As a fan of Bosch, I was a bit worried going into the Lincoln Lawyer series.
Harry’s like a dear old friend.

A friend with troubles, no doubt. But if I came home and the lock was broken and my door ajar, he’s getting called. And he’d be there.

So half-brother Mickey Haller gets his own show a couple of years ago and I was twitchy when I came across it, quite late to the party.
I jumped in when season two landed and boy am I glad I did.

Inspired by the Michael Connelly novels of the same name, seasons one and two are bang on.

Great lead protagonist brought to life by Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, who may feel like something of a newcomer given his lack of prior smash hits.

That said, Lincoln may well have helped him nail a leading role in the upcoming Jurassic World: Rebirth, helmed by Gareth Edwards who nailed Rogue One, but not much since.

Anyway…Lincoln’s charm for me is it’s ensemble supporting cast.
They’re likeable, layered and genuinely pop off each other. Ultimately, you’re interested.

But. Season three feels like a drag. It’s over glossy, clichéd and so predictable at times. Now, that criticism comes from a place of love of the first two seasons, so it’s a back-handed compliment.

It tested me and I groaned.

However (that’s just a fancy ‘but’), it gets back into its stride and hits the mark in the final three episodes.

One thing I love about the series is the characters often ask questions you would in that situation, rather than leaving an all-too-obvious query hanging in the air.

But season three does also feel emotionally clunky. When a death occurs close to the group, they seem to recover remarkably quickly, as if that character never really existed (or mattered).

So yes, there’s cheesy side stories and some of the characters appear one dimensional.  

But if you can forgive it that, you can really tuck in. The first two seasons buy it a lot of credit and its worth seeing through.

Some great courtroom moments – cat and mouse beats between prosecution and defence, which are fun.

It also makes you think and have to fill in the gaps yourself at times, which is smart TV.
 
Verdict:
Story: 7/10
Characters: 7/10
Overall: 7/10
Should you watch it?: Yes.
NETFLIX

*all images and video credit Netflix