| abstract | - Denise Bauer-Chase is a fictional attorney on the American legal series Boston Legal, played by Julie Bowen. She is a lawyer at Crane, Poole & Schmidt, introduced in the first episode of season 2. Unlike many new members of the cast, she was not hired during her debut– the show implied that she had been a lawyer at the firm since before she first appeared on air. In Denise's initial storyline, she was in the process of divorce from her first husband. Denise's love life has been a frequent storyline on the show. During the middle episodes of season 2, she had a conflicting adulterous relationship with businessman Daniel Post (played by Michael J. Fox), whom she loved but who was terminally ill. When his character left the show, she struck up a "friends with benefits" relationship with fellow lawyer Brad Chase. Daniel Post re-entered her life at the end of season 2 and proposed to her. Near the middle of season 3, Daniel Post is revealed to be deceased. On Halloween, Denise embarks on a search to find Daniel's body to pay her respects to him. Denise was thought to be a fairly safe bet to make partner on the "Spring Vote" of 2006, but as a result of her conflict with Marlene Stanger and her relationship with Brad, she was told that she would not attain partner status at that time, though Stanger did. Shirley Schmidt later told her that she would make partner, "when you're good enough". Shortly after Daniel's death, Denise entered into a "friends with benefits" relationship with both Brad Chase and Jeffrey Coho. She soon discovered she was pregnant and Brad was the father. She and Brad started dating, and eventually got married. She returned on the episode "Mad Cows" after being on extended maternity leave. She is now a tougher, sharper and more confident attorney who represents the USDA against Alan Shore after the USDA bans a woman from testing every cow on her cattle ranch. Alan asks Denise about Brad, in an attempt to distract her from the case, and she tells him that they are no longer together. Alan later feels guilty and apologises for any emotional disturbance his question may have caused, but is taken aback when he finds out that Denise actually lied about parting with Brad, implying that she knew what he was trying to do. It was revealed in the episode 'Gone' that Denise speaks fluent Italian.
|
