The attorney opposing Helen often played a lawyer on David E. Kelley's "Picket Fences" television show.

David E. Kelley is a brilliant writer, but this episode was the first real sign that the plots were beginning to swerve into silliness - another common thread throughout most Kelley shows after a couple of years (e.g., "L.A. Law," "Allie McBeal"). The TV accessory-to-murder trial made no sense, and the entire "judge-crush-on-Bobby" storyline really accomplished nothing but waste the talents of a wonderful actress in Holland Taylor. Kelley did manage to create a few good stories during the remainder of the run after this (including giving "Lost" star Michael Emerson his first major exposure as Lindsey's stalker in later seasons), but this episode really was the first signpost that the consistently great episodes that built the show's reputation were gone for good.I remember watching the show in it's heydey, and watching it turn from a must-see at 10PM Sundays to occasionally recording it on tape and watching by the end of the fifth season. David Kelley has forgotten more about script-writing than I'll ever learn, but he just seemed to be running out of steam by this point, and the show was erratic at best during the rest of its run.