Characters
Every time I get depressed, I raise my hemline. If things don't change, I'm bound to be arrested.
— Ally • Ally McBeal
Behind the line May contain spoilers.
Our reading
An editorial interpretation.
Ally jokes that she raises her hemline whenever she's down. If her mood doesn't improve, she'll eventually get arrested. The humour is in the escalating logic, where sadness leads to ever shorter skirts and finally to the law.
Context reviewed