FinaleWatch: 'Boston Legal'

I think one of the brilliant things about Boston Legal is that it manages to be both completely ridiculous and over-the-top and yet smart and down to earth at the same time. Wonderfully, to wind-up an otherwise average season, the show masterfully handled this sometimes difficult juggling act tonight.  Possibly better than that however, they reaffirmed the importance of the series' foundation, the Denny-Alan relationship.

Just look at tonight's episode, it immediately started off with Denny and Alan getting into the Auxiliary Coast Guard, a ludicrous notion and one that overjoyed both men to the point where there was laughing over the opening credits. Seriously... Denny... in the Coast Guard. I know that there was a time that he captained a starship, but it seems to me that his military days are past him.

Now, from there the show unleashed it's actual plot -- Concord, Massachusetts wanting to secede from the Union. It was silly, but in a serious way, and certainly something that the show was going to use to push an issue.

Then, the show went truly serious with Denny explaining to Alan how little he wanted Alan to take the case (he clearly did not want the firm associated with such an "anti-American" idea and did not want his friend pushing the issue either). Denny was actually visibly hurt that his friend would take the case. Along with Carl Sack, Denny convinced the state to allow the two of them to try the case on the opposite side.

It was a battle of the giants and one that everyone in the firm, Alan included, was worried that Denny would not be up to. When Denny got to cross-examined Judge Harvey Cooper (who had hired Alan on behalf of Concord) he proved them very, very wrong. Denny was fantastic with his questioning and poked more than a few holes in the argument Alan and Cooper had put forward.

I think that Denny, more often than not, fakes his silliness. Tonight proved that either that's the case or the huge bet he had with Alan (first 50 and then doubled to 100 thousand dollars) somehow kept him lucid.

The main point of it all was not Denny's lucidity or brilliance in the courtroom however, it was the possible harm to Denny and Alan's friendship that would result from the case.

Denny tried to explain to Alan that when he was younger he actually worried, everyone did, that the United States might come to no longer exist (due to Nazi Germany's desire to take over the world). Consequently, Denny said, he was deeply offended by Concord's actions and Alan supporting Concord. Alan, Denny thought, didn't grow up in such a world and consequently didn't understand where Denny was coming from, or, worse, didn't care, and was very distressed about that.

It was an argument from the heart but also a deeply flawed one. During the Cold War many thought the whole world was going to end. Then, post-September 11, the fear that this nation might end was put back on the table. Alan explained this latter point during his closing and how it is our own very policies that might hasten the country's demise.

Both men made good points, and both had very understandable points of view. However, only one could win. Not surprisingly as Denny did have to keep his perfect record going, he beat Alan in court tonight.

In the end though, tonight's episode reminded me yet again that there's something wonderful about Alan and Denny's relationship with one another. We should all be so lucky as to have a friendship as good as theirs. For all the insanity that the show puts forth, it's that relationship which is at the show's core, and that relationship that makes the show so watchable.

Other bits and pieces:

• At one point tonight, Jerry pointed out to Alan how the two of them hadn't talked much this season and how Alan had kind of let the friendship go. I thought it was kind of ironic that after that scene the show dropped the storyline entirely.
• The final shots tonight were of the empty offices of Crane, Poole, & Schmidt over a non-Beatles version of "In My Life." Despite not having used The Beatles it was a sad, touching thing, and clearly filmed while they still thought that the episode might serve as the series finale. I'm happy we get 13 more in the fall.

That's it for this season of Boston Legal, I'm hanging up the "gone fishing" sign and baiting the hooks over at The TV and Film Guy's Reviews. Care to nibble?

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