Okay, I was seriously stoked to find a third instalment of “The Lincoln Lawyer” on Netflix.
It is without a doubt one of my favourite legal dramas. Of course, I had to binge-watch it.
Based on Michael Connelly’s novel of the same title, it was adapted for the big screen and released in 2011. Aside from being blown away by the movie, it also converted me into a huge Matthew McConaughey fan.
Naturally, I was curious about the TV spin-off, which dropped in 2022.
Watching Mexican actor Manuel Garcia-Rulfo (a Gerard Butler doppelgänger) slip into the skin of Mickey Haller, a criminal defence lawyer and recovering addict, was intoxicating (pun unintended).
Aside from being a pit bull in the courtroom, he brought heaps of swag to the role.
Having been an ardent fan of “Bull”, “The Good Wife”, “The Good Fight”, “Law & Order”, “Boston Legal”, “Ally McBeal” and “The Practice”, to name a few, this offering left me hooked. While engaging, it was admittedly edgier than other offerings of the same ilk.
Think of it as being the love child of “How to Get Away with Murder” and “Suits”.
The first season opened with Mickey named as the benefactor of prosecutor Gerry Vincent’s law practice and all of his cases, including a high-profile case, where he has to defend gaming developer Trevor Elliott (Christopher Gorham), who is accused of murdering his unfaithful wife and lover.
A pit bull in the courtroom, Mickey is supported by Lorna Crain (Becki Newton), his second ex-wife and legal aide, and her fiancé Cisco (Angus Sampson), who is his go-to investigator.
Along the way, he inherits a driver with Izzy Letts (Jazz Raycole), a former addict and client. To pay off her legal fees, she works for Mickey while getting her life back on track.
The premise is offset by personal moments with Mickey’s daughter Haley (Krista Warner) and ex-wife Maggie McPherson (Neve Campbell), a criminal prosecutor.
In season two, Mickey appeared to have bitten off more than he could chew when he ended up defending a chef he had a fling with.
The more tortuous the case, the more it appeals to Mickey. And his client Julian La Cosse (Devon Graye) in season three fits the bill as it harks back to an old case.
Julian is arrested for the murder of Gloria Dayton (Fiona Rene), who is one of the call girls he managed.
This case hits close to home for Mickey as he has a history with Gloria. He helped her in a sticky situation in the past and she, in turn, turned key witness in Jésus Menendez's case.
Known for colouring outside of the lines by finding loopholes to work around, Mickey can’t turn down the case. But the evidence is stacked against Julian, who was seen fighting with Gloria the night she died.
Amid trying to wrap his head around a defence, Mickey helps his daughter’s old babysitter, Eddie Jojas (Allyn Moriyon), stay out of jail after he is arrested on a car-jacking case.
To pay off his debt, Eddie, a fitness fanatic, becomes Mickey’s new driver as Izzy helps out more in the office while Lorna is anxious about passing the bar exams.
On top of the unfolding chaos, David Siegel (Elliott Gould), Mickey's mentor and a friend of his father, has a health setback.
Along the way, Mickey gets romantically with Andrea "Andy" Freemann (Yaya DaCosta), a formidable criminal prosecutor and his ex-wife’s bestie.
While trying to allay the fears of his client’s partner David Henry Lyons (Wole Parks), Mickey has a few uncomfortable encounters with Neil Bishop (Holt McCallany), a former detective turned DA Investigator in the Julian case, who appears to be foiling his effort to get to the truth of what happened to Gloria.
Given his high-profile cases, Mickey attracts some unsavoury characters and a fair amount of trouble.
However, the price is too high this season and Mickey finds himself wrestling with his conscience and questioning his future once this case is wrapped.
The third instalment doesn’t miss a beat with the suspense and one-upmanship in the courtroom.
As always, heart-warming moments offset the poignant drama.
I’m not going to delve into the performances as every actor, especially the lead, is first-rate as is the directing and the script.
If you are looking for escapism that will unsettle the armchair detective within, this is the show for you.
∎ “The Lincoln Lawyer” season 3 is streaming on Netflix.