• Air date: 14 Sep '98 23 episodes
      The second season of the television series Ally McBeal commenced airing in the United States on September 14, 1998, concluded on May 24, 1999, and consisted of 23 episodes. On March 22, 1999, Fox aired a special titled Life and Trials of Ally McBeal in which Bill Maher interviewed the cast after nearly finishing two seasons of the show. The special was produced by a different company. The entire season originally aired Mondays at 9pm, just like the season before. It was released on DVD as a six disc boxed set under the title of Ally McBeal: Season Two on October 7, 2002. and the U.S. on April 6, 2010. The second season had an average rating of 13.8 million viewers in the United States and was ranked #20 on the complete ranking sheet of all the year's shows. This was the highest rated season of Ally McBeal. On the 51st Primetime Emmy Awards, the show won three Emmy Awards in the categories of Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy Series or a Special for the episode Love's Illusions, and the Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for Tracey Ullman's portrayal of Dr. Tracy on the episode Sideshow. On the 56th Golden Globe Awards, the show won in the category of Best Series second year in a row.
  • List of Episodes (23)
    • 1. The Real World

      14 Sep '98
      Feeling nervous that the firm is not making enough money, Fish and Cage decide to hire another associate, a "rainmaker" who can bring in lucrative clients. They hire Nelle Porter, an attractive, late 20's litigator from a respectable firm. On her first day, Nelle manages to irritate Ally, Georgia and Elaine, but Fish and Cage seem very pleased with her. Ally defends a woman in her late-30's accused of having sex with a minor. When the boy testifies, Ally finds herself attracted to him. Meanwhile
    • 2. They Eat Horses, Don't They?

      21 Sep '98
      Ally is feeling increasingly antipathetic towards Nelle Porter. She thinks Nelle brings out the darker side of the firm. Nelle represents a First Amendment case about a popular radio talk show host, ala Howard Stern, who is accused of inciting a hostile work atmosphere through his vulgar discourse. Nelle triumphs by implying that the talk show host has certain sexual dysfunctions, then promptly drops the case as a legal tactic. Ally becomes disgusted. Cage takes on the case of a restaurant owner
    • 3. Fools Night Out

      28 Sep '98
      Nelle is already making her presence felt in the change of office atmosphere when Fish dumps another groundless case on Georgia. Ling Woo, the unpleasant plant manager, is back to sue a nurse in her sister's plastic surgeon's office for misrepresentation of results from breast implant surgery. Georgia would love to drop the case but can't. She confronts Nelle for dumping it on her anyway, but Nelle justifies the reassignment by saying she and Ling are friends and would end up hating each other a
    • 4. It's My Party

      19 Oct '98
      Elaine refers a client, George Madison, to the firm who is suing a prominent feminist magazine for wrongful dismissal. The new editor in chief decided to disqualify him for the job because of his religion's views on women. George is confident in the firm and retains the services of Cage. Ally finds herself unmistakably moved by and attracted to their new client. Elaine lets Ally believe she and George are 'involved' and Ally tries to back off accordingly. Ally tries to keep her fantasies about G
    • 5. Story of Love

      26 Oct '98
      Ally gets arrested for fighting with Hanna, a distraught young woman who is struggling with her best friend stealing her boyfriend. Ally offers to represent her later in court, only to learn that Hanna has a habit of firing her lawyers. George Madison meanwhile has come back to the firm to get some legal counsel in starting up his own magazine. He hopes Ally will help him, much to Elaine's chagrin. Elaine, desperate to win George over, sits Ally down for a heart to heart talk and asks Ally not t
    • 6. World's Without Love

      02 Nov '98
      Renee bumps into an old flame from high school and must decide if she wants to reignite the love of her life that happens to be married. Ally represents a Nun who lost her job because she broke her vows of celibacy. Stefan, the frog, re-appears but nearly dies in the process, leaving Cage sitting vigil over the comatose tree frog.
    • 7. Happy Trails

      09 Nov '98
      Ally finally shakes the pesky Wallace. Ling rescues Stefan the frog from a suicide jump only to have him served up as dinner. The gang at the firm mourns the untimely death of Judge Happy Boyle.
    • 8. Just Looking

      16 Nov '98
      A group of mothers against pornography is trying to shut down Ling's female mud-wrestling club. Ally gets herself into a strange predicament just before a big date with a handsome former flame of Georgia's. Fish and Cage go undercover at the mud-wrestling club to do 'research' for the case.
    • 9. You Never Can Tell

      23 Nov '98
      Renee inadvertently sets Ally up on a dull but persistent blind date. On this blind date, Ally gets her fingers stuck in a bowling ball. Nelle and Cage's first date has disastrous results.
    • 10. Making Spirits Bright

      14 Dec '98
      Fish throws his annual Christmas bash as Ally and Billy get drawn into a high stakes case involving a wealthy bond trader claiming wrongful termination. Renee and Matt consummate their affair but with painful consequences. Ling tries out Christmas cheer but it doesn't work. Cage tries to be the aggressor with Nelle with a little help from Ally and some mistletoe.
    • 11. In Dreams

      11 Jan '99
      Upon discovering her favorite high school teacher is terminally ill, Ally seeks a court order to allow the women to spend her remaining days in a drug-induced coma, happily dreaming of her imaginary lover. Cage must gather his courage to confront Nelle after Fish tells him she thinks Cage has not had sex with her because he's gay.
    • 12. Love Unlimited

