Thirty-Day Television Meme | Day Seven
Day 07 - Least favorite episode of your favorite TV show.
"It Girls and Beyond"
Season 1, Episode 13
Originally aired January 23, 2005
I don't hate this episode by a long shot. I don't really hate any episode of Boston Legal. There are few, like this one, where I only care about one case, but every episode has at least one thing in it that I love.
I'm picking this one out of the handful that fit the bill solely because of the vast disparity between the two cases. Case #1, with Brad (who I never liked much) is about a woman being sued by her "former" SO and business partner, who happens to be another woman. Brad has issues saying the word "lesbian", which is kind of hilarious, because everyone mocks him for it. He also thinks his client is secretly attracted to him and may be secretly straight or bisexual. (To be fair, he's also mocked just as mercilessly for this; everyone he tells this to informs him that he's being fucking ridiculous.) You can probably begin to see why this case annoys me. It turns out to be a bait and switch--the whole thing was a publicity stunt--so even if you're barely emotionally invested at all, it still smacks you in the head for it. That revelation also validates Brad's suspicions somewhat (not that she was really straight, but that she was lying to him about something) which also bugs me, because the case being made against this woman was basically how she was lying about her sexuality; that, because she had had sex/relationships with men, she wasn't "really" a lesbian. While the parallel likely wasn't made intentionally, it's still easily read that way, especially in addition to the way the actress playing the woman portrayed her. Essentially, the whole case lacks the integrity I feel it could have easily achieved.
Now, by contrast, Case #2, with Denny and Alan, is excellent. It's about a doctor on trial for giving a patient an non-FDA-approved drug because he felt it was in his best interest. It parallels nicely with Denny's issues regarding his (eventual) Alzheimer's, and the revelation that Denny is taking a non-FDA-approved drug for that coupled with his closing feels like a sock in the gut:
"Basically, you get your brain back. And no FDA or any other agency is gonna tell me I don’t have the right to get back my brain. No government or corporation is gonna tell me or order me to continue losing my mind. I agree with the prosecutor. This claim that desperate people will try desperate measures. So what?"
It has true emotional honesty. It's played and written perfectly, making the contrast between the two cases all the more stark.
Day 01 - A show that should never have been canceled.
Day 02 - A show that you wish more people were watching.
Day 03 - Your favorite new show (aired this TV season).
Day 04 - Your favorite show ever.
Day 05 - A show you hate.
Day 06 - Favorite episode of your favorite TV show.
Day 07 - Least favorite episode of your favorite TV show.
Day 08 - A show everyone should watch.
Day 09 - Best scene ever.
Day 10 - A show you thought you wouldn't like but ended up loving.
Day 11 - A show that disappointed you.
Day 12 - An episode you've watched more than 5 times.
Day 13 - Favorite childhood show.
Day 14 - Favorite male character.
Day 15 - Favorite female character.
Day 16 - Your guilty pleasure show.
Day 17 - Favorite mini series.
Day 18 - Favorite title sequence.
Day 19 - Best TV show cast.
Day 20 - Favorite kiss.
Day 21 - Favorite ship.
Day 22 - Favorite series finale.
Day 23 - Most annoying character.
Day 24 - Best quote.
Day 25 - A show you plan on watching (old or new).
Day 26 - OMG WTF? Season finale.
Day 27 - Best pilot episode.
Day 28 - First TV show obsession.
Day 29 - Current TV show obsession.
Day 30 - Saddest character death.
"It Girls and Beyond"
Season 1, Episode 13
Originally aired January 23, 2005
I don't hate this episode by a long shot. I don't really hate any episode of Boston Legal. There are few, like this one, where I only care about one case, but every episode has at least one thing in it that I love.
I'm picking this one out of the handful that fit the bill solely because of the vast disparity between the two cases. Case #1, with Brad (who I never liked much) is about a woman being sued by her "former" SO and business partner, who happens to be another woman. Brad has issues saying the word "lesbian", which is kind of hilarious, because everyone mocks him for it. He also thinks his client is secretly attracted to him and may be secretly straight or bisexual. (To be fair, he's also mocked just as mercilessly for this; everyone he tells this to informs him that he's being fucking ridiculous.) You can probably begin to see why this case annoys me. It turns out to be a bait and switch--the whole thing was a publicity stunt--so even if you're barely emotionally invested at all, it still smacks you in the head for it. That revelation also validates Brad's suspicions somewhat (not that she was really straight, but that she was lying to him about something) which also bugs me, because the case being made against this woman was basically how she was lying about her sexuality; that, because she had had sex/relationships with men, she wasn't "really" a lesbian. While the parallel likely wasn't made intentionally, it's still easily read that way, especially in addition to the way the actress playing the woman portrayed her. Essentially, the whole case lacks the integrity I feel it could have easily achieved.
Now, by contrast, Case #2, with Denny and Alan, is excellent. It's about a doctor on trial for giving a patient an non-FDA-approved drug because he felt it was in his best interest. It parallels nicely with Denny's issues regarding his (eventual) Alzheimer's, and the revelation that Denny is taking a non-FDA-approved drug for that coupled with his closing feels like a sock in the gut:
"Basically, you get your brain back. And no FDA or any other agency is gonna tell me I don’t have the right to get back my brain. No government or corporation is gonna tell me or order me to continue losing my mind. I agree with the prosecutor. This claim that desperate people will try desperate measures. So what?"
It has true emotional honesty. It's played and written perfectly, making the contrast between the two cases all the more stark.
Day 01 - A show that should never have been canceled.
Day 02 - A show that you wish more people were watching.
Day 03 - Your favorite new show (aired this TV season).
Day 04 - Your favorite show ever.
Day 05 - A show you hate.
Day 06 - Favorite episode of your favorite TV show.
Day 07 - Least favorite episode of your favorite TV show.
Day 08 - A show everyone should watch.
Day 09 - Best scene ever.
Day 10 - A show you thought you wouldn't like but ended up loving.
Day 11 - A show that disappointed you.
Day 12 - An episode you've watched more than 5 times.
Day 13 - Favorite childhood show.
Day 14 - Favorite male character.
Day 15 - Favorite female character.
Day 16 - Your guilty pleasure show.
Day 17 - Favorite mini series.
Day 18 - Favorite title sequence.
Day 19 - Best TV show cast.
Day 20 - Favorite kiss.
Day 21 - Favorite ship.
Day 22 - Favorite series finale.
Day 23 - Most annoying character.
Day 24 - Best quote.
Day 25 - A show you plan on watching (old or new).
Day 26 - OMG WTF? Season finale.
Day 27 - Best pilot episode.
Day 28 - First TV show obsession.
Day 29 - Current TV show obsession.
Day 30 - Saddest character death.