As a Boston Legal fan from ...
Question: As a
Boston Legal fan from day one, I was utterly astonished by last week's "The Mighty Rogues" episode. I was astounded at the way the show flawlessly managed to weave from comedic (Nantucket attempting to build a nuclear bomb) to moving (Alan's speech about Denny and dealing with the very real possibility that he may one day have to make the decision about killing him) to the ending, which had me crying my eyes out at Shirley and her father. Although
Boston Legal is always brilliant, I was blown away by the writing in this episode. And as a believer that the Alan/Denny relationship is one of the best on television, I really saw that shine through, especially during the balcony scene. The episode, I believe, should be the winner of the best one-hour drama Emmy this year. What are your thoughts on the episode and what do you think of its Emmy chances?
Answer: The Emmys love
Boston Legal. I do not. As I noted in
my recent Dispatch, which dealt primarily with this week's Supreme Court outing, I wouldn't be at all surprised if the last two episodes help propel the show back onto the Emmy rolls. There is some outstanding work being done here, as is often the case, but my own critical opinion is that the show undercuts its claims to quality with its sophomoric and smutty frat-boy toilet humor, its self-consciously busy camera work (and to think people complain about
Friday Night Lights' roving cameras) as well as with its preciously annoying characters like Jerry and Clarence. What bugs me most is how great work is being ignored on quieter (
Friday Night Lights) or more complex dramas (
The Wire) or in the cable fringes (
The Shield in recent seasons) in favor of a show that's so tiresomely sensational and uneven, although one that unquestionably is able to hit an emotional or provocative home run when it chooses to. Personally, my pick for the last year's top drama is AMC's
Mad Men, and I'm already preparing myself to be disappointed (although I'll be delighted if the Emmys actually get it right this time.)
