The Firm

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.

Looking at the four reviews that have been posted so far it seems there is a split decision, so i just wanted to make sure that the "good" reviews got the upper hand, so to speak. The writing, directing, acting and plot so far is excellent, i know it is hard to judge something with only seeing the first two episodes, but all i can say is if it continues in this manner then we are in for a really great drama/thriller. For Mr Lucas to jump into the shoes of Tom Cruise and do such a good job, is a credit to his abilities , OK there was a little poetic license applied, but that is expected from any show that is produced, and easy to skip over, it is Television, entertainment for goodness sake, not rocket science. All in all it the opening episodes have set the stage to what could be a really great program, and just for the benefit of the people that will not like it, i have nothing whatsoever to do the the program, and it is a totally unbiased opinion. For those of you that needs to see where this continues from, just grab a copy the the original 1993 film of the same name and give it a spin.

Have a look, make up your own mind

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.

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.

Yes, cable TV has raised the bar for dramas so high no network show can come close. The Blacklist is good, but falls short. This show is as good and possibly better. If you've watched Mad Men, Breaking Bad, Six Feet Under, The Wire, well the character development and writing is clearly for network TV. This isn't the fault of the actors. Juliette Lewis was a stretch for me playing the same role she always does, but hey, so does De Niro right?

I really liked the show and Josh Lucas is money...excellent lead. He carries the show well. Where this show blew it is character development. The wife as a school teacher who seems always free to get involved in the cases. Really? They did not need this angle. The daughter is an excellent actress. Believable from scene one. This show could have been really good, but network TV wants to fail. This is classic pride before the fall. They will not give up their power and control to make a really good TV show and settle for mediocrity. This ain't 1985 anymore. They cannot get away with the A-Team type shows...we have reality TV for that now!