Drop Dead Diva

That was me - deb - see tuntil the day I died.

I thought I'd go straight to heaven,

But there was a bit of a mix-up

And I woke up in someone else's body.

So now I'm jane,

A super-busy lawyer with my very own assistant.

I got a new life, a new wardrobe,

And the only people who really know what's going on with me

Are my girlfriend stacy and my guardian angel, fred.

I used to think everything happened for a reason...

Whoo!

...And, well, I sure hope I was right.

♪ la, la, la, la-la-la-la ♪

♪ la, la-la, la ♪

♪ I can't do this anymore ♪

Hey, tony, it's me.

Just, you know, checking in.

Okay.

Let's talk soon?

So?

When did you leave the message?

Three days ago. And since then?

Nothing. I haven't heard from him

Since he said we should slow things down.

Do the last part again.

Let's talk soon?

Ah, see? Right there. That's your problem.

"let's talk soon" is open to interpretation.

No, no. Not the way I said it, because I went up at the end.

Soon?

That implies it's his turn to call me.

That's why I always close with, "give me a call,"

Or "you've got my number," or "hit me back."

Actually, that last one has its own set of problems.

Um, I don't know, sweetie.

I think you need to... No, don't say it.

...Leave a second message.

No. I hate the second message.

The second message robs you of your power.

And angelina wouldn't leave a second message.

And besides - it wouldn't be a second message.

It'd be a third.

It's gonna be okay.

Are you sure?

80%.

Fred: You want my advice?

In this department? No.

What you should do is become a permanent fixture in tony's life.

Somebody he can't avoid. You know, somebody who...

Sleeps on his couch every night?

Yeah, 'cause it seems to be

Working out well for your love life.

It is.

Did you know that stacy

Has taken an active interest in my career?

She's helping me with my résumé.

Let me guess.

She told you the font needs to be festive.

Yeah. 14-point aquamarine.

Today we're doing mock interviews.

Smell my breath.

Absolutely not. I'm late for court.

[ exhales sharply, sniffs ]

I'm looking at a presumption of death motion, is that right?

Resnick: Yes, your honor.

It's been nine years since daniel porter's plane went down.

Nine years since -

Daniel's body was never recovered.

They have never found my son.

Counsel.

We'll get our chance.

There's not one law-enforcement agency

That believes he's still alive.

5,000 man-hours were spent searching.

$3 million.

Still. Why pursue the declaration of deathow?

Okay.

Um, sir, I searched for my husband for months,

And I've grieved for years.

I've accepted that he's gone.

Judge barlow: Counselor?

Ms. Bingum?

Everything okay?

Um...

I'm sorry, your honor. Just an emotional case.

Continue.

I was granted a divorce in absentia,

And I remarried three years ago.

I have a 9-year-old son, and we would like very much

For my husband to formally adopt him.

And before a formal adoption can take place,

Daniel porter, the boy's biological father,

Must first be declared dead.

Seems reasonable to me. Ms. Bingum?

My client, daniel's mother,

Believes this will close the door to her son's investigation

And prevent law-enforcement agencies

From ever looking for him again.

All due respect, your honor,

No one's been looking for daniel for years.

That's not true. I've been looking.

I have distributed fliers to the police departments,

I have posted on the internet.

I have purchased newspaper ads,

Two dozen new ones just this week.

All we need is one solid tip,

And then the search can pick up where it left off.

Your honor, do what's right

For daniel porter's wife and child.

Let them move on.

My client lives with the hope

That her son is still out there.

Please. Don't take that away from her.

I'll have a decision this afternoon.

Teri: Jane bingum's office.

Hey, teri. It's me.

The answer is no. Tony hasn't called.

I didn't even ask.

You were going to. I could tell by the way you were breathing.

You know what? I am so tired of this.

I haven't waited for a guy to call me back

Since the 8th grade when I got boobs.

I'm still waiting.

Get tony's office on the phone.

It'll be the third message.

Who's counting, teri?

You got it, boss. Oh!

I'm sorry. Excuse me.

Sorry.

Um, I-I'm trying to find a courtroom.

Well, you came to the right place.

Do you know where I can find a judge barlow's court?

Oh, judge barlow. I just came from there.

Can I help you?

Well, I hope so. I'm - I'm daniel.

Uh, daniel porter.

She yells. A lot.

No, I-it's not every day. It's every hour.

Like - like one of those clocks, only with yelling.

I got to go.

I'm sorry.

Was the loud ringing of my office phone

Interfering with your personal life?

It was my mom.

She's - she's worried about me.

Worried you're gonna be fired, broke,

And moving into her basement?

Ugh. Go cry in the bathroom.

What?

That your third temp this month?

it's not me.

There's a reason they call them temps.

I saw your new-client memo.

You're representing jonathan noble,

The columnist from "american male."

You read "american male"?

He's the reason I subscribe.

The last two suits I bought

Came right out of his "duds for dudes" article.

And not to get too personal, but the guy's first-date advice

Has helped me seal the deal.

I get it. He's your invisible wingman.

I have an intake meeting this afternoon.

Mm-hmm.

Would you like to come along?

Do pleated pants kill romance?

Yes.

The doctors call it a psychogenic fugue state.

Daniel porter survived a single-engine plane crash

Nine years ago, but his memory did not.

Daniel, where have you been for nine years?

I made it to a small town outside of pittsburgh

Where I wound up in a mental-health ward

Of a hospital.

And you say all this time you didn't remember a thing?

No, nothing. Nothing at all.

My life was a complete blank.

Until two days ago,

When a neighbor recognizes his photo in a newspaper ad

Taken out by daniel's mother.

Go, marian!

It just makes you want to cry.

What are you doing here?

I'm helping fred find a job.

He needs to make copies of his résumé -

Yay, 14-point aquamarine - so I drove him over.

Wow. Psychogenic fugue or not, he's kind of hot.

Ooh, he's even hotte in person.

Mrs. Porter.

My son, daniel, needa lawyer.

I suggested you.

Are you gonna answer that or what?

Excuse me?

The phone is ringing. Please answer it.

Kim kaswell's office.

I'm not sure. Let me check her calendar.

Is this the downtown courthouse or van nuys?

Uh, yes.

She has a deposition at 2:00,

But I think we can move that.