The Best Episodes of The Practice Season 8

Episode Rankings

1. #1 Fan Favorite
   

   7.5/10(178 votes)

   #1 - We the People

   S8:E19/28/2003

   Eleanor defends a man accused of killing his wife and unborn son. He contests that it was suicide. Eugene and Jimmy defend a woman who shot a crack dealer on her street. Alan Shore comes to Eleanor looking for a job after he was fired for embezzlement. He is given a case where a woman files charges against a homeless man who "Halle Berry'd" her (came out of nowhere and kissed her). He uses insurance fraud to coerce her into dropping the charges.

   Director:Dennis Smith

   Writer:David E. Kelley

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   Director:Dennis Smith

   Writer:David E. Kelley
2. 

   7.6/10(154 votes)

   #2 - The Chosen (1)

   S8:E210/5/2003

   Alan Shore agrees to help friend Sheila Carlisle, a successful attorney who claims God speaks to her, and who has subsequently been fired from her law firm for being mentally incompetent. Meanwhile there are startling new developments in the case of Brad Stanfield, whom Ellenor and Jamie are defending for allegedly poisoning his pregnant wife.

   Director:Leslie Libman

   Writer:David E. Kelley

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   Director:Leslie Libman

   Writer:David E. Kelley
3. 

   7.6/10(143 votes)

   #3 - Cause of Action (2)

   S8:E310/12/2003

   Eccentric attorney Sheila Carlisle, whom Alan Shore hired on a temporary basis without consulting anyone else, takes on a lawsuit on behalf of the firm; and Ellenor finds herself in a moral dilemma when faced with the truth about her client.

   Director:Christina Musrey

   Writer:David E. Kelley

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   Director:Christina Musrey

   Writer:David E. Kelley
4. 

   7.2/10(140 votes)

   #4 - Blessed Are They (3)

   S8:E410/19/2003

   Alan Shore is troubled by Sheila Carlisle's increasingly erratic behavior and fears for her mental - and legal - competence. Meanwhile, Shore is ordered by the court to represent a man who refuses to divulge his identity for fear that the unsavory nature of his crime will be made public

   Director:Simon Curtis

   Writer:David E. Kelley

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   Director:Simon Curtis

   Writer:David E. Kelley
5. 

   7.4/10(123 votes)

   #5 - The Heat of Passion (1)

   S8:E510/26/2003

   A complex murder case implicating a white supremacist embroils Eugene; malpractice fears haunt Jamie; the defense of accused killer Roland Huff embattles Shore, whose tactics astonish Tara and precipitate a run-in with a judge.

   Director:Nick Gomez

   Writers:David E. Kelley, Lukas Reiter

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   Director:Nick Gomez

   Writers:David E. Kelley, Lukas Reiter
6. 

   7.4/10(120 votes)

   #6 - The Lonely People (2)

   S8:E611/2/2003

   Eugene and Jimmy's defense of the leader of a white supremacist group takes an unexpected turn when surprising new developments come to light. Meanwhile, Shore continues in his quest to free Roland Huff from prison, and Jamie and Eugene must come to terms with their differences.

   Director:Christina Musrey

   Writers:David E. Kelley, Lukas Reiter

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   Director:Christina Musrey

   Writers:David E. Kelley, Lukas Reiter
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7. 

   7.5/10(125 votes)

   #7 - Rape Shield

   S8:E711/9/2003

   A rape case rattles Jimmy, ill-prepared to defend a client who maintains his innocence despite overwhelming evidence against him. Also, ethics violations catch up to Shore, who has a showdown with Eugene.

   Director:Jeannot Szwarc

   Writer:David E. Kelley

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   Director:Jeannot Szwarc

   Writer:David E. Kelley
8. 

   8.1/10(121 votes)

   #8 - Concealing Evidence

   S8:E811/23/2003

   Alan Shore uses questionable, if not illegal, tactics in representing his clients — Ted Grayson, a mentally unstable man accused of murder, and Karen Evanson, a woman who claims her husband's suicide was induced by a prescription drug.

   Director:Bill D'Elia

   Writers:David E. Kelley, Lukas Reiter, Jonathan Shapiro

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   Director:Bill D'Elia

   Writers:David E. Kelley, Lukas Reiter, Jonathan Shapiro
9. 

   7.7/10(172 votes)

   #9 - Victims' Rights

   S8:E911/30/2003

   Alan Shore defends a twelve-year-old girl who is trying to escape an arranged marriage in her home country. Meanwhile, Eugene tries to help a man who is seeking justice for the brutal murder of his wife.

   Director:Jeannot Szwarc

   Writers:Peter Blake, David E. Kelley

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   Director:Jeannot Szwarc

   Writers:Peter Blake, David E. Kelley
10. 

    7.7/10(120 votes)

    #10 - Equal Justice

    S8:E1012/7/2003

    Alan Shore uses unorthodox tactics when he's appointed by the court to defend a young man accused of murder. Meanwhile, Tara must try her first case when she's thrown into covering Shore's previously scheduled client.

    Director:Andy Wolk

    Writer:David E. Kelley

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    Director:Andy Wolk

    Writer:David E. Kelley
11. 

    8.5/10(170 votes)

    #11 - Police State

    S8:E111/11/2004

    When the police torture a man they believe shot one of their own, Eugene, barely able to contain his emotion, takes the lead in seeking justice.

    Directors:Andy Wolk, Rod Hardy

    Writer:Unknown

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    Directors:Andy Wolk, Rod Hardy

    Writer:Unknown
12. 

