I watched this episode last night on Hulu. It's the one where a cow gives birth to a human baby and I do remember it receiving a lot of press when it first aired in late 1994. I give it a 10/10, and think it's really quite brilliant. The show's creator/writer David E. Kelley was an attorney so he's using these bizarre concepts to explore aspects of the law.
One of the main points about the cow birthing episode is that the fetus cannot be aborted, because Roe v. Wade (recently overturned) addresses a woman's right to abort...and it does not cover cows! So the pro-life minister (Dabbs Greer) feels a victory that human life will be preserved, even though a farmer is using a most unusual fertility process to help women who want children to have children.
Not all the Picket Fences episodes go this far into left (right) field. Many of them are about the relationships of the people in the town of Rome, Wisconsin and how they grapple with changes in society and how that's reflected in the laws and local government.
Part of what I like most about about Picket Fences is that while I think Mr. Kelley's politics are quite liberal, I think he has a rightwing sensibility deep down...and I often wonder if his goal is to validate that, or if he is trying to free himself from those conservative beliefs. Maybe he's just trying to find a middle ground and using these memorable characters and storylines to accomplish it. Each episode gives the intelligent viewer much to consider.
One of the main points about the cow birthing episode is that the fetus cannot be aborted, because Roe v. Wade (recently overturned) addresses a woman's right to abort...and it does not cover cows! So the pro-life minister (Dabbs Greer) feels a victory that human life will be preserved, even though a farmer is using a most unusual fertility process to help women who want children to have children.
Not all the Picket Fences episodes go this far into left (right) field. Many of them are about the relationships of the people in the town of Rome, Wisconsin and how they grapple with changes in society and how that's reflected in the laws and local government.
Part of what I like most about about Picket Fences is that while I think Mr. Kelley's politics are quite liberal, I think he has a rightwing sensibility deep down...and I often wonder if his goal is to validate that, or if he is trying to free himself from those conservative beliefs. Maybe he's just trying to find a middle ground and using these memorable characters and storylines to accomplish it. Each episode gives the intelligent viewer much to consider.
