Falling In Love All Over Again

I indulged in staying in my pyjamas for most of this Sunday morning. Snuggling in on the couch with coffee and snacks watching re-runs of Boston Legal was on my impromptu schedule. With everyone in my household off to do their various activities of choice, I was feeling no family obligations and decided not to place any expectations on myself. What a feeling of bliss as I left the dishes on the counter, the laundry unattended to and my hair standing on end in Albert Einstein fashion.

With each episode and season of Boston Legal, I am drawn to the character of Alan Shore (James Spader). For those of you who have never watched this dramatic comedy, you wonder how I could be attracted to this person given his common looks and cold persona. Initial impressions would be mediocre and even off putting. He would not be a man that I am physically attracted to and his personality is, initially, uninviting at best. However, somewhere along the ebb and flow of each storyline, his character adds an element of a certain “je ne sais qua”.

He is irritatingly arrogant and his demeanour quite offensive as he publicly berates women and provides an air of self-righteousness. He wins his legal cases with scary self-confidence, yet it is as he moves into his closing speeches that he wins over my loyalty and my heart. His compassion and kindness for his clients and the underdog is very clear and presents extraordinarily sincere. Alan Shore’s passion is expressed with such candour that one would think he were presenting a speech for the presidential election. It becomes quite clear that he is not just fighting for the sake of winning, but that he wants to win for the cause.

My confused attraction to this man is reiterated as he ends each day on the balcony of his law office with his friend and colleague, Denny Crane (William Shatner). Initially unexpectedly, and ever so subtly, Alan expresses his love for his friend. Episode after episode presents a deeper devotion for someone who is in emotional need. One wonders why this would be so surprising and intriguing when, as women, we do this intuitively and on a daily basis. Well, that is just the point. This show went out on a limb and was willing to depict a man in a very human way. This is the element that truly turns us on. In a world determined to use outer beauty as the first and foremost attribute we should be seeking, Alan Shore switches it all up.

This is a must see series as the dedication the writers have placed on the promotion of kindness, compassion and love is unsurpassed. Take the time to rent season 1, and snuggle up on the sofa on a quiet morning or a rainy afternoon; I guarantee you will fall in love all over again.