The Guardian (season 3)

The 3rd and final season of The Guardian premiered on CBS on September 23, 2003, and concluded on May 4, 2004.

The Guardian (season 3)
Season 3 U.S. DVD Cover
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	22
Release
Original network	CBS
Original release	September 23, 2003 – May 4, 2004

Cast and characters

Main cast

• Simon Baker as Nicholas "Nick" Fallin
• Dabney Coleman as Burton Fallin
• Alan Rosenberg as Alvin Masterson
• Wendy Moniz as Louisa "Lulu" Archer
• Raphael Sbarge as Jake Straka
• Charles Malik Whitfield as James Mooney
• Amanda Michalka as Shannon Gressler
• Erica Leerhsen as Amanda Bowles
• Kathleen Chalfant as Laurie Solt

Episodes

No. in series	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Production code
46	1	"Carnival"	Félix Alcalá	David Hollander & Rick Eid	September 23, 2003	301
Nick fights to keep a small boy whose mother performs in a traveling carnival in DCF custody when he claims he was molested by the carnival owner.
47	2	"Big Coal"	Mel Damski	David Hollander & Nick Santora	September 30, 2003	302
Pressured to bring his own new business to the firm, Nick and Sadie Harper, Fallin & Fallin's new defense attorney associate, must get a town of 23 people to sign release settlements in order for Nick to land a huge coal manufacturer as a client.
48	3	"The Line"	Joan Tewkesbury	Barry M. Schkolnick	October 7, 2003	303
Nick gets caught between father/son clients when the sale of their family department store becomes complicated with a class action lawsuit from several African American customers claiming discrimination.
49	4	"The Daughter-Father Dance"	Steve Gomer	David Hollander & Jennifer Johnson	October 14, 2003	304
A married couple wants Burton to sue a fertility clinic when their child is born black.
50	5	"Shame"	John Heath	David Hollander & Rick Eid	October 21, 2003	305
When Fallin & Fallin's credit line is called in, Nick tries to get a longtime Fallin client who owes millions to pay in full.
51	6	"Let's Spend the Night Together"	Michael Zinberg	Rick Eid	October 28, 2003	306
When Lulu's father decides to stay at her place, she and Nick agree they still have feelings for each other and agree to move in together. Jake learns a secret his father has hidden for years when his father announces he and Jake's mother will divorce. Lulu's father tries to impede her relationship with Nick while asking her to invest in his new painting business.
52	7	"Hazel Park"	Emilio Estevez	David Hollander & Tom Smuts	November 4, 2003	307
As part of his community service, Nick is reassigned to help clean up an inner city park, where he meets a former LSP client he does not remember. He helps the boy by calling a community college despite the boy stealing his wallet. Burton's new client is a mother putting her son up for adoption because she can't afford to care for him, while he also moves to adopt Shannon despite her natural father trying to obstruct it.
53	8	"Believe"	Peter Medak	David Hollander & Jennifer Johnson	November 11, 2003	308
LSP and Victoria Little form AIDS Relief Alliance. Nick becomes medical guardian to two children one of whom may have the disease. Lulu tells Nick she's pregnant but is unnerved by his marriage proposal, which seems too casual. Nick's client wouldn't give blood test and turns out HIV positive. Alvin and Victoria may have feelings for each other.
54	9	"Let God Sort 'Em Out"	Félix Alcalá	Nick Santora	November 25, 2003	309
When Fallin & Fallin evict squatters from land being used for future developments, the ripple effect at LSP is tremendous.
55	10	"Swimming"	James Bagdonas	David Hollander & Rick Eid	December 16, 2003	310
Nick and Suzanne Pell attempt to help Josh, a client at LSP, after he is locked in a closet for disciplinary measures at a teen boot camp.
56	11	"Legacy"	Nancy Malone	David Hollander & Rick Eid	January 6, 2004	311
Nick must find a kid a home after his father, who was recently let go from Kane Industries, went crazy and shot his boss and several other coworkers in a conference room during a meeting. Meanwhile, Burton wants Nick as the firm's managing partner. Burton also fears Eric Kane isn't ready to return to work without dealing with the shooting's trauma.
57	12	"Beautiful Blue Mystic"	Mel Damski	David Hollander	January 13, 2004	312
Lulu dumps Nick over his affair with Suzanne, and he takes a drug called Beautiful Blue Mystic---unaware it injured the firm and LSP. He goes to rehab for help and learns his would-be counselor Anne needs help placing her son after she learns she's dying. Lulu also confronts Suzanne.
58	13	"Amends"	Bill L. Norton	David Hollander & Jennifer Johnson	January 27, 2004	313
Nick learns it's hard to regain the trust of those he's hurt, including Lulu and Suzanne, while Alvin thinks he's rushing through his recovery steps. Burton thinks Nick isn't ready for a heavy caseload. Lulu tries placing Connor Adams---whose father was killed in a bus accident the man's racist remarks to the driver may have provoked---in foster care. She also now understands Nick's affair with Suzanne.
