Synopsis of Nine One One
Written by TK
Ally is walking with a shopping bag through the snow at night. She sees a figure standing in the gate to a cemetery. She walks up and says hello to the man. He glances at her and turns away. She asks if he's okay. He says it's his wife. Ally says she's sorry. Ally asks if she can help. He asks her if she's an angel. She says she's an attorney. He says it figures, he was asking God for help, and He sends him a lawyer. He says that actually, he could use a lawyer, because he was just fired as a minister by his congregation for not believing in God, and he wants to sue for wrongful termination.
Morning meeting
Everyone thinks Ally is crazy for taking the case. Ally asks everyone to just humor her. John has a case, Houle vs. the town of Jackman, Massachusetts, but he doesn't know what it's about. He's meeting with the client at 10am. Richard asks everyone to sign sexual harassment waivers for the office Christmas party that's on Wednesday night. He encourages Jenny to bring her mother, which Jenny doesn't like.
John's office
It turns out John's client, Mr. Houle, is upset because his town mayor, in Jackman, Massachusetts, has cancelled this year's Christmas parade. The mayor says it's because the town is in a recession, and he doesn't want to spend unnecessary tax dollars. John is amazed, because he goes to Jackman every year to buy his ornaments and go to Santa's Village. Houle says that's part of the problem, because the plant and the village burned down. John asks why Houle doesn't have a parade on his own, and Houle says he can't get a permit.
Church
Ally has a sit down with the minister and a representative of the congregation. The representative says that they love their minister, and would love to keep him on, but they just can't have a minister that doesn't believe in God. The minister says he didn't say that he didn't believe in God, he said that God no longer believes in us, or if he does, he no longer cares.
Walsh's courtroom
Judge Walsh thinks John's motion is ridiculous and you can't sue a mayor for cancelling a parade. John talks back to him rather rudely. John demands that his client be heard.
The bar
Glenn and Elaine are practicing a song together. Glenn thinks Elaine is being a little too sexual in her performance. Elaine tells Glenn to relax.
Church
Ally tells the minister that his case is lost if he really feels the way he says he does. She asks how his wife died. He says she was shot in a mugging. Ally says she can believe in God and free will at the same time. She asks how he comforts other people who have lost loved ones. He says he just fires off some platitudes. He mourns the fact that he can't even help his own son. He talks about how when his son used to sing, it sounded like the voice of God, but his son doesn't sing anymore. Ally asks if this is really all about wanting to be able to help his son.
John's office
Ally comes in to talk to John and finds him dressed like an elf. She asks why, and finds John in a foul mood. Ally asks John for advice on her client, the minister. Ally says she's not equipped to deal with someone who has lost God. John asks why, and Ally doesn't really say. She tells John about the minister's son not singing anymore. John advises Ally to go talk to the son.
An apartment in Boston
Ally rings the bell. Malcolm Wyatt, her singing prom date from the last season finale, opens the door. They greet each other, and Ally suddenly realizes that her client is Malcolm's father. Ally tells Malcolm she's sorry about his mother. He says he's doing okay. Ally says his dad still worries about him, and his dad isn't okay.
Walsh's courtroom
Houle is giving testimony about how they want to celebrate in their own town, and they have a right to do so. No mayor should be able to cancel Christmas.
The bar
Elaine and Glenn are practicing another song, but Glenn wonders when he gets to sing. Jenny walks in and sees Elaine slithering around Glenn. Jenny interrupts and tells Elaine to get her grubby, horny little paws off her boyfriend.
The Wyatts' apartment
Ally asks Malcolm about his singing. Malcolm says he doesn't want to sing anymore... and he can't make it happen. He doesn't really know if he'll ever sing again. He used to sing with his mother when he was little, and now he can't even listen to music. He talks about how his mother didn't just die, but she died painfully. Ally thinks he's angry at God. Malcolm's not sure.
The unisex
Richard finds John hanging upside down in his office in his elf suit. John says he's preparing his cross examination, and then does an impressive dismount from hanging upside down. John tells Richard he's upset with the lack of holiday cheer in the world this year. Richard doesn't get it, but asks John that if he leaves again because he's sad, can Richard redecorate his Hole? John is disgusted with his friend and leaves to go to court.
The office
Corretta asks Richard if the party on Wednesday will really be a party, because she thinks they all need one.
Walsh's courtroom
The mayor gives testimony. He says this is not a year to celebrate, because they don't have the money and a lot of people died in the big fire. John gets up to cross-examine. He tells the mayor that he's not letting people celebrate a holiday, and the mayor says people can still do whatever they want on their own. John points out that he denied the people a permit, and the mayor says it's disrespectful for people to be celebrating in the streets when they should be mourning. The mayor says that most people don't want to celebrate this year anyway.
