The Deep End Episode 1.01 Pilot

Five brilliant, ambitious and, let's just say it, "great-looking" attorneys have begun their careers at the prestigious Los Angeles law firm of Sterling, Huddle, Oppenheim & Craft (we'll just call it Sterling). Let's dive into The Deep End by getting to know the key players.

First up, the newbies:

- Dylan Hewitt (Matt Long) has been dubbed a Boy Scout with a savior complex.

- Addy Fisher (Tina Majorino) is a highly-competent punching bag for the higher-ups.

- Beth Brandford (Leah Pipes) is oh-so-professional on the outside, but with some hidden daddy issues.

- Liam Priory (Ben Lawson) has a photographic memory which helps him remember all the ladies he's bedded (a lengthy list that includes Beth).

- Malcolm Bennet (Mehcad Brooks) is super new to the firm, so he's still a bit of a mystery to us.

Now, onto the folks who've been there a bit:

- Cliff Huddle (Billy Zane) is the firm's hard-nosed Managing Partner. Just call him the Prince of Darkness.

- Susan Oppenheim (Nicole Ari Parker) is the brilliant Head Litigation Partner and wife to Cliff.

- Hart Sterling (Clancy Brown) is a civil rights champion and the firm's Senior Partner.

- Rowdy Kaiser (Norbert Leo Butz) is the Recruiting Associate who juggles loyalty to both Hart and Cliff.

When Dylan shows up super-late for his first day at Sterling, fellow first-year associate Beth tells him he's been tricked in order to keep him off-balance. That's how the firm gains control. Dylan's officemate, Liam, introduces himself while in his underwear, as he's just slept with Beth's secretary. Liam likes the ladies. The fourth newbie we meet is Addy, a nice girl who is trying to fulfill duties assigned by two different partners. Katie, the Senior Paralegal around these parts, helps them all with their assignments.

After a three-year leave to care for his ailing wife, Hart Sterling returns and wants the firm to take some pro bono cases. This doesn't sit well with Cliff Huddle. He's the managing partner that everyone calls the Prince of Darkness. Evil royal titles notwithstanding, Cliff has turned the firm into a thriving business in Hart's absence. To appease Hart, Cliff and Rowdy toss a no-pay case Dylan's way with Katie serving as his helper.

Molly Pearson's husband Jeff died from an aneurysm a few years back. Her mother-in-law, Grace Graham, has frozen her husband's assets in an attempt to gain custody of her son. The case is a total dog, but Dylan finds a legal argument that may actually work. When Cliff realizes that the woman they are opposing could be a lucrative friend to the firm, he advises Dylan to drop the case. If he doesn't, he'll crush him.

Rowdy offers Dylan some words of wisdom. He says, "Man doesn't choose the moment, the moment chooses the man." Dylan finds a way to let Molly keep her son. As it turns out, Mrs. Graham was afraid that Molly would take her grandson out of her life if she had access to the money. She just couldn't bear to lose him. When Molly takes hold of Mrs. Graham's hand, it's obvious that this family will not be torn apart. This tender moment is not enough to dispel the contempt Cliff now has for Dylan for defying his order.

Beth has drafted papers so that a kindly old man can transfer his CEO status to a friend of the firm. It's going to be a smooth transition until Beth realizes the man may have Alzheimer's. She goes to her dad for advice. That was a mistake. Father Dearest is a high-powered attorney who recommends Beth keep mum and close the deal. The fact that she's struggling with the issue confirms his notion that his daughter is weak. Nice guy, right? Beth does remain silent and the transfer of power is complete. It was a solid career move, but was it worth the price?

Liam must woo a woman who may only sign with Sterling because she thinks he's Jewish. So he kinda, sorta pretends that he is. The client is set to sign the papers when Liam drops them off at her hotel room. But first she wants to check out his legal briefs. That's our cute way of saying she sticks her hand down his pants. In doing so, she realizes this guy is NOT Jewish. What's the opposite of mazel tov?

Addy just can't keep up with the duties being assigned to her by two different partners at once. That's too bad because she knows all about asbestos class action suits like the one Susan is currently tackling. When Addy's unable to file a motion in court, Dylan steps in and does it for her. This doesn't fly with Susan, who totally rips into her. Addy's had enough. She tells Susan she's a great lawyer who deserves some respect. We're impressed. So is Susan. Now that Addy has finally shown some spine, she has no problem bringing her in on the case.

In a move to regain power, Hart hires Malcolm Bennet as the firm's newest first-year associate. That's supposed to be Cliff's job. Susan's solution to stop this battle between Hart and Cliff is to have them share power. Susan gets her way and later reveals to Cliff that she knows he's having an affair. Still, she's willing to work on their unsettled marriage. Cliff will too. They makes plans to meet later at a hotel.

There was an obvious spark between Dylan and Katie as they worked his first case. Dylan knows Katie has a boyfriend. He also knows they just broke up. So he stops by her place with some flowers he picked up from a guy at a freeway off-ramp, as they always have the best roses. Katie invites Dylan in and they make love on the floor of her apartment. It's a nice way to end the day. But the day's not over yet. Katie's ex-boyfriend has just stepped up to her front door. We won't tell you his name. Let's just call him the Prince of Darkness.