BOSTON LEGAL: HAPPY TRAILS (TV)
Summary
One in this darkly comic series focusing on a firm of brilliant but emotionally-challenged attorneys in Boston. In this episode, Denny drags Alan off to a "dude ranch" in Utah, where they run into the annoying Melvin Palmer, while back in Boston Shirley tries to help troublemaker Catherine Piper out of her latest legal quandary: the attempted murder of her doctor, whose prescription cause her to have a heart attack. Katie is amused when Jerry mixes up his days and arrives at work in a flamboyant Halloween costume, the Carl disapproves of such frivolities in a "very grown-up place" like their firm. Dr. Jeremy Marley testifies about the well-known dangers of side effects from any medication, but Catherine argues that he's "on the take" and received kickbacks from the drug company for buying the potentially harmful new product. In Utah, Denny aggressively hits on a fellow "camper," Irene, much to the outrage of her husband Ian and the rest of the dude ranchers.
Katie questions Carl about his joyless attitude towards Jerry, and a paid expert tries to suggest that Catherine entered a "mild dissociative state" after her heart attack, leading her to set fire to Dr. Marley's office. Alan continues antagonizing the other campers, earning him some spirited "bullying" from Palmer, and Denny desperately searches for relief from an embarrassing bout of priapism. Shirley assures Carl that she doesn't mind his "fuddy-duddy" ways, and she begins to change her mind about Catherine's situation when he reveals that his own mother died from a preventable drug complication, suggesting that doctors experience a "loss of objectivity" when they accept money from powerful companies. Denny causes a ruckus when he sneaks into Irene's tent, and he and Alan both find themselves arrested for adultery under Utah's antiquated laws.
Shirley delivers a powerful closing argument about the dangers of "big pharma" and Catherine's understandable fear upon being given an unsafe drug, and a humiliated Jerry laments that he has again ruined his chances of making partner. An alarmed Carl tells Shirley of Denny's and Alan's arrest, pointing out that the former clearly needs serious help, while back out west a frustrated Alan begins mounting a defense about Utah's hypocrisy in frowning about adultery while allowing polygamy and even child marriage. Palmer jumps in and informs the offended judge that Alan is an excellent litigator and will undoubtedly make some good points with his argument, and the judge dismisses the charges and bans the pair from Utah for life. Catherine is found not guilty, yet again, thanks to Shirley's convincing argument, and Alan and Denny return to Boston to find that Katie and Carl have decided to accompany Jerry to a costume party to show their support for his "inner child." Despite the disastrous nature of their buddy trip, Alan tells Denny that they're still "the best couple he knows." Includes commercials and promos.
Details
- NETWORK: ABC
- DATE: October 27, 2008 10:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:56:07
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 115013
- GENRE: Comedy
- SUBJECT HEADING: Comedy; Drama; Lawyers; Pharmaceutical industry
- SERIES RUN: ABC - TV series, 2004-2008
- COMMERCIALS:
- TV - Commercials - "Tinkerbell" home video
- TV - Commercials - AT&T wireless networks
- TV - Commercials - Always Infinity sanitary pads
- TV - Commercials - Apple Macintosh computers
- TV - Commercials - Apple iPhone 3G devices
- TV - Commercials - BlackBerry cellular phones
- TV - Commercials - CVS pharmacies
- TV - Commercials - Cadillac automobiles
- TV - Commercials - Colgate Total Advanced Whitening toothpaste
- TV - Commercials - Conservation.org website
- TV - Commercials - Dodge automobiles
- TV - Commercials - Federal Student Aid financial services
- TV - Commercials - Ford automobiles
- TV - Commercials - Girl Scouts of America organization
- TV - Commercials - Hyundai automobiles
- TV - Commercials - Kmart stores
- TV - Commercials - L'Oréal Revitalift anti-wrinkle cream
- TV - Commercials - L'Oréal Superior Preference hair color
- TV - Commercials - Mars M&M's candies
- TV - Commercials - Mattel Pictionary Man board game
- TV - Commercials - Maybelline Mineral Power makeup
- TV - Commercials - McDonald's restaurants
- TV - Commercials - Olive Garden restaurants
- TV - Commercials - Reddi-Wip whipped cream
- TV - Commercials - Sears stores
- TV - Commercials - Target stores
- TV - Commercials - USO organization
- TV - Commercials - Verizon Wireless cellular services
- TV - Commercials - Volkswagen automobiles
- TV - Commercials - Windows computers
- TV - Commercials - eTrade online investment
- TV - Promos - "Boston Legal" upcoming episode
- TV - Promos - "Dirty Sexy Money"
- TV - Promos - "Eli Stone"
- TV - Promos - "Private Practice"
CREDITS
- Bill D'Elia … Executive Producer
- Lawrence Broch … Executive Producer
- Mike Listo … Executive Producer, Director
- David E. Kelley … Executive Producer, Created by, Writer
- Susan Dickes … Co-Executive Producer
- Steve Robin … Supervising Producer
- Janet Knutsen McCann … Producer
- Anne M. Uemura … Co-Producer
- Sanford Golden … Co-Producer
- Karen Wyscarver … Co-Producer
- Den Menchaca … Associate Producer
- Robert Breech … Consulting Producer
- Corinne Brinkerhoff … Writer
- Danny Lux … Music by
- James Spader … Cast, Alan Shore
- John Larroquette … Cast, Carl Sack
- Christian Clemenson … Cast, Jerry Espenson
- Tara Summers … Cast, Katie Lloyd
- Candice Bergen … Cast, Shirley Schmidt
- William Shatner … Cast, Denny Crane
- Betty White … Cast, Catherine Piper
- Jay Thomas … Cast, Ian Hoberman
- Christopher Rich … Cast, Attorney Melvin Palmer
- Currie Graham … Cast, A.D.A. Frank Ginsberg
- Christopher B. Duncan … Cast, Dr. Jeremy Marley
- Grainger Hines … Cast, Jensen
- David Doty … Cast, Judge Ephraim Woods
- Rachelle Carson-Begley … Cast, Irene Hoberman
- Michael Ensign … Cast, Judge Paul Resnick
- Robert Cesario … Cast, Dr. Lee Watson
- Joe Conti … Cast, A.D.A. Paul Smithie
- Ben Scott … Cast, Morris
- Carole Gutierrez … Cast, Foreperson
- Cristin Mortenson … Cast, Clerk