Review: Lincoln Lawyer, Netflix Original Series

To be honest, I have seen little of interest on Netflix lately. A few weeks back, I saw the Netflix original series based on Michael Connelly's Lincoln Lawyer books.

You may recall a movie of the same name in 2011 starring Matthew McConaughey as Mickey Haller, the Los Angeles lawyer who uses his Lincoln for an office. This series is completely different.

First, let me say the series is good, but you'll enjoy it more if you don't compare it to the books on which it is based.

The Lincoln Lawyer books were a spin-off from the Bosch books in which Mickey Haller is Bosch's younger half-brother.

Since the books were almost 20 years old, the story line was updated for today's world.

 Major Differences From Book to Series

Haller is now a recovering prescription pill addict after a surfing accident. (In the books, the surfing accident/addiction happened to another character.

In the series, Haller is portrayed as idealistic, but I never thought of him that way. I'll have to read the books again, I think.

Some characters were changed from men to women such as Haller's driver who was a guy in the books. Now's the driver is a woman who struggles with addiction.

Jobs changed with the client on trial changed from a video game designer to a movie moguls.

Harry Bosch will never be mentioned because he has his own series and never the twain shall meet so that relationship will not be explored. Instead, Haller will interact with a "substitute" for Bosch.

The Bosch role is split up between two characters: LAPD Detective Griggs, a character created for the show, portrayed by Ugandan-American actor, Ntare Mwine, and Cisco, a character who does appear in the books as Haller's investigator, but in the series he does some of the things Bosch would do.

Lincoln Lawyer, Original Netflix Series

As I said above, go into this with an open mind and forget trying to tie it to the books, and you'll find the series well-written, well-acted, and entertaining.

Produced by David E. Kelley, Ted Humphrey, author Michael Connelly, and Ross Fineman, the series was originally planned for CBS. Netflix grabbed it when CBS canned it. The first of ten episodes debuted on Netflix on May 13. It was #1 on Netflix and has a popularity rating with viewers of about 93%.

The Cast

Manuel Garcia-Rulfo as Mickey Haller

Neve Campbell as Maggie McPherson, deputy district attorney and Mickey’s first ex-wife and mother of his daughter, Haley

Krista Warner, cast because she's biracial and also speaks Spanish

Becki Newton as Lorna, Mickey's second ex-wife

Jazz Raycole as Izzy Letts, his driver

Angus Sampson as Cisco, Mickey's key investigator and Lorna’s fiancé

Christopher Gorham as Trevor Elliott, Mickey's client in this first season.

Jamie McShane as Detective Lee Lankford. (If you're a Bosch series fan, you'll recognize him as the disgraced cop in the Black Guardian incident.)

The cast is superb. They'll make you forget the way the books portrayed these characters. 

(No author wants to hear a comment like that. No offense, Mr. Connelly.) The series may make you want to read the books because books usually offer a richer experience.

The deft way in which a couple of the books were combined to make the series is remarkable. You'll like the characters as they struggle with their challenges, and you'll be guessing as to the guilt or innocence of Mickey's client.

Yes, this series has a compelling story, likable characters who are imperfect but who have a moral compass that is sometimes at odds with the realities of the world. 

If you're looking for something intelligent and well-written, definitely watch The Lincoln Lawyer on Netflix.

Takeaway Truth

If you're not a Netflix subscriber, you'll want to ask your friends who are if they'd like to have a watch party. *g* Otherwise, you'll miss an excellent series.