Boston Legal Fodder

Boston Legal: Top 10 Cast Most Likely to Leave

According to ABC’s latest sweeps announcement, someone “bids farewell” from Crane, Pool and Schmidt in a coming episode (Feb. 13th, Fat Burner). But just who is it? Spoiler squeezers need not apply, as the following list is an opportune moment to crack the overcomplicated cast of my favorite show this season, Boston Legal.

10. Alan Shore: Are you kidding? James Spader’s wry wildcard is the foundation of Boston Legal, though you might not now it from the latest episode. Regardless, he’s the one link to the legacy of The Practice the show maintains. A signature force in the series, his departure would doubtlessly spell doom for the series no matter how accomplished the supporting cast is.

Odds: 1,000,000,000,000,000 To 1. Plus, his character is mentioned in episodes listed by ABC throughout the rest of sweeps month.

9. Denny Crane: If there is one thing this show was built around other than the witty Alan Shore, it was certainly Denny Crane. William Shatner has earned so much acclaim for his role as the madcap lawyer that it’s sometimes easy to forget that’s Captain Kirk carrying guns around the offices of Crane, Poole and Schmidt. Shatner’s disarming humor as well as his sheer pathos make Denny the absolute trademark to Boston Legal’s show-and-tell – the show wouldn’t be anywhere near as popular or intriguing without his presence.

Odds: 9,000,000,000,000 To 1. Shatner may be getting old, but he’s still got it. And yes, like Alan Shore, his character is mentioned in the next episode summary.

8. Denise Bauer: The character of Denise took Boston Legal by storm in the second season. Julie Bowen’s Bauer is sexy yet quirky, determined yet vulnerable. Denise became an instant fit into the very fixture of the series – something not accomplished by virtually any main female of the show, save perhaps Shirley Schmidt. Denise’s powerful characterization was even more potent with her tragic romance with the doomed Daniel Post (Michael J. Fox). Her appeal hasn’t diminished, especially if Brad Chase and Jeffrey Coho’s intense rivalry over her is any indication.

Odds: 1,000,000,000,000 to 1. Julie Bowen brings a sensible sympathy not yet found anywhere else on the show. And you got it, she’s definitely mentioned in the remainder of ABC’s Sweeps Months, so her place is somewhat assured.

7. Brad Chase: Introduced as Alan Shore’s right-wing foil, Ken doll Brad Chase (Mark Valley) has come a long way since the first season, though not all of it has been good. His ascension to partner has marked him with the dirty work of Crane, Poole and Schmidt, many times relying on underhanded tactics just as much as his viewed opponent Alan Shore. He’s always good for a laugh with Shore, and his relationship with Denise has evolved his character to far deeper strides than his foil introduction.

Odds: 1,000,000,000 to 1. He’s one of the funnier parts of the series, but if things keep going badly between him and Denise, Brad would have one of the best reasons to leave. But don’t worry, because he’s mentioned in the future episodes of sweeps month.

6. Clarence Bell: Clarence (Gary Anthony Williams) completed one of the strangest transitions in the history of Boston Legal – from one-shot cross-dresser to in-the-credit cast member. But he also had the worst timing of the year – when Boston Legal was struggling to squeeze an excess cast weight into a forty-five minute time slot. Still, Clarence’s story is compelling and noteworthy. His insecurity makes him, like Denise Bauer, a character more easy to empathize with, unlike the bulk of the big shot lawyers running the cast of Boston Legal. His romance with Claire Simms is cute, but feels too self-confined. Clarence, and only Clarence (not Clarice or Oprah), need to get out more – he’s been in the credits for several episodes and hasn’t shared a subplot with anyone but Claire. Switch it up a bit!

Odds: 100,000 to 1. Clarence isn’t going anywhere, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Gary Anthony Williams wasn’t recommended for an Emmy by the end of the season. Still, the character isn’t shining nearly enough because the character isn’t going places! But rest assured, like most of the list so far, he’s mentioned in the sweeps summary.

