Raising the Bar

I just discovered this show and cannot believe it was canceled. It was fantastic.

Just another reason why I don't bother with television anymore. (I stumbled across this gem on Netflix, after the fact.) The execs that make the decisions about what stays and what goes are so out of touch their audience.

I just discovered this show and cannot believe it was canceled. It was fantastic.

Just another reason why I don't bother with television anymore. (I stumbled across this gem on Netflix, after the fact.) The execs that make the decisions about what stays and what goes are so out of touch their audience.

The reviews of "Raising the Bar", totally miss the point of this series. This series offers great insight into the politics of justice as opposed to the principles of justice, whereby personal agendas of judges, prosecutors, and defense lawyers intrude into the judicial process to over-ride the truth of a case. This is the reality of "justice" which is generally ignored or brushed aside. No other series exposes this reality as well as "Raising the Bar", if they try do it at all.

The inner workings of behind the scene trading of favors in "deals" is fully exposed. The truth of a case is often a secondary consideration with judges and opposing attorneys. Such political skewing of principle is the corruption that exists in all human transaction - economic, political, or judicial. However, we often ignore this and wish it away, as a part of our ignoring much of reality that is uncomfortable to us. This series can shake up your perceptions of the law and government.

I've seen a lot of shows in my time, from terrible dramas to truly innovative spectacles, but this show really does have it all. A cast thats spot on when it comes to acting and more importantly just an all around competitive feel. Jerry(the main character) is always overly concerned about his clients and along with his colleagues seems to always be fighting an uphill battle against the state and not to mention most of the judges, to get his clients acquitted of all the false claims that have been thrown against them. The state, which happens to always be a few of his friends from college, is just as ruthless in their tactics as he is! Which makes this a very good argumentative 45 minutes. Don't leave thinking this is one of those "good guys always win" shows, its not. This is what real courtroom fighting is all about. I give it a 10/10 keep up the good work!

What a shame that Raising the Bar was canceled after the second season! It is by the far the most nuanced, well-written legal show I've ever seen. Most shows in its genre pander to the fantasy that the world is divided into good and evil, where the bad guys are cunning and unremorseful and the good guys are always law enforcement. Raising the Bar is one of the few shows that show the defense side, but it doesn't do that at the expense of the prosecution side. Even the show's initial villains are rehabilitated as complicated, nuanced characters. As a lawyer, I can vouch for how close the show gets to reality (except for how attractive and well-dressed the characters are, of course!) it is also incredibly entertaining without sacrificing its complexity. I can't say enough good things about this show - I actually shelled out money to buy the DVDs, which I almost never do. Highly recommend!

The first season was OK, but the second season sparkles. The stories are solid, with usually three or four sub-plots that wrap up during the episode, plus the continuing story arcs regarding the major characters. Gosselar continues and improves upon his work in NYPD Blue. Gloria Reuben is her usual solid self. Jonathan Scarfe was a surprise to me, having never seen him before, while Currie Graham plays his usual sour but solid guy.

I'm less taken with Jane Kazmarek, whose character is neither nice nor nasty enough to be a treat. The supporting characters beyond those mentioned above all do an adequate or better job, with the two female attorneys -- one for the DA's office and the other for the Public Defender's -- provide eye-candy and do a good job.

The fact that New York City has no Public Defender's office, with that role taken by the Legal Aid Society, seems an odd twist on reality to have taken, given that using the proper group would not seem to have changed the show at all.

All in all, I look forward to each episode.