BOSTON LEGAL - Excess baggage

Boston Legal returned to the air and returned to form with a new episode this week that was packed with just about everything one comes to expect from the show.  Except sex.  No sex or even talk of sex this episode at all.  I hope that doesn’t dissuade anyone who didn’t see it last night from checking it out on ABC.com.

This episode was all about how people deal with their “baggage,” the emotional hang-ups and damage that we carry with us every day.  Alan got to confront his fear of blow-up clown punching-dolls, reminisce about “killing” all his dolls as a child, and face down a hated nemesis in court, where he got to go on one of his patented Alan tirades during a closing argument.  Poor Denny had to come to grips with the increasingly disruptive symptoms of his, err, Mad Cow Disease and the fact that he will never ever get Shirley back in like, a million years.

Boston Legal has a knack at taking something that is funny and then twisting it until it becomes a thing of pathos and sadness.  Denny’s bizarre attempt at demonstrating his sensitive side to Shirley by “wiring his face for tears” starts off as odd, then becomes very funny when his tear-maker malfunctions and sprays fluid all over a nice restaurant and Shirley, and then finally becomes something desperate and sad as Denny breaks down into real tears when he realizes he’s lost Shirley forever.  I was kind of hoping that Denny would scream, “KHAAAN!” at that point, but my hopes were in vain.

The episode ended, as they always do, with Denny and Alan enjoying a cigar and some Scotch on the veranda and taking solace in the fact that although they’re weird, damaged people, at least they have each other.

--Dave Campbell

Comments

[ohgrl]

"...his tear-maker malfunctions and sprays fluid all over a nice restaurant..."

Sir, you have just sold me on this episode.

[Rob]

This episode was a hoot; that's what it was! Great to see the show back and it better be back next season!

[Susan]

A friend of mine wants beverage glasses like those used by Denny and Alan at each episode end, on the balcony. I've never noticed the type used and need to get them before the next episode airs!
Help anyone?

[Mike]

The glasses are discontinued. Amazon used to carry them, but they are rare now. Maybe the company will do another run, but it doesn't look like it, at present.

[James Wilson McKinstry]

I enjoy Boston Legal as I did Archie Bunker & Edith many years ago. As it is in real life we all have different agendas, personalities and quirks!

The writers have the characters on Boston Legal looking beyond the quirks, personalities and agendas maintaining friendships. Not found often in real life. Can you imagine all of these characters being treated the same in real life?

In short keep up with the controversial subjects that play in the courtrooms. I hope to see unbiased of liberal & conservative views and actually the humor of politics. "Political Correctness" in my opinion is not possible if one is to communicate.

Thank you