5. Claire Simms: Who would have thought Constance Zimmer’s thick-skinned Claire Simms would be making an interesting character than character actor king Craig Bierko’s Jeffrey Coho? The problem is Claire hasn’t had much “me-time” – the little scene with Clarence and Claire at the restaurant was as much details on Claire as we’ve gotten any season long. She’s not as accessible as Denise Bauer, and the lack of additional characterization is starting to take its toll on Simms. I wish there was more to write here this far into the third season, but there just isn’t!

Odds: 50,000 to 1. Doubtful, given how much time the show is spending building up Claire and Clarence’s relationship, and like the past four before her, Claire is definitely showing up in the sweeps summary in the ABC announcement.

4. Shirley Schmidt: While she didn’t appear until later in the first season, Candice Bergen’s straight-shooter Shirley Schmidt has had little trouble making her presence known on the show. Her past relationship with both Denny Crane and Ivan Tiggs (Tom Selleck) has sustained quite a few successful subplots. She is also Denise’s confidant, Brad’s superior, and the object of both Denny and Alan’s affection. Her departure would send the show spiraling out of control, toppling Boston Legal like a house of cards. But wouldn’t that make for interesting television.

Odds: 10,000 to 1. RED FLAG! Shirley is the only character so far who ISN’T mentioned the Sweeps Summary. Could Shirley Schmidt be getting the axe? It’s in keeping with her character – to Denny and Alan she’ll always be the one that got away.

3. Vanessa Walker: Nia Long’s intrepid lawyer played a surprisingly sensitive character on last night’s Boston Legal – as the yellow dressed vixen whisking through Alan Shore’s memory and imagination. Her character has stayed a lot more than initially predicted, and though her presence is certainly welcome, it is starting to put a strain on established character screen times.

ODDS: 5,000 To 1. For this character to leave in a big theatrical development would be nothing of a shocker. She’s only been on the show for a few episodes – she should either vanish into obscurity like the unfortunate junior lawyers of last season or become a named character like Clarence Bell. But taking time to cement her departure is just taking up time the show doesn’t have.

2. Jeffrey Coho: I was so excited with the premise of seeing Craig Bierko of Scary Movie 4 and Cinderella Man adding his talents to the Boston Legal cast – and I wasn’t disappointed, at least not by Bierko. Coho has not so much been wasted but just misused. The creepy high-stakes judge murder case was a good example of his abilities – but just went on and on! On the other hand, his rivalry with Alan Shore for stealing his secretary Mellissa seems to have completely disappeared (along with the secretary) and Coho is not seen slugging it out on numerous occasions with Brad Chase – most recently in matching Buzz Lightyear suits.

Odds: 100 to 1. For a characterization this botched, maybe Boston Legal should just cut their losses. Like Claire Simms, we’re not really piercing the exterior of this character, and while the show seems intent of exploring Simms, Coho is as mysterious as when he first walked in the doors of the office. Sure, he’s amusing and funny, but is he really going anywhere. Denise said he was actually kind of a “decent” guy, but why aren’t we seeing it?

Paul Lewiston: While Brad Chase was the foil for Alan Shore, Paul was the solid steward of Crane, Poole and Schmidt. Through expertly handled by Rene Aubjerjonis, Paul’s character has diminished in recent years. Just as the second season explored Brad, Paul’s struggles to reconnect with his drug-addicted single-mom daughter thrust the once one-note character in a powerful and sensitive light. Now he just walks in, wants to know what Homeland Security is doing in Alan’s office, and walks out. This is a shame, because there’s still a lot more to explore with this character. I’ve always thought there was an unrequited attraction between Paul and Shirley, with Paul too professional and too reserved to say anything. This would certainly spice up the season, if not only Paul, but the writers, are bold enough to claim it.

Odds: 10 to 1. Sorry, Paul. The character is still a fixture of the show, but sadly, an easily-replaced one. Still, the question persists – even with this character gone, how will the show’s still over-extended cast really benefit? Probably not all that much, unless his departure bring the wings of major change to the offices of Crane, Poole and Schmidt.

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Tags: Boston_Legal Top_10_Most_Likely_To_Leave Denise_Bauer Brad_Chase Jeffrey_Coho James_Spader Denny_Crane Shirley_Schmidt Clarence_Bell Claire_Simms Alan_Shore

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Posted by Richard on January 31, 2007 02:55 PM
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