Spoiler warning: This review contains spoilers for season two of the Netflix series The Lincoln Lawyer.
★★★★★
When season one of the legal drama series The Lincoln Lawyer first premiered, the overwhelmingly positive response from audiences and critics was an unexpected one: “A bingable, highly enthralling piece of entertainment,” wrote one review. Debuting on Netflix in 2022, a decade after the film of the same name starring Matthew McConaughey was released, it was unlikely the story’s reprise would create the same buzz. But sceptics were soon silenced when the show immediately landed as the number one series on the popular streaming platform—and rightly so. This thrilling courtroom spectacle is certifiably fantastic, and the recent release of the highly anticipated second season has more than delivered.
Synopsis
Based on the popular crime series of novels written by Michael Connelly, The Lincoln Lawyer follows hotshot defence attorney Mickey Haller played by Manuel Garcia-Rulfo. Preferring to work from the backseat of his beloved Lincoln, whilst his lovable driver Izzy (Jazz Raycole) takes the wheel, Haller soon adopted the show’s titular nickname. In a highly unconventional work setup, Haller’s law firm is run alongside his second ex-wife Lorna (Becki Newton) and her investigator fiancé Cisco (Angus Sampson), whilst his first ex-wife Maggie (Neve Campbell) has many run-ins with the fan-favourite lawyer in her role as District Attorney. Quite the entanglement. In comparison to the first season which was directly adapted from the contents of Connelly’s 2008 novel The Brass Verdict, season two is largely based on the 2011 bestseller The Fifth Witness.
A New Captivating Mystery
The new season sees the introduction of local chef and restaurateur Lisa Trammell (played by Once Upon a Time’s Lana Parrilla), who gets involved with Mickey in more ways than one. After a passion-filled night spent with the defence attorney, Lisa is in desperate need of his legal help following her arrest for the murder of real estate mogul Mitchell Bondurant. Never one to shy away from a high-profile case, Mickey agrees to represent Lisa and the hard work soon begins. Up against a challenging prosecutor, with evidence continuing to pile up against Trammell, the Lincoln lawyer has his work cut out for him—going one up on the first season’s fateful sequence of events. The writer’s have managed to maintain the interest of audiences by bringing a new unexplored dynamic to Mickey’s life: the blurring of lines as his romantic relationship with Lisa soon becomes a professional one.
The opening scene of season two is sure to get you sitting up straight. In a tense flashforward, we immediately find Mickey getting attacked by two unknown men in his law firm’s multi storey car park—Haller certainly has no luck in car parks following his grisly near miss in season one when he was chased into his office. We subsequently find Haller three months earlier—following on from his overwhelming legal win at the end of the first season—getting an unfamiliar amount of attention. Press photos, front page interviews and the law firm’s phone ringing off the hook, Haller is the talk of the town.
First Class Cast
The cast alone is enough to earn this show five stars. Garcia-Rulfo’s convincing portrayal of a high-flying attorney and recovering drug addict, paired with the fragile likability of fellow addict Izzy, as well as the charming reformed biker gang member Cisco, makes for the perfect, engaging combination. Becki Newton is without a doubt the star of the show in her role as the plucky law student and assistant Lorna, who manages to create laughs in scenes so tense you wouldn’t think it possible.
The addition of Lana Parrilla as Mickey’s love interest turned client is a triumphant one. Parrilla is no stranger to playing a villain audiences fall in love with. We’ve seen her terrorise and burn down villages in her outstanding portrayal of The Evil Queen in ABC’s fantasy series Once Upon a Time, and adopt another villain-esque persona as a gold-digging femme fatale in the deliciously dark second season of Why Women Kill. Now as the enigmatic prime suspect in this season’s murder case, Parrilla’s irresistible approach to this complex character keeps us guessing until the season’s final shocking revelations. Not to mention Mickey’s hilariously overbearing mother Elena (Angélica María).
Highly Rewatchable
After the release of the second part of The Lincoln Lawyer season two on 3 August, the show’s co-creator Ted Humphrey has said that this story was made to be watched again. “It’s one of those mystery shows where, when you go back and watch it the second time, you will catch things that you didn’t the first time,” he said of the season two arc. Not that many will need to be asked twice to rewatch The Lincoln Lawyer. The intimate main cast and direct focus on one particular case for the majority of the series makes the court drama easy to follow and therefore a highly engaging watch.
The unforeseen discovery into Lisa’s life in the season finale is one reason why rewatching the series will no doubt create the same level of excitement as watching for the first time. Once you know everything there is to know about Lisa, you will definitely catch some teasing easter eggs when you go and delve right back into the action.
The Verdict
The Lincoln Lawyer is a certain must watch. A legal drama with an electrifying whodunit at its core, this slick thriller is the perfect evening viewing. After delighting in the twists and turns of the fast paced series in a matter of days, I haven’t been able to stop talking about it since. Though Netflix is yet to confirm the future of the series, the cliff-hanging ending of season two is likely to serve the show in good stead for another season. I for one am counting on it.
Seasons one and two of The Lincoln Lawyer are available to stream now on Netflix.
Words by Sara Baalla
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