      18 Jan '99
      Ally defends a woman coming out of a nine-year marriage whose husband, claiming mental incompetence, wants to have the marriage annulled. Nelle and Cage are having rocky times in their relationship. Ally and Dr. Butters come to a new understanding after he hears her impassioned defense of a client in court.
    • 13. Angels and Blimps

      08 Feb '99
      The lawyers are shocked to discover Ling has been keeping a secret. Ally visits Dr. Butters at the hospital one day and sees he's treating a terminally ill little boy. The little boy, Eric Stall, sees Ally in the doorway and finds out that she is a lawyer. He asks if he can retain her services because he wants to sue God. Ally tries to tell him it's not possible, but Ling, who was at the hospital at the same time, overhears and tells the boy not to listen to Ally.
    • 14. Pyramids on the Nile

      15 Feb '99
      Fish announces that the most unlikely person has been hired as the firm's latest attorney. Appeals to John Cage go nowhere as he feels he has no choice but to support his partner's decision to hire her. Sun Company, in an attempt to minimize their liability and exposure to potential sexual harassment suits when office romances go bad now require romantically involved employees to notify their supervisor of the relationship and sign a "Love Contract" which holds the company harmless if things don
    • 15. Sideshow

      22 Feb '99
      When we last saw Ally she was in shock over her encounter with Billy. Ally realizes her life is in crisis and that everything she does from this moment on could mean a lifetime of happiness or bitter disappointment. That's when she makes a decision not to be passive and do something about her life.
    • 16. Sex, Lies and Politics

      01 Mar '99
      Ally is guilt ridden by her encounter with Billy. She goes to see Dr. Tracy Clark and discusses subsequent revelations, which surfaced during their session. Ally stresses over her relationship with Georgia. Should she confess all to her or keep her dirty little secret? Everything tells her to hold back, but where will she find comfort and forgiveness? Cage is working on a case in which they represent the plaintiff; a bookstore owner who lost her business after a conservative State Senator runnin
    • 17. Civil War

      05 Apr '99
      Word that Billy and Ally came perilously close to an adulterous affair is spreading through the law firm. What is most uncomfortable are the icy stares and cold shoulders Georgia is throwing Ally's way. But who can blame her? The adversarial relationship between the two women is played out in a most unusual way.
    • 18. Those Lips, That Hand

      19 Apr '99
      Cage and Fish's firm gets a capital case to defend a man accused of murdering his comatose wife. He insists he fired up the chainsaw and cut off her hand after she was dead. Renee, who is prosecuting, has the testimony of the coroner who thinks the wife was alive and that the amateur surgery gave her a heart attack. Billy and Georgia continue to patch up their marriage after Billy's indiscretion with Ally. Billy and Georgia are working on a case in which they are representing a man suing to get
    • 19. Let's Dance

      26 Apr '99
      Cage continues to ride the high of his birthday gift from Nelle. It was a life changing night and has had a profound effect on his view of himself and his self-esteem in regards to women. The firm is defending another law firm, Johnson Biblico, in a suit alleging sex discrimination. Elaine is distraught that she won't be able to compete in the swing dance competition since her partner pulled his Achilles heel. Her hopes are raised when Ling reveals that she can dance swing and offers to enter wi
    • 20. Only the Lonely

      03 May '99
      In a land where everyone has the opportunity to make a fortune, it seems that now it's Elaine's turn. The members of Fish & Cage congregate at Ally's house for an "infomercial party" that celebrates the marketing of Elaine's "Face Bra". Unfortunately, Elaine's family sues her for royalties claiming that Elaine stole the idea from her cousin Martha just before Martha's untimely death. Ally agrees to represent Elaine but when depositions appear to nail Elaine, Georgia is the first to suggest they
    • 21. The Green Monster

      10 May '99
      Fish and Cage find themselves representing the soon to be ex-wife of a philanderer who is suing not just for divorce but for property damages as well. The case has loser written all over it and Cage is insisting they settle while Fish is convinced they can win it. Since Ally's indiscretion with Billy, Greg has been ignoring Ally's phone calls and spending more time in the company of other women. Ally feels terrible that a great guy seems to be getting away. Billy does not like the attention that
    • 22. Love's Illusions

      17 May '99
      Ally is having weird dreams about moments from her childhood, some good, some painful. But each compels her to wrestle with the question of true love. Can it be real or must it inevitably be just an illusion? Ally's latest case is calling the issue into question as she and John Cage are representing a woman charged in Criminal Court with fraud. Barry Philbrick has testified that his wife, Kelly Philbrick married him solely for his money. He claims that at the time of their marriage, she wasn't i
    • 23. I Know Him By Heart

      24 May '99
      Ally's heart is broken and not by Billy or Greg. It's just one big stress fracture. She's come to the realization that there isn't anyone out there for her. She has her image of the perfect man, but is beginning to believe that he does not exist. Surprisingly, a pep talk from Fish leads Ally to become more proactive about her love life. Working on the, "you have to kiss a lot of frogs before finding Prince Charming theory", Ally decides to go on a dating frenzy. She also decides to go for a tota