So we’re now a couple of months into the writers strike, with virtually every show in reruns now. As such, when an episode of a show I regularly watch appears on my TiVo list, I usually ignore it. Unfortunately, that means I’m now a few weeks late with my Boston Legal thoughts.
Before I get to that, though, a few random rambles for your enjoyment:
Something has been irking me for a while now, and that’s the overuse of the expression “Jump the Shark.” It pains me to admit it, because I love the publication, but TV Guide is a lot to blame for this. It seems like if a show has one bad episode, or a single unsuccessful storyline, and its accused of jumping the shark. Admittedly, the definition has expanded beyond its initial inspiration when the Fonz literally water skis (in his leather jacket, no less) over a shark, but to me the phrase essentially refers to one of three scenarios: 1) when a show becomes completely ridiculous, almost like a caricature of its former self, 2) when a show needs to resort to constant unbelievable or outrageous ploys in order to garner attention and ratings, or 3) when a show becomes virtually unrecognizable when compared to its original concept.
So why is TV Guide to blame? It seems like every single friggin’ week, they’re either proclaiming that a show has jumped the shark, or they’re featuring letters from readers making the accusation. Law & Order making a few casting changes does not mean that it is jumping the shark, it’s just the natural evolution of a long-running series (not to mention tweaking aspects of the show that might not work). Besides which, the focus of the series was never the characters (although they play an undeniably crucial part), it was the premise. The first half of the episode followed the police finding the person responsible for the crime, and the second half focused on the attorneys prosecuting him. I think turning against that formula would be more an example of jumping the shark than changing the cast. And for what it’s worth, I found the first few episodes of this season phenomenal.
Secondly, here’s a fun and ironic observation that I made a few days ago. Practically every single original series on the USA Network is filmed in Canada. That is all.
A while back I noted that while I enjoy Boston Legal, and I think that William Shatner is brilliant in his portrayal of Denny Crane, I am disappointed that the character is presented as such a cartoon character. Denny would go on and on about what a successful and genius defense attorney he is – and few characters ever argue with that – but the viewer is never really privy to that aspect of his life. Instead, all we see is the kooky old man who pretends to have Mad Cow disease. Ultimately, it makes Denny look more like he’s delusional than somebody who’s resting on his laurels.
With that criticism in mind, the recent installment of Boston Legal, in which Denny defends a woman charged for murder, was one of my favorite episodes ever. In fact, the only comparable episode that comes to mind is last year’s “Son of the Defender,” in which we got a brief glimpse (courtesy of brilliantly used 50 year old Studio One footage) of Denny’s mastery in the courtroom. When I saw the preview of this episode, I was so, so worried that the writers would take this opportunity to hammer home the point that Denny is a shell of his former self by tarnishing his legacy and giving him that blemish of a loss on his otherwise perfect record. So you can imagine how thrilled I was when the episode turned out to be a display of his natural abilities.
A real highlight for me was the subtle nuances of Denny’s character, which really exemplify how skilled he is at manipulating the non-legal aspects of presenting a case. He recognizes that jurors will respond not only to the lawful ramifications of a trial, but the emotional facet as well (just think back to when he got the charges dropped against a racist homeowner who shot an intruder, because the prosecutor realized that they couldn’t get an objective jury after the way Denny used the media to his advantage). To further illustrate this point, notice how virtually every character (on the defense and prosecution side) speaks in the center of the courtroom. Yet when Denny is speaking to the jurors or his client on the stand, he’s almost always leaning in on them, with his arms draped on the railing. And when he’s talking to an expert witness (or somebody whom the jurors do not need to be emotionally attached to), he’s usually just sitting at his seat, rarely even looking up when he asks questions. His physical closeness and distance to his client and expert witness, respectively, is subconsciously telling the jury “this is somebody you should care about, and this is somebody you should listen to” (once again, respectively).
Finally, for all his bravado, it was also a lot of fun seeing a vulnerable Denny Crane. This was where William Shatner really shined, in my opinion. Three scenes really stick out: Denny in his office the night before his closing, Denny waiting in the court before the verdict was announced, and Denny having to return to that same room to gain his composure following his victory.
What I also enjoyed about this episode was how they handled the Denny/Alan friendship. Specifically, I’m glad that they didn’t use the proverbial sledgehammer to make any points, instead employing a more subdued approach. Don’t get me wrong, there were certainly some parts that were more explicit than others, but for the most part, it was up to the viewers to figure out that Alan wasn’t just concerned that Denny wasn’t mentally capable of handling a murder trial (after all, a woman’s freedom was at stake), he was also worried that Denny would buckle under the pressure of living up to his own expectations. Alan didn’t disguise himself in the courtroom to “save” Denny, he was there to watch his friend succeed. Finally, Alan checking on Denny when he went to gain his composure after the verdict was annoyed was a truly tender moment. It’s hard to believe that these two had such a hostile relationship in the Practice episode that they first met.
Well, loyal readers, Smallville is returning with new episodes next week, as is Lost (!!!!!). Plus Prison Break just returned, so expect some more columns from me. And, as always, feel free to send me an e-mail.
