I was a huge fan of this show when it started. All the way through the first two seasons the show was funny yet balanced. The character relationships were fun and compelling.
Unfortunately, character relationships began to take a back seat in the third season and instead the focus became more and more about political diatribes from week to week. The cases and their long monologues laced with poorly written and thinly veiled political attacks began to fill the episodes.
As a registered democrat I must say I was insulted week to week to see badly contrived reasons for giving Alan or Shirley an anti-Bush speech to cap off each episode. Everything became an excuse to go after Republicans. And of course Kelley and company willfully ignore the past failings of our own democrat leaders when it suits them. The closed-minded nature of the writing rarely presented an opposing viewpoint other than Denny, who was of course given the simplest or most bigoted possible reason for his views and then written off as being a buffoon. Brad was only slightly better, but even he was portrayed as a military-minded meat head. There was not a single reasonable conservative on the show. As a Democrat it made me feel dirty, I can't imagine how insulting it was to Conservatives or Libertarians.
The culmination of this appears in the 5th season episode "Mad Cows" in which the episode first turns Jerry's partnership review into a really badly disguised commentary on the need for diversity in the election (i.e. vote for Obama because he's black). Then it goes on to suggest that if you don't agree with a Democrat you are unsuitable to be friends with one (as demonstrated in Denny and Alan's fight). Only after Denny changes his mind and votes for Obama does Alan really re embrace him. The episode ends as we watch a slew of lawyers who we know are democrats go to the polls. It's nothing short of hack writing and it is degrading to the viewer.
The previous episodes have similar characteristics. Whether its showing some kid bravely stand up to vote for Obama and have his voice heard, or Alan suing the government because they did something he didn't like. It's all so self-righteous it becomes painful. I could no longer watch this show anymore. If you are going to show me a clearly biased viewpoint at least do me the courtesy of hiding it in good storytelling rather than insult my intelligence and make me feel cheap.
Unfortunately, character relationships began to take a back seat in the third season and instead the focus became more and more about political diatribes from week to week. The cases and their long monologues laced with poorly written and thinly veiled political attacks began to fill the episodes.
As a registered democrat I must say I was insulted week to week to see badly contrived reasons for giving Alan or Shirley an anti-Bush speech to cap off each episode. Everything became an excuse to go after Republicans. And of course Kelley and company willfully ignore the past failings of our own democrat leaders when it suits them. The closed-minded nature of the writing rarely presented an opposing viewpoint other than Denny, who was of course given the simplest or most bigoted possible reason for his views and then written off as being a buffoon. Brad was only slightly better, but even he was portrayed as a military-minded meat head. There was not a single reasonable conservative on the show. As a Democrat it made me feel dirty, I can't imagine how insulting it was to Conservatives or Libertarians.
The culmination of this appears in the 5th season episode "Mad Cows" in which the episode first turns Jerry's partnership review into a really badly disguised commentary on the need for diversity in the election (i.e. vote for Obama because he's black). Then it goes on to suggest that if you don't agree with a Democrat you are unsuitable to be friends with one (as demonstrated in Denny and Alan's fight). Only after Denny changes his mind and votes for Obama does Alan really re embrace him. The episode ends as we watch a slew of lawyers who we know are democrats go to the polls. It's nothing short of hack writing and it is degrading to the viewer.
The previous episodes have similar characteristics. Whether its showing some kid bravely stand up to vote for Obama and have his voice heard, or Alan suing the government because they did something he didn't like. It's all so self-righteous it becomes painful. I could no longer watch this show anymore. If you are going to show me a clearly biased viewpoint at least do me the courtesy of hiding it in good storytelling rather than insult my intelligence and make me feel cheap.