The bar
Glenn and Elaine are practicing another song. Things are going well, and they're actually both singing, and it's very tame, and then suddenly Elaine busts out a wriggle. Glenn gives her a stern word. Her excuse is that it's Christmas.
The Wyatts' Apartment
Ally tries to encourage the minister to deal with his son. He resents her telling him what to do and asks if she's ever lost someone she loved. She tells him about Billy. She says that she can't just leave him alone like he wants because Malcolm needs him.
The office
Jenny walks up to Elaine and says that guys usually settle things with fists, and women usually talk things out, but she likes the guy way better. She pushes Elaine. Elaine pushes back. Jenny pushes again. Elaine pushes back again. John sees this and walks up to try to stop the fight from happening. Just then, Jenny throws the first punch and accidentally hits John instead of Elaine. John goes down, clutching his cheek. Jenny apologizes. John yells at her.
The Wyatts' Apartment
The minister finally starts to open up. He thinks maybe God isn't enough. Malcolm agrees that God is inadequate, and he wasn't prepared. The minister says he wasn't prepared either. Ally wonders why the minister doesn't think he'll ever recover from this loss when he's clearly watched so many other people go on living after losing a loved one. He talks about how, when his wife was lying bleeding on the sidewalk, she asked her own mugger to dial 911... because she saw enough good in him to believe that he would. The minster isn't sad that she died, he's sad that she's gone. Every day, she's more gone. He apologizes to his son. Ally says she rejects everything he just said. She talks about the 8-year-old boy she helped to sue God four years ago. She talks about seeing Billy as a ghost, and though she knows he's just in her mind, she gets to talk to him. He's not gone because she hasn't let him go. She tells Malcolm he can still sing because his mother is still with him.
John's office
Ally admits she doesn't necessarily believe what she said. It's her greatest fear, that when people are gone they're really gone. That people just become nothing. Ally asks if John believes in a soul. John says yes. Ally asks to hear something good. John says, "We have souls." She asks about the parade. John whines. Ally realizes that the case has really gotten to him. John is frustrated by how deadened everyone is. Ally tells John he seems very sad lately. Ally points out that maybe John feels like he's lost Christmas. John denies it, and says he's just stressing about Christmas shopping.
Ally's office
Ally hangs an angel on the Christmas tree. The minister comes in and says it seems late to be putting up a tree, it's Christmas Eve. Ally says it's better than not putting one up at all. The minister says he got his job back. Now he's wondering what to say at Christmas service. Ally asks what he feels. He says he feels that he needs to believe in what Ally said. Otherwise, evil wins.
The unisex
Glenn confronts Jenny about the fight. Jenny says that women hit on Glenn because he's so handsome and she's so not. Glenn doesn't get it. She tells Glenn that he's prettier than her, and usually that's okay, but sometimes it makes her insecure. He says she's the most beautiful woman he's ever seen, and more importantly, he loves her. Elaine comes out of a stall. She was listening in. Elaine says she wouldn't really hit on someone else's boyfriend. Jenny says that's what it looked like. Elaine says it was just an act, much like her whole life.
Walsh's courtroom
The mayor's lawyer closes, repeating much of what the mayor said. John closes, and says this is no year to be skipping Christmas. When times are tough, we need Christmas that much more. "It is no honor to the fallen for the surviving to stay down." John makes a powerful and emotional closing.
Ally's office
Malcolm comes in. Ally thanks him for coming. They talk about his dad getting his job back. Ally worries that she helped get Malcolm's dad part of the way back, but he's not all the way back. Ally tells Malcolm he needs to sing. Malcolm's not sure he can. Ally tells him to try. Malcolm is about to leave, when he turns and asks Ally if she's okay. She says she's fine. They wish each other Merry Christmas and Malcolm leaves.
Walsh's courtroom
Walsh comes back with his decision. He says he can't order a parade, but he can prevent the mayor from withholding the permit. Walsh agrees with John.
The bar
It's the party! Vonda and Elaine sing a duet. Richard talks to Corretta about trying to get Jenny's mother, and how sad it is that she's getting married and plans on being faithful.
The church
Ally is in the congregation. Minister Wyatt gives a powerful sermon. He talks about losing his wife, and feeling like the soul of humanity had been murdered, but then his congregation proved to him that it hadn't. He introduces Malcolm. Malcolm walks out and sings beautifully about someone being gone but not lost.
Ending montage to Malcolm's song
The parade in Jackman, in which Houle and John are marching with candles to honor those lost in the fire. A Santa sleigh in the parade.
The office celebrates at the party at the bar.
Firemen march in the parade with candles to honor firemen lost. A child wearing a fireman's hat.
Malcolm singing. Ally and Minister Wyatt watching him. Ally cries.
Ally bringing flowers to a grave.
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