Created by television mastermind David E. Kelley (Ally McBeal, The Practice, Picket Fences) and featuring an Emmy Award-winning cast including William Shatner, Candice Bergen, and James Spader, Season Two of Boston Legal is socially relevant, wickedly funny, and infectiously fresh…It’s an open and shut case! Boston Legal Season Two features 27 episodes on a 7-disc set for $59.98 & $89.98. Impressive in quality and quantity, the 27 episodes of Boston Legal‘s second season (2005-06) are a dazzling showcase for one of TV’s greatest ensembles. Everything that made season 1 so entertaining is refined here, often to the point of perfection: As the resident bad boys of the prestigious Boston legal firm of Crane, Poole & Schmidt, senior partner Denny Crane (William Shatner) and maverick attorney Alan Shore (James Spader) continue their campaign of rampant indiscretion, combining unabashed sexism and political incorrectness with Denny’s egotistical fat-cat sense of entitlement (and a touch of “Mad Cow”) and Alan’s passion for justice and courtroom theatrics. The departure of his girlfriend Tara (season 1′s Rhona Mitra) has left Alan pensively lonely, so his male-bonding with Denny becomes the series’ emotional core, even as it reaches new heights of hilarity in episodes like “Finding Nimmo,” an instant classic in which Denny introduces Alan to the pleasures of fly-fishing. Back at the office, semi-regular cast member Betty White turns from murder to robbery, only to find herself redeemed as the new “sandwich lady” at C, P & S. And while senior partner Paul Lewiston (Rene Auberjonois) juggles the firm’s ethical dilemmas and a rocky reunion with his drug-addicted daughter (superbly played by Jayne Brook), founding partner Shirley Schmidt (Candice Bergen) dodges advances from her soon-to-be-remarried ex-husband (Tom Selleck) while suspecting Denny’s soon-to-be-sixth-wife (Joanna Cassidy) of high-stakes gold-digging. In the midst of it all, Denise (Julie Bowen) faces threatening competition from a new attorney (Parker Posey) and elusive love with a dying billionaire (Michael J. Fox) while playing “friends with benefits” with colleague Brad (Mark Valley), who’s only too willing to indulge their arrangement.
Expanded roles for Bowen and Valley are just two of this season’s welcome improvements; along with Bergen and Auberjonois, they add engaging counterbalance to the Spader/Shatner juggernaut, while newcomers Justin Mentell and Ryan Michelle Bathe (as legal assistants) add youthful appeal in roles that necessarily remained marginal for most of the season. As always, series creator David E. Kelley (aided by a new writing staff) maintains a constant flow of outrageous behavior (most of it Denny’s) and compelling courtroom trials based on hot-button issues including assisted suicide, the war in Iraq, private school discrimination, medical malpractice, tax evasion and a variety of other cases in which belligerent judges (played by Henry Gibson, Anthony Heald, Howard Hesseman, Shelley Berman, and others) play antagonistic foils to Alan Shore’s impassioned defense. (It’s here where Spader excels; Shore may be a lascivious lothario, but you offend his moral conscience at your peril.) A stellar array of guest stars, impeccable editing and cinematography, and glossy office production design make Boston Legal a constant feast for the eyes and ears, with breezy emphasis on the farcical goings-on at Crane, Poole & Schmidt. (The series’ writing and production values are explored in brief but enjoyable bonus featurettes included on the final DVD in this seven-disc set.)
