Boston Legal season 5 (1 Viewer)

[Patrick Sun]

Boston Legal moves to Mondays on ABC in the 10 p.m. EDT timeslot, and has been cut back to 13 episode, with a reduction in the cast for a final go-around. Season 5 gets started tonight.

 

[Patrick Sun]

This season appears to be David E. Kelley doing his damnedest to go out in a blaze of glory with all of his hot button issues for this final 13-episode season of Boston Legal. First up was big tobacco.

 

[Mary_P]

Also some nice musical touches in last night's episode. I partciularly liked Alan's romantic daydream to Barry Manilow's "Trying to get the Feeling Again." Made me go look up prices on R2 DVDs of "Ally McBeal"....

 

[todd s]

I haven't watched the show in a year. Who got cut?

 

[mattCR]

I had never seen this show until last week. I've now watched through the seasons. You know, while I don't always agree with the show, it's kind of sad that this kind of programming doesn't find a home or an audience.

I admit, I could never find it when it was on; opposite of too many shows I watch.

I was thinking about this last night as I watched Private Practice, and realized how ham-handed and non-entertaining their handling of hot button issues is in comparison to BL.

The relationship between Denny Crane & Alan Shore is far better expressed then almost any other "friendship" relationship on TV.

ABC's shuffling of the program didn't help it. The last episode, though, hit the nail on the head when they went after the fact that there isn't more programming aimed at anyone who isn't young.

Damn, I feel old. But having just found the show, I think I'll miss the fact that there won't be more.

 

[Walter Kittel]

Fortunately this show is available on DVD. (I'm probably going to restart the series from Season 1 next year.)

Kind of sad that after next week there won't be any new episodes. Looking forward to the Supreme Court segments during the finale.

- Walter.

 

[Patrick Sun]

Yep, next week is the 2-hour series finale (I liked how Alan snuck in that next week that start at 9 p.m. Boston time).

 

[Parker Clack]

I have always loved the way they treat the 4th wall, this season in particular. I am really going to miss this show.

 

[mattCR]

 

[Rick Steverson]

It been an entertaining show.

Didn't start that way: It was a spin-off of another courtroom show The Practice. Alan Shores first showed up there as an outrageous character (just as he is now). But the first season of Boston Legal it was like Alan Shores had been completely rewritten as just another "serious" lawyer. Translate "serious'" to boring. At the end of the season the writers finally remember the Alan Shores they had created, paired him as best buddy with Danny Crane and it got hugely entertaining.

They were a hoot, that's what they were!

 

[Mikah Cerucco]

With a capital H.

 

[Marty M]

I have enjoyed this show. I am just sad that it is ending so soon into the season. With its demise, and the three other ABC shows that have been canceled, I will no longer be following any show on ABC until Scrubs returns.

 

[Randy Tennison]

I loved this show. What great chemistry. Even though I'm a staunch conservative, I never really minded the preachiness.

And the relationship between Denny and Alan was great. It made me think . . .are there any male friends I have that I would be willing to marry (and for those of you who didn't see the last show, don't jump to conclusions). What a great friendship.

And Scalia and Cheney showing up at the fishing lodge. How funny was that.

I'll miss this show. Like they said, what other shows are willing to have over 50's be the primary characters?

 

[mattCR]

Great show. I really enjoyed the end a great deal. The question asked there was interesting.. both court cases were well presented. Good two hours.

 

[todd s]

I haven't watched the show in a while. Can someone give me a recap of how it ended?

Thanks!

 

[mattCR]

Ok, LONG SPOILER

Denny is clearly losing it.. he has been for a while, but his forgetfulness is getting worse and worse over season 5. In a previous episode, they learn that a new drug is having very positive results in clinical trials.. Denny wants that drug.. but he can't get it, as it's still not FDA approved. Denny went to court (lost) and appealed to the state court (lost), and last week we learned that his appeal to the USSC had been approved.

