Follow TV Tropes

Following

Context Characters / BostonLegal

Go To

1%% Administrivia/ZeroContextExample entries are not allowed on wiki pages. All such entries have been commented out. Add context to the entries before uncommenting them.
2
3[[foldercontrol]]
4[[folder: Main Characters]]
5
6!!Alan Shore (Creator/JamesSpader)
7[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/allen_shore.jpg]]
8
9--> For tropes pertaining to Alan Shore's characterization in the eighth season of ''Series/ThePractice'', [[Characters/ThePractice click here]].
10
11* AmoralAttorney: {{Inverted|trope}}. He's more than happy, eager even, to bend or break legal ethics to uphold his own moral ones.
12* BrokenAce: He's gradually revealed to be a broken man filled with sexual repression and self-loathing.
13* BunnyEarsLawyer: He provided the former page picture because he really does wear bunny ears in court. It's a small quirk to overlook for his ability as a lawyer.
14* ChewbaccaDefense: His primary ability is to turn the courtroom into his personal soapbox so he can manipulate and shape the issue at hand any way he wants.
15* CrusadingLawyer: He takes plenty of cases just because he feels strongly about an issue. It's one of the few traits that carried over completely from The Practice.
16%%* DeadpanSnarker: He has quite the sharp wit.
17%%* HandsomeLech
18%%* JerkWithAHeartOfGold
19%%* LikesOlderWomen: He has a thing for Shirley Schmidt.
20* LimitedAdvancementOpportunities: It's pointed out several times that he is permanently stuck in his position as an associate at Crane, Poole & Schmidt due to his complete refusal to play by corporate rules, but he's simply too good and valuable as a trump card to fire him.
21** Also, it's made clear he doesn't really ''want'' to advance to junior partner, then eventually senior partner, as he won't do the schmoozing and client-farming required by those positions. He's also ''extremely'' well-paid, even straight-up telling people that he's rich. (He spends the entire series living in a five-star hotel close to the firm because buying a house is too much trouble) Finally, the only two people who can fire him (Denny and Shirley) simply won't do it.
22* TheLostLenore: His wife passed away just as he was deliberating over getting rid of her. Since then, he drowns his loneliness and grief in a parade of comely paralegals.
23%%* MotorMouth
24* SesquipedalianLoquaciousness: Combined with his MotorMouth tendencies, Alan is a formidable courtroom opponent and his closings could give Clarence Darrow a run for his money.
25* TheOnlyOne: He's the go-to man when it comes to impossible cases, since his originality may be the thing to save the day. Also, a lot of such cases are so fucked that there's nothing he can do to screw it up even more.
26* WellDoneSonGuy: His father was never proud of him, as he admits to Denny.
27* WhatTheHellHero: Often subjected to other characters criticizing him, particularly in the early episodes.
28* WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes: Alan is absolutely terrified of clowns.
29
30!!Denny Crane (Creator/WilliamShatner)
31[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dennycrane.jpg]]
32
33* BunnyEarsLawyer: His eccentricities and ego are tolerated because he really is as good as he believes he is.
34* CloudCuckoolander: He's usually on a different plane than everyone else.
35* CoolOldGuy: As is standard for any character played by William Shatner.
36* CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass: Whenever he puts his mind to it, Denny Crane's an absolute beast of an attorney.
37* DirtyOldMan: Constantly makes sexual remarks and puts the moves on just about any woman who crosses his path.
38* {{Flanderization}}: As the show went on to become more comedic, his CloudCuckoolander tendencies were magnified.
39%%* FourthWallObserver
40%%* HaveIMentionedIAmHeterosexualToday
41* HiddenDepths: He can be surprisingly insightful and emotional when caught in a quiet moment.
42* HypocriticalHumor: He claims to have never lost a case, and frequently proclaims "Still undefeated!" after a win. However, he has been shown to lose several cases, though he purposefully takes second chair on cases that he thinks might be losses so that he can claim that it was the first chair attorney, not himself, who earned the loss. Despite that, he still claims the victory on cases won with himself as second chair.
