Die Firma

I only found this series in January 2020!!! I love Josh Lucas so would have watched as soon as it was released had I known about it. I loved it - I loved the original film as well - but what a ridiculous ending. It shows great contempt for the paying viewer when shows are cancelled without filming a few extra episodes to round off the story. A couple of extra episodes, as with Timeless, makes all the difference.

I don't remember much about the film "The Firm," and I didn't read the book. This TV series takes up where the film and book left off, with Mitch McDeere (Josh Lucas) deciding to opt out of witness protection after the mobster who wanted him dead dies himself. He and his family, Abby (Molly Parker), their daughter Claire (Natasha Calis), his brother Ray (Callum Keith Rennie), a detective, and Ray's girlfriend Tammy (Juliette Lewis) come home. Mitch opens a private practice, but soon joins forces with a large law firm when he gets a case that could turn into a class action suit.

There's lots going on in this show -- it's told in flashback, and we're shown some very intriguing flash forwards that the story is leading up to. One of Mitch's assigned cases is of a young woman accused of killing a wealthy old lady she had just met; the large firm has some sort of interest in this case, but as yet, we don't know why. And while the mobster is dead, his son has just taken over. Will he want a contract put out on Mitch and his family? We don't know at the time of this writing. And other cases come and go. Plus stuff happening on the family front.

Josh Lucas is very strong as Mitch, and I absolutely love Molly Parker as his wife - a wonderful, graceful presence. Juliette Lewis, as Ray's sexy girlfriend who doesn't look much like a receptionist, is great, as is Rennie as Ray.

I keep reading this show is going to be canceled. Gee, I hope we get to see the whole season.

I hate it when a series doesn't bother to tie up loose ends. They built up all this mystery around the last case, then don't bother to finish it! Otherwise, the series is mostly very edge-of-your-seat entertaining, with interesting characters.

Review

We thoroughly enjoyed watching all 22 episodes. While we wish there had been a second season, there was some sense of conclusion at the end-it wasn't the 'cliffhanger' i feared having consulted imdb. I found all of the actors good. Of course there is some degree of poetic licence taken with realism, but easily overlooked as you care for the characters and their search to set things right. Overall, very enjoyable. The weak point is the overuse of the flasbacks and flashforwards, the scenes labelled 'two weeks earlier/later', but you get used to it. The fact that most reviewers have expressed dismay at there not being a full conclusion is proof of how engaging the storylines and characters are. Well worth the watch.

Contrary to the many reviews on here, I thought this was a terrific thriller. Good story, good acting, and characters that you could connect with. The only thing I have a grievance about is that they left us hanging without a second series.

I highly recommend this series.