59	14	"All Is Mended"	Emilio Estevez	David Hollander & Tom Smuts	February 10, 2004	314
Nick learns from Lulu that his unborn baby has Down Syndrome and he helps a Down's patient named Mark---whose case he took to learn more about Down's---set up a trust fund. Kate Shaw asks Jake to take an AIDS test after helping him to join a country club.
60	15	"Without Consent"	Vahan Moosekian	Rick Eid	February 17, 2004	315
Jake lies about his injury but Burton and Maureen learn the truth. Nick has to decide whether a boy named Luke should live in foster care or with his father after seeing his mother deeply affectionate with his best friend. Lulu wants a trust fund for her unborn child that Nick agrees to help set up. Jake refuses to testify against his attacker---but delivers an ultimatum to his former partner.
61	16	"Sparkle"	Steve Gomer	David Hollander & Barry M. Schkolnick	February 24, 2004	316
Nick tries to find an unwanted foster child, Philip, a home when his adoption is halted over the couple's newborn's injury. Shannon posed for photographer Malcolm Reeves, angering Burton who learns Roy signed the papers allowing it. Philip's adoptive mother turns out to suffer post-partum depression. Shannon runs away with Malcolm.
62	17	"The Watchers"	Emilio Estevez	David Hollander & Nick Santora	March 2, 2004	317
Burton struggles with vertigo while Nick takes his place and tracks Shannon down through a prostitute, Dina, and her daughter Violet. Malcolm turns out to be arrested on pornography charges including possible child porn. Alvin reveals he's proposed to Victoria.
63	18	"The Bachelor Party"	Alan Rosenberg	David Hollander & Rick Eid	March 9, 2004	318
Alvin tells Nick he's been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease) and asks Nick to go to Los Angeles with him for a bachelor party-like weekend. Both men are unaware at first that Lulu overheard Alvin reveal the diagnosis. The trip causes Nick to miss a key meeting at Fallin & Fallin, but gives him an insight into Alvin's courage. Alvin hopes to see the son he hasn't seen since the boy was age seven. After rejecting the visit, the boy's mother agrees to let Alvin see him thanks to Nick's intercession.
64	19	"Remember"	Bill L. Norton	David Hollander & Tom Smuts	April 6, 2004	319
Alvin tells Nick his ALS may affect his relationship with Victoria later; later, Alvin reveals Victoria changed her mind about the marriage. Meanwhile, during an investigation into a series of killings in which the victims were accused child molesters, Alvin balks at turning LSP client files over to a court. Nick defends a sexually abused teenage boy who wants to protect his father from being implicated in the crime, even though it appears that his father was the abuser.
65	20	"The Vote"	Mel Damski	Jennifer Johnson & Rick Eid	April 20, 2004	320
Burton thinks only too well of Sandra, a somewhat new lawyer at the firm whom he's seeing socially, which may cloud Nick's future though Burton thinks she's not ready to be a partner. Sandra files a sexual discrimination suit against the firm after her partnership bid is rejected in a close vote. Jake decides to move the partners against Nick. Nick and Jake battle wills when they try to get an elderly and sick client declared incompetent when his wife and partner disagree with the terms of a corporate sale. Burton and Sandra agree not to see each other socially anymore, for the time being.
66	21	"Blood In, Blood Out"	Joan Tewkesbury	David Hollander & Nick Santora	April 27, 2004	321
Nick takes on two cases involving two boys, including one accused of raping a girl pregnant with his baby. Alvin defends Talik Allen---the former LSP client who shot James to death after James admitted attacking him over killing James's nephew---and faces the death penalty. Alvin gives Nick a special fountain pen to celebrate Nick's pending probation end. One of Nick's clients steals the pen and stabs the other with it. Led by Jake, who thinks Nick threatened him, the firm's partners take a vote and kick Nick out of the partnership, despite Burton's attempts to keep his son's name on the door.
67	22	"Antarctica"	David Hollander	David Hollander & Rick Eid	May 4, 2004	322
The series finale: Nick's probation ends as he's forced from Fallin & Fallin and hires on at corporate law firm Walter & McNeil. Lulu delivers her baby girl prematurely. With Nick's help after telling Nick of Talik's troubled life, Alvin tries to stop Talik's execution over new evidence of brain damage. Lulu and Nick discuss naming the baby and agree she should have full custody after Nick learns she wants to work at LSP part time to care for the baby. Alvin resigns from LSP over his illness. Burton leaves Fallin & Fallin thinking Nick's heart isn't in corporate law. Nick leaves Walter & McNeil, reluctantly tells Talik the final appeal failed, and realises Lulu can't feel as she once did for him. Alvin leaves LSP for the final time. Nick accepts Alvin's old job running LSP.

References