Customer Reviews

Boston Legal - Season Three

5 star:		(83)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Yes, this is the funniest show on TV. However, there are many episodes that have a punch in your face quality that goes beyond the poignant. When you combine it with humor you get a refreshing show. It seems to be a version of MASH, with the legal system itself on trial. Honestly, the relationship between Denny Crane & Alan Shore & the latters court closing arguments segments alone are worth four stars. These two men are similar to Hawkeye & Trapper John of MASH in respect to their individualism & disdain for authority.

Episodes 2,4,7,11,16,18, & 23 appear to illustrate the "food for thought," category best. They are titled respectively, "New Kids On The Block, Fine Young Cannibal, Trick Or Treat, Angel Of Death, The Good Lawyer, Son Of The Defender, & Duck And Cover." These episodes were slightly less funny, but every bit as enjoyable. All the episodes are well cast, acted, & written. When you want to laugh & think, view this show religiously.

I have watched this show from day one. I lucked out finding it on t.v one night and have never missed an episode. I tell everyone I know about the show to let them know what they are missing.
The show tackles serious issues and is racy and has lots of innuendo, but it's not a kids show it's for adults.
Shatner and Spader are a wonderful duo. The whole cast male and female is eye candy, but that only adds to my delight watching the show. If only female attorneys looked that great in real life.
Seriously though, I have grown to love not only the long term cast but the guest stars and the characters they play. The character of Jerry Espinson is amazing. I love the whole ensemble. The new additions of Craig Bierko (Jeff Coho) and the characters of Claire and Clarence/Clarice were wonderful too.
I hope the show continues and I'm enjoying this 3rd season all over again preparing for the 4th season next week.
Congrats to James Spader and another Emmy win from the show.
To the writers, directors, and actors all keep up the good work. I can't get enough of this show. It is truly my most guilty pleasure.
I am adding a bit to my original review after watching the first half dozen episodes or so. The 3rd season is darker than I remembered it, and has the usual sexual innuendo but is still great nonetheless. The show brings up relavant social isues and even if you may not agree with the shows views, it does give you something to think/talk about.
Like one of the characters on the show said, "you have a lawyer here who salutes you while doing pushups (Brad). The woman (Claire) who dates a fellow co-worker transvestite (Clarice/Clarence). Denny has mad cow disease and dates a midget who comes and goes (Bethany). There's Alan who just can't be explained." Along with Jerry who purrs and hops and squeals. Also don't forget Shirley Schmidt-ho and Patty.
How could a person not love this show??? Start with season 1 and enjoy all the episodes.

Spader, Shatner, and Bergen are top-notch once again in this dramedy. I highly recommend this series for someone who is just having a bad day and needs a smile. The friendship between Alan Shore and Denny Crane is something to behold.

Boston Legal is without a doubt the most entertaining show on television today! The script writers are witty, articulate and endearingly outrageous. The acting is superb! I personally relish the political and social statements that are threaded through the show. Of course the writers are liberal, but since I happen to agree with their views, it's particularly pleasant for me to watch. There are some very poignant moments in most of the episodes and a subtle undercurrent that's noticeable if you're alert. This is perhaps the only program that's truly worth viewing reruns. It will be a sad day when they take this one off the air!

