BFFL Best Friends For Life

I really enjoy characters...

I'm not using the word in the generic sense to mean participants in a story. I mean characters in the sense of "that guy is a real character". In the same sense that the USA Network uses the phrase in their tagline "Characters Welcome". I like characters with quirks and eccentricities. Perhaps because I have a few myself.

Believe it or not, this does have a point. Boston Legal has created some of the best characters on television today. Denny Crane and Alan Shore alone would be worth watching the show for, but recently, the character list has been growing.

This recent episode was the conclusion (?) of a multi part storyline that has involved a whacko named Lincoln Meyer (played brilliantly by David Dean Botrell). Lincoln was a complex character that, it turns out, was pathetic, funny and menacing at the same time. In his latest move, he kidnapped Shirley Schmidt and found himself in a situation that was most likely going to leave him little choice but to kill her. Fortunately, Alan Shore broke the law to play a significant part in saving her life.

While this was going on, Alan and Jerry Espenson defended an unwinnable murder case. If you have seen Jerry before, you would have thought that any case with him as the attorney was unwinnable. Jerry, who suffers for Aspergers Syndrome, constantly holds his hands against his body, hops and occasionally makes odd noises, was fantastic. While staying consistent with his character and his symptoms, Jerry managed to be a brilliant attorney. It was fun to watch.

But the capper for this episode, was Denny. At one point, he "caught" Alan and Jerry sharing one of those attorney bonding moments out on Denny's balcony, and Denny had a jealous fit. In a series of wonderfully written scenes, Denny and Alan's relationship was transformed into something exclusive. Not that we didn't know before this that the relationship was special. But it all culminated with Denny and Alan making up, and Denny demanding that Alan never share a cigar with Jerry ever again on his, or any, balcony.

How sweet.

I hope this couple stays together for a long time.

Labels: Boston Legal, tv