Boston Legal and Desperate Housewives

[tenaya]

Both of these shows continue to do a great job entertaining me. I highly recommend both of them. And, in one of them, a man confessed he loves another man. Beware of spoilers:


Yes, that tease, while accurate isn't quite what you're hoping for! On Boston Legal, a bad guy took James Spader's character, Alan Shore, hostage because he was angry at him and was threatening to kill him. William Shatner's character, Denny Crane, is protrayed as mentally confused at times. When he found out Alan was in danger, he retrieved a rifle from his desk and put it together while reassuring the women that had taken refuge in his office that he knew what he was doing as he'd been a Marine and a sharp shooter...or was that a pilot? Since he mostly skeet shoots now, he sat on a chair, and when he yelled "PULL!" one of the ladies flung open the door and he shot the bad guy in the shoulder with a very narrow line of fire past Alan Shore. Later, when all is calm and they are sharing their nightly drink in Denny's office, Denny muses about the events. He says that yes, he knew there was a chance he might hit Alan, but:

Denny: It's a good feeling to shoot a bad guy.
Alan: Really.
D: It's something you democrats would never understand. Americans were homesteaders. We want a safe home, to keep the money we make and shoot bad guys...and, save the life of someone you love. Well, big day, even for Denny Crane.
A: I consider myself many things, Denny, but being loved has never been one of them. And now twice in the same day....
D: And the Red Sox won a World Series.
A: And the Red Sox won a World Series. You know, Tara told me that once she almost died and she thought of those that loved her. But I found in that moment, it wasn't who loved me, but rather who I loved. You know whose face I saw, Denny?
D: Mine!
A: Liza Minelli's.
D: Crazy son of a bitch.
A: Merry Christmas, my friend.
(there's a bit more, then they touch glasses and the scene fades away.)

It was an absolutely lovely scene, so true to each character.

I want to add that earlier, Tara was sitting with Alan as he calmed down after the shooting. She tells him that she loves him, but wasn't even sure if she wanted to date him. He just stares at her, but there is a wealth of emotion in his eyes, and such vulnerability...it's just incredible what James Spader can do without doing anything. As that scene ended, she closes in on him and gives him a gentle kiss. He did that thing he did in Sex,Lies and Videotape that was incredibly hot: he just kind of closed his eyes and let her come to him. It seems like he is emotionally bare but yet unable to act at that moment...somehow that passivity is incendiary, to me at least!

Desperate Housewives becomes even more layered and compelling. The characterization is wonderful (except for Terri Hatcher's character, but then I've never been a fan of the comedic relief of the hapelessly clumsy beautiful babe thing. The murder mystery plot is totally fascinating (what the hell happened 10 years ago!)

Comments

[xochiquetzl]

Pretty much what you said about Boston Legal. Boston Legal is getting unbelievably slashy. I joked to the SO that they're determined to satisfy both shippers and slashers in each show. ;)

[tenaya.livejournal.com]

I think you've hit on something there. Shatner is no fool when it comes to knowing what fans will do with dialogue like that. While I've never been a fan of his in the past, I really enjoy what he's doing with Denny Crane and I'm very impressed with that scene and his endorsement of and comfort level of those lines. Yes, we all know it's no big deal, but the raging homophobia in tv in general and SG in particular made that moment a thing of beauty. I was wondering about that recent ep where he and Brad had that bet going on. I sensed some titilation going on and now I'm wondering if TPTB might be having a little fun.

I also was mightly impressed that after the big exciting/dramatic gun scene, the show spent time exploring Alan's state of mind and the effect of the hostage situation on two people who interact a lot with Alan. Character developement! I'm in LOVE!

[xochiquetzl]

Oh, Shatner knows damned well. He has almost 30 years of Kirk/Spock to tell him exactly what people will make of those lines. ;) And I'm very impressed with the work he's doing on the show. If you give him some good material, he can really act!

*takes a moment to wallow in the James Spader love, too, just because*

And yes, the writing on this show is so good! I think partly because they know the cast can pull it off. Character development! Oh, yes, yes, YES!!!

[tenaya.livejournal.com]

Casting Spader in The Practice was brilliant. It would be apalling to think he was brought in to upstage the regular cast in their final, struggling season (glances nervously at the current SG situation.) But, I think the character was so fun and Spader did things that made both the writers and the viewers want more, and the writers responded by giving him more plotlines. I thought Shatner was supposed to be in just a couple of episodes, but again, he turned heads and stopped traffic with his performance, too. And (this is were Hollywood differs from Vancouver) TPTB smelled a hot ticket and gave these two their own show and appear to be keen to through all sorts of challenges their way. It's high entertainment for us viewers and I bet a gas for the performers. It's actually exciting TV for a change.

[victoriacatlady.livejournal.com]

It just occurred to me: maybe the fact that Alan has a very hot romance going on with Tara makes it a little safer to throw in a little\\\\\ a lot of slash as well.

And you know, given DENNY CRANE's established homophobia (for instance, his unwillingness to deal with the cross-dressing gay Santa Claus), the fact that he did *not* qualify his statement about saving the life of someone he loves with "in a manly way" or some such B.S. has to be significant.

[tenaya.livejournal.com]

Well, they've shown Denny to be quite predatory when it comes to women. He'll sleep with the wife of a business rival to get back at him, he has no problem hiring prostitutes, he was raring to go when he thought Tara and Sally were in his office for immoral purposes. So, both men are shown to be visibly and actively het though their relationships are without commitment. You're right about Denny and the cross-dressing Santa. It's a puzzle. I wonder if they might see how much they can get away with if they feather it with big obvious het behavior.

It certainly will make for interesting viewing.

[moonchildetoo.livejournal.com]

A: And the Red Sox won a World Series. You know, Tara told me that once she almost died and she thought of those that loved her. But I found in that moment, it wasn't who loved me, but rather who I loved. You know whose face I saw, Denny?
D: Mine!
A: Liza Minelli's.

Interesting, considering Liza is a huge gay icon!

It seems like he is emotionally bare but yet unable to act at that moment...somehow that passivity is incendiary, to me at least!

I have always found it so in slashy situations. Heh...

[tenaya.livejournal.com]

I immediately thought that, too. She's right up there with Madonna and Barbara Streisand. It's a fascinating choice.

Also, Alan Shore is a character that has no limits. It's not beyond possibilities that he's enjoyed sexual pleasure with both sides of the fence. Also of note is the fact that all the ladies are sexually drawn to him, and all the men are obsessed with him in one way or another. Mostly it's power trips, but that can be quite sexual, too. It's very, very intriguing. Huzzah!

[moonchildetoo.livejournal.com]

He certainly seems to be a character who might have 'danced on the other side of the ballroom', as someone I know used to say ;-) . Yes, you're definitely right about m/m power trips having the potential for being sexual, without those involved even realizing it overtly. Heh!