Boston Legal is one of my favourite television shows (after CSI). It has brilliant, clever and funny writing and I really enjoy it. Each season seems to get better and better and the 3rd season is no exception. Here are the way the episodes go.
1. Can't We All Get A Lung?
Alan hires a sexual surrogate to help Jerry Espenson overcome his fear of intimacy with women, which only gets Jerry in more legal trouble. And Shirley takes Daniel Post's case after Denise learns that her fiancé is planning to buy a lung from a terminally-ill man.
2. New Kids On The Block.
A cocky new lawyer joins the firm from the New York office and defends a client who was having an adulterous affair with a murdered judge, and Denny gets in more hot water after a blind date with a "midget."
3. Desperately Seeking Shirley.
Alan represents Shirley's ex-husband, who is looking for a hole in his new post-nup, which was written by Shirley. Meanwhile, the judge's murder trial continues, and Denny reaches a compromise after the little person sues him.
4. Fine Young Cannibal.
Alan and Shirley take on a grandstanding District Attorney prosecuting a homeless man for cannibalism. The case gives Alan an opportunity to make his move on her, but he can't get together with her without Denny's approval.
5. Whose God Is It Anyway?
Jeffery, Claire and Denise's judge murder trial gets underway, and Alan defends Jerry Espenson after firing a lawyer in his new firm because he's a Scientologist.
6. The Verdict.
Coho's defense weakens after his client's father testifies against him and Alan feels something is missing when he picks up his relationship with Sally.
7. Trick Or Treat.
Alan must defend Jerry Espenson again, this time for committing perjury to get on a jury. Meanwhile, Denise learns that her fiancé, Daniel Post, has died, but the doctors are having trouble locating his remains.
8. Lincoln - Part 1.
Lincoln Meyer chooses Denny to represent him when he's suspected of killing the judge. Jerry enlists Alan's help in a first degree murder case. Brad has had it with Jeffrey, who wants to have Shirley, and Alan overhears Denise telling Shirley about her desires and takes advantage of it. Denny, meanwhile, can't seem to decide between Bethany or her mother, so he wants them both, which neither one will give in to.
9. On The Ledge - Part 2.
Lincoln goes to extremes and kidnaps Shirley. The trial begins for Jerry's client, who shines as an attorney in the court room, and Denny feels threatened by him, as Jerry and Alan begin to bond as friends. Brad and Jeffrey take their office relationship to the "next level."
10. The Nutcrackers.
Clarice applies for a job as Claire's new assistant, but she'll only hire him as Clarence. Alan's new case is involved in a friendly wager with Shirley. Brad and Jeffrey are assigned to work on a case, together, involving a woman who wants to sue God, even though they can't stand one another, which makes Denise feels more like a referee, than an attorney.
11. Angel Of Death.
Alan and Denny go to New Orleans to help defend a doctor on trial for euthanizing her patients during the flood after Hurricane Katrina, and Clarence sues a women's gym that revoked his membership after he revealed that he was a man.
12. Nuts.
The firm defends a grade school teacher who is sued after one of her students dies from a peanut allergy, and Alan takes on the Office of Homeland Security after Denny is wrongly placed on the "no-fly list."
13. Dumping Bella.
Denny takes Bella's case against an animal rights group opposed to her cosmetic testing procedures, and her daughter Bethany is opposing counsel. And at the same time, Denny wants to dump Bella because he's still in love with Bethany.
14. Selling Sickness.
Alan defends a judge suing a company promising to cure him of "same sex attraction disorder," and Shirley defends a man keeping a teenage sexual assault victim from taking medication that will make her forget the experience.
15. Fat Burner.
Denny is sued for operating a company that wants to turn human fat into fuel, Clarence gets his first case, and Jeffery submits his resignation after he finds out that he's not the father of Denise's child.
16. The Good Lawyer.
Alan feels guilty after teaching Jerry Espenson a cruel lesson on being a good lawyer, Denny creates a scene at Bethany's temple, and Brad and Denise come to blows over whether she should give up her career to take care of their baby.
17. The Bride Wore Blood.
Alan defends his ex-girlfriend Renata when she is accused of murdering her groom-to-be. And when the case starts going badly, she drops a personal bombshell in her defense that not even Alan knows about.
18. Son Of The Defender.
Denny is forced to recount a trial with his father from fifty years earlier when the victim's son--carrying a gun and wired to a bomb--returns demanding justice. Meanwhile, Alan is found in contempt of court again while defending his neighbor.
19. Brotherly Love.
When Paul tries to force Brad to sign an agreement in order to keep the firm out of getting in between him and Denise, Brad forces the rest of the partners to reconsider their position. When Claire sees Clarence in a coffee shop with another woman, she reconsiders their position. Alan defends a man accused of helping his brother cover up a murder.
20. Guise N Dolls.
Alan goes head to head with Jerry, but Alan doesn't like the arrogant, boorish persona Jerry has assumed for the case. And Denny gets the firm in hot water when he "compliments" an African-American job applicant.
21. Tea And Sympathy.
Judge Weldon asks Alan to defend her in a case, which leads to a potential relationship. Meanwhile, Clarence has a client who wants to sue a college sorority for kicking her out, and Jerry Espenson is opposing counsel.
22. Guantanamo By The Bay.
Jerry shows up at Shirley's office, wishing to return to the firm and clients include someone who was detained at the hands of the government, who felt he was involved in a terrorist plot of some kind. Gloria warns Alan that Judge Folger entertains more lawyers in her chambers than motions in her courtroom.
23. Duck And Cover.
Alan defends a priest on trial for housing an illegal alien, and Brad and Denise hurry to get married before their baby is born. Meanwhile, Shirley gives Jerry a housing discrimination case involving a woman and her duck.
24. Trial Of The Century.
Alan and Denny resort to a dangerous strategy to create reasonable doubt and get two teenage brothers acquitted of murdering their father. And Shirley gets angry with Jerry and Clarence when they sue a casino.

Each episode is fantastic and while there are some silly senarios in some parts (Jerry Espenson's condition that makes him make animal noises and strange other problems), they do tackle interesting issues in their various trials and cases. It's so much fun this whole show and I've watched every episode since season 1. I really love this and hope you do too.

Nope - it's THE BEST series on TV today.

Partly, just like the legal profession, it's via Darwinian process. Even during the course of this season, some main, feature characters are laid off. If they don't "click," they're let go.

I wonder which focus group did this? Well, anyway, they were right.

