BOSTON LEGAL: THE GODS MUST BE CRAZY (TV)

Summary

One in this darkly comic series focusing on a firm of brilliant but emotionally-challenged attorneys in Boston. In this episode, Jerry is startled by a visit from his former flame, Dana, who explains that she has been arrested for solicitation and requires a lawyer. Denny's Republican friend Paul Cruickshank stops by and suggests that Denny run for president, as he appeals to voters far more than the boring John McCain, and Alan is flabbergasted when Denny goes along with the idea. Renee Winger informs Shirley that she wishes to sue the archdiocese for gender discrimination, as she wishes to become a priest, and Dana states that she will not "flip" on her employer, Lorraine, to keep herself out of prison. A cadre of GOP elites question Denny with a round of word association, and though he refuses to turn on his openly liberal best friend, he impresses them with his passion for the NRA. Carl is highly skeptical about Renee's case, as is the infamously conservative Judge Brown, but Shirley states that discriminating on a gender basis is a civil rights violation and that the church should have its tax-exempt status revoked for doing so.

A.D.A. Franklin offers Dana a deal that involves informing on Lorraine after all, and though Lorraine seems prepared for such an outcome, Katie questions her about her ongoing involvement in prostitution, given her successful law career. Alan is stunned when Denny makes it "past round one" of the vetting process, knowing that he too will be scrutinized, and Dana firmly rejects the deal and, feeling that her actions were not immoral, states that she wishes to challenge the commonwealth law against prostitution and asks Jerry to make the argument. On the stand, Renee describes her love of the church's "tolerance and compassion," pointing out that the gender bias is not actually rooted in "divine law," and Denny inspects his would-be competition, convinced that the other candidates too have "mad cow disease." In court, Jerry argues that prostitution should be legalized and regulated for safety reasons, eventually making the bold declaration that taxing the highly common practice would benefit the troops. Bishop Bernard testifies that the church is not sexist but instead believes in the long-established "complementarity" of the genders, though Carl points out that the church's so-called official doctrine has changed many times over the centuries to suit the popular opinion of the time.

Alan attends a GOP fundraiser and is shocked when Denny is brought onstage and laughed at by the crowd, revealing that the entire presidential scheme was a practical joke at his expense. The FBI then bursts in and attempts to arrest everyone present for political fraud – but this too is revealed to be a joke, orchestrated by Denny in retaliation for his friends' prank. Dana learns that Jerry's argument failed and that she will likely lose her own upcoming trial, though she tells him that she only bothered fighting the law in an attempt to win him back. He rejects her, however, still too hurt by her initial deception. Attorney Mason argues that religion is not based in solid fact and reason, but Carl highlights the many ways in which religion has allowed bigotry and oppression to flourish, declaring that the gender bias should not be tolerated under the guise of faith. Katie finds that Dana has fled, possibly aided by Lorraine, and Paul awkwardly tells Denny that the prank was not meant to be mean-spirited, though Alan suggests that Denny's "friends" are envious of him. Moved by Carl's words, Judge Brown surprises everyone by ruling in favor of Renee, and though Denny muses that he would have made a good president after all, Alan states that he is fed up with the country's embarrassing lack of "dignity" and would prefer to vote for a younger candidate who could repair the previous generations' damage. Denny, somewhat convinced, decides that he would be satisfied to be simply "king for a day." Includes commercials and promos.

Details

• NETWORK: ABC
• DATE: May 14, 2008 10:00 PM
• RUNNING TIME: 0:58:37
• COLOR/B&W: Color
• CATALOG ID: 113073
• GENRE: Comedy
• SUBJECT HEADING: Comedy; Drama; Lawyers
• SERIES RUN: ABC - TV series, 2004-2008
• COMMERCIALS:
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  • TV - Commercials - "Untraceable" home video
  • TV - Commercials - Advair asthma medication
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  • TV - Commercials - Apple Macintosh computers
  • TV - Commercials - Applebee's restaurants
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  • TV - Commercials - Jeep automobiles
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  • TV - Commercials - McDonald's restaurants
  • TV - Commercials - Metamucil fiber drinks
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  • TV - Commercials - Orbitz travel website
  • TV - Commercials - Quiznos restaurants
  • TV - Commercials - Revlon 3D Extreme mascara
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  • TV - Commercials - Royal Caribbean cruise lines
  • TV - Commercials - Subway restaurants
  • TV - Commercials - TGI Friday's restaurants
  • TV - Commercials - Target stores
  • TV - Commercials - The Home Depot stores
  • TV - Commercials - USO organization
  • TV - Commercials - Victoria's Secret stores
  • TV - PSA - TV Boss censoring device
  • TV - Promos - "20/20"
  • TV - Promos - "Boston Legal" upcoming episode
  • TV - Promos - "Desperate Housewives"
  • TV - Promos - "Grey's Anatomy"
  • TV - Promos - "Jimmy Kimmel Live!"
  • TV - Promos - "Lost"
  • TV - Promos - "The Bachelorette"

CREDITS

• Bill D'Elia … Executive Producer
• David E. Kelley … Executive Producer, Created by, Writer
• Mike Listo … Co-Executive Producer
• Lawrence Broch … Co-Executive Producer
• Steve Robin … Supervising Producer
• Janet Knutsen McCann … Producer
• Craig Turk … Producer
• Anne M. Uemura … Associate Producer
• Phoef Sutton … Consulting Producer
• Susan Dickes … Consulting Producer
• Robert Breech … Consulting Producer
• Jeff Bleckner … Director
• Jill Goldsmith … Writer
• Danny Lux … Music by
• James Spader … Cast, Alan Shore
• John Larroquette … Cast, Carl Sack
• Christian Clemenson … Cast, Jerry Espenson
• Gary Anthony Williams … Cast, Clarence Bell
• Tara Summers … Cast, Katie Lloyd
• Saffron Burrows … Cast, Lorraine Weller
• Taraji P. Henson … Cast, Whitney Rome
• Candice Bergen … Cast, Shirley Schmidt
• William Shatner … Cast, Denny Crane
• Missi Pyle … Cast, Renee Winger
• Henry Gibson … Cast, Judge Clark Brown
• Rachelle Lefevre … Cast, Dana Strickland
• Gina Torres … Cast, A.D.A. Mary Franklin
• Larry Drake … Cast, Bishop Luke Bernard
• Kirk B.R. Woller … Cast, FBI Special Agent John Sharpe
• Annie Abbott … Cast, Justice Frances Oliver
• Bruce Gray … Cast, Dr. Earl Roberts
• George Segal … Cast, Paul Cruickshank
• David Clennon … Cast, Attorney Braxton Mason
• Michael Shannon … Cast, Avery Wilson
• Leonard Kelly-Young … Cast, Hugh McDowell
• Patrick John Hurley … Cast, Bryce Laughlin
• Ann Ryerson … Cast, Caryl Hutchins
• Terrance C. Jones … Cast, FBI Agent #2