43* InsufferableGenius: He's brilliant, knows it and wants to make sure everyone else knows it too.
44%%* JadedWashout
45* LargeHam: It's Creator/WilliamShatner. Of course he's this.
46* TheNotLoveInterest: For Alan, [[spoiler:to the degree that, when Denny decides he wants Alan to inherit his estate when he dies, they get married to seal the deal]].
47* ObfuscatingStupidity: Depending on the writer if he was either completely out of his mind or just pretending out of both a sense of whimsy and a genuine belief that if he does, then when he really is past the point of no return, neither he nor anyone else will notice.
48* ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight: If you're a scumbag with AIDS who raped and murdered a little girl, Denny doesn't give a ''fuck'' about attorney/client privilege or any of that other crap. He'll proceed straight to shooting you in your kneecaps and suggest you get another attorney while you're lying on the floor writhing in pain.
49* ShowyInvincibleHero: "Still undefeated!" Denny has an enormous ego and isn't afraid to show it, but his insane behavior in court only makes it more fun.
50* StrawCharacter: Denny Crane is a strawman political caricature of a conservative gun nut, although this did allow him to save the day a few times. Keeping guns in your office seems less crazy when you just used them to shoot the man about to kill your best friend.
51%%* ThirdPersonPerson: "Denny Crane!"
52* UltimateJobSecurity: You can't get rid of a named Partner.
53* UnusualEuphemism: Played for drama. He's in early stage Alzheimer, but refers to it as "Mad Cow" to take some of the edge of it. Alan is well aware and goes along as a show of kindness towards his friend.
54* WellDoneSonGuy: He became a lawyer because of his father, only to be disowned for pulling the CourtroomAntics his dad disapproved of to save a client.
55* TheWonka: He's named Partner, so he can't be fired regardless of how strange he acts.
56
57!!Shirley Schmidt (Creator/CandiceBergen)
58[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shirleyschmidt.jpg]]
59* AlliterativeName: '''S'''hirley '''S'''chmidt.
60* ArousedByTheirVoice: Shirley gets Denny aroused just by whispering his name.
61* BaitAndSwitchTyrant: "Nice to meet you. You're fired."
62%%Doesn't explain what the reaction is. * BerserkButton: As far as Shirley herself is concerned...well, don't make fun of/attempt to fire Denny Crane. Just...don't.
63%% * TheComicallySerious
64%% * CoolOldLady
65%% * DeadpanSnarker
66%% * OnlySaneWoman
67* TheOneThatGotAway: For Denny. He "falls in love" at least thrice over the course of the series, but he regards her as "the one." She's also pretty much the only woman he may act tenderly towards.
68* StraightMan
69
70!!Brad Chase ({{Creator/Mark Valley}})
71[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bradchase.jpg]]
72%% * TheComicallySerious
73%% * Jerkass
74%% * NoSenseOfHumor
75%% * PutOnABus
76* InformedAbility: Much talk is made of his being a Marine with considerable combat training, but it's never shown. During his fight with Coho, it consists of the two of them throwing clumsy, well-telegraphed punches at each other. He doesn't display any of the fighting skills that would be expected of a former Marine.
77* ModernMajorGeneral: His combat training, due to being a former Marine.
78
79!!Paul Lewiston (Creator/ReneAuberjonois)
80[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/paullewiston.jpg]]
81* BenevolentBoss: He can be, but he can also be a BaitAndSwitchTyrant.
82* TheBusCameBack: It never really left. He just moved to a position in the firm where he dealt less with the named partners when Carl transferred to Boston to act as Denny's handler. Paul seems to be happy about this when we see him next, and it's implied that he was burnt out from having to put out all the fires Denny started.
83%% * TheComicallySerious
84%%* Deadpan Snarker
85* FaceHeelTurn: He arranges for the merger with [[spoiler:the Chinese]] in the series finale.
