing at his father's service after he is hired back. Meanwhile, John takes a case opposite a mayor who cancelled the Christmas parade of his town due to a disaster in which people died. Very moved, John proves that Christmas is what they need the most in this time of deep grief. Back in the office, Jenny and Elaine confront each other about Elaine's performance with Glenn in the office's Christmas party.
Director: Billy Dickson
Writer: David E. Kelley
7.5/10171 votesLoading...#25 - Love Is All Around (1)
Season 5 Episode 16 - Aired 4/15/2002
Ally and Victor find Maddie's nanny dead in front of the TV after returning from their third date. At the firm, Richard assigns Nelle to a case opposite Liza 'Lolita' Bump, a bitchy, young attorney that is so feared that Richard has to get John Cage for the case. Claire Otoms announces her intention to get married.
Director: Arlene Sanford
Writer: David E. Kelley
The Best Episodes of Ally McBeal
Every episode of Ally McBeal ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of Ally McBeal!
Ally McBeal is a young lawyer working at the Boston law firm Cage and Fish. Ally's lives and loves are eccentric, humorous, dramatic with...
Genres:DramaComedy
Network:FOX
Best Episodes Summary
"Boy Next Door" is the best rated episode of "Ally McBeal". It scored 8.3/10 based on 285 votes. Directed by Jack Bender and written by David E. Kelley, it aired on 3/27/2000. This episode scored 0.4 points higher than the second highest rated, "Angels & Blimps".