All 3 Seasons Of The Lincoln Lawyer, Ranked Worst To Best -

Netflix’s The Lincoln Lawyer includes three excellent seasons, but not all of them rank as high when it comes to story development and characters. In May 2022, the streaming giant released a TV show adaptation of the titular book series by Michael Connelly, quickly garnering high ratings from both critics and audiences. Netflix’s The Lincoln Lawyer skips books 1 and 3, adapting 2, 4, and 5.

Every season of The Lincoln Lawyer is certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, and just a couple of months after season 3’s release, Netflix picked it up for season 4. The continued success of the legal drama is thanks to the entire creative team. They’ve pulled together three entertaining seasons that are re-watchable, but not every addition to Netflix’s The Lincoln Lawyer rises to the level of the others.

3

The Lincoln Lawyer Season 2

Based On The Fifth Witness

Although all the seasons of The Lincoln Lawyer are enjoyable, season 2 is the weakest by far. The Lincoln Lawyer’s unique format combines episodic cases and a season-long overarching case. While the smaller court cases are just as interesting as those of seasons 1 and 3, the central case that lasts the whole season isn’t as compelling. It’s hard to care about the outcome of the case because the victim is a scumbag, and the defendant is unlikable.

Mickey smiles next to himself in a Lincoln convertible in The Lincoln Lawyer season 3.

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From the start to the end of The Lincoln Lawyer season 2, it felt like the showrunners were trying to force the relationship between Mickey and Lisa. Although Manuel Garcia-Rulfo and Lana Parrilla are both great actors, they had very little chemistry in the Netflix show. The flatness of Lisa Trammell, who felt more like an archetype of a manipulative woman than an actual character, certainly didn’t help.

The pacing of The Lincoln Lawyer season 2 is also inconsistent, feeling at some times like a network show that comes out every week and other moments a streaming show that drops batches of episodes at once. Moreover, one of the most appealing parts of the Lincoln Lawyer books is the fact that they represent the law fairly well, but the second season of the Netflix show is legally inaccurate to a noticeable and laughable degree.

2

The Lincoln Lawyer Season 1

Based On The Brass Verdict

Although it’s easy to rank The Lincoln Lawyer season 2 as the weakest, seasons 1 and 3 are neck-and-neck in terms of quality. The first season does a great job introducing the characters and premise of the show, getting the audience to invest emotionally. The consistent pacing makes it easy to binge-watch the episodes, although the show feels like it goes on maybe two episodes longer than necessary.

Maggie and Mickey are in a courtroom in Netflix's The Lincoln Lawyer

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Trevor Elliott is an excellent subject for the central case of the first season, considering the show focuses on the gray areas of morality that exist within the legal system. Up until the end of The Lincoln Lawyer season 1, ambiguity and mystery surround Trevor, making the audience genuinely question whether he loved his wife, committed the crime, etc. The question marks are compelling enough to keep the story moving forward.

One major reason why The Lincoln Lawyer season 1 falls below season 3 is because the show includes a deep but not quite deep enough exploration of Mickey Haller as a character. The examination of Mickey is great, but it leaves viewers wanting for more. That’s often the nature of premiere seasons, so it’s not the Netflix show’s fault for not fully getting into the psyche of The Lincoln Lawyer’s main character. Still, season 3 didn’t have this barrier since the foundation of the show and characters was already laid.

1

The Lincoln Lawyer Season 3

Based On The Gods of Guilt

The Lincoln Lawyer season 3 barely outranks season 1 as the best one yet. Like the first season, the third has sharp dialogue, excellent character development for both the main and supporting characters, and good pacing. Both seasons explain legal concepts throughout the show, opening the door to viewers who might not have as much background knowledge.

Manuel Garcia-Rulfo’s Mickey is the heart of The Lincoln Lawyer, so when all other factors are even, a deeper exploration of him will always win out.

The story continues to explore the flaws in the legal system, giving extra focus to governmental systems and how they influence the courts. Trevor Elliott from The Lincoln Lawyer season 1 is a more interesting defendant than Julian LaCosse in season 3, but Julian’s case is more fascinating than Trevor’s from a legal standpoint. This tradeoff will appeal to some viewers while putting off others.

However, the shining aspect of The Lincoln Lawyer season 3 is Mickey’s character arc. Because he’s connected to Glory Days, Julian’s court case is the most personal for Mickey. He goes through more emotional challenges, which are made worse by the isolation from his family in The Lincoln Lawyer season 3. When he’s pushed to the point of nearly breaking, the audience gets the most intimate understanding of Mickey Haller’s mind. Ultimately, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo’s Mickey is the heart of The Lincoln Lawyer, so when all other factors are even, a deeper exploration of him will always win out.