I watched the first episode of Boston Legal last night…and I was impressed.
Having watched the end of The Practice last season, I was intrigued by the set up that was laid for this new show. I was particularly impressed with William Shatner, returning to a regular television role, and winning an Emmy in the process.
So I decided to give the first episode a shot. What did I get?
I saw a show that wasted no time in setting up the foibles, mannerisms, and backgrounds of the main characters. It was, quite possibly, the smoothest, swiftest set up of regulars I have ever seen on a television program in recent memory.
I watched as humour and drama mixed to produce something that had me rivetted to my screen one moment, and laughing until I was crying the next moment. It’s the kind of writing found in the best episodes of David E. Kelly’s past work (Picket Fences, Ally McBeal, The Practice), and it was as sharp as ever in this episode.
I saw the return of actor Mark Valley, who’s amazing show Keen Eddie was taken off the air last year in an act of brutal indifference. He’s a wonderful actor, and his by-play with James Spader’s oily (and I do mean OILY) Alan Shore was electric from the first moment they were together in a scene.
I saw the resurrection of William Shatner as a TV star…and it was magnificent to watch. He owned every scene he was in: he filled the screen with so much presence, so much power, it was barely enough to contain him. It isn’t easy to convey slight insanity, deadly seriousness, and gentle humour simultaneously…but Shatner pulls it off like it’s just another day at the office. If he doesn’t win another Emmy for his work this year, it will be a crime against celluloid.
And it’s also nice to see Rene (DS9’s Odo) Auberjonois back in a solid, juicy TV role.
I think I’m hooked. Is it over the top? Absolutely…but in a freakish, real-life sort of way. There’s even a moment when one of the characters worries that he really DOES talk too fast — it’s these self-referential moments that make it priceless to watch. May this show last many long, quality seasons…and may we all bask in the Shatner renaissance. 
