Season: 5

Episode: 5

First Aired: 10/20/2008

Prod Code: 5F05

Cast and Crew

Main Cast

• James Spader as Alan Shore
  
• John Larroquette
  
• Christian Clemenson
  
• Candice Bergen as Shirley Schmidt
  
• William Shatner
  
• Gary Anthony Williams
  
• Tara Summers
  
• Saffron Burrows
  
• Taraji Henson
  

Synopsis

Alan and Shirley prepare for a fight with the military on behalf of a man whose brother died under suspicious circumstances. Meanwhile, Jerry helps his sister in her search for the identity of the father of her son.

Download Boston Legal: “The Bad Seed” for Free

“True Love” - Alan Shore is called upon by ex-flame Phoebe Prentice (Ally Walker, “Profiler,” “Tell Me You Love Me”) to prove her husband’s innocence in the murder of a nurse. But deep down, Alan’s unrequited love for Phoebe makes him hope that her husband is guilty so that they can rekindle their relationship. Brenda Strong (”Desperate Housewives”) guest stars as presiding Judge Judy Beacon, on “Boston Legal,” MONDAY, OCTOBER 13 (10:00-11:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network. (ABC/VIVIAN ZINK)

Download Boston Legal “True Love” for Free

The ep starts out with a bang—literally—when Denny and Jerry are mugged in the parking lot at night. They’re in the middle of a discussion where Jerry is asking Denny to support him for partner this year and Denny is explaining to Jerry that being partner isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. (So I guess Jerry was given a clean slate when he was rehired! Cool.) An African-American man steps out of the shadows and pulls a gun on our boys. Jerry starts to turn over his watch and wallet. Denny – as only Denny can – points out that it’s going to look really bad for a black man to shoot a white big shot just as we’re trying to get a African American elected president. Somehow the guy doesn’t find this argument convincing. So Denny reaches for his watch, reaches for his wallet and—do you see where I’m going with this?—reaches for a gun and shoots the guy in a knee and both feet.

The next day, as Shirley and Alan are asking him if he’s okay two policemen come to Denny’s office to arrest him because he was carrying a concealed weapon. Heh heh. In pure Denny style, he was actually carrying multiple concealed weapons. They removed 3 from him the night of the mugging and 5 the day of the arrest.

Sack defends Denny in the courtroom of the eternally shocked Judge Brown.

Alan is busy with his own case. It seems that his (and Jerry’s) former sex surrogate/counselor Joanna is being sued by her ex-husband for custody of their daughter (age of daughter isn’t clear, but appears to be a pre-teen). Evidently (ex) hubby is very uncomfortable with his daughter growing into some very impressionable years with a mother who sometimes has sex for a living. Ex hubby is represented by our cynical friend, Emma Path.

They put the daughter on the stand, and she’s a pretty cool kid. Judge Stern, who really lives up to her name, is pretty good at keeping Alan in his place and wiping the smirk off his wise-cracking face. I can’t wait to see this chick. Also, in a conversation between Alan and Joanne while they’re waiting to go into court, Joanna tells Alan that the contempt she heard earlier in his voice directed at Emma wasn’t just contempt for another lawyer. It was contempt for a woman. She believes a part of Alan actually hates women. Needless to say, Alan takes umbrage. I’m pretty sure we can expect this to come up on the balcony.

Download Boston Legal: “Dances With Wolves” for Free

Download Boston Legal: Guardians and Gatekeepers for Free

Boston Legal: Guardians and Gatekeepers - A close call for Denny involving prescription drugs inspires Alan to go after a pharmaceutical company for its unscrupulous advertising tactics. Meanwhile, Carl defends Shirley’s 17-year-old granddaughter after she’s caught voting illegally, and Jerry and Katie help a girl who was sexually assaulted in a private detention facility. Monday 10:00 et/9:00 ct on ABC.

Katie and Jerry are helping a client, Jeffrey Addario, whose 15-yo daughter Lauren was arrested and convicted for cocaine possession after her mother died. They had the choice of a juvenile detention facility or a private Pennsylvania facility that offered drug counseling, and chose the latter. Jeffrey says that he doesn’t think she was an addict, but that cocaine possession at age 15 isn’t an encouraging sign. Well if that doesn’t scream upper-middle-class-parent-in-denial, I don’t know what does. But it’s sad nonetheless, so we’ll move on.

