Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Boston Legal the Final Season: Will Crane, Poole & Schmidt go under? Will Denny Crane live?


Boston Legal, the sexy, sassy, politically charged courtroom thriller starring James Spader, William Shatner and Candice Bergen is in its final season.


How will it all end?? Will Crane Poole and Schmidt dissolve? Will Alan be disbarred? Will Denny Crane die?

If you've missed out on the first five episodes of the season here is a quick recap:

SPOILER ALERT! (If you're like my good friend and watch Boston Legal on DVD (so you are behind) STOP READING!!

Episode 501--"Smoke Signals:" Alan Shore takes on Big Tobacco, and of course, wins ($2.6 Million to be exact) :) Denny had some difficulty "saluting the flag" or as he put it "my junk doesn't work" and to help him with his "issue" Shirley Schmidt lends Denny her high school cheer leading uniform.

Episode 502--"Guardians and Gatekeepers:" In the opening scene Denny Crane almost collapses and almost dies from the toxic interactions of the 28 different prescriptions he is taking (he of course is self-proscribing these and buying them on the Internet) Alan Shore has to give him mouth to mouth (...Denny was later disappointed that Shirley did not step up to give him the kiss of life)
Since Denny nearly died, Alan Shore decides to take on Big Pharmaceuticals. Why not? He just beat Big Tobacco the week before. I support it. Alan manages to fend off a motion to dismiss--so it's go time. I'm sure we'll see more of this case throughout the season.

Episode 503--"Dances with Wolves:" As a man attempts to mug Denny and Jerry, Denny Crane shoots him (oops, he did it again) three times in self-defense. Denny is arrested (that's right, again) for carrying a concealed firearm--well technically for carrying about 5 concealed weapons and a blowtorch in his pants when they arrested him. Denny wants Carl Sack and Jerry to defend him (he thinks Alan is too "anti-gun").

Notable quotes of that week go to Denny (of course)...

Denny's trial is all about how he did not have a permit to carry a concealed weapon. When asked why he did not have a permit Denny responds...Well, I had a note from Dick Cheney."

While he was on the stand during cross examination, Denny is asked how he possibly thinks that the Constitution gives him a right to carry a concealed weapon Denny responds...
"Look, the Constitution says whatever the Supreme Court says it says and what the Supreme Court says depends on who is president. Let's face it, when you've got a president who loves guns and a vice president who hunts lawyers and quail, you'll have a right to shoot people in the knee."

Ultimately Denny prevails, much to his dismay because he was really hoping to go to the Supreme Court to get Big Tony and the Big 5 to find a constitutional right to carry a concealed weapon.

Episode 504--"True Love" Alan's ex girlfriend Phoebe (who Alan is very much still in love with much to his chagrin) calls on him to defend her husband in a murder case. The husband was accused of murdering his nurse (who he had previously had an affair with--yup things are getting spicy). The husband's only alibi is his wife, who of course says that he was home all night and did not leave the house. Alan tells Phoebe that she is going to have to do a much better job convincing the jury of her husband's innocence than she did convincing him. (You can tell Alan doesn't believe the guy is innocent, he clearly doesn't even like the guy and secretly hopes he is found guilty so that Phoebe can go back to him).
On the stand Alan asks Phoebe "did your husband leave the house that night?" MUCH to his surprise Phoebe hesitates and then says "yes he did." Alan calls for a recess to confer with his client and then talk to Phoebe--furious that Phoebe did not tell him of her plan to tell "the truth."

After talking with the husband, they all return to the courtroom. Back on the stand Alan accuses Phoebe of killing the nurse--saying that she had the motive and opportunity to do it and that is why she was so eager to get up on the stand and accuse her husband--so she could get away with murder--expressing his own disgust that she would use her "ex-boyfriend" to try to get away with murder. She denies the murder.

The jury finds the husband not guilty. The husband thanks Alan and Alan remarks that "well, I'm assuming you won't see Phoebe anytime soon" when Phoebe walks in his door. Turns out that it was all part of Phoebe and her husband's plan--the husband did in fact do it.
This episode was crazy! I definitely thought that the wife did it--threw me for a loop!

Episode 505--"The Bad Seed:" Alan and Shirley take on the Army after a man's brother dies in a military hospital due to the doctor's admitted negligence--after being wounded in Iraq he is taken to the medical hospital and was recovering until the doctors gave him improper medication and improperly placed a breathing tube in him---after 15 minutes of pumping air into his stomach, he died. Even though military hospitals are immune, they decide to challenge the doctrine and manage to get past a motion to dismiss. ...BUT, not before Denny and Alan get a chance to bet on the outcome of the case (loser pays $100,000.00 and the money goes to the troops). Unfortunately, Denny decides to tell the clerk of the judge in the case (oops, his bad--mad cow?). The judge finds out and says he is going to recommend that Alan is disbarred! Alan is furious with Denny. Denny comes to Alan in a moment of weakness and admits to Alan that he is "slipping," that everything has gotten more "foggy" lately.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Jerry's sister comes to him with a problem. Jerry's nephew (who is a sperm donor baby) may be dating his half sister! Turns out, the girlfriend is also a sperm donor baby, who just happens to come from the same sperm bank, who just happens to look exactly like him. So, Jerry tries to force the bank to reveal the identity of the donor to no avail. He then takes the matter to a judge and the judge says that the bank does not have to reveal the identity of the father(s) but does have to tell the kids if they do have the same father. Turns out, yup, they definitely came from the same Dad!

Well, that gets you up to speed. How will it all end??????? Well, as an avid fan of the show from day 1, I see no possible way for it to end other than in one last balcony scene with Denny and Alan--sipping on scotch and smoking cigars.

BUT who knows...we'll see. To be continued.

On that note...

1 comment:

Spanco said...

The episodes of the last season was amazing. The story of the final episodes "Last Call" and "Made in China" was very interesting. I think this is the best season of Boston Legal tv show.