Given the success of novelist Michael Connelly’s Bosch series on Amazon Prime Video, it should come as no surprise that Netflix, Prime’s primary competitor, would take a shot at adapting Connelly’s other hit book series, The Lincoln Lawyer. This series was created by TV legend David E. Kelley, who’s been rather hit or miss lately. And it’s important to note, CBS passed on this show after giving it a series commitment, a decision that landed them a hefty lawsuit. Taking these things into account, one would be justified in their skepticism toward this series. But after taking in its ten-episode first season, I’m confident I can allay any skepticism one may have, with a few caveats.
Having been adapted previously as a movie in 2011, The Lincoln Lawyer may already be familiar to many viewers. Although, I would caution those who have seen that movie to put it out of their minds, as this series is not that film, and Manuel Garcia-Rulfo’s Mickey Haller is not Matthew McConaughey’s Mickey Haller. I don’t think this is a bad thing though, as it allows this show to stand on its own, which is commendable at the very least.
Speaking of Garcia-Rulfo, I was fond of his performance as, compared to McConaughey, a rather understated Mickey Haller. The writing team, led by showrunner Ted Humphrey, made the savvy decision to begin this series with Haller at his lowest point. Coming off a surfing accident and subsequent opioid addiction, Haller is just beginning to practice defense law again after a year-long break. This storytelling choice ended up working quite well, as Garcia-Rulfo seemed a bit stiff in the first few episodes, and I couldn’t tell if this was because he was warming up to the role as an actor, or if it was a creative choice to represent Haller’s rustiness. Either way, as Haller gains confidence as a lawyer throughout the season, Garcia-Rulfo seems to as well in his performance. It’s a nifty parallel that I enjoyed watching develop.*
In addition to Garcia-Rulfo, I also enjoyed the main storyline based on Connelly’s 2nd Haller novel, The Brass Verdict. After a colleague is murdered, Haller inherits said colleague’s practice and cases, much to his surprise. The biggest case involves video game developer Trevor Elliott (Christopher Gorham), who is accused of murdering his wife and her yoga instructor lover. With little more than a week to prepare before it goes to trial, Haller has to craft Elliott’s defense from scratch with the aid of his secretary and 2nd ex-wife, Lorna Crain (Becki Newton), and his investigator, Cisco (Angus Sampson). From the off, I discerned that Haller was up against it and then some, and this effectively produced the drama and tension I was hoping for.
Over the first few episodes, The Lincoln Lawyer mainly bounces back and forth between Haller handling some middling cases (we need some lawyering early on), and Cisco/Lorna carrying out the investigation into Elliott’s wife’s murder. While I like Cisco as a character, and Lorna grew on me (she’s annoying at first), I didn’t find their scenes to be particularly compelling in any way. There’s also a bit of time allotted to Haller’s first ex-wife, Maggie McPherson (Neve Campbell), and their daughter, but I’ll touch on them later. All of this is to say, the first third or so of this season is merely passable, going through the requisite motions to introduce the characters and story in the least offensive way possible. Part of me wished these episodes were bolder and more memorable, but I was still able to recognize the purpose and value of slow-building toward the main event.
And what a main event it is, with the majority of the middle and latter episodes dedicated to the highly compelling Trevor Elliott trial. These scenes represent the show at its best, with Mickey Haller engaging the jury with cogent points and convincing evidence, all the while contending with a testy judge and competent prosecutor. What makes it even better is that Haller is constantly building his case as he’s arguing it, since he didn’t have enough time to prepare beforehand. This makes these trial sequences feel fluid and rapid, so much so that I forgave the writers for some of the more poorly explained reveals, as I simply would’ve missed too much had I dwelled on them.
In contrast to the main storyline, the subplots are thin at their best or inane at their worst. The primary side story covers Maggie McPherson and her efforts to prosecute a human trafficker. As good as Neve Campbell is, and she’s really good, she’s still never able to make Maggie’s story seem vital or urgent in any way. At first, I thought her subplot, given its human-trafficking component, would be meaningful and dark. By the end though, it felt as if it was merely tacked on to pad the runtime. It was just too mundane, and at times, it bordered on idiotic.**
As for the other side-plots, they’re only mildly better. Cisco probably has the most intriguing one, involving his past and a biker gang, but it’s never given enough time to truly coalesce. Same goes for Lorna, whose personal storyline became something I gradually invested in, but ends up going mostly unresolved. There’s also Mickey’s daughter, Hayley (Krista Warner), but she’s mostly relegated to playing soccer and occasionally saying things like “woke police”, because the writers seemingly want to be modern in the most toothless way possible. And then there’s Izzy (Jazz Raycole), Mickey’s driver and fellow recovering addict. Like a lot of the characters, I liked Izzy, and like a lot of the subplots, hers seemed promising before fizzling out.
In the end, I’m not quite sure why CBS passed on The Lincoln Lawyer, as this series could’ve easily slotted into their lineup and become one of their best offerings. Sure, the scripts may have changed when Netflix acquired the series, but it honestly seems like the primary alterations were the additions of a few f-bombs here or there. Because of this, this show feels like it’s floating somewhere between cable TV and premium TV, but still gravitating toward the cable side. In season two, I hope that changes and the show starts to feel a lot more premium. As it is though, it’s a completely agreeable time-waster with a likable cast of characters and some engrossing courtroom scenes.***
If I had to score it, I’d give season one of The Lincoln Lawyer a 7/10.****
Notes:
* As solid as Garcia-Rulfo is, he never comes close to the charisma and swagger of McConaughey’s Mickey Haller. After thinking about it more, though, McConaughey’s take on the character would’ve probably become tiresome over the length of a TV series. So, there’s certainly an argument to be made that Garcia-Rulfo’s performance is better for this format.
** McPherson’s story was so half-baked that the writers constantly had to fabricate drama in one of two ways. The first was by making time (and distance) more of an abstract concept. The second was by putting people in situations they shouldn’t be in, and in real life likely wouldn’t be in, for the sake of suspense. Ugh, Neve Campbell deserved better.
*** After writing this review, I realized that I didn’t give a shout out to the judges and the actors who played them. In some episodes, the judges were my favorite element, as they’re all shown to be stern but fair, in a wryly humorous way. Of all the actors who played a judge, Lamont Thompson deserves the most credit. He’s simply fantastic.
**** I normally don’t qualify my review scores, but I feel the need to do so here. I give this show a 7/10 based more on how it stands up to similar cable shows, e.g. Law & Order, rather than similar premium shows. In other words, The Lincoln Lawyer is akin to quality junk food rather than restaurant fare. If the new Law & Order is Little Caesars, then The Lincoln Lawyer is Papa John’s (except without the political controversies). Great, now I’m hungry.
Also, I feel it’s important to note that because of their respective production companies, Bosch and The Lincoln Lawyer will never cross over, which is a real shame. In the books, Bosch and Haller are half-brothers who often work together. That would’ve been really cool to see, but alas, I guess that’s what the novels are for.
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