Cut to the offices.. Crane, Poole & Schmidt are going under. So, they are about to be bought out by another firm. It turns out that firm is owned by a Chinese company. Shirley loses it and says "I'll be damned if I sell out our litigation / civil rights lawyers to a government owned puppet company from China". They try to protest but can't. Denny, seeing all of the chinese, pull his paintball guns and starts blasting them. The Chinese are pissed and decide Denny must be fired.

Denny's problems get worse. He is arrested for curling up into bed, naked, with a woman he knew from a few years ago. Feeling sorry for him, she drops charges and he is let go. Denny tells Alan he's scared that it's all coming down on him. He also tells Alan that for all the wives in his life, Alan is the one he loves & trusts most to make the decisions with his end of life care. He asks Alan to marry him. Alan rebuffs, saying basically that he's "not gay" and Denny points out that neither is he, but who gives a crap, lots of people marry for reasons other then love/sex, and Denny wants to give Alan his estate & shares, etc. in his death without tax penalties anyway.

Shirly & Sacks try to get married in a church, but she's so stressed over the buyout that it results in a fight. They decide to elope.

The Chinese company sends word that all litigators will be fired. Denny, Alan, Shirley, Jerry, etc. All canned. They go to dinner and commiserate. Alan announces it's all bullshit and they should go back and fire the Chinese. They all stare at him like he's crazy. "They own the company". They still arrange a meeting walk in, Alan blasts the Chinese and announces that tons of lawyers will leave in droves if they do this, and that they would sue for unjust termination.. etc. and they'd sue to bankrupt the firm because "juries will like us more then you". The Chinese relent (sort of) and let all the litigators come back. Alan decides to Marry Denny.. there may be no hope at the firm, but with Denny's funding and support, they can launch a new office that would practice legal aid.. "because their has to be an audience out there for it" "I'm sure people would watch for us" type stuff..

They apply for a marriage license and gay/lesbian groups protest them because they aren't marrying for "love" and that it will cause bad stigma against them.. they go to court, and fight what's wrong with friends announcing they have a bond that trumps all, and that lots of people get married where sex/love isn't the issue.. the government can't investigate why people get married.. and they get a grant for their license.

Alan & Denny go to the Supreme Court and argue their case that a dying person should be able to try experimental drugs "medical self defense".

Alan & Denny, Shirley & Sack fly to Nimmo Bay to get married eloping. Justice Scalia marries them, after saying that the court will rule in Denny's favor on the drug. They celebrate.

Back at the office, they learn that Denny remains fired - the firm's name becomes "Chang, Poole & Schmidt". Shirley announces her unhappiness and that she quits, and asks them to take her name off the door as well.. "do the honorable thing". And leaves.

We see two chinese actors on the balcony talking about how Alan "talks talk talks too much!". They leave, and Alan & Denny find their trash on the balcony. Denny asks Alan what's ahead for them.. 'there's a new home for us somewhere' is the kind of spiel he gets.

 

[Scooter]

With this gone, as well as Eli Stone, Dirty, Sexy, Money and Pushing Daisies cancelled..ABC is off the radar to me.

This was one of the smartest wrtitten shows! Even when the point of view irked my liver, I still admired how it was presented.

How soon before the Chinese rail against this episode! I mean, look what they said about the new Guns and Roses CD.

 

[nolesrule]

Thanks for spoilerizing. I won't get to watch the finale till it airs here on Sunday... the Monday Night Football game was shown on our local ABC station because our team was in the game.

 

[Patrick Sun]

Sad to see the show go, but the absurdly funny and sweet finale did leave me with a grin on my face.

 

[RAF]

I'd rank this finale right up there are one of my favorites. A great series, well done (even when I didn't agree with some of the positions) and about as irreverent as a series gets on Network Television. While I'm sad to see it go, I'm glad it did without jumping the shark (which they also alluded to!)

Well done!