Okay, so the bear plot “Nevada vs. Dennis” was a little lame.

However, I’m glad the case led to Nick’s first onscreen, post-divorce crush. Not only was it amusing because she was a client, (after all, Pete is the one typically cavorting with clients), but she was the sister of ADA rival Thomas Cole.

Cole is the rigid, rule-following District Attorney who is constantly competing against Nick and Pete. While usually eager to take down his opponents, this episode showed Cole in a different light.

In fact, the relationship of Cole and Nick was similar to that of athletes. On the court, they are focused on the job and the goal of victory. However, when they aren’t battling in the courtroom, the two seemed rather cordial and friendly.

Cole is certainly skilled as a lawyer and proficient in the courtroom, but when taken out of his element he seems a little awkward. Maybe that’s because he had to deal with a flirtatious Nick, who honestly finds a way to be smooth just about all of the time, and who clearly crushed on his sister.

This provided for the comic relief of the episode. The best example of this was during one of the final scenes, as Cole waited to meet with Nick. His uncomfortable attitude while sitting next to what considered to be unsavory clients was priceless. Yet, it was after he arrived in Nick's office where the banter between him, a lovelorn Nick and a jesting Pete made for my highlight of the hour.

When the comedy is on, it’s on.

As for the more central issue, which involved a young boy caught with guns without their serial numbers, it illustrated the complexity of how a case is handled. The deals and discussions illustrated the politics and agendas of everyone. There is certainly a lot more to a case than simply what takes place inside the courtroom.

The U.S. Attorney wanted info from Cody on his grandfather, Paul Dennis, and in return they would use their power to get Cody dismissed from his case. The Gun Coalition was trying to use Cody as a poster child for their efforts on changing gun control. Even Dennis tried to push his beliefs on Cody so he would stand up for his ideals.

But it was Pete who stood up for his client. He didn’t agree with Dennis’ beliefs, but he did care about Cody. This was a far better performance than his over the top frustrated and passionate dialogue in “Nevada v. Carter.”

I liked the way Pete tried to work the system to protect his client and, at the same time, came across as a realistically dedicated, caring, and proficient lawyer.

Following a few weeks off, The Defenders came back with a decent episode. It certainly made for a fun way to conclude my Wednesday night.

Sean McKenna was a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. He retired in May of 2017. Follow him on Twitter.