PAPER CHASE, THE: THE SECOND YEAR: LABOR OF LOVE (TV)
Summary
One in this drama series about law student James T. Hart and his fellow Harvard classmates, based on the novel by John Jay Osborn, Jr. In this episode, Golden toils over the law review, as usual, and Hart finally drags him out to a bar for some relaxation. Harriman plays darts and catches the eye of a "jock," to the jealousy of many, and two non-Harvard students, Iris and Kathleen, arrive and take a liking to Hart and Golden. Kathleen attempts to flirt with Golden, and though he is at first rudely unreceptive, he soon realizes her intentions and they begin to bond when he takes her to the law review office and proudly tells her about his role as president. Later, Iris invites Hart out for a roller-skating date, and Harriman continues seeing the jock. Elsewhere, nerdy loner Soloway begins experiencing symbolic nightmares about the pressures of law school and keeps half the dorm awake at night, leading Kiernan to decide that he is lonely and, with Bell's help, she sets him up on a date. Hart tells Ford that he enjoys being with someone who is not involved with law studies, but Ford suggests that she may have "ulterior motives" in dating someone from a prestigious school who is pursuing a high-paying profession. Golden goes on a successful picnic lunch date with Kathleen and then makes plans for dinner, and Hart encourages him to go when he expresses doubts about his law review work, offering to step in as supervisor for the night. In doing so, he inadvertently stands up Iris, who ends up going out with Ford instead.
Golden and Kathleen struggle to pick a movie and he is distracted by his work, eventually admitting that he is "compulsive" and cannot enjoy himself. The evening turns romantic, but at the law review office, Kingsfield visits and is displeased to find that the students are slacking off. He later lectures Golden about his dereliction of duty, and Golden is crushed, telling Kathleen that he should not have taken time off to be with her. Hart is discomfited to learn that Ford intends to continue dating Iris, and Iris talks to Kathleen about making a "practical" choice and dating someone with solid future prospects. Hart and Golden argue about the responsibilities of law review, but Golden then confesses his worry that they will be "half-baked human beings" who are unable to maintain relationships when they finish law school because of their obsessive drive. Ford takes advantage of Iris' "desire to please" and has her type his schoolwork, but then realizes what she wants from him and ends things with her, saying he is not interested in anything long-term. Kathleen says goodbye to Golden as well, despite his protests, saying that she enjoyed their time together despite their not being a good fit. When Golden returns to the office, he urges Hart to relax about his assignments, clearly having learned a lesson from his experience with Kathleen. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: Showtime
- DATE: June 5, 1984 8:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:00:00
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:15522
- GENRE: Drama, legal
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama, legal
- SERIES RUN: Showtime - TV series, 1978-1986
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Lynn Roth … Executive Producer
- Ernest A. Losso … Producer
- Michael van Himbergen … Associate Producer
- James Bridges … Developed by
- Jack Bender … Director
- Judy Merl … Writer
- Paul Eric Myers … Writer
- John Jay Osborn Jr. … Based on the novel by
- Stephen Seretan … Music by
- John Houseman … Cast, Professor Charles W. Kingsfield Jr.
- James Stephens … Cast, James T. Hart
- Tom Fitzsimmons … Cast, Franklin Ford III
- James Keane … Cast, Willis Bell
- Michael Tucci … Cast, Gerald Golden
- Andra Millian … Cast, Laura Kiernan
- Penny Johnson (see also: Penny Johnson Jerald) … Cast, Vivian Conway
- Clare Kirkconnell … Cast, Rita Harriman
- Mady Kaplan … Cast, Kathleen
- Lora Staley … Cast, Iris
- David Paymer … Cast, Myslesky
- Steve Levitt … Cast, Stotz
- Steven Peterman … Cast, Soloway
- Ray Underwood … Cast, The Jock
- Wortham Krimmer … Cast, Zeiss