The Moment Everyone Remembers
Ask anyone about the most controversial episode of L.A. Law, and they’ll likely point to Season 5’s “He’s a Crowd,” which aired on February 7, 1991. It’s the episode that broke a major television barrier, featuring what is widely cited as the first romantic
kiss between two women on a U.S. network drama. The scene involved associate Abby Perkins (Michele Greene) and her bisexual British colleague, C.J. Lamb (Amanda Donohoe). After a celebratory dinner, the two shared a brief, gentle kiss that sent shockwaves through pop culture. It was a landmark moment that generated massive media attention and became a key entry in LGBTQ+ television history. Though a handful of advertisers pulled their commercials, the public outcry was surprisingly minimal, cementing the episode's place as a historic television event.
A 'Historic' Kiss with an Asterisk
While the kiss was groundbreaking, its legacy is complicated. The moment occurred during sweeps, a crucial period for networks to attract viewers and set ad rates, leading many, including actress Michele Greene, to later identify it as a ratings ploy. The episode started a trend that became known as the "lesbian kiss episode": a one-off event designed to create buzz without any meaningful follow-through. True to form, the potential romance between Abby and C.J. was never explored. C.J. was later written off the show, and Abby eventually ended up with a man before her character departed the series. The kiss opened a door, but as one TV writer later noted, the industry wasn't ready to walk through it, leaving the historic moment feeling more like a gimmick than genuine progress.
The Dark Storyline That Faded Away
This is where the "hidden" part of the headline comes in. Lost in the commotion over the kiss was the episode's A-plot, a storyline so dark it may have been deliberately forgotten by audiences. The title, "He's a Crowd," actually refers to the main case, in which star attorney Michael Kuzak defends a man accused of murder who suffers from what was then known as multiple personality disorder. The client, played by accomplished guest star David Ogden Stiers, presented a complex and disturbing legal and psychological puzzle. During the trial, a previously unknown personality emerges and confesses to the crime, creating a grim, unsettling narrative that stood in stark contrast to the show's usual mix of slick courtroom drama and romantic subplots.
Why We Only Remember Half the Story
So why did one plot become a cultural touchstone while the other became a piece of trivia? The answer lies in their nature. The kiss, however fleeting, was a singular, easily digestible, and visually memorable moment of social rebellion. It was perfect for headlines and water-cooler chat. In contrast, the multiple personality disorder storyline was murky, complex, and deeply uncomfortable. It offered no easy resolution or triumphant moment for the audience to rally behind. It was challenging television that didn't fit neatly into the pop culture narrative. The kiss was a symbol of pushing boundaries outward, into new social territory. The other plot was a journey inward, into the unsettling depths of a fractured mind, a place many viewers were perhaps not eager to revisit.
