Boston Legal: Season Five
by Bill D'Elia, James R. Bagdonas, Michael Lohmann, Mike Listo, Robert Yannetti
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Candice Bergen, Christian Clemenson, James Spader, John Larroquette, Tara SummersDirector: Bill D'Elia, James R. Bagdonas, Michael Lohmann, Mike Listo, Robert Yannetti
Brand: Boston
Writer: Amanda Johns
Writer: Corinne Brinkerhoff
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language)
Format: Box set, Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.78:1
Running Time: 607 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2009-05-05
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Product features:
- Condition: New
- Format: DVD
- Box set; Color; Dolby; DVD; Widescreen; NTSC
Movie Reviews of Boston Legal: Season Five
Movie Review: THEIR BRIEFS ARE FOLDED
Summary: 5 Stars
For five years viewers of television have had the opportunity to watch a show that was interesting, intelligent, motivated at times by the cause of the week and definitely funny as hell. It's too bad that these sorts of shows never seem to catch on with the viewing public. Then again, given network televisions desire for an immediate hit and ridiculous choices to alter their schedules on a whim, it's easy to see why a deserving show might slip through the cracks or be lost amid the weekly shuffle. Such is the case with BOSTON LEGAL.
After five seasons on the air, BOSTON LEGAL has closed the doors to the offices of Crane, Poole and Schmidt. Which is too bad for television audiences since another great series bites the dust to only be replaced with the cost effective reality show of the week or perhaps a star vehicle for the pet of some producer. Then again it makes for great news for DVD fans because as well as the show did, it was given the chance to be released on DVD. And this last season just released gives us the chance to savor the episodes from season five like fine wine.
For those who have never seen the show, start with season one and catch up or perhaps I could give you a short summation of how the show has evolved. As it opened we were there to see the arrival of up and coming attorney Alan Shore (James Spader) who was coming off of THE PRACTICE, another great law series that ended before it's time. Alan has just taken on a job with the firm and walks into what will become the usual turmoil as one of the senior partners has a breakdown. Get ready because this is the norm.
Spader's Alan Shore is a campaigner. He believes in a number of things and is the voice of the writers as they use him to defend the little guy and take on the big guns. Everything from big tobacco to pharmaceutical companies is tackled by Shore by the end of the fifth year. But Shore is not your normal attorney. Instead he is prone to rampant rambling while he pursues the justice he seeks in each battle. He's also a letch of the highest order, viewing nearly every woman he sees as a conquest while at the same time emulating the highest respect for them all.
Shore's biggest defender is the firm's high ranking senior partner, Denny Crane (William Shatner). Denny is perhaps the oddest character on the show. A womanizer as well, Denny is so self absorbed with his own fame that he often just says his name aloud with the expectation that in so doing he will intimidate any and all around him, which it usually does. Denny is also affected with what he calls "mad cow" disease, the early stages of Alzheimer's. As the show progresses, Denny and Alan become the greatest of friends.
Into the fold comes Shirley Schmidt (Candice Bergen), the voice of reason. Shirley is another senior partner and at one time the love interest of Denny until she broke it off. Shirley stands for the calm voice in the firm, the one who puts their foot down to stop the ridiculous from happening but who rarely sees her expectations met.
These are the three mainstays who began from season one and who remained until the end. Their interaction is tremendous, especially the friendship seen between Crane and Shore. Each episode ended with the two of them sitting on Denny's balcony in the office, enjoying a cigar and glass of scotch while they ruminated about things that happened during that episode. As the series progressed, you were witness to the closeness, the bond that developed between the two. Theirs was a unity rarely seen in even the best of marriages. As a matter of fact by the end of season five the pair was petitioning to use the same sex marriage to be joined in wedlock, not out of physical attraction but as a way to circumvent the laws concerning spousal support and decision making as well as current tax laws. These two men genuinely loved one another as much as two friends can.
By season five we also had several other main characters involved. John Larroquette was there as Carl Sack, a rather stuffy lawyer and love interest for Bergen's Shirley. His character basically replaced that of Rene Abourjonois who was the bad guy in the beginning (and who returns by the end). But Carl becomes as comfortable a character as the rest by mid-season five, making Larroquette's character another that you would enjoy spending time with.
Notable is Christian Clemenson as attorney Jerry Espenson. Suffering from a form of autism, Jerry began as a side character that walked the halls with his girlfriend, a mannequin he addressed as such. He developed into a character with obvious flaws that fought his own personal battles as well as those of his clients. The character came along with ticks and taps and pops, noises and movements he made including clutching his hands to his thighs, but in spite of those problems he was one that we all loved and wanted so much more for.
Tara Summers rounded out the main cast members at the end portraying Katie Lloyd, an attorney given the task of assisting Espenson. She also became the object of his affection though he steered clear of letting her know. The usual plot device of sexual tension between two characters was turned on its ear here as the duo often seemed on the verge of actually becoming interested in one another but instead moved in the opposite direction. At least for Lloyd's perspective.
All of the lawyers involved in this series were far from the normal lawyers we've become accustomed to over the years as seen on television. They were a quirky bunch who would take on cases ranging from client's whose parents died of cancer cause by smoking to that of an elderly lady attacking the networks for programming shows aimed only at the youth of America while omitting that made for older people, a segment they proved made up the vast majority of viewers. Yes, both of these topics came up in season five and made for interesting viewing.
Season five also brought about a number of changes at the firm. Shirley and Carl decided to marry, much to the consternation of Denny who has longed to reunite once more with Shirley. The closeness between Denny and Alan, as noted earlier, became deeper as Denny moved from the early stages of Alzheimer's to a deeper onset. And the romance that had lied deep beneath the surface between Jerry and Katie began to show signs of becoming a reality.
All lose ends were tied up nicely with a big bow by series creator David E. Kelly. And new possible threads were put into play when he made the firm about to close and facing bankruptcy. A buy out by the Chinese made for an interesting storyline as did Alan and Denny going before the Supreme Court one more time, the epitome of a lawyer's career, in the hopes of getting Denny the right to use non-FDA approved medication to stave off his disease.
Of the characters in this series each offered something special that made you care about them all and want to continue to watch them. To single one out might be considered slighting the rest. But for me, William Shatner deserved the highest accolades for his performance as Denny Crane. Saddled with the mantle of being Captain Kirk for generations of TV and movie viewers and as police office T.J.Hooker for the children of the 80s, Shatner shined as Denny Crane. Never once can you see him here and think of either previous character, a major coupe for an actor to do so. Denny may not always make the right choices, but by the series end, you have to be heartless not to love him.
While this may sound like numerous details of the show it falls far short. These were merely some of the high points in twelve episodes that brought the series to its rousing finale. And through it all the cast, crew and writers kept a tremendous sense of humor about it all, often joking through the characters about the end. More than once a character would ask "Do you think this is a case we should take?" only to get the response "Why not, it's our last season", tongue firmly planted in cheek each time.
Who knows how long it will take for a series to reach the heights that this one did. I am sure one will come along. But that right combination of writing, setting, cast and crew is a rarity in today's TV land. Until such time comes along when this happens, make sure you keep BOSTON LEGAL alive. The entire series on DVD is worth owning. And this one, season five, caps off a run that should be talked about for years.
Summary of Boston Legal: Season Five
Genre: Television: Series
Rating: NR
Release Date: 5-MAY-2009
Media Type: DVD
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