Picking up the narrative about a month after Season One ended, freshman attorney Ellen Parsons (Rose Byrne) is back working for Patty Hewes (Glenn Close), but she’s really working undercover for the FBI who want to bring down New York’s most revered and reviled litigator. 

Ellen not only wants revenge again Patty who she believes tried to have her killed, but she also wants to get Arthur Frobisher (Ted Danson), the man responsible for the murder of her fiancé.

This new season has Patty Hewes and her attorneys going after a huge corporation that is manipulating energy resources and may have also been responsible for the murder of the wife of Daniel Purcell (William Hurt), a whistle-blowing scientist and the father of Hewes’ illegitimate son.

Once again, nobody this season is what they appear to be, not Wes (Timothy Olyphant), Ellen’s new “boy friend,” a hitman who actually has a contract on her, nor the chief counsel of the energy corporation (Marcia Gay Harden), who is having an affair with Purcell.

CRITIQUE

When I reviewed the first season of this extremely well-written series, I commented that it was so good that I almost wished that there wouldn’t be a second season.

I felt that way because I didn’t think that the series could get any better.  The only direction for it to go was down.

Season One told a tight, compelling story, primarily in flashback, which had a beginning, middle and an end.  Yes, there were a few minor plot points left dangling, but so what?  All of the major issues for that season had been resolved and, in fact, several key characters had been killed (or so we thought).

This second season also jumps around in time and, like its predecessor, it is very addicting.  Indeed, I watched all thirteen episodes in three days.

My primary problem with this sophomore season is that the character of Patty Hewes has been softened to the point where, at times, we look at her almost as a “victim”.  True, she’s still ruthless as ever and has no compunctions about “stabbing her colleagues in the back,” but the “evil” quality in her has been toned down considerably.

Perhaps the producers felt that, like with the Vic Mackey character (Michael Chiklis) in the first episode of The Shield, their Patty Hewes character had been made too immoral and that they would have to humanize her if the series was to have a long life.  Unfortunately, like Vic Mackey, there can be no redemption for Patty Hewes.

Some of the characters’ motivations in this season are also a bit weak or, at the least, could have been better explained.  However, since I don’t want to be a spoiler, that’s all I will say on that point.

Season Three promises to be interesting, as Ellen Parsons continues to try to bring down Patty Hewes, this time working with the district attorney’s office.

Glenn Close, Rose Byrne, Ted Danson, William Hurt, Tate Donovan, Marcia Gay Harden and the rest of the stellar cast could not have been better chosen.

THE VIDEO

The widescreen picture, mastered in Hi-Def, is broadcast sharp.  There are no noticeable flaws.

THE AUDIO

The Dolby Digital Surround Sound is excellent.

THE EXTRAS

Cast and Crew Commentaries on select episodes:

Episode #1: actors Rose Byrne, Timothy Olyphant, writers/creators Glenn Kessler, Daniel Zelman

Episode #8: actor Ted Danson, plus Kessler, Zelman and writer/creator Todd Kessler

Episode #12: actor Tate Donovan, plus Kessler, Zelman & Kessler

Episode #13: actress Glenn Close, plus the 3 writer/creators

26 Deleted Scenes: None of these add anything significant to the overall story.

Character Profiles: 7 key characters are explored.

Season One Recap: The first season is explained in a two-part recap, running 8 minutes 33 seconds and 9 minutes 16 seconds, respectively.

Season Two: Post Mortem: In this 4:27 minute featurette, the writers/creators discuss how they approached this sophomore season and why they softened the character of Patty Hewes.

FINAL THOUGHT