Recently, one of my favorite new shows just released a third season, so I thought that I should take the time to share my opinions about it with you, Hoot readers. That show is “The Lincoln Lawyer” and you can watch it on Netflix.
Based on a book series by Michael Connelly, “The Lincoln Lawyer” successfully combines the genres of legal thriller and murder mystery. The main character is Mickey Haller, a Los Angeles defense attorney played by Manuel Garcia-Rulfo. Each season, he represents a client who has been accused of murder. In order to exonerate his client, Mickey must figure out who the real killer is. To do this, he needs the help of his second ex-wife and office manager, Lorna Crane, as well as her boyfriend, private investigator Dennis “Cisco” Wojciewski. Driving Mickey around in his Lincoln is his former client Izzy Letts. Also among the characters in the show are Mickey’s first ex-wife Maggie McPherson and their daughter, Haley Haller. Throughout the show, Mickey is mentored by his father’s former law partner, David “Legal” Siegal.
Season one starts with Mickey attempting to get back into law after recovering from an addiction to painkillers. Suddenly, he inherits an entire law practice from another lawyer, Jerry Vincent, who was shot in the head in his car. Mickey gets all of his cases, including the case of Trevor Elliot. Elliot is a billionaire software developer accused of murdering his wife following an affair. At the same time, LAPD detective Raymond Griggs is anxious to solve Vincent’s murder and is willing to go as far as using Mickey as bait to do so.
Season two has Mickey attempting to exonerate his new girlfriend, a chef and restaurant owner named Lisa Trammel. Trammel is accused of murdering a building developer named Mitchell Bandaurant after his construction project threatened to force her restaurant to close. Once again, in order to prove that Lisa didn’t do it, he must point a finger at someone else with motive. This time, he chooses a dangerous alternate suspect to blame: the mob. Mickey must balance his personal feelings about Lisa with his duties as her attorney.
In season three, Mickey finds himself defending the man accused of killing one of Mickey’s former clients. Julian La Cosse is accused of murdering someone who owed him money. The problem is that it was somebody that Mickey had previously represented. Although Mickey blames himself for her death, he once again needs to put his feelings aside to represent his client to the best of his ability. Mickey finds himself in more danger than ever, going up against everyone from the prosecutor to the Mexican cartels to the DEA in order to free his innocent client. Season three ends with a major cliffhanger that is sure to lead to an exciting season four.
Watching “The Lincoln Lawyer” requires a certain suspension of disbelief. Many of the things that Mickey does throughout the course of the show would result in him getting disbarred, yet he faces no consequences for them in the show, from failing to comply with discovery requirements to…well, I won’t spoil it. Although the entire concept of “The Lincoln Lawyer” is that Mickey is a lawyer who practices law from his Lincoln, much of the show is spent within an actual law office, kind of defeating the purpose.
Overall, “The Lincoln Lawyer” is a fantastic show. Every character has an interesting story line. The producers do a fantastic job of keeping the viewers interested and conveying the very real danger that Mickey somehow keeps finding himself in. There is never a dull moment with this show. If you are unsure about what to watch next and enjoy crime shows or legal thrillers, “The Lincoln Lawyer” is a must-watch.
