‘The Lincoln Lawyer’ Season 4 review: A thumping win for Mickey Haller & Associates

Sometimes a comfort watch is all that one wants and David E. Kelley’s The Lincoln Lawyer, in its fourth season, offers just that. There is a mystery that does not insult one’s intelligence while not being so jilebi-curly as to have one constantly going back to get the facts straight.

Based on Michael Connelly’s series about a criminal defense lawyer Mickey Haller, played by Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, who operates out of his Lincoln Navigator, Season 4 is based on the sixth book in the series, The Law of Innocence.

Picking up where Season 3 ended, with a policeman finding the body of con artist Sam Scales (Christopher Thornton) in Mickey’s trunk, Mickey is arrested without bail.

Mickey chooses to represent himself, with help from his ex-wives, criminal prosecutor, Maggie (Neve Campbell), and legal aide, Lorna (Becki Newton). His investigator, Cisco (Angus Sampson), who is also Lorna’s husband, and driver Izzy (Jazz Raycole), are also on hand to help.

Lorna is swamped trying to keep the fleeing clients, attract new ones and prepare Mickey’s defence. Izzy, while studying to become a licensed paralegal, meets and starts dating Grace (Gigi Zumbado) a forensic video analyst.

The detective, who pulled Mickey over for a missing number plate and found Sam’s body in his trunk, Drucker (Jason Butler Harner), seems to be hiding a secret.

Maggie seems to have moved on and is dating an orthopaedic surgeon Jack (Jason O’Mara), but still worries about Mickey. Their daughter, Hayley (Krista Warner), struggles in school with her father accused of murder.

Mickey’s mum, Elena (Angélica María), is convinced Mickey will be out soon in time for her wedding. Mickey’s mentor Legal (Elliott Gould), is worried for him but also sure he will be acquitted.

The deputy district attorney prosecuting Mickey, Dana Berg (Constance Zimmer), is universally feared and has a multitude of nicknames including “Death Row Dana”. She has an axe to grind against Mickey. The presiding judge Lionel Stone (Scott Lawrence) is no-nonsense but fair.

Some ghosts from Mickey’s past resurface, including the crooked real estate developer Alex Gazarian (Michael Goorjian); chef Lisa Trammell (Lana Parrilla); and FBI agent Felix Vasquez (Hemky Madera). The FBI in the form of Vasquez and his partner, Dawn Ruth (Sasha Alexander) seem to be involved in the case.  

Bamba (Marcus Henderson), whom Mickey pays to keep him safe in jail, asks Mickey for a job on the outside. Mickey hiring Bamba to drive him (not in his Lincoln, which is locked up as evidence) seems more trouble than it is worth.

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The tangled web of renewable energy, the mob and scamming the government, has to be unravelled before arriving at the truth of Sam’s murder.

The 10 episodes move by smoothly in a jolly mix of courtroom drama, action and breathtaking twists and turns, including an ankle bracelet running out of charge among other things. The cast and the City of Angels are easy on the eye and the promise of another season coming up is just what the doctor ordered.

The Lincoln Lawyer currently streams on Netflix