Hands, Word Salad, and the Mad Cow...

Last night I watched the last ever new episode of Boston Legal. It is a strange and wonderful show with a merry band of misfits, an odd and well disguised sense of morality and the balls to take on timely issues when the people we expect to take them on, tend to gloss over them with well-planned and superbly executed soundbites.

I will miss the antics and the camaraderie, the silliness and the politics (is that redundant), the absurdity and the unexpected.

In all its wondrous absurdity, it usually poked fun at real problems, real issues or realistic cases. It did so as one might poke a bear with a stick, with little thought of consequence or repercussions.

Perhaps it was the bear that finally caught up with them, or maybe just the intelligent arguments became too much for the advertisers. Let's face it, advertisers need sheep and intelligence is counterproductive to the cause. Intelligent broadcasting attracts intelligent audiences and intelligent audiences are not as easily distracted by shiny objects.

My fear is, that in its place, I will, instead, find another insane 'reality' show; (they make me want to puke - not once, but twice), or another equally insane game show (most likely from another country). Of course it only makes sense, after dumbing down our schools to the lowest common denominator that we would have to actually lower the standards of broadcasting (God, is that possible?).

I think a really good show can run the gamut of emotions. This show usually made me laugh, really laugh out loud several times in an episode. It occasionally made me sad, almost to tears.

I have a special sensitivity to Alzheimer's Disease because it slowly and unrelentingly stole my Grandfather away from me over a period of about 8-10 years. Anytime I see it portrayed, it brings out real emotion, even in the most ridiculously funny show where it isn't referred to by its real name but by its bovine equivalent as a parody or a means of coping or perhaps just another victim of the censors.

Goodbye and Goodnight

In a way, this is better. As someone once said, "Always leave them wanting more." That certainly is the case here. Too often, a really good show goes on long after it should.

Still, for my part, I will miss Denny, Alan, Jerry, Shirley, and the rest of the group...

Now that Denny and Alan are married, perhaps a spin-off... Would it be Crane and Crane?

No, as much as I hate to see it end - know when to say when.

Say goodnight, Gracie.

Goodnight, Gracie.