Boston Legal: Trick or Treat

(S03E07) You're not getting in this dress. -- Alan Shore, dressed like one of the Lennon sisters, to Denny Crane, also dressed like a Lennon sister. Don't ask.

After last week's intense, and somewhat oogy, episode of Boston Legal, we get a palette cleanser of sorts this week as some storylines are closed and others are opened. It was also an extremely subdued episode. Even bombastic characters like Alan Shore and Denny Crane were unusually quiet this time around. It was so calm that I almost fell asleep halfway through the episode. Oh, that wasn't because the show was boring. It was more a result of traipsing out with the kiddies for a marathon trick-or-treating session.

Let's move along now, shall we?

Well, they certainly closed up the Denise Bauer/Daniel Post relationship pretty quickly with Daniel dying off camera. Even though this is a trick that has been used many a time in other shows, it worked here because it gave us a chance to see a bit more of Julie Bowen. Like co-star Mark Valley, Julie has been under-utilized this season. I wish the producers would give us more episodes with Bowen and Valley, and less with Alan or Denny. Sure, we'd miss their antics for at least one episode, but it would give the others a chance to shine.

Lincoln Meyer is back this episode to sue Jeffery Coho, as well as the firm of Crane, Poole & Schmidt, for the way he was treated in and out of court. That guy is creepy with a capital 'C'. It's not only his voice, but his face as well. David Dean Bottrell does a very nice job of showing how deeply disturbed Lincoln is. On the outside you see someone who is trying to be nice to everyone, but inside he's quite the murdering bastard. And, he does murder someone at the end of the episode. So, it looks like his story will continue on BL.

Jerry Espenson returns, this time charged with perjury in a federal death penalty case. It seems he said he was in favor of the death penalty during jury selection, but told a reporter afterwards that he was against it. Alan, with one of his best closing statements this season, gets Jerry acquitted. Personally, I'm getting a bit tired of Jerry and all of his quirks. I think it's time that they give his character a break (although it seems he'll be on again in the next episode).

Oh, here's the Denny Crane moment of the week. Bethany wants Denny to meet his mother, who is played this episode by a slimmed down Delta Burke. It turns out Denny and Bethany's mom were engaged, and that the diminutive lawyer may be Denny's daughter. I like this little plotline going on between Denny and Bethany. It's actually showing another side of Crane that we normally don't see with anyone except Alan. Oh, by the way, the running joke of Denny not knowing Bethany was listening to a conversation came up again. I knew when it was going to happen, and it was still funny when it did.

All right. No new Boston Legal until the end of November. It's Election 2006 coverage next week, and then Show Me the Money, the William Shatner hosted game show, the next week.