(Season 5, Episodes 12/13 – “Made in China/Last Call” – Series Finale)
A day late maybe, but not a dollar short if Denny Crane has anything to say about it. We could just get married. The gang pulled out almost all the stops on this final run through Crane, Poole & Schmidt. With two episodes back-to-back we got not one, not two, but three balcony scenes (though the third one was a bit of a special occasion).
We did get resolution on the financial problems at the firm, the Sack-Schmidt union and the return visit to the Supreme Court. On a character front, I’m pretty well satisfied with how things are left, but I can’t say the same for the firm. I understand that David E. Kelley likes to get his pot-shots in and he likes to shoot big with his targets, and I don’t fault him the target at all. Still, I can’t say as I enjoyed how things turned out for the firm. And poor Shirley.
In a way I wish this was more of a season finale than a series finale. Now the Boston partners are in a position to decide if they want to do like on Eli Stone and start up a new firm or stay at a firm that’s removed Denny Crane’s name from the company letterhead. In all honesty, I would think getting bought out by a Chinese company and changing the name of such a prestigious US law firm by removing the name of the most prominent partner in its history would ruffle some client feathers.
But we won’t be around to see any of that. Or maybe that’s too much at the real-world level for the show that proclaimed itself that it was jumping the shark. And maybe by having Alan and Denny tie the knot, the show did just that as it went out, but so what. This entire last season has been so tongue-in-cheek about their cancellation and impending demise, why not let them their one last bit of fun.
The juxtaposition of what is probably Denny’s worst Alzheimer’s “episode” yet with Alan’s ultimate victory at the Supreme Court to secure him the meds that may stave off his dementia created a satisfying closure on the mad cow storyline that’s been going since the beginning. As usual, William Shatner was devastating in the moment when he revealed to Alan and Shirley that he simply had no idea why he was in a strange woman’s house naked and in her bed. Alzheimer’s is a scary thing.
We even got to see Katie and Jerry kiss, cementing the burgeoning development of their relationship. I’m glad they didn’t spontaneously get married along with everyone else. I’ll remember that shot of the six of them at the table talking about what they wanted to do with the rest of their lives when Chang fired the litigation department.
Not only because it was a touching moment for each of them, but because it reminded me again that there were only six people on the show this season. Really I wish they could have fleshed things out more here at the end. Crane, Poole & Schmidt is huge law firm, and yet those bustling hallways and conference rooms we saw for four years were nearly barren all season long. And tonight they were barren again, when they weren’t filled with hordes of Chinese invaders.
I’m still mad that Denny’s name was taken off the walls. It’s like the ultimate slap to the face to him. And then having Shirley forced to keep her name on the wall when she wants it removed is a slap in the face to her. I’m really not sure why we wanted to leave the series on such a downer professionally. I guess it’s a reminder that life’s always going to throw you curve balls.
All in all, I didn’t think the Chinese takeover storyline worked as well as they would probably have liked. Maybe it was a “Hail Mary” in case someone else were to pick up the show, which isn’t going to happen. I’d have rather Shirley find a way to shut it down or never have it happen in the first place. End the series with the firm going out of business. That too would have been appropriate in these troubled times.
But the final moments of Denny and Alan dancing on the balcony, their first dance as husband and husband, was satisfying. It leaves you thinking that they’re going to be okay. There’s dark times ahead for sure, and Alan will have to learn to move on without Denny, but those kids are going to make it. A feel good ending for Crane, Poole & Schmidt.
Clacked by Jason Hughes 
on Dec 10, 2008 @ 15:00 EST5EDT
I didn’t care for the chinese takeover either, but I did laugh when the two chinese guys were sitting on the balcony with their drinks and cigars towards the end. That was hysterical!
I’m sad that this show has been cancelled, but I thought they went out in great BL style. All in all, I’d say it was one of the better endings to a show I’ve seen in a while just as far as being able to wrap up storylines and character arcs. Now let’s see how they handle the rest of the cancelled shows that will be ending soon.
I’ll miss you Mr. & Mr. Denny Crane!!!!!
Alan and Denny Crane will be missed. I love the jump the shark comment and a new show on another network, a network that cares. lol
At least it got a finale season to go out the way they wanted.
I still laugh every time I think of Alan going into that conference room to fire the Chinese and calling them Chinese carpetbaggers and bowing to all of them even after Shirley told him that was the Japanese that did that. I hope that ABC goes back into the crapper right alongside NBC after Lost is over for the way they are running off all their shows.