(Season 5, Episodes 12/13 – “Made in China/Last Call” – Series Finale)

A day late maybe, but not a dollar short if Denny Crane has anything to say about it. We could just get married. The gang pulled out almost all the stops on this final run through Crane, Poole & Schmidt. With two episodes back-to-back we got not one, not two, but three balcony scenes (though the third one was a bit of a special occasion).

We did get resolution on the financial problems at the firm, the Sack-Schmidt union and the return visit to the Supreme Court. On a character front, I’m pretty well satisfied with how things are left, but I can’t say the same for the firm. I understand that David E. Kelley likes to get his pot-shots in and he likes to shoot big with his targets, and I don’t fault him the target at all. Still, I can’t say as I enjoyed how things turned out for the firm. And poor Shirley.

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(Season 5, Episode 11 – “Juiced”)

It’s all coming to an end so quickly. Why couldn’t ABC have just given us a full season of Boston Legal this season instead of this truncated half-season? Did I really just use the word “season” three times in one sentence? I want a season six! There, said it again.

In one respect, it looks like David E. Kelley is looking to have some fun as he goes out, with Carl enabling Catherine Piper’s craziness by taking a case against the television networks to court for … wait for it … not programming for people over 50. Why, the only show on television brave enough to have stars over 50 is Bo– Well, that would break the fourth wall, wouldn’t it Carl?

Fun stuff indeed, as well as raising a lot of valid points. Why isn’t television that skews older allowed to thrive on television? They do have more money than those of us under 50. They certainly have more money than I do (he said while scraping remnants from the bottom of a can of potato soup). Kelley balanced his direct attack against ABC with the somber revelation that Denny’s Alzheimer’s is no longer something that is coming, but is in fact here. Now.

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ABC

(Season 5, Episode 8)

Alan Shore got to speechify in a case on abortion. He probably got an erection as soon as the case was offered to him. It also featured the welcome return of Ming-Na to television, playing the role of the mother of Alan’s client. Meanwhile, Jerry went apeshit crazy at a “Starbucks” type of establishment, leading into one of those integrated intro segments with Jerry singing and dancing to the opening music.

All in all, this episode was a great mix of fun and serious and a perfect example of why Boston Legal remains one of the sharpest and most relevant shows on television. I don’t even care that the median age of its small cast is 97 years old. I’ve chosen that picture because once again Carl Sack wasn’t given really anything to do and I think that’s how he would feel about it. This is an Emmy-winning actor. Give him a damn role!

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ABC

(Season 5, Episode 7)

Can I just come out and say that I have absolutely fallen in love with the friendship that’s developed between Katie Lloyd and Jerry Espensen on this show the past two seasons. There’s a reason Christian Clemenson was offered a full-time position on Boston Legal after awhile in a “featured player” role. He plays the role of Jerry with such a passion and sincerity that you fully believe his every tic and mannerism.

And since Katie has moved into his office, they’ve become one of the sweetest pairings on television. While I’m not sure they could carry a show on their own, they are a wonderful addition to the general insanity of Crane, Poole & Schmidt. And so tonight, they each got to sit in front of the executive committee and discuss whether Jerry should be offered full partnership in the Firm, and each was just beautiful with their words.

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ABC

(Season 5, Episode 4)

Boston Legal is one of those shows that is most enjoyable if you just sit back and bask in its world. Tonight, we got to briefly visit one of those oft-mentioned sleepovers between Alan and Denny … platonic, of course. And we only got to see it because Alan’s ex Phoebe showed up at Alan’s doorstep seeking his legal assistance. Her cardiologist husband is being charged with the murder of one of his nurses, with whom he happened to be having an affair.

Rather than offer a full review of the show, I will instead offer up some points for discussion. We’re continuing to explore different ways in which to review and allow discussion on the television shows we all love. I’m guessing that if you go beyond this jump, you’ll have probably watched the show, formed some opinions and are ready to join in the larger discussion. And that’s what we need. If you read this, post a comment. Open a new line of thought or reply to an existing one. Boston Legal is coming to a close. Let’s ring it out with pizazz.

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