While you could accuse the show of exploiting absurdity for cheap laughs [and you just might be right], despite that this is show sneaks up on you. It hits you over the head, challenging your own entrenched thinking in the bargain.

The acting and writing are ruthlessly excellent. As with "The Sopranos," you end up caring deeply for some really unattractive people...

After all, who in their right mind likes lawyers?

Boston Legal is my dream come true - Comedy / Crime /Legal Courtroom Drama which is a perfect combination of all genres and is as funny as it is clever and gripping. The idea of "Boston Legal" had came to its creator, David E. Kelley during the last season of once very popular but sadly quietly dying legal drama "Practice". I was a big fan of the show and I stayed with it to the end. Bringing to "Young, Berluti, & Frutt" of "Practice" an ethically-challenged, arrogant, morally ambiguous but brilliant and somehow likable attorney Alan Shore (James Spader) was Kelley's great idea. The last season of Practice became one of best thanks to Spader who resurrected it by simply being there. When I heard that Spader would have a spin-off "Boston Legal", I could hardly wait for it and it has never disappointed me. Boston Legal is "Crane, Poole, and Schmidt", a famous and wealthy firm that specializes on civil cases. In the center of the show are Alan Shore and his older friend and mentor Denny Crane (William Shattner). To bring them together in one show and let them have a wonderful relationship that is based on their differences (comparing to Denny who is in love with the sound of his own name, Alan seems highly moral and stable model citizen) and is at the same time hilarious, sincere, and moving was a pure genius. Each episode would end with both Alan and Denny sitting on the balcony, smoking cigars, drinking scotch and having a friendly conversation and those are the best moments of the show.

Alan and Denny are the central characters in "Boston Legal" but every attorney in the "Crane, Poole, and Schmidt" is a unique individual. There is a former marine Brad, the veteran of Operation Desert Storm with the strong principles - the complete opposite to Alan. There is Clarence, a man with several personalities and Claire, the girl who loves him. Candice Bergen has joined the cast at Crane, Poole, and Schmidt, as Shirley Schmidt, sharp like a razor senior partner as brilliant, manipulative, and arrogant as both Denny and Alan are. There is also a dwarf Bethany "who comes and goes" with whom Denny has an on- and off- relationship. Jerry "Hands" Espenson with his Asperger syndrome has re-joined the firm and his return will certainly add to the practice (and the show) success. You may like them or not but they all have one thing in common - they are fantastic attorneys, always on the top of their game. All actors, the series regulars and the guests constantly give first-class performances, Writing is superb in every episode and "Boston Legal" has become one of if not the best comedy-drama on TV today.

In the conclusion, I'd like to share one of my favorite scenes in the show. Denny and Allan are on the balcony talking about Shirley. Denny and Shirley used to have a passionate affair way back and she is still the love of his life. Alan's lust for Shirley is so overwhelming that he showed up in the office party dressed up like her (and he managed to look better than she did) explaining that everyone had to dress up like a person he/she admires the most.

Denny (thoughtfully, remembering something very special to him) -"Shirley...One night while making love, she recited Proust."

Alan: "Did you understand it?"

Denny: "Not a single word. I thought she was possessed

One of the most popular spin-off television series ever. This brillant production reached it's nadar in series three, the first nine episodes were just magnificant and then it seemed to "jump the shark" as they say.

David E Kelly's writing is still great but I feel he is trying to place to much comedy into situations and this has IMO dumbed down Boston Legal from witty intellegence to just plain pointlessness.

Main Characters are being subject to sillyness and as a BL fan I can say some boundries should never have been crossed, i.e. Allen's behaviour towards Denice. Further more, the Allen and Denny banter is becoming tired, Shirley has become one-dimentional, while the likes of Paul, Brad and Geoffrey were made to become side characters as the predictable cleanout as season four approached. Naturally Denice slowed down as actor Julie Bowden entered motherhood.

Newbees Clarance, Claire and now regular Jerry, pick up some airtime but Claire pretty much dissapears from view untill the end.

David E Kelly's policy of revolving doors for his actors have and will see major changes...Season Four attests to this already.

I would have really like to see Edwin Poole return for the Deep End Of The Poole "Little Jimmys" addiction case that showed so much promise with Shirley getting some action. Also a visit from Donny Crane would have kept the continuation of the surrogate son relationship with Denny alive.

A couple of small special features included (on disc 5 & six)but basic viewing is what a series box set is all about.

Not as good as Season Two but still worth viewing. As season four is now viewing I feel this could be the last.

I have never submitted a review before but I felt compelled to this time.
I loved season two so much that I eagerly ordered season three. As I watched the opening episodes of season three I kept hoping that the next episode would get back to what I loved so much about season two. After nine episodes of increasing disappointment I finally gave up. I won't be ordering season four.

I watched the first season on the recommendation of a friend, having never even heard of it. After that I was hooked. The cast is incredible and the dialogue alone should have won Emmys every year. Love it!