One of my favorite shows on TV is Fairly Legal starring Sarah Shahi as Kate Reed. This show is about a woman whose father dies, leaving his law firm to her and his ex-much much younger wife, Lauren Reed. Kate has a law degree, but what she wants is to help people through mediation.
Each week as a new case comes her way, she’s discovering the truth about people and sometimes it’s ugly. Her ex-husband to be, whom she still loves but they can’t seem to get along and make things work, is the assistant D.A. She’s constantly asking him for help and he’s usually reluctant since it , most times, gest him in trouble. But he still loves her.
I love the tension between Kate and Justin. You know they’re disfunctional but you root for them because they love each other and it’s comedic at times.
| Kate and ex Justin |
And then of course you have her conflict with the ex-stepmother who’s practically her age and an equal partner in the firm. Jealousy, bitterness and all those things surround Kate’s feelings for Lauren and even though you know Lauren really loved Kate’s dad, you aren’t ever sure what she’s really thinking. But when Kate gets in some jams, Lauren is there for her and the slow evolution of a friendship…very…very slow is nice to see.
And you can’t have a great story without a fun side-kick, aka secondary character. And that’s where Leo comes in. Her assistant, friend, and all around fun loving nut! They have a great relationship and you know there’s nothing he wouldn’t do for her. You also know, there’s no romantic chemistry there. Why? Because the actions and dialogue convey it. Good writing!
What’s a story without a truth-teller? Someone who pushes you and makes you think. That’s where judge Nicastro comes in. He’s funny, stern, and he cares about Kate, even if it seems like he’s punishing her at every turn with insisting cases upon her. He’s wise and full of good truth that makes her think about who she is, why she acts in certain ways, and in his fatherly, judge-like way, encourages her to be better.
Enter season two.
Kate and Justin seem like they might forget the divorce and give it another try, as Kate has had some soul-searching and events happen in her life provide an epiphany!
But Justin reveals devastating news and Kate can’t move forward.
Enter Ben Grogan, actor Ryan Johnson.
Another amp up in tension. Ben Grogan is an arrogant, all about money, shady lawyer who through interesting and funny events ends up as another partner at Kate’s firm. The sparks between them are electrifying! He’s sarcastic and obnoxious and she’s beside herself that he works there.
However, inside Ben Grogan lies a boy from the wrong side of the tracks trying to prove he’s worth something and he hides that behind a huge wall of arrogance and a mask of I-could-care-less.
I love watching that wall break down little by little through the sweet things he does on occasion. However, they generally back fire and the wall pops back up, but that makes for great tension. Excellent conflict and I find myself not rooting so much for Justin–exhubby anymore. One because of what he reavealed to Kate. And two, I love a wounded hero!
I also enjoy watching Justin’s jealousy as he sees what Kate doesn’t. Her growing attraction for hunky Ben!
I’ve learned a lot about great writing from this show!
Happy Weekend, friends!
