By Jennifer Larson

With all the fears and apprehension surrounding the writer’s strike, it is comforting to know that we still have a few new episodes of our favorite shows in the can. Considering the fact that BOSTON LEGAL seems to run on a different time table than most TV shows do, we may even be lucky enough to get a full season, or at least what passes as a full season for this program. Don’t get me wrong, I love BOSTON LEGAL, but I do get a bit frustrated with the fact that it seems to be on for one or two weeks and then it disappears for a month. That’s ok though because it works in my favor this time around. And let’s face it, if there is any show that depends heavily on the writers it’s this one. In fact, this show is a perfect blend of brilliant writing and acting. With the quirky flavor to BOSTON LEGAL, you really need the seamless partnership of the two professions; otherwise it would just come off as if it were trying too hard. And speaking of quirky, our favorite inappropriate lawyer, Denny Crane (William Shatner), is at it again.

Seeing the end looming ahead, Denny is beginning to feel the need to prove himself to the legal world. No longer content to rely on his laurels, Denny refuses to allow his bff, Alan (James Spader), to assist him on a headline-grabbing murder case. Of course this makes Shirley (Candice Bergen) and Carl (John Larroquette) very nervous. You can’t blame them, I mean Shirley has had to pull Denny out of the frying pan more times than I can count, and Carl was brought in to help avoid the very problems Denny and the rest of the firm have been causing. But, we all know how difficult it is to try and stop somebody who is determined to forge ahead. Meanwhile, Jerry (Christian Clemenson) and Katie (Tara Summers), who seem to come as a package nowadays, help a woman who claims a billboard caused their divorce.

While Denny is definitely looking to regain some much needed respect from his coworkers, it appears that he’s even more interested in scoring with the hot murder suspect he’s defending. It turns out that she’s one of the few women from his past who was somehow able to resist his many charms. But that was then and this is now, and a frightened woman who killed a husband that hadn’t touched her in years is ripe for the picking; and of course, Denny went a pickin. Now that may not be shocking, but Denny and Alan’s first fight is. In his attempt to help his friend, Alan spoke some painful truths that Denny didn’t much appreciate hearing. As a once high-powered attorney who has become a laughing stalk in his profession, Denny is under the gun to prove his critics wrong. But I have to say, making foolish statements about a man’s murder to anybody who will listen probably isn’t the best way to do it. I don’t know what’s sadder, the fact that Denny is desperate to reclaim his glory days or the look on Jerry’s face when he confided his deepest insecurities to Katie.


It turns out that Jerry isn’t very comfortable with his many ticks and uncontrollable verbal outbursts. It isn’t that I thought he had come to terms with it, I just didn’t realize how ridiculous they made him feel. After blurting out a typically inappropriate statement to Lorraine (Saffron Burrows), Jerry told Katie that he felt like a buffoon. Coming from such a sweet man, Katie couldn’t help but to admit how uncouth she felt 90 percent of the time. I don’t know how much this helped, but it was a sweet gesture none the less. What isn’t so sweet is the law firm that advocated divorce on a giant billboard. Apparently, Jerry and Katie’s new client’s husband took their words to heart and decided that marriage wasn’t for him. Why do these two seem to always get the impossible cases? Of course after saying that, I’m reminded of the even more ridiculous cases they’ve worked on together and won, so who knows?

In fact, Jerry made such a convincing and eloquent argument that the judge decided to let his case go to trial. Imagine that, now we can sue law firms for contributing to the explosion of divorces in this country; god bless America! As far as Denny and his case, well let’s just say his perfect record is still in tact. Now that’s what I call good TV.