Concluding its fall run with a devastating plot turn, All Rise completed its recovery from a misstep early in the season and majorly raised the stakes. The closing moments of the midseason finale, "The Perils of the Plea,” wouldn’t have been such an effective gut punch if the preceding episodes hadn’t been as strong as they were. In its debut season, the show was comfort food with its assortment of charismatic, sharp characters fighting the good fight for love, friendship, justice, and all that. All Rise still brings plenty of comfort to the table, but it’s also serving up a strong sense of empathy. Perhaps the behind-the-scenes trouble the show had earlier this year produced this new willingness to tap into the real world heartbreaks it’s so deftly navigating this season.