Momentum
Episode 3 of The Lincoln Lawyer begins with Mickey confirming that success is all about momentum. That momentum is swinging in Mickey’s favour but the trouble is, these cases are piling up and one name has slipped under the radar – Eli Wyms. It could well be that the file in question was in Jerry’s briefcase the night he was killed. Outside court, the detective shows up with a clue to Jerry’s death. Caught on CCTV, they’ve uncovered a strange guy with a moustache leaving Jerrys building. They don’t have a name right now but it is a solid lead to go on. Not only that, but Cisco has found footage of his own outside the casino, showing Jerry being handed some papers from an unknown man. It would appear he’s not gambling and could well have something to do with his disappearance. On top of all this, the investigator on the case, Bruce Carlin, has gone missing. He could well know something but has had to leave and keep a low-profile to save his own skin. Back with Eli for now though. It would appear that Eli Wyms is a war vet. He’s a sniper from Iraq and that night, he seemed to have snapped. Police were called to the house after hearing gunshots, but as the deputy called it in, all hell broke loose. 3 hours of a stand-off and 90 rounds later, and he’s eventually arrested. That night it’s time for Jerry’s wake and as all the guys and gals join together, they toast to the fallen prosecutor. Mickey does well to stay off the alcohol too, given it’s in a bar. He’s approached by a fellow prosecutor called Lankford though, who antagonizes him and mentions “his boy” Jesus Menendez. This seems to be another murder case, if his words to Maggie is anything to go by, but quite who this is remains unclear for now. Mickey visits Trevor, going over parts of the case again. Trevor had gunshot residue on his clothes and hands, but according to him, he’s never fired a gun before in his life. Not helping matters is the fact Trevor took almost 5 minutes to phone 911. Trevor admits that he and Lara had a big fight the night before her death. He wanted to surprise her, as we heard before, and he head in that day calling out for Lara. He found her face down on the bed with a gunshot in her back. Her yoga instructor was on the other side of the room, also dead. The cameras were switched off too, but Mickey was aware of her affair, hence why he never said anything about the cameras. Elliot wanted to try and fight for his wife that day. Mickey berates his client for lying and goes on to mention how he needs to get his story straight given Golantz is going to absolutely rip into him if not. Away from this, Cisco and Lorna continue to sniff around potential leads. One of those comes from a client of the yoga instructor called Neema Shavar. Her husband actually runs a private security company that could potentially be involved in this. Speaking of involved, Mickey goes over the details surrounding Eli Wyms and Trevor Elliot, realizing that the former is the magic bullet. Somehow, Eli’s arrest, which occurred on the same day as the murders, is linked in with Elliot’s wife being killed. But how? Well, before he finds out, Mickey is followed, prompting him to rush into his office and hold off this unknown assailant.
The Episode Review
This series really does feel like a typical American crime drama now. There’s nothing wrong with that of course, but all the hallmarks are here to see. The hotshot detective with a bad past, the quirky sidekick (Lorna) and the gruff muscle (Cisco) not to mention Izzy, who is obviously Mickey’s driver. The little edits between scenes, cutting away for a short musical jingle with random shots of LA before the next interior feels incredibly dated, although that’s more a personal stylistic annoyance rather than a detriment to the story. Away from that though, the case itself is actually quite intriguing and shows like this benefit from the binge-model Netflix have adopted. I can’t imagine anyone sticking around with this one through 10 weeks but the way this has been set-up, it certainly makes for an intriguing case, especially as these episodes tick by.
