After last’s week’s revelation that Denny Crane’s Alzheimer’s was getting worse, it was hard not to suspect that Monday night’s final finale of “Boston Legal” would wind up with best friend Alan Shore either killing him or kissing him.

Instead, they split the difference and got married.

It was a fitting end to the most devoted, and deranged, couple on television. Since the show’s spin-off from “The Practice” five years ago, the friendship between Denny (William Shatner) and Alan (James Spader) has been both the anchor and the pixie dust of Davd E. Kelley’s award-winning show, with each episode ending with the two men out on the balcony, smoking cigars, drinking scotch and talking about the vagaries of the human condition. Through Denny and Alan, Kelley and his writers attempted to explore that elusive creature — male emotional intimacy — and in doing so launched a thousand knockoffs, now known in entertainment media parlance as “bromance.” But none of them hold a candle to the boys of "Boston Legal."

So what if Alan took Denny to be his lawful wedded mostly to avoid tax laws and to ensure power of attorney? He loves the guy, as he managed to say at least 10 times in the course of two hours, which actually became a bit tedious. ...

Gay marriage —for it, only please to call it same-sex marriage so, of course, Alan and Denny can do it even though they aren’t now, and do not plan to ever become, gay. ...

“Boston Legal” has broken that wall many times, and many other things besides. But in the end, its final episode bowed, laughingly but honorably, to tradition. Alan won his case, Denny got his drugs, Shirley and Carl made up and they all got married at a Canadian fishing lodge.

A double wedding and a happy ending. Outside of Jane Austen, it doesn’t get more traditional than that. The final shot was of Denny and Alan dancing. Absurd and yet ... if you have to go out, why not go out dancing?

posted by Imapp Staff at 1:04 AM | link

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