Jeffrey is meeting with Katie and Jerry because his daughter was allegedly raped by a guard at the facility. And for some reason that I can’t fathom, they seem to be trying to make a case on whether the guards are held up to the promise that they were trained in juvie justice or child psychology—as if that mattered one way or the other if she was raped. Eyeroll. whatEVer.

Jerry and Katie counsel Jeffrey on the odds of winning, and he agrees to consult with his daughter on whether they should settle (for a pittance, in legal terms) or go to trial. And I know you’ll be shocked to learn they decide to go to trial. (Because one or more scenes of Katie and Jerry negotiating a settlement in a CP&S boardroom holds so much drama!) Jerry maintains that the fight will be tough against this particular opposing counsel, but Katie presses on for the win.

Of course, there’s a catch: Opposing counsel is our good friend Melvin Palmer, and he brings to light during the trial that Lauren was having some nookie (i.e., kissing) with the guard in her cell—and while Lauren concedes that she never consented to be raped, she can’t deny that she had a relationship with this guard beyond the usual guard/prisoner thang.

Download Boston Legal: Guardians and Gatekeepers for Free

BOSTON LEGAL - “Smoke Signals” - On the season premiere episode, “Smoke Signals,” Bethany Horowitz asks Alan Shore to help her out with a case against a large tobacco company. But when it turns out that the defense attorney is Phoebe Prentice (Ally Walker, “Profiler,” “Tell Me You Love Me”), an old flame of Alan’s, he finds himself distracted and fears that he won’t be able to perform in court. Meanwhile, Denny is distraught over his own personal lack of performance in the bedroom. Led by an Emmy Award-winning cast, “Boston Legal” returns for its fifth and final season to tell the professional and personal stories of a group of brilliant but often emotionally challenged attorneys, MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 22 (10:00-11:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network. (ABC/VIVIAN ZINK) JAMES SPADER, ALLY WALKER

Download Smoke Signals here

The final season of David E. Kelley’s Emmy Award-winning series Boston Legal
will begin its run with an episode titled “Smoke Signals.”

“Smoke Signals” will take audiences to a different scene, when the firm of Crane, Poole and Schmidt tackles the tobacco industry.  This will be the 89th episode of the series, following last season’s “Patriot Acts.”  We were left with Alan (James Spader) and Denny (William Shatner) celebrating their acceptance to the Auxiliary Coast Guard.  We next see them this season defending a client whose father smoked cigarettes and died from lung cancer.  The tension between Denny and Alan surfaces even more, even in the smallest of acts in the trial.  Another surprise character from Alan’s past appears in the episode as well.

It has been reported that the fifth season of Boston Legal will no longer include Gary Anthony Williams as Clarence/Clarice Bell.  Williams claims that he was not upset that his stint on the show was over.  He already had two years on Boston Legal, and that was much more than he expected.  Taraji P. Henson has also confirmed her departure from the show, no longer playing the character of Whitney Rome.

Boston Legal is one of ABC’s consistent performers, having a concentration of high income viewers in its young adult audience.  It premiered in 2004 as a spin-off of The Practice, but has remained on the network because it was well-received.  It was once again nominated in the Emmy Awards this year, for the outstanding performances of its cast members. 

Boston Legal will be airing “Smoke Signals” on September 22 at 10pm, its new timeslot on ABC.  It will be appearing regularly with Dancing with the Stars and Samantha Who? on Mondays. 

Download Boston Legal Episodes

At the chaotic law firm of Crane Poole & Schmidt, there’s no such thing as temporary insanity – it’s more of a permanent condition! Amid torrid interoffice love affairs, and under the watchful eye of new senior partner Carl Sack, the firm’s brilliant but volatile attorneys take on such burning social issues as the death penalty, gays in the military, euthanasia, mortgage foreclosures, going green, racism, obesity and animal rights. So enjoy a stiff drink and light a cigar as the fourth season of the seriously addicting legal drama “Boston Legal” lands on DVD September 23rd from Fox Home Entertainment.