86* HeelFaceRevolvingDoor: When first introduced, he was clearly an antagonistic character, a foil for Alan and Denny both. He was not in any way sympathetic, and seemed to hate Denny so much that he was willing to hurt the firm to bring Denny down. Later he softened, became more sympathetic and took the role of OnlySaneMan as well as a bit of ButtMonkey.
87* NiceJobBreakingItHero: His final scene implies that he's aware that [[spoiler:he didn't really save Crane, Poole & Schmidt]].
88%% * Only Sane Man
89* PutOnABus: He's advanced to more administrative duties, no longer simply to keep the atmosphere sane.
90* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Mostly. Unless Denny or Alan push too many buttons.
91
92!!Lori Colson ({{Creator/Monica Potter}})
93[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/loricolson.jpg]]
94%% * ChuckCunninghamSyndrome
95* {{Foil}}: To Alan in the first season. She's a woman and she's also deeply morally disturbed--contrary to Alan, who is mostly fine with everything illegal and amoral he does.
96%% * Hello Attorney
97* PutOnABus: It's implied she's quietly swept out of the firm by Shirley after she refuses to back down on filing a sexual harassment case against Denny.
98
99!!Tara Wilson (Creator/RhonaMitra)
100[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tara_wilson_boston_legal.jpg]]
101* HelloAttorney: Described by Lori in the first episode as "nasty hot."
102* PutOnABus: She leaves for England when she decides Alan will never commit to her.
103
104!!Sally Heep ({{Creator/Lake Bell}})
105[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sally_heep.jpg]]
106* TheBusCameBack: She later returns with a very ruthless personality.
107%% * Hello Attorney
108* PutOnABus: Fired by Shirley for not being good enough.
109
110!!Garrett Wells ({{Creator/Justin Mentell}})
111[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/garrettwells.jpg]]
112* ChuckCunninghamSyndrome: One of the truest examples on the show. His absence is never explained.
113
114!!Sara Holt ({{Creator/Ryan Michelle Bathe}})
115[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/saraholt.jpg]]
116* ChuckCunninghamSyndrome: Along with Garrett, her absence is never explained.
117%% * Hello Attorney
118
119!!Denise Bauer (Creator/JulieBowen)
120[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/denisebauer.jpg]]
121* AllForNothing: After several episodes competing with Marlene for a spot as partner at the firm, she discovers Marlene was hired specifically to get the spot- and that her unprofessional behaviour while feuding reduced her chances to get a spot of her own.
122%% * TheBusCameBack
123%% * Hello Attorney
124* PutOnABus: After season 3, departing with Brad.
125* {{Slapstick}}: Engages in it occasionally, most notably during the chase scenes with Marlene.
126
127!!Jerry Espenson ({{Creator/Christian Clemenson}})
128[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jerryespenson.jpg]]
129* BunnyEarsLawyer: Jerry is an excellent attorney in spite-or because-of his Asperger's.
130%% * Butt Monkey
131%% * FourthWallObserver
132%% * Just Friends: With Katie.
133%% ** LastMinuteHookup: With Katie.
134%% * LivingLieDetector
135* MoralityPet: Alan is consistently kind and straightforward with him, and goes to bat for him more than once.
136%%* RenaissanceMan
137* SecurityBlanket: He has a wooden cigarette that he fidgets with when he needs to use up excess nervous energy (like when making a statement in court). He'll even take a puff, as if it were a real cigarette, when needs a major confidence boost. Denny once tempted him to turn on Alan by offering him a wooden cigar.
138* TookALevelInJerkass: Anytime he has a fake cigarette/cigar/pipe in his mouth.
139** Goes from a meek, awkward associate to holding Shirley hostage in "The Cancer Man Can".
140* VitriolicBestBuds: Becomes this with Clarence
141
142!!Jeffrey Coho ({{Creator/Craig Bierko}})
143[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jeffreycoho.jpg]]
144%%* BunnyEarsLawyer
145* LoveTriangle: He and Brad both [[spoiler: slept with Denise]].
