Plot

As Jane (Brooke Elliott) represents a lesbian couple that is being denied a chance to attend their senior prom together, Teri (Margaret Cho) enlists Grayson (Jackson Hurst) to help a bailiff who's been caught in a mail order marriage scam. Meanwhile, Jane is stunned to learn that her boyfriend, Bill, is seeing other women.—Anonymous

"Drop Dead Diva" - "Prom" - July 24, 2011

Stacy goes to a high school to give a modeling seminar and happens upon two teenage girls -- Nina and Julia-- who are denied a couples ticket to attend the prom together because they are gay. The principal won't talk to them and Nina's dad isn't crazy about them making waves. But, the prom is this week. Presto, Jane has a case.

Jane, Stacy, and Julia go to visit the principal who is combative and tells them to buy single tickets. Except they would be seated randomly and not get couples perks like a photo, flowers, and chocolate. Jane threatens that since the school policy violates their civil rights she will go to the school superintendent if he doesn't. He says he will. But when they get outside, Julia's car has been towed, even though she parked where the security guard told her to. It was a set up by the principal: because she parked in faculty parking Julia is suspended and ineligible to go to prom. Jane is fighting mad now and says she'll see him in court.

In court Jane explains the pretext for the parking violation and then the school argues that they're just worried about the girls' safety from other students. Julia points out her friends know she's a lesbian and voted her on to prom committee. The judge says she'll issue an opinion forthwith.

At Jane's office the girls discover the the judge ruled in their favor...but the school's lawyer issued a statement that they're canceling prom. The girls realizes everyone's going to hate them. Jane vows to find a way to force the school to have prom and Parker tells her to drop it.

He changes his tune when there's intense media interest and he can go on TV and pimp himself as a humanitarian.

At their next round in court. The school's lawyer brings up DOMA and says that allowing a sex same couple at the prom "violates the spirit" of the law. Although the judge isn't buying this she says Jane and Parker didn't prove irreparable harm and they got no case. But she says they do have a civil rights case which she'll rule on next month... after prom. The judge says she didn't go to prom and she lived.

The principal arrives at Jane's office with an offer: a couples ticket in exchange for dropping the civil rights case. The girls realize if they take the deal it won't help the kids coming after them. They decline, righteously, and Nina's dad supports her.

While all of this is going on, Jane discovers that doctor Bill -- who has a crazy schedule and is in constant demand by patients dictating their odd dating schedule-- is dating other women. She tried to act cool with it, pretend she was dating others too, but it turns out she isn't. Grayson tells her she deserves better and the doctor is an idiot for not wanting to commit to her.

Jane throws a big party/replacement prom for the kids since the girls declined the ticket. Julia and Nina arrive. As does Bill. She comes clean that she's not cool with him dating others. She wants to be his only girl. He says okay but he isn't a race to the finish line. She says she feels like she's competing for his attention and she deserves better. He asks if she's breaking up with him at prom. She says she is. They say their goodbyes.



Also while all of this was going on Jane was up for her performance review from Parker. He tells her she's too emotionally involved in her cases and spends too much time with her friends. But when all is said and done he apologizes, realizing that it was Stacy that brought them the great same sex prom case and Jane's emotions that kept her going on the case. He tells her to keep up the good work.

Meanwhile, Grayson busies himself with the case of Hank the bailiff whose wife left him after two months. She was a mail order bride essentially that cost him six grand. During their meeting Kim interrupts with an envelope from Vanessa: it's her engagement ring. Seeing how distraught he is Kim decides to pitch in. Hank explains he wants his money back from the website, the six grand, and the four grand he spent on the engagement ring. Kim says there's no case. Grayson, obviously still wounded after being jilted by Vanessa, thinks there is.



In court Grayson argues that Hank deserves money from the website because they arranged to have his heart broken and wallet stolen. The website argues that the women are vetted and and that the divorce rate in the U.S. is 52% and it's only 10% for the website-arranged marriages. The judge dismisses the case. Grayson wants to figure out the next move. Kim says there isn't one. They decide to sue the Russian bride herself, Irina, instead.

In court Irina claims she loved Hank and caught up in the excitement of getting married and she simply had a change of heart. Channeling his own rage Grayson shouts at her that she didn't even apologize and that she left without saying goodbye! (Like Vanessa). Plus, Irina broke up with Hank by text. She gives what seems like a sincere apology saying she never meant to hurt him. Outside court Hank is glad she apologized. But Grayson points out that can't prove Irina set out to deceive Hank. He's about to throw in the towel when Kim comes bustling out and calls Irina a fraud with a classic tell. She wants to run a full background check.

Turns out Irina was married before: for two months. They want to establish a predatory pattern. They bring in the ex who claims he left her not the other way around and that she didn't run up any bills on him or abscond with any money. She even gave back the engagement ring. Things change when they put the ex on the stand, however. They ask about him being unemployed and then pull out a recent deposit for the exact amount of the engagement ring Hank gave Irina. Grayson and Parker figures out that Irina and the ex figured out a plan to make some money by scamming other lonely dudes using the mail-order bride website. The DA is pressing charges against Irina and the ex.

Back at the office, even after the win, Grayson still sad. Kim says there's no closure for him like there was for Hank. He doesn't want to talk about it. Kim wants to role play and have him yell at her as if she's Vanessa. He doesn't want to do it. She baits him and asks him to yell at her, instead he kisses her. And then says it wasn't meant for her. Apparently he doesn't want to yell at Vanessa, he wants to kiss her.

In the night's final storyline Fred and Stacy are approached in a cafe by a casting agent. Stacy of course thinks the agent is after her but it's Fred he wants for a commercial for a product called "adrenaline rush." Fred hurts Stacy feelings by saying he didn't realize it was so easy to get an acting job in this town. More hurt that Fred thinks acting is easy she gets him a book called "Acting: It's Harder Than it Looks." He then gets all engrossed in the book and pretentious which annoys her even further. He apologizes for being insensitive and he offers to cancel on the commercial but she tells him to do it. When Fred goes to film commercial he realizes he's not the star after all. He's the "before" guy the one who drinks the "adrenaline rush" and becomes the hunky "after" dude, obviously played by someone else. He quits saying he's not a good enough actor to play a "loser"-- until the casting director laments that his bikini babe also quit and Stacy offers herself, handily ripping off her dress to reveal a bikini underneath. Now they're both actors!