"Ally McBeal," Episode 666: The Devil Went Down to Boston

Brief Summary from TV Guide:

Ally, still distraught over Billy's death, makes a pact with the devil that brings Billy back to life as Ally's husband in exchange for her soul. Meanwhile, Cage and Ling defend a woman accused of breach of contract for allegedly turning "soft" on her shock radio show.

Synopsis of First Part of Episode:

We first see rain falling out of Ally's window and then move to a shot of Ally sleeping peacefully in bed until she is loudly woken up by her alarm clock radio playing Charlie Daniels' "The Devil Went Down to Georgia." She abruptly shuts it off and looks across the room where she sees Mia Farrow, in her "Rosemary's Baby" haircut and attire, staring into her mirror. With horror in her eyes, Farrow then turns around, Ally jumps, and then we cut to the opening credits.

In the next scene, we see Ally sitting at her breakfast table with roommate Renee. She then proceeds to tell Renee that she thinks she is being haunted. "What is it this time, Ally? Dancing babies? Al Green? Gloria Gaynor?" Renee responds. Ally, somewhat miffed, responds, "Noooo…..I think it's Mia Farrow." Renee is surprised as Ally continues to tell her that she is dressed as she was when she appeared in "Rosemary's Baby" and says that it is really frightening to see her.

After this Ally proceeds to walk quickly to work, for it is still raining, and Vonda Shepard begins to sing "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" in the background. Ally begins to get more frantic as she sees Farrow in several places: staring into the same store display as Ally, buying coffee at the same Starbucks, etc. She even appears as the person whom Ally buys her morning paper from. The background song remains through this, emphasizing Ally's fear and paranoia. She finally arrives at the office and the music skids to a stop.

When we next see Ally, she is skulking around the office, on the look-out for a Farrow sighting. She makes it unscathed to her office and shuts the door behind her and is relieved until she sees Billy, or what must be an apparition of Billy, seated at her desk. She jumps and screams upon seeing this, but Billy just laughs. She tells him of the Mia Farrow visions she's been having and Billy brings up that when they were younger they watched "Rosemary's Baby" together, sharing their first real scare from a movie. She laughs a little too and they briefly reminisce about the experience.

Then Ally, jokingly, utters the fateful words: "You know, I'd sell my soul to the devil, Billy, if it meant I could have you back…and alive…and mine!" She looks up and smiles at him and then is startled when he instantly disappears. All of a sudden there is a flash of smoke and Richard Fish appears in a black suit, white shirt, red tie, and a pair of cheap Halloween devil horns atop his head.

Pact Scene:

Ally: (eyes wide, apparently both shocked and horrified) Richard!!!

Richard: What…were you expecting Al Pacino?? Come on Ally, this is TV. We don't have that kind of budget.

Ally: (a little confused) What?…No, I guess I was expecting Nelle.

Richard: Nelle, yes…She is one of my finest protégées, but really…the look she chose for herself. Gorgeous body, long blond hair, blue eyes…too perfect I think, almost like some kind of cherubim all grown up. And her name, Nelle? Come on, Nelle, hell? It's a little obvious, don't you think? I'm not one for wordplay; I prefer symbols. I wanted to be creative. You know, Fish. We're slippery and slimy --

Ally: (interrupting) Those are eels, Richard.

Richard: Oh…yes…bygones. So…(smiling) are you surprised?

Ally: (pouting a bit) I don't know…a little.

Richard: Yeah, I guess I wasn't too good at hiding it. Georgia really hit the nail on the head with that "sexually charged workplace" thing. It was difficult not making this place look like a den of iniquity. And once I brought Ling in…wooo…I really thought the cover was going to be blown then. (Ally gives him a dirty, angry look) Oh, but this is about you Ally. So you want Billy back?

Ally: (resuming pout and looking embarrassed) Yeah, I guess I do…(getting angry again) And it was a really lousy thing to do, taking him away from us like that!!

Richard: Well Ally, I have to do things like that sometimes. I am the devil, you know?

Ally: Yeah, yeah. I guess. But that doesn't make it right.

Richard: So you and Billy. I can do it, you know. I can set you guys up like you always were together, and no one would know the difference -- except you and I of course. I could make it so that you two got married. Georgia'd POOF be gone! He'd be all yours!

Ally: (smiling a childlike smile) That would be wonderful!… (playfully) But don't I have to sell you my soul or something?

Richard: Ally, you're a lawyer…you don't have a soul!

Ally: Richard!!!

