Boston Legal’s Alan Shore on Gitmo

From Crooks and Liars:

James Spader's character named Alan Shore can definitely give one hell of a closing argument. I've posted him before and on Tuesday night the topic was Gitmo. Boston Legal often tackles the incompetence of this administration and whole bunch of issues that are smart and funny…"Guantanamo by the Bay": Alan Shore sues the United States on behalf of a client who was tortured for two years at a detention camp.

Click here for the video.

Okay, so I don't even really watch the show, but I probably would if I knew when it comes on. I only seem to catch it when I happen to be in front of the TV, which doesn't happen often these days, surfing around. I first checked it out because of a review I read praising the wonderfully honest relationship between the character played by William Shatner, a.k.a. Captain Kirk, and Spader's character, Shore, something about their end-of-episode chats on a downtown penthouse terrace. The review was dead on. Shatner's a tricky actor, tending towards melodrama, but clearly possessing great talent when in the right role, guided by the right director, or playing opposite the right actor. Boston Legal has clearly found the right combination to get Shatner's brilliance into a realm of consistency. Somehow he and Spader approach the television sublime when together, and that's what seems to be the glue that holds the show together.

Anyway, the show also deals with politics and general weirdness, well worth watching. I was fortunate enough to see this particular clip a few nights ago: Spader makes a fantastic argument against post 9/11 civil liberties violations by way of sarcastic overstatement. Go check it out--in addition to a silent William Shatner, you'll also see fellow Texas Ex Mitch Pileggi of X-Files fame.

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