146* PutOnABus: Leaves the firm once [[spoiler: Denise chooses Brad]].
147* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: To both Brad ''and'' Alan.
148
149!!Claire Simms ({{Creator/Constance Zimmer}})
150[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/clairesimms.jpg]]
151* BrutalHonesty: With everyone, all the time, always.
152%%* DeadpanSnarker
153* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: She's cold and has all the tact of a brick to the head, but she's not a bad person.
154%%* OnlySaneWoman
155
156!!Clarence Bell ({{Creator/Gary Anthony Williams}})
157[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/clarence_bell.jpg]]
158%%* ChuckCunninghamSyndrome
159%%* BunnyEarsLawyer
160* ExtremeDoormat: His actual personality. He developed Clarice, Clavont, and the others as a way of being able to become someone else that didn't have his crippling shyness.
161* GrewASpine: Starts off unable to be himself around others, using his invented personas, and refuses to even try to practice law. By the time he leaves the show, he has more than once defended a client in court and has developed the ability to stand up for himself.
162* MoralityPet: Claire genuinely likes him and tries to help him become more assertive and confident.
163* SassyBlackWoman: As Clarice and Oprah.
164* SplitPersonality: Clarice, Clavont, and Oprah.
165%% * VitriolicBestBuds: With Jerry
166%%* WholesomeCrossdresser
167
168!!Lorraine Weller ({{Creator/Saffron Burrows}})
169[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/boston_legal_saffron_burrows.jpg]]
170%% * ChuckCunninghamSyndrome
171 * HelloAttorney: She is very attractive.
172
173!!Whitney Rome (Creator/TarajiPHenson)
174[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/whitneyrome.jpg]]
175%%* ChuckCunninghamSyndrome
176%%* HelloAttorney
177%%* SassyBlackWoman
178* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: Seems to be added to the show after Chelina didn't end up becoming a regular.
179
180!!Carl Sack (Creator/JohnLarroquette)
181[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/carlsack.jpg]]
182* MeaningfulName: He's a bit of a sad "sack".
183%% * OnlySaneMan
184* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: For Paul.
185
186!!Katie Lloyd ({{Creator/Tara Summers}})
187[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/katielloyd.jpg]]
188%%* HelloAttorney
189* JustFriends: With Jerry.
190** LastMinuteHookup: [[spoiler: With Jerry.]]
191----
192
193[[/folder]]
194
195[[folder: CP&S Staff and Notable Clients]]
196
197!! Catherine Piper (Creator/BettyWhite)
198
199An elderly woman with an antagonistic history with Alan Shore, who was hired by Alan as an assistant in the later parts of Season 1 and early season 2.
200
201* AscendedExtra: Went from a guest star who appears in 3 episodes on ''[[Series/ThePractice The Practice]]'' to a recurring character who appears in 16 here.
202* TheCameo: Has a silent cameo in “Fine Young Cannibal” in season 3 as Alan’s boxing “manager”.
203* CharacterDevelopment: Although they started off the series (and on [[Series/ThePractice The Practice]]) disliking each other, she and Alan end up developing a friendship by the end of the series, with Alan even stating that he cared for her.
204* CrankyNeighbor: Was one to Alan when he was growing up- though it was justified as she was the target of some of his schoolboy pranks, which she wouldn’t let him forget about once he became a lawyer.
205* ElderEmployee: To Alan as his secretary/ assistant.
206* EveryoneHasStandards: Tried to help Bernard repent for killing two people, and despite her {{Jerkass}} and sometimes aggressive behaviour, even she was horrified with his newfound bloodlust and talk of wanting to become a serial killer.
207* NeverMessWithGranny: Has quite a body count by the end of the series, having assaulted multiple people and even killed someone.
208* ScrewPolitenessImASenior: Will speak her mind and nobody is safe, not even Alan and the Senior Partners.
209* WhenEldersAttack: First with a skillet, before upgrading in season 5 to an explosive.