Richard: Bygones. No, no…you do have soul, buried somewhere in there and I'll get it, if you want to do this.

Ally: (looks down at desk and sees a picture of Billy smiling, she reaches out and touches it…softly she responds) Yes…yes, I want him back.

Richard: (looking peculiarly pensive) Oh Ally!!

Ally: Richard, are you crying? Are you crying for me? You're sad because you don't want me to end up in hell with you.

Richard: (quickly wiping away tear, but speaking in a voice that sounds as if he was crying) No, no…that's not it. It's just you mortals…and marriage and fidelity and monogamy. I just think it's so sad! Such pleasure wasted! Why buy the cow when you get the milk for free?!? (cow bell rings)

Ally: (groans and looks a bit disgusted) Richard!! That's awful!

Richard: (with complete composure back) What? Who needs love when there's sex? Come on, Ally. Anyway, I do need you to sign a contract.

Ally: (said sarcastically) What, like in blood?

Richard: (essentially stroking her waddle…) Well, actually…(…at the last second pricking her under the chin)…yes!

Ally: Ooowww!! Richard! You just fingered my waddle and made me bleed!

Richard: Bygones…anyway, here's some blood…sign right there…on the dotted line (smiling).

Ally: So…what happens now?

Richard: Well, as soon as I leave, everything will be how you wanted it. Billy will change from a rotting corpse into your lively husband and no one will know the difference. Everyone around here will think that this is how it's always been. Great, huh? (smiling again)…Oh but there is one term of the contract I forgot to discuss…

Ally: What?!? I think all terms are supposed to be discussed BEFORE the parties sign the contract!!

Richard: Ally, I'm the devil. I have to do things like this. It's my job, you understand, don't you?

Ally: What are the terms?

Richard: Well just one term. I mean, this can't last forever, you know. I have to get your soul at some point. So if you ever decide you don't want Billy anymore, if ever you should tell him, "Go away!! You are so repulsive!!" then, well, I win!! And you become, well, mine forever.

Ally: (smiling smugly herself) Fine! Because I know that is never going to happen!

Richard: Don't be too sure!!

Ally: I can be sure of this.

Richard: Didn't anyone ever tell you, "Be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it"?

Ally: What?? (Richard, in another flash of smoke, disappears. Instantly, Billy walks in)

Billy: Hey, sweetie! (leans over the desk and kisses her. Ally is shocked. She looks up at him, and then down at his picture, which has now changed to a wedding picture of the two of them, though his expression in the picture is unchanged from the earlier one) I'm not going to be home for dinner tonight, and I just wanted to tell you that now because I'm on my way to court and I don't know if I'll get a chance to talk to you later.

Synopsis of Second Part of Episode:

For the rest of the episode, we see glimpses of Ally's new life with Billy. At first it appears to be somewhat idyllic. But slowly, things take a turn for the worst. Some of Billy's misogynistic tendencies appear, though not as sharply as they had in previous episodes. Ally often becomes angry with Billy, and he just cannot seem to understand her.

The turning point comes when Ally discovers that Billy has been cheating on her with a young, blond lawyer named Georgia. Ally is shocked by this and demands an explanation -- but not from Billy. From Richard. He explains to her that her eternal happiness was never part of the bargain; it was not something she specifically asked for and therefore was not included in the contract. Richard points out that she requested Billy back, alive, and hers; there is nothing about her being wholly satisfied with him and forever content. Ally is distraught by this technicality but Richard will not budge, noting that, "A deal's a deal."

Things continue on in this manner until Ally can no longer stand it. One night he comes home late, smelling of perfume and Ally shouts, "Get out!!" At that, everything comes to a halt and background turns to a very poorly done hell backdrop, something out of high-school stage production. Richard informs her that she is now his and a computer-graphic enhanced waddle begins to grow on Ally. "Oh Richard!" she shouts.

She continues shouting this until Renee comes in and shakes her awake, for this was all a dream. "Having a nice dream about Fish, are you?" Renee sarcastically jokes. Ally tries to explain that he's the devil and Billy was alive but she becomes tongue-tied and confused and Renee, perplexed, leaves Ally to herself. A specter of Billy then comes in and tells her, "See…it may not have been what you'd hoped." "You did this?" she questions him. "No, not exactly…I guess I played a part though," he responds. After talking for a bit more, Ally comes to the realization that her and Billy really were not meant to be together. She is able to come to terms with his death, and she can begin to finally move on. She looks out the window and sees a sunny day. Vonda Shepard sings, "I Can See Cleary Now" as the show goes to credits.