"The Firm" Review: NBC's Found a Good One
I admit it. I rolled my eyes at the thought of NBC reviving John Grisham’s “The Firm.” But after watching the two-hour premiere, the only thing my eyes are doing is anxiously awaiting the next episode.
Don’t look now, gang, but it looks like NBC has got a good one on its hands…
The show picks up 10 years after the action of the novel/film. Josh Lucas stars as Mitch McDeere, the attorney who brought down a powerful Memphis law firm. Mitch and his family are freshly emerged from the witness protection program to reclaim their lives in Washington, D.C. But unfortunately, Mitch is not quite as safe as he thinks he is as both past threats reemerge and new threats begin to appear.
The premiere jumps right into the action with a breathtaking sequence set in Washington, D.C. But then things get a little confusing as the show goes back in time six weeks to show us what led to the opening events and then back 10 years to introduce us to some of the characters. But once the back and forth stops and we stay in the six weeks ago time frame, the show turns into a solid legal drama as Mitch wrestles with defending a client he knows is guilty.
But just as you think “Firm” is going to be your normal legal drama, we get a doozy of a twist before being zipped back to the present time for a major cliffhanger.
Lucas is perfectly cast as Mitch and Callum Keith Rennie lends solid support as his brother, Ray. And it’s great to have Juliette Lewis on TV as Tammy, Mitch’s secretary and Ray’s girlfriend.
Normally, legal dramas mix in comedy to set them apart. But “Firm” combines mystery and action with the drama and that’s a solid combination. How it’s all going to fit into that six weeks timeframe, I’m not sure. But I’m willing to stick around and find out…
The two-hour premiere of “The Firm” airs Sunday, January 8th at 9 p.m. on NBC before the show moves to its regular timeslot of Thursdays at 10 p.m.
Photo Credit: Frank Ockenfels 3/NBC
