Even though I missed a couple episodes because FOX moved it to a new date & time unbeknownst to me (what else is new with TV programming these days), I was still able to keep up with the show. However, it hasn't been my favorite show and I believe it has not been renewed for the 2008 Fall season so no hard feelings.
Prison for Canterbury? Not.
This episode shows us a different side to Liz Canterbury. In previous episodes Liz is always confident and focused. She normally goes after every case with single-minded determination. However, when faced with an indictment for her own wrong-doings, there is a huge crack in her tough exterior. She seems almost defeated and even seeks to make a plea deal with DAG Williams.
In the meantime, her associates are not so willing to lay down and die, especially Russell. I got to see a new side to him as well. He picks up the slack for Liz, comes up with a plan and executes it. He re-exams an old homicide case successfully prosecuted by DAG Williams, to reveal Williams' own wrong-doings. It was great to see him squirm. One of my favorite scenes was Cherry Pie's testimony. He/she's assessment of Williams was priceless - big feet, cheap suit.
Showing posts with label Canterbury's Law. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Canterbury's Law. Show all posts
Monday, May 19, 2008
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Canterbury's Law: Baggage
This episode was totally about Canterbury and about her past. The previous episode already gave me a hint that something bad happened with her child. Now I learned that he was taken from a park while she was talking on the phone and looked away. This is the problem with her marriage.. and counseling does not seem to help it.
So, when a case just comes to her, she first believes that the man is innocent. Then it more and more starts to look like that man might be the one who took her son. But the truth is not so easy. The man is innocent as she thought first. Canterbury really believes he is a medium and takes him to the playground where her son was last seen, but he sees nothing.
But it looks like this is a potential future storyline...Really good one :)
So, when a case just comes to her, she first believes that the man is innocent. Then it more and more starts to look like that man might be the one who took her son. But the truth is not so easy. The man is innocent as she thought first. Canterbury really believes he is a medium and takes him to the playground where her son was last seen, but he sees nothing.
But it looks like this is a potential future storyline...Really good one :)
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Canterbury's Law: Pilot
Julianna Margulies returned to network television as Elizabeth Canterbury, a defense attorney with issues, in Canterbury's Law. The executive producer is Denis Leary, the star of Rescue Me, which is another drama on FX (another FOX network) and as many of you know, I am huge fan of Rescue Me.
Most of the cast was unknown to me. Elizabeth's three associates are played by actors that I have never seen in anything. Even Aidan Quinn as Elizabeth's husband Matt was almost unrecognizable in his first scene. None of the actors turned me off, but they didn't sparkle. That puts a lot of pressure on Margulies to carry the show.
In the pilot, Elizabeth is defending a young man name Ethan who has been accused of killing a boy and hiding his body. Public opinion is already against Ethan because he had been convicted previously for statutory rape. However Elizabeth believes that he is innocent and is willing to go to any lengths to prove it, including putting her career on the line by having Ethan lie on the witness stand.
This story is interchangeable with the ones I've seen on Law and Order or CSI. I could tell who the real culprit was going to be about 15 minutes into the show. The plot isn't what kept me watching. It was Margulies' portrayal of Elizabeth that kept me glued to the screen. Her Elizabeth was a cynical smart-aleck in chambers and with her colleagues, but the minutes she was with the client I could tell that Elizabeth truly believed in his innocence. There wasn't a hint of reserve or sarcasm.
Even though the plot was tired, the pacing of the show was quick enough that I almost didn't mind. I didn't feel like I was watching the set-up episode of a new show. The writers gave me just enough information to figure out each character's role in the story and then moved the scenes along. There were hints of a few mysteries in the characters' backgrounds to keep the viewers coming back for at least a few episodes.
Canterbury's Law is a legal drama. There are plenty of those on TV already. In my opinion, the only reason that there are so many versions of the same show is that viewers prefer one actor over another. But I'm going to give Canterbury's Law a shot to see Julianna Margulies breathe new life into tired plots.
Most of the cast was unknown to me. Elizabeth's three associates are played by actors that I have never seen in anything. Even Aidan Quinn as Elizabeth's husband Matt was almost unrecognizable in his first scene. None of the actors turned me off, but they didn't sparkle. That puts a lot of pressure on Margulies to carry the show.
In the pilot, Elizabeth is defending a young man name Ethan who has been accused of killing a boy and hiding his body. Public opinion is already against Ethan because he had been convicted previously for statutory rape. However Elizabeth believes that he is innocent and is willing to go to any lengths to prove it, including putting her career on the line by having Ethan lie on the witness stand.
This story is interchangeable with the ones I've seen on Law and Order or CSI. I could tell who the real culprit was going to be about 15 minutes into the show. The plot isn't what kept me watching. It was Margulies' portrayal of Elizabeth that kept me glued to the screen. Her Elizabeth was a cynical smart-aleck in chambers and with her colleagues, but the minutes she was with the client I could tell that Elizabeth truly believed in his innocence. There wasn't a hint of reserve or sarcasm.
Even though the plot was tired, the pacing of the show was quick enough that I almost didn't mind. I didn't feel like I was watching the set-up episode of a new show. The writers gave me just enough information to figure out each character's role in the story and then moved the scenes along. There were hints of a few mysteries in the characters' backgrounds to keep the viewers coming back for at least a few episodes.
Canterbury's Law is a legal drama. There are plenty of those on TV already. In my opinion, the only reason that there are so many versions of the same show is that viewers prefer one actor over another. But I'm going to give Canterbury's Law a shot to see Julianna Margulies breathe new life into tired plots.
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