    7.7/10(124 votes)

    #12 - Avenging Angels

    S8:E121/18/2004

    Jimmy Berluti and Jamie Stringer defend an elderly man, Walter Josephson, who is accused of killing a member of the local Irish mob, and Alan Shore agrees to help a friend — by any means necessary — who discovers his wife is cheating on him.

    Director:Joseph Berger-Davis

    Writers:Peter Blake, David E. Kelley

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    Director:Joseph Berger-Davis

    Writers:Peter Blake, David E. Kelley
13. 

    8.0/10(143 votes)

    #13 - Going Home (1)

    S8:E132/15/2004

    When his best friend from childhood is accused of murdering his mistress, Alan Shore returns home to defend him.

    Director:Michael Zinberg

    Writer:David E. Kelley

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    Director:Michael Zinberg

    Writer:David E. Kelley
14. 

    8.0/10(131 votes)

    #14 - Pre-Trial Blues (2)

    S8:E142/22/2004

    An ongoing, sensational murder case besets Shore with pre-trial anxieties centering on jury selection; a hostile judge; a priest's confession; and suspicions of malpractice that involve a manipulative witness for the prosecution.

    Director:Christina Musrey

    Writer:David E. Kelley

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    Director:Christina Musrey

    Writer:David E. Kelley
15. 

    8.2/10(157 votes)

    #15 - Mr. Shore Goes to Town (3)

    S8:E153/7/2004

    Fireworks erupt at Dr. Stewart's trial when shocking testimony is elicited from the defendant's strong-willed mother, a conflicted priest and a crackpot.

    Director:Dennis Smith

    Writer:David E. Kelley

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    Director:Dennis Smith

    Writer:David E. Kelley
16. 

    7.6/10(130 votes)

    #16 - In Good Conscience (1)

    S8:E163/14/2004

    There are major shake-ups at the firm, as tensions rise between Eugene and Alan Shore. Meanwhile, the firm takes the case of a young man who is suing the doctor he feels is responsible for the death of his wife during childbirth.

    Director:Kelli Williams

    Writers:David E. Kelley, Jonathan Shapiro

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    Director:Kelli Williams

    Writers:David E. Kelley, Jonathan Shapiro
17. 

    7.8/10(138 votes)

    #17 - War of the Roses (2)

    S8:E173/21/2004

    Tensions between Shore and Eugene rise to the boiling point when Shore retains the services of a high-profile law firm to go head-to-head with Young, Frutt & Berluti in the face of his abrupt firing from the firm.

    Director:Joseph Berger-Davis

    Writer:David E. Kelley

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    Director:Joseph Berger-Davis

    Writer:David E. Kelley
18. 

    8.3/10(143 votes)

    #18 - The Case Against Alan Shore (3)

    S8:E183/28/2004

    Eugene and his firm stand against Alan Shore and his "new" firm. The entire episode revolves around Eugene, Ellenor, and Jimmy testifing that Alan doesn't deserve the amount of money Alan proposed. Can Ellenor really testify against her friend? How will Alan go against his old firm?

    Director:Bill D'Elia

    Writer:David E. Kelley

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    Director:Bill D'Elia

    Writer:David E. Kelley
19. 

    7.1/10(131 votes)

    #19 - The Firm

    S8:E194/18/2004

    Friction at the firm gets to Jimmy, who's torn between loyalties and principles. Meanwhile, tension besets Shore as he crosses swords with his brilliant but erratic new boss, whose behavior raises questions of competence.

    Director:Christina Musrey

    Writer:David E. Kelley

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    Director:Christina Musrey

    Writer:David E. Kelley
20. 

    7.4/10(139 votes)

    #20 - Comings and Goings

    S8:E204/25/2004

    Eugene is presented with an offer he finds hard to refuse, and Ellenor is shocked when she hears the news, knowing full well that any departure by Eugene would mean the beginning of the end of the practice. Meanwhile, Jimmy is confronted by crooked lawyer Lenny Pascatore), who claims that the neighborhood only has room for one practicing attorney. Across town at Crane, Poole & Schmidt, Denny Crane ruffles some feathers by making Tara his personal paralegal, and Hannah Rose enlists Shore's help in handling an assault case involving two hockey players.

    Director:Jeannot Szwarc

    Writer:David E. Kelley

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    Director:Jeannot Szwarc

    Writer:David E. Kelley
21. 

    7.4/10(142 votes)

    #21 - New Hoods on the Block

    S8:E215/2/2004

    Eugene considers an exciting new offer for his future... could this mean the end of the practice? Meanwhile, Jimmy is shaken by an ominous run-in with neighborhood lawyer Lenny Pescatore, as their turf war heats up, and Ellenor clashes with sexy and ruthless attorney Hannah Rose of Crane Poole & Schmidt.

    Director:Bill D'Elia

    Writers:David E. Kelley, Frank Renzulli

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    Director:Bill D'Elia

    Writers:David E. Kelley, Frank Renzulli
22. 

    7.5/10(138 votes)

    #22 - Cheers

    S8:E225/16/2004

    Denny and Alan make an appearance before Judge Eugene Young; Hannah Rose recovers from her bout with Ellenor; Jamie accepts a job with Berluti; Ellenor invites Bobby Donnell to help his former colleagues bid farewell to the firm.

    Director:Jeannot Szwarc

    Writer:David E. Kelley

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    Director:Jeannot Szwarc

    Writer:David E. Kelley