210
211!! Bernard Ferrion (Creator/LeslieJordan)
212
213A sweet old man who becomes progressively less sweet the more he appears. He initially appears as a client of Alan, accused of killing his mother, before befriending Alan’s assistant, Catherine.
214
215* AffablyEvil: Becomes this by “Schadenfreude”, casually discussing with Catherine how he wants to kill more people.
216* ArcVillain: To Catherine and Alan in late season 1 and early season 2, when he has a StartOfDarkness.
217* EvilOldFolks: Starts considering becoming a notorious serial killer.
218* FromNobodyToNightmare: This is what he shows signs of wanting to move into, and the reason Catherine took him out with a frying pan before he could actually carry it out. Wanting to become as infamous and notorious as the BTK Killer was becoming a goal for him. A lifetime of being under his mother's thumb and never having a chance to live his own life led to a ''lot'' of pent-up aggression.
219* KarmicDeath: Killed by the same skillet he killed 2 others with.
220* KilledOffForReal: In “Schadenfreude”.
221* {{Matricide}}: His first victim.
222* OffOnATechnicality: How he initially got away with 2 murders.
223
224!!Marlene Stanger (Creator/ParkerPosey)
225
226An ambitious lawyer who is hired by the firm in late season 2.
227
228* ArchEnemy: Becomes this to Denise.
229* IceQueen: Rarely shows any emotion, which is why she has previously gained the reputation for not making many friends at her previous firms.
230* InSeriesNickname: “The Squid”.
231* PutOnABus: In the season 3 premiere.
232
233[[/folder]]
234
235[[folder: Notable Judges]]
236
237!!Hon. Clark Brown (Henry Gibson)
238
239Judge Brown is a regular on Boston’s legal circuit, and the judge depicted as hearing the most cases on the show.
240
241* CatchPhrase: “Outrageous!”, with more synonyms thrown in depending on the ridiculousness of the cases Crane, Poole and Schmidt bring him.
242* GayConservative: His personal beliefs often contrast with Alan’s, and his financial troubles with a gay treatment centre become known to Alan in Season 3.
243** As conservative as he may behave, he's actually responsible for some of the most politically left wing decisions that the judges on this show make.
244* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Tends to ignore his own personal opinions and rule based on the letter of the law.
245* SternOldJudge: Of all the judges who appears on the show, he fits the archetype best. Which make his reactions to Crane, Poole & Schmidt’s antics all the more amusing to watch.
246
247!! Hon. Harvey Cooper (Anthony Heald)
248
249Hailing from Concord, Massachusetts, this no-nonsense judge has occasional dealings with Crane, Poole & Schmidt.
250
251* DeathGlare: Loves giving them to lawyers he feels is wasting the court’s time.
252* {{Expy}}: Also played a Judge Cooper with the first name “Wallace” in ''Series/ThePractice'', but both act very similarly.
253* HamToHamCombat: With Judge Clark in “Patriot Acts”.
254* VerbalTic: He over enunciates the word “Massachusetts”, and he loves saying it. A lot.
255
256!! Hon. Robert Sanders (Shelley Berman)
257
258An elderly judge who sometimes has trouble keeping up with the complex cases put to him.
259
260* AltarTheSpeed: When Brad (and Denise) choose to get married just before she gives birth, Judge Sanders is the one judge present in the hospital who is available to adjudicate the wedding.
261* CatchPhrase: “I am the decider!”, and when befuddled but something he’ll resort to calling it “poopycock”.
262* CloudCuckoolander: He doesn’t seem all there during most of the cases he hears.
263* EstablishingCharacterMoment: His first appearance sees him telling Alan to leave his sense of humour at the door and not bother him with “jibber-jabber” before choking on his water, establishing him as TheComicallySerious.
264* ScatterbrainedSenior: Increasingly as the series goes on.
265* SternOldJudge: Does ''not'' like Alan’s frequent habit of going on tangents during court cases, often calling it “jibber-jabber”.
266

Top