Fall Pilot Review – OUTLAW on NBC

What? Few jobs are guaranteed for a lifetime, and a Supreme Court appointment is a position that no one ever quits — unless he is Cyrus Garza.  A playboy and a gambler, Justice Garza always adhered to a strict interpretation of the law until he realized the system he believed in was flawed.  Now, he’s quit the bench and returned to private practice.  Using his inside knowledge of the justice system, Garza and his team will travel across the country taking on today’s biggest and most controversial legal cases.

Garza’s team includes his best friend since childhood, Al Druzinsky (David Ramsey), a brilliant defense attorney with liberal beliefs; Mereta Stockman (Ellen Woglom), a hopeless romantic who is Garza’s loyal law clerk; Lucinda Pearl (Carly Pope), a wildly unorthodox private investigator who uses her sex appeal and wit to gather information for Garza, and Eddie Franks (Jesse Bradford), a tightly wound, rabidly ambitious Yale-educated attorney, recently hired as Garza’s law clerk.

Who? Stars Jimmy Smits as Garza, David Ramsey as Al, Ellen Woglom as Mereta, Carly Pope as Lucinda, and Jesse Bradford as Eddie. OUTLAW is a Universal Media Studios production along with Conaco productions.  John Eisendrath (ALIAS, FELICITY, PLAYMAKERS), Richard Schwartz (ANDY BARKER, P.I.) and David Kissinger (ANDY BARKER, P.I.) are executive producers.

Where/When? NBC, 10/9c Fridays, after DATELINE NBC.  Special preview of the premiere Wednesday 9/15.

Why (Why Not)? OUTLAW is another law show that you don’t need to watch, unless you’re into that sort of thing.  Jimmy Smits is just fine as the rakish Supreme Court justice who goes back into private practice.  The cast is all just fine.  Nothing really stands out about it.  I think we’re supposed to see chemistry between Lucina (Pope) and Eddie (Bradford), but I don’t and that could get old, very quickly, along with Lucinda’s acting like she’s dangerous.  Sorry, Carly, I don’t buy it.  Do I think the show can improve?  Sure, if the cast chemistry gets better with time (meaning they actually all seem like they like each other).  Right now, it’s another generic law show that’s not doing anything different than we’ve ever seen.

How? No need to turn it off if it’s on in the background, or even keep it on the DVR for catch up someday.  It’s not watch-live material.