Mario’s Movie Musings (Television Edition): Bluff City Law

I’ll be honest; I’m a sucker for lawyer shows, even though I always cross my fingers so I don’t get picked for jury duty. I genuinely enjoyed watching Suits even though every season repeated itself. Angel’s main adversaries during his five-season adventure in Los Angeles were lawyers (until taking over the law firm itself in season five). Franklin & Bash was a fun ride until Heather Locklear put her death hooks into the show. And last but certainly not least, Better Call Saul is a calculating look at the evolution of Jimmy McGill into Saul Goodman. So of course, when a friend asked if I wanted to go to the sneak premiere of Bluff City Law, I figured it was worth a shot.

Bluff City Law follows the father-daughter duo of Elijah and Sydney Strait, played by veteran actor Jimmy Smits and newcomer Caitlin McGee. Sydney spent years as a defendant for high profile corporations in order to get away from her father, who everyone idolizes but she knows, is less than perfect. Elijah’s law firm was the type fighting the high profile corporations, for the everyday people who had been wronged. 

After her mother passes away, she is forced to reconnect with her father and in turn, he asks her to return to the family firm, because it was what her mother wanted. There she reconnects with some old faces, along with meeting some new ones, as well as some other surprises along the way. 

What can I honestly say about this first episode? It’s your standard lawyer show; it has courtroom drama, tension, and a couple of comedic notes. That said, the chemistry between Jimmy Smits and Caitlin McGee is pretty decent, but there is room for them to grow, but that could also be playing more towards the fact that they’re supposed to be estranged. The episode’s cliffhanger more than intrigued me to keep watching, and considering everything you learn about Elijah’s character throughout the episode, wasn’t an out of left field curve ball. So if you’re the Suits and Franklin & Bash type, this show might be right up your alley.

Bluff City Law premieres next Monday, September 23rd.