‘The Lincoln Lawyer’ Season 2 Part 1 series review: This legal eagle cruises along smoothly 

David E. Kelley’s pulpy legal drama emphatically reveals its strong legs for the long haul

In a piece on the origins of Mickey Haller, author Michael Connelly says the germ of the idea for a defense attorney who prefers to work out of a car rather than an office, came from multiple sources including a librarian who forced a young Connelly to read if he wanted to enjoy the air-conditioning in muggy Florida. The book Connelly read was Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. Haller shares some DNA with the upright lawyer, Atticus Finch, just like that other defense attorney championing the hopeless on our screens — Perry Mason.

Connelly’s 2005 novel, The Lincoln Lawyer, was made into a film in 2011 starring Matthew McConaughey. Season 1 of David E. Kelley’s show of the same name is based on Connelly’s The Brass Verdict (2008) while Season 2 is based on 2011’s The Fifth Witness. Now that we have got that out of the way, let us wade into Part 1 of Season 2 — dividing a season in two also seems to be a thing, just like The Witcher.

Season 2, like Season 1, opens with violence in a parking lot. Haller (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo) is beaten up and the five episodes in Part 1 tell us how he got there. After his success in defending Trevor Elliott (Christopher Gorham), Haller’s practice is booming. Team Haller includes his two ex-wives, criminal prosecutor Maggie McPherson (Neve Campbell), with whom he has a daughter, Hayley (Krista Warner), and Lorna Crane (Becki Newton), who basically holds his business together. There is former addict and Haller’s driver, Izzy (Jazz Raycole), and his investigator and Lorna’s soon-to-be husband Cisco (Angus Sampson).

As Lorna prepares for the wedding, she feels Cisco is keeping secrets from her — maybe returning to his biker days with the Road Saints Motorcycle Club. He is taking secret calls from one of his biker buddies, Kaz (Douglas Bennett), which throws Lorna off-kilter. There is the business of Jésus Menendez (Saul Huezo), which Haller tidies up neatly before the big one comes along — Lisa Trammell (Lana Parrilla), is the last name a hint or a clue? Lisa, a chef and the last one holding out against a real estate developer, is accused of his murder.

Lisa was seen near the crime scene and has been vocal against the developer’s gentrification project. Also complicating matters is Haller’s relationship with Lisa. The criminal prosecutor, Andy (Yaya DaCosta), is a formidable opponent and Haller has to try and figure out what she is hiding. Despite Haller expressly telling Lisa not to engage with podcaster Henry Dahl (Matt Angel), she does so for the best of reasons.

The five episodes move smoothly along just like Haller’s gorgeous Lincoln town car complete with sassy personalised number plates. The acting is competent as is the writing and the action. The wide shots of the city of angels are seductive whether in the glistening day or glittering night. The music, while not all moody jazz—that would be for Haller’s half brother, Hieronymus Bosch, is just as smooth. Part 1 of Season 2 has gone full circle to return to a badly beaten Haller on the floor of a parking lot. And now we have to wait for August 3 to find out whether Trammel is an unfortunate name.

The Lincoln Lawyer currently streams on Netflix