Headlining the stellar ensemble cast are James Spader** (Secretary, Sex Lies and Videotape) and William Shatner* (”Star Trek”), starring in their respective Golden Globe and Emmy award-winning roles as two unlikely kindred spirits among the brigade of high-priced litigators at Crane Poole & Schmidt; matching forces in her Emmy nominated role is Candice Bergen*** (”Murphy Brown”) playing the vigilant founding partner; and former TV lawyer John Larroquette**** (”Night Court”) joins the firm as the new senior lawyer from the New York office.

From prolific television producing and writing icon David E. Kelley (”Ally McBeal,” “The Practice”) “Boston Legal” tells the professional and personal stories of a group of brilliant, but often emotionally challenged attorneys. Sometimes irreverent and funny, sometimes intense and moving, “Boston Legal” prides itself on being at the forefront of issue-oriented television, often addressing issues that are underreported by the media. Fast paced and darkly comedic, the series confronts social and moral issues, while its characters continually stretch the boundaries of the law. Nominated for an EmmyÒ Award for Outstanding Drama Series in 2007, The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences recently honored the show with their Television Academy Honors, recognizing television with a conscience and achievements in programming that present issues of concern to society in a compelling, emotional and insightful way. The five-disc “Boston Legal” Season Four DVD collection includes all 20 episodes from the fourth season along with “The New Kids on the Courtroom Floor” behind-the-scenes featurette and will be available for the suggested retail price of $59.98 U.S. / $89.98 Canada. But you can download it here for only $29 U.S., click here to download DVD.

Let’s Download Boston Legal Episodes

Emmy winner and popular talk show guest William Shatner will turn host when the interview series “Shatner’s Raw Nerve” premieres later this summer.

Bio Channel announced Wednesday (July 9) that “Shatner’s Raw Nerve” will premiere on Tuesday, Aug. 19 at 10 p.m. ET.

Among Shatner’s earliest guests will be none other than the actor’s “Star Trek” colleague Leonard Nimoy. Other promised early guests include John Voight, Jimmy Kimmel, Judge Judy, Jenna Jameson, Leonard Nimoy, Kelsey Grammer and Valerie Bertinelli.

The release for the show promises that Shatner will probe his guests’ most sensitive subjects, exposing that eponymous “Raw Nerve” and warns that “the show will be unpredictable, allowing Shatner to work his magic on each guest in his own unique way.”

“Shatner’s Raw Nerve” is produced by Scott Sternberg Productions.

Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments today on last night’s episode of the ABC program, “Boston Legal”:

“There is no one in Hollywood more fascinated—and angry—about the Catholic Church than ‘Boston Legal’ creator David E. Kelley. That was obvious with his show “The Practice” also. Last night he shared with us once again his wish list. The episode focused on the plight of yet another terribly oppressed woman. The source of her oppression, of course, is the Catholic Church. She wants to become a priest, but she refuses to walk down the block to join the Episcopal church. So she realizes Kelley’s dream by evincing a hatred for diversity and tolerance: she sues the Church for discrimination.

“Orthodox Judaism, Mormonism, Islam and Orthodox Christianity merit honorable mention in the show (they have the same clergy strictures), but they don’t really count: it is the big bad Catholic Church that Kelley wants to knife. For example, in the courtroom lies are told about the Catholic Church’s alleged support for slavery, the execution of witches and the Inquisition. [Note: It was the Catholic Church—not any other religion—which first opposed slavery, and it was St. Patrick who was the first public person in history to fight against it; and for the most part, it was the civil authorities, not the Church, who punished witches and were responsible for the Inquisition.] In the end, Kelley’s biggest fantasy is realized—the Catholic Church’s tax-exempt status is revoked. Oh, yes, Kelley also speaks vicariously about sodomy: it should not be a sin.

“In the real world, now that imperial judges in California have overturned the express will of the people by allowing Sam to marry Steve (they have not ruled on whether Sidney can make it a trifecta), Kelley must be gushing. But it won’t last: he’ll get another reality check in November.”