This recap contains unmarked SPOILERS per policy. You Have Been Warned
Peggy Riordan, the wife of the Governor of Connecticut Michael Riordan, is murdered at a fundraising lunch. Governor Riordan has an illicit agreement with corporate mogul Richard Kaplan (Ċ½eljko Ivanek) to favor Kaplan's companies for lucrative contracts. Riordan also gave Kaplan's boyfriend Devin Bradley (Jeremy Webb) a job, but has been sexually harassing Devin, and Mrs. Riordan found out. Devin tells the detectives that Kaplan killed Mrs. Riordan because if she told anyone, Riordan would be forced to resign and his agreement with Kaplan would be over. Kaplan is charged with Mrs. Riordan's murder.
The trial rests on Devin telling the jury that Kaplan admitted to killing Mrs. Riordan. But Kaplan's lawyer reveals Devin and Kaplan secretly married months before, thus Kaplan's confession is privileged communication. McCoy goes to the Supreme Court to argue that same-sex marriage isn't legally valid in the state of New York; and ultimately wins. Devin refuses to testify anyway, saying that he cannot support McCoy's decision to ruin the lives of hundreds of happily married gay couples. He is jailed for contempt of court. McCoy can't win the case without Devin's testimony, so he convinces Kaplan to take a plea in exchange for dropping the contempt charges against Devin (whom Kaplan genuinely loves.)
This episode contains examples of:
- The Beard: Riordan's wife was married to the Armored Closet Gay politician and had children with him. She isn't happy when she finds out.
- Black-and-Grey Morality: McCoy (grey) is extremely unsympathetic in this episode in his pursuit to invalidate a gay marriage, but he's also right that Kaplan (black) murdered someone.
- Camp Gay: Devin fits this trope. Fontana refers to stereotypes of camp gay men and says he should have known Riordan was gay too.
- Corrupt Corporate Executive: Richard Kaplan murdered Riordan's wife when she threatened to take down his career...but not for sexually harassing his husband, but because it threatened his corrupt business.
- "Could Have Avoided This!" Plot: Devin directly tells McCoy that he would've testified; while he loves Richard, he knows he's a murderer. Then, when he found out McCoy planned to invalidate all the other happy marriages, he took a stand for his principles.
- Depraved Homosexual:
- The governor of Connecticut, Michael Riordan, is an Armored Closet Gay and sexually harassed Devin Bradley.
- Richard Kaplan is another Armored Closet Gay man who murdered Riordan's wife when she threatened to take down his career...but not for sexually harassing his husband, but because it threatened his corrupt business.
- Even Evil Has Loved Ones: Richard seems to genuinely love Devin, as he appears on the verge of tears when he said he won't let him stay in prison.
- Meaningless Villain Victory: McCoy admits he's not happy about challenging the legal statuses on gay marriage, but does it anyway because he needs Devin Bradley to testify. It's All for Nothing anyway, as when McCoy gets his marriage voided, Bradley refuses to testify out of moral obligation. Just to rub it in, Devin admits he would have happily testified before McCoy decided it was easier to invalidate hundreds of happy marriages than to ask him.
- Platonic Prostitution: Richard has no interest in women, but he still takes a prostitute to official galas.
- Ripped from the Headlines: Based on a then-recent decision by the Supreme Court to invalidate gay marriages performed in New York State.
- Screw the Rules, I Have Connections!: Mrs. Riordan was killed to protect her husband's illegal agreement with Kaplan to favor him for contracts. Kaplan also got his own husband a job with Riordan; Devin admits that most employers consider his degree in art history useless, and he'd be struggling if not for Kaplan's connections.
- Spousal Privilege: A key facet of the case.
- Take a Third Option:
- Bradley doesn't want to testify, but is willing to do so. Then, after Kaplan's lawyers object, McCoy takes it to the Supreme Court, who makes him testify. He then pointedly objects because he wants to stand up for the validity of his marriage.
- McCoy gets Kaplan to cut a deal, after losing his chance at winning the court case, because he reminds Kaplan that he loves Devin and doesn't want him to go to prison.
- What the Hell, Hero?: Selena's response to McCoy when she finds out he's trying to invalidate a gay marriage.
