The Deep End Episode 1.06 White Lies, Black Ties

The firm's annual charity gala is taking place at Cliff and Susan's place for anyone and everyone associated with Sterling. As much as everyone loves a party, there's work to be done first.

A teenage boy named Charlie snapped a picture of his topless girlfriend with his cell phone. Since the girl is a minor, Charlie could go to prison for 20 years and be labeled as a sex offender. The boy's parents beg Dylan and Beth to help their son. He's a good kid who did a dumb thing. They get the D.A. to agree to probation. But the deal is off the table after the photo hits the Internet.

The picture was forwarded to a Lucas Jennings from Charlie's phone. Charlie doesn't know Lucas, but his girlfriend, Sarah, does. She's the one who sent the photo. To save their client, Dylan and Beth must tell the D.A. about Sarah. Now she'll be facing the same sexting charges. Dylan realizes that the teacher who found Charlie's phone went straight to the police, who then checked the phone without a warrant. The D.A. agrees the charges won't stick. Sarah is off the hook. Gotta love the Fourth Amendment!

Mia is a competitive cyclist who was hit by a bus. She's now in a wheelchair. The bus company offers an insulting $75,000 settlement. Addy and Malcolm want to go to trial, but Mia worries she'll end up with nothing. Malcolm and Addy make the bus company rep realize that he does not want this to go to court. The new offer of $500,000 is very acceptable. The only problem is that the client's health insurance company now wants to be reimbursed from the settlement money. And a judge rules that they are entitled to it.

Sarah realizes that the bus driver made a mistake, but the health insurance company is making a sleazy premeditated move. She'd rather have the bus company keep the money so the insurance company can't get their hands on it. This gives Addy an idea. She gets the bus company to restructure the settlement. Only one dollar will be awarded to Sarah. The other $499,999 goes to her husband. Finally, a health care plan that works!

While in a therapy session, Cliff desperately seeks a way to make things right with Susan. Later, Susan comes home to find a masked intruder waiting for her. She hits a panic button which scares the guy away. Cliff asks if he can stay in the guest house just to make sure she's safe. Susan agrees, as she's starting to soften. Cliff gives Susan a new dress for the party. She's appreciative of the gesture and looks stunning in the gown.

We learn just how far Cliff will go to get Susan back when he steps out of the party to talk to a man in a car. We don't recognize the face. That's because the last time we saw him, he was wearing a mask. Cliff hired this guy to break into his house to scare Susan into letting him come home. They don't call him the Prince of Darkness for nothing.

Addy is still engaged to Jason, but doesn't want to bring him to the party. Hey, she doesn't want to marry the guy, so why would she want to party with him? Of course, Jason doesn't know any of this. Addy eventually does break the news and, in doing so, breaks off the engagement. At the end of the day, Addy still doesn't have a date for the party. That's okay. Malcolm is there to meet her at the door and escort her inside.

Beth asks Dylan to be her date for the party, which confuses Liam. She just wants to keep their relationship hush-hush because love affairs in a law firm can be lethal. But when Beth catches Liam dancing with a pretty associate from her father's firm, she reads him the riot act. Liam fires right back. He yells, "Anyone with eyes can see that we're in love!" It's a total E.F. Hutton moment, as everyone at the party listens to Liam say once more "we're in love." Cheers fill the room.

Rowdy gathers his first-year recruits in for a toast. He says, "May you continue to prove yourselves equal to the challenges that this life presents you." And he means starting right now. Sterling has a new case and he wants Dylan, Addy, Beth, Liam and Malcolm to head back to the office to start working on it immediately. They think Rowdy's kidding. He's not. The party is over for our favorite first-years, but their quest for justice marches on. If they stick together, they'll be able to handle anything that comes their way in The Deep End.