All Rise – Season 1 Episode 20 Recap & Review

DNA Transfer

All Rise returns this week with its usual formula but with the added twist this time around as Emily solves her client’s case. This was quite the intriguing one to follow which made this episode stand out while we carry on following the different story lines of our characters.

Episode 20 of All Rise starts with Mark getting ready to go on a ride along with Detective Webber while in Emily and Sara’s house, Ben leaves to have breakfast with his mother. Sara then accidentally picks up Ben’s phone thinking it was hers and starts talking to his mother, who has no idea they are dating.

Lola discusses her marriage with her father and wonders if she should move to DC. During their ride alone, Mark and Webber witness a car swerving to avoid a pedestrian. Webber comes out to make sure he is okay but as he seems drunk and suddenly tries to lunge for him, the detective has to tackle him and uses his taser. The police later arrive and question Mark about what happened and what he saw exactly.

In the courtroom, Emily is surprised to see Daphne Rivas, an old client. Her client today is Jordan Woodley, prosecuted for murder. Emily explains to  her that the prosecutor has made an offer and reduced the charge to manslaughter so she will get 11 years. She is charged for killing someone during a robbery and the evidence against her is certainly strong. Jordan suddenly reveals that she doesn’t remember that fateful night but tells her she is on board with the deal.

Just before the trial starts, Emily looks at the case and notices that Jordan just agreed with the police questioning her but never actually explained what happened that night. She then decides to stop the trial and asks for some time. Emily speaks to Jordan who reveals that she is an alcoholic and often has blackouts resulting in acting out and doing crazy things.

Mark asks Lola to meet him on the stairs to discuss what happened as he doesn’t think the man reached for the detective’s gun. Lola then heads to see her mum who has been feeling depressed. She explains that she is having trouble at her non-profit work and feels that they are pushing her out.

Emily decides to dig further into her client’s guilt while Mark is still unsure about what he witnessed. He watches the footage with Luke and asks to join him at the scene of the crime as he doesn’t want the culprit (Kavon Finch) to go to prison for longer than he should. As they get there, Mark thinks that Kavon could have tripped on the curb as it’s sticking out.

After looking at the different possibilities of how her client’s DNA would have got on the victim, Emily goes back to trial and reveals that they are rejecting the plea deal. Lola speaks to Emily and warns her that her client could get life in prison if they go to trial. Her investigation brings her to paramedics who were called to look into Jordan’s house, causing a disturbance earlier in the night. It’s here he deduces that this could have caused Jordan’s DNA to transfer on to the victim.

Lola meets with Daphné, whom she has seen around the building, wondering if she has been charged again as she was her first trial as a judge. Daphne tells her she is doing okay and has a little girl. She explains that she applied to work in the PD office and is not speaking to her mum anymore.

The next day, the trial starts but Emily is not sure she will win. She starts questioning the DNA expert and manages to prove that it could have been transferred from the paramedics by means of pulse oximeter.

In the DA office, Choi tells Mark that Kavon’s case will be trialed as a misdemeanour. Before leaving the room, Mark tells his boss he has been wondering if he is where he’s supposed to be while Sara finds out that Ben told his mum about them. She tries speaking to Judge Benner, who tells her to be careful.

The episode concludes with Lola meeting her parents and giving advice to her mother while Emily goes to see Lola’s therapist. She admits that she is lost and needs help. Mark speaks to Amy about his doubts but reassures him and tells him that whatever he will do, he will make it interesting.

Emily is fast becoming the most interesting character in the series as she has had the best character arc so far. While still dealing with the demons of her past, she has been working hard and managed to solve quite the difficult case for her client this time around. Seeing how this unfolded and how she came to the conclusion that her client’s DNA was transferred was really intriguing and I am hoping we will see more of that in the episodes to come.

It looks like there will be some changes for Mark too as he doesn’t seem to be sure anymore of his current career aspirations while Lola is still struggling with being away from her husband. All Rise has been quite the decent drama so far and although it may not be the most original out there, there’s enough to like about this one to keep you coming back for more.