With Denny and Alan’s season-ending visit to Los Angeles (where they defend a sexy celebrity played by Star Trek: Voyager‘s Jeri Ryan), it’s delightfully obvious that Shatner and Spader are the heart and soul of Boston Legal, which is ultimately about the mutual affection of two men whose viewpoints are often as polarized as their friendship is compassionately co-dependent. Bolstered by clever allusions to Shatner’s Star Trek legacy and throwaway references to their own status as characters in a TV show (as Kelley and his writers deliberately demolish the “fourth wall” of TV for comedic effect), Spader and Shatner quickly turned their episode-closing balcony scenes into an honorable tradition, where differences dissolve in the taste of fine scotch and slowly-savored cigars. They’re bringing us the finest “dramedy” that primetime network television has to offer, and we’ll gladly follow them as their crazy lives continue. –Jeff Shannon
Buy “Boston Legal – Season 2″ For Only $11.00
March 28, 2008
#1
Forget the X-Files, CSI, Kolchak the Night Stalker.. you want to see the Creepiest show on television.. you got it right here! I’ve tried my damnest to get into this show, being somewhat of a lewd male myself, but even I can’t get passed the idea that for every case they take on there should be equal or greater the number of sexual harrasment suits during every single episode! That’s not what makes it “creepy” though.. granted, a little sexual tension is amusing when it’s portrayed by attractive actors or actresses that at least show a good deal of “CHARISMA”.. the characters that Spader and Shatner play are not only visualy Repulsive in their bloated forms, they also portray their characters as stuffy, Nueotic and flat out Weird.. which doesn’t make it appealing when they molest a client or two, it simply makes them Creepy! You can almost imagine this is how Ted Bundy must’ve appealed to his contacts. In one episode they actually had Shatner and another partner played by Robert Wagner simultaneaously feeling up Jeri Ryan as she squirmed helplessly in the courtroom as a defendant (DURING A CASE) And exactly HOW in God’s name is this suppose to be funny?? Especially to families that have any idea of what good taste is??? (I’ve read reviews were people talk about their kids ejoying it… great, you’re raising future molestors – of COURSE they’re interested!) Of course getting back to that scene, even though Jeri squirms for her life in the defendant’s chair between two disgusting bloated old farts, she accepts the attention of Spader instead.. who always has the look on his face like he just slaughtered three co-workers, drank their blood and is trying to get the one he’s talking to not to look down because he’s wearing their skull as a Jock strap… How in God’s name did a show get people this addicted when the leads are complete psychotics? At least they have Julie Bowen to drool over.. if you can take the creepy shivers the rest of the cast gives you.
March 29, 2008
#2
Throughly enjoyed season 1, five stars! What happened to the writing in season 2. Seems Kelly just had to put in his far left political agenda over and over and over. OK fine. I can deal with that, but when he chooses to explore disgusting perversions, disguised as network entertainment (did they really air this), well enuf already. We watched the first two disks in 2 hours. Does it improve any after that?
March 29, 2008
#3
Having enjoyed the predecessor to this show, “The Practice” I had high hopes for Boston Legal. Granted it made the jump from drama to sitcom, but it also morphed from entertainment to liberal propaganda. The intelligent characters are staunch liberals, while the only known republican is suffering from “mad cow,” and is unable to control himself, often making lewd remarks, shooting people, and womanizing
Aside from the preachy speeches given by the writers to promote a liberal agenda and the not-so-masked attempt to portray Republicans as gun toting sexual deviant bumbling fools, Boston Legal has an excellent cast of characters to depict outrageously humorous scenerios. The actors are of the highest calibur, and the roles were perfectly cast. Shatner and Spader have a very believable relationship as friends, and it warms the heart to watch them together. You have to see it for yourself to fully appreciate the charm these two men bring to the show.
Overall, this show is a gem. The only criticism to be made about this program is the conversion from entertainment to liberal propaganda. If, in the future, the writers see fit to abandon the political persuasion, this show would certainly warrant a full five stars. Kudos to ABC for another fine primetime show, and I anxiously await the future of this series!
March 29, 2008
#4
The folks are back for a second season, although there are some departures and arrivals of a few cast characters. The writing continues to be top notch during this second season.
David Kelly’s signature is all over Boston Legal. The key to this series is interesting characters. Many have some really bizzar bahavior which is compelling to witness. L.A. Law, which was where Kelly got his start had the same hook which was why I also loved THAT show. If only they would release that someday soon.
Anyway, I’ll wait until this second series goes on sale just like the first before picking it up…
March 29, 2008
#5
I have not viewed this video as I am keeping it as a collectible,however,I am a HUGE fan of the show and therefore have seen each episode and am waiting for the next season to become available.