First off, Alan tackles the bastards at big tobacco. Then, the pharmaceutical companies. Other "controversial" issues (everything from same-sex marriage to teen pregnancy and abortion) are covered and exploited by series creator/writer David E. Kelley and crew, but perhaps the funniest case would have to be in the episode "Juiced" where Carl Sack takes on Catherine Piper's (Betty White) case against the television networks for not having any decent programming on the air for people over the age of 50. Ah, wouldn't it be nice if we could sue the television networks for all of those crappy faux-celeb-reality and embarassing game shows? "Juiced," like virtually every other episode in season five, enjoys breaking the delicate fourth wall that surrounds the television characters (hell, they shatter it completely in some cases) and for those of you who thought Boston Legal jumped the shark in season four, there's a nice brief joke about that, too.
Other highlights in the last season include (to name a few) Denny shooting yet more people (which could make for a good drinking game if anyone's paying attention) and an epic paintball fight between Alan and Denny. In "Happy Trails," Denny and Alan opt to go on one last road trip (on-screen) and wind up going to a dude ranch in Utah. Unfortunately for Alan, annoying Texas lawyer Melvin Palmer (Christopher Rich) is there too. Palmer returns again, along with former attorney Edwin Poole (played by the great Larry Miller), in "Thanksgiving," an episode that features the most memorable Thanksgiving dinner ever shown on TV.
Fans of previous seasons will be delighted to see former Crane, Poole & Schmidt associates Denise Bauer (Julie Bowen) and Paul Lewiston (Rene Auberjonois) return (if only for a bit), while Laugh-In comedian Henry Gibson gets a chance to ham it up some more as Judge Clark Brown (a part the actor portrayed nearly two dozen times on the show). The episode "Mad Cows" brings a lot of laughs as guest star Valerie Bertinelli appears while the theme from One Day At A Time plays in the background — the same episode also features a very pro-Democratic theme and just happened to air the night before Barack Obama was elected as the President of the United States (my Republican employer, who is also named Denny, and also happens to be my friend, holds Boston Legal responsible for the turnout at the polls). The final two-parter, "Made In China/Last Call" features a wonderful (and funny) conclusion that, although it may mist up your eyes a little, is an ultimately satisfying closing to one of the best shows that television ever produced.
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