Conviction

This is a great show, please bring it back! The characters especially the main character of Haley is original and mean and funny. The cases are also very interesting and not run of the mill. The personal lives of the characters are also intriguing and we would love to see them continue.

At the end of this week's episode of "Dancing With the Stars", Tom Bergeron confessed his love for Hayley Atwell. It's easy to see why he is so taken with the former star of "Agent Carter", now the star of "Conviction". She is beautiful, strong and one great actress.

In "Conviction", she plays Hayes Morrison, a complex character with obvious flaws. She is the daughter of an ex-President and a politician running for Senator. First an attorney, then a law professor, she was always a rebel and a liability for her parents due to her "extremely controversial lifestyle" and run-ins with the law. She is blackmailed into heading the CIU, a new department in the DA's office dedicated to investigating possibly wrongful convictions. She has all of the necessary tools, including a dedicated staff, but she lacks the...conviction.

The pilot moves quickly, allowing Hayes to experience many emotions. You will not see a finer job of acting in a pilot. Ms. Atwell is remarkable. Her character is uncaring, self-indulgent and the product of years of political posturing (by her family) and being in the spotlight. She knows how to paint on a smile, but she shows us so many levels beneath it.

Her character might seem unlikable and this might look like just another crime solving drama, but the writers have given the viewer plenty of hints at how this show might develop, along with the characters in it.

The supporting actors are also excellent, including Shawn Ashmore ("The Following") Merrin Dungey (who appeared in "the Following", Emily Kinney, Eddie Cahill, and Manny Montana (who also appeared in "The Following"). Her team of investigators have diverse backgrounds and very different perspectives.

The twist is that they only have five days to investigate each case--a factor that sounds contrived but it fits the story. In the first episode, they investigate an 8-year old conviction and Hayes has a crisis of conscience, proving she has one. Hopefully, the show will continue to focus on the characters though it must develop the investigations, much like "Elementary". I hope this show lives up to its potential, because it has plenty.

Update 11/22/16: Unfortunately, this show did not live up to its potential. The episodes were too repetitious, the show failed to focus on the characters enough, and it felt like the writers were more concerned about making social statements than about writing compelling stories. I am lowering my grade to "6", but the first few episodes are worth watching.

Were it not for the excellent cast, I would have rated this series a 5 out of 10. Whose idea was it to cancel the refreshing Agent Carter, and put Hayley Atwell in yet another (unnecessary) crime drama? Conviction is self-satisfied, lazy, and holds no surprises. The cast is lovely and does what it can, but I can't imagine this show being at the top of the list for anyone under the age of 55. It tries too hard to be relevant and doesn't succeed. One has to wonder what the plan is for the show. 2 seasons? 3 seasons? Maybe 4? I'm already exhausted thinking about it.

A show like this should be limited to a run as a miniseries. That way, some success may be achieved. But please, please don't make us wince through hours of uninspired story lines. There's so much better on television these days, and this show does not even compete.

I just love this show.

Finally a fresh new approach to justice, a show that actually is different and stands apart from the multitude of shows showing basically the same.

The premise of the show itself is great, because it deals with the monster inside the closet. How the justice system condemns innocent people, just because not everyone can pay for six digits lawyers.

Another thing done brilliantly in this show is the cast. How can we not relate to this cast!? The cast, each actor and actress, is fundamental to the success of this show. It's clear that each have their own secrets and things they aren't proud of. So each member of that team as to in a way, deal with their personal beliefs and ghosts.

The potential is great but honestly I don't see this show having a long lifespan. Three to four seasons at most. The problem being that at a certain point, viewers are gonna get tired of seeing them handling situations where we already known from the very beginning that the person in jail is innocent. They might create scenarios where even after proved innocent, the person either prefers to keep the blame or doesn't have anything to go back to. Turning wins into losses. We're already seeing that.

So... How long before we the viewers get tired of seeing the same situations over and over. I really hope they have a plan of expanding this show into other fields, or eventually the show won't be able to grab its viewers.

For now the show still has a lot to show and do. So as long as it lasts I'll watch it.

I really love this show. It's the right amount of legal and drama. I love watching legal shows and am so glad I watched this one. I'm really sad they canceled it.