Boston Legal Fodder

Boston Legal Heads to Bourbon Street

And the cast of “Boston Legal” gains one more member, furthering the question.

Are they insane?

The fact that “Boston Legal” still has characters MIA in the strange gap between “The Practice” and “Boston Legal”, the fact that two characters have disappeared from Season 2 of “Boston Legal” without any explanation entirely begs the question what are they thinking?

But aside from that, the first episode of the New Year offers plenty of good things – a promising sign for a season of “Boston Legal” which started out in a bit of a slump.

Denny and Alan travel to New Orleans on the behest of lawyer Vanessa Walker (Nia Long, remember that other cast member I mentioned?) to defend a doctor accused of mercy killing several patents in the midst of Katrina. Denny, as one can imagine, is more occupied with pursing the party atmosphere of Burbon Street than the case, while Alan spends most of the episode consumed by the specifics of the case – the doctor won’t accept a plea bargain, her patients never asked to be put of out their misery, and the judge is dead-set against their case. However, it’s Denny who shows his rare case of reverence, albeit in between hookers, as he explains to Alan that here “down is up” – a platitude which ultimately allows Alan to craft a closing both clever and relevant enough to win over the jury. The episode ends with Vanessa poised to join the Boston office, as well as Denny’s list of potential targets.

The cross-dressing Clarence is once again causing a stir, as he now tries to sue his gym for being more accepting of his boisterous alter ego Clarice than of his toned-down alter ego. The catch? It’s an all-girls gym. Claire Simms is forced to thrust the Clarice persona onto the gym’s owner and her lawyer, until Clarice herself makes a crucial realization – Clarence chanced personas in an effort to ask the gym owner out. Clarence, and not Clarice, ends the lawsuit on the condition the gym owner agree to dinner – which she does – cementing one more victory in the clever yet insecure Clarence.

The final subplot addressed in this episode concerns Denise Bauer, who in the past, still reeling from the death of her beloved Daniel Post (Michael J. Fox), has even considered getting involved with the lecherous Alan Shore. Now she’s in the sights of the egotistical Jeffrey Coho. Shirley Schmidt further intervenes by drawing Denise’s former best-friend-with-benefits (and Jeffrey Coho’s most hated rival) Brad Chase on this matter. While Denise firmly denies any desire to date Brad, she does set up plans to reset their benefit package again – as she simultaneously does the same with Jeffrey Coho. The one condition: no one finds out. But this is already doomed for failure, as Paul Lewiston overhears Jeff and Denise, and promptly notifies Shirley (and also, inquires the meaning of the best-friend-with-benefit phrase).

The New Orleans subplot prevents the episode from becoming just another linking episode for the many subplots which make up “Boston Legal”, as once again the show proves both its timeliness and the relevance. Still, even as just a linking episode, the show works pretty well. The Clarence storyline works pretty well, especially since the character of Claire Simms has received little screen time as of late. The Denise subplot is also pretty hysterical, as I find myself rooting for both Brad and Jeffrey simultaneously as well as the possibility of Brad and Jeffrey reaching fisticuffs again.

Next episode looks pretty promising. The ever-perceptive Alan seems to have discovered Denise’s arrangement with Brad and Jeffrey, and Denny faces his biggest opponent yet – the Department of Homeland Security – apparently listed as a terrorist. Shades of Cat Stevens, perhaps? Regardless, the proceedings should be interesting, as right wing Denny must face off with a faction of the very government he supports.

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Posted by Richard on January 9, 2007 11:38 PM
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