Is ABC Up To More “Good”? Making a Case For THE GOOD LAWYER
“You take the good, you take the bad
You take them both, and there you have
The Facts of Life…”
So went the theme song to Garrett’s Girls, a back-door pilot that ran as the Season 1 finale of the NBC sitcom Diff’rent Strokes in May 1979.
In this episode, the housekeeper on Diff’rent Strokes (a.k.a. Mrs. Garrett) came to the aid of Kimberly Drummond– biological daughter to Mr. Drummond and sister to adoptees Willis and Arnold– when last-minute help was needed at Kimberly’s boarding school. By the fall of ‘79, Garrett’s Girls had been renamed The Facts of Life and helped kick off the new NBC season. (And both Strokes and Facts proved to be significant hits for the network as the 1980s unfolded.)
On the other hand… who remembers this episodic plotline from a well-known sitcom that aired back in January 1974?
Ken and Kathy Kelly plan to adopt a (Caucasian) boy named Matt from a local orphanage. By chance they also adopt Matt's two best friends: Dwayne, an African American, and Steve, who is Asian… much to the chagrin of the Kelly family's bigoted neighbor Mrs. Payne.
To be fair, it would help to know that I left a few important words out of this Wikipedia description… “Ken and Kathy Kelly, friends of Carol and Mike.”
(Viewers never saw these “friends” before or after that one episode, by the way.)
AHA!
Brady Bunch devotees may recognize this as “Kelly’s Kids,” an episode from Sherwood Schwartz’s iconic blended family that was intended to be the start of a whole new series Schwartz had in mind celebrating racial diversity. But unlike Facts of Life, “Kelly’s Kids” failed to persuade ABC’s Power That Be to give it a shot. By the start of the 1974-5 season, Brady Bunch was canceled and off to a land of endless syndication… and Schwartz’s back-door pilot became an odd little footnote in TV history.
(Arguably not as odd as the addition of nephew “Oliver” in the final 6 episodes of Bunch, though.)
“Back-door pilots”-- or, pilots that are embedded into an existing TV program rather than being created independently– have sometimes been wildly successful. Maude was born out of All in the Family in that manner. Mork and Mindy spun off of Happy Days. And much more recently, the NCIS franchise on CBS got its start from JAG– a legal drama that ran on CBS through 2005.
But for every pilot’s happy landing (see what I did there) there are countless others who are never picked up, left to toil in some sort of TV hell populated by characters who briefly infiltrated a would-be parent show. Smallville, Charmed, and Gilmore Girls all tried and failed to launch spinoffs. And The Office (U.S. version), as big a hit as it was for NBC, generated little to no interest in The Farm (about Dwight Schrute’s family) when it aired within Office’s final season.
Now that The Good Doctor has joined the spinoff game with The Good Lawyer– a Season 6 episode that aired March 13 in the U.S.-- fans now await TWO important pieces of news…
Will TGD get a 7th season?
Will The Good Lawyer get picked up and have the occasional crossover episode with TGD?
Before I get into that discussion, how about if I do a recap of the episode?
(Which might be particularly helpful if you zoned out once you realized it would be a week completely void of Morgan, Lim, Asher, Perez, Jordan, Andrews, and “newbie” Jared)
After seeing Shaun served with papers for a malpractice lawsuit at the very end of the previous episode (“Old Friends”), we start this one with Shaun being introduced to Glassman’s longtime attorney Janet Stewart. Janet informs them that a settlement is in the works that would “only” require Shaun to agree to a six-month supervisory period, which Shaun finds humiliating and difficult to agree to. But his career appears to be on the line if he goes to trial and loses, so…
On his way back from the restroom, Shaun encounters attorney/researcher extraordinaire Joni DeGroot. He recognizes her OCD quickly (she repeatedly taps things in patterns of three); she recognizes his situation as humiliating just as quickly. And before you can say “second opinion,” Shaun has himself another lawyer.
Shaun de-briefs with Lea; Joni de-briefs with Abbie (who we learn is both her sister and roommate).
Next up, we have Joni and Janet meeting with Shaun and Park. The two doctors came upon an overturned vehicle one night in the pouring rain and stopped to help. Park pulled a woman out of the vehicle; Shaun found her brother thrown clear of it several yards away. The brother was losing a lot of blood from his arm, and Shaun assessed that his hand needed to be amputated on-site. (This man- the one with the amputated hand– is the one suing Shaun. We’ve not seen him on an episode prior to this one.)
In recounting the details of the night in question, we discover that Park and Shaun have differing stories that put Shaun’s case in jeopardy. Janet is not only concerned about Joni’s ability to act “normal” in a courtroom or in front of clients, but their ability to win the case at all. Joni sees loopholes… and then has to rush to stop Shaun from trying to prove himself correct about the amputation, for proving himself INcorrect would have to be shared with “the other side”.
In court, Joni initially comes off as very sharp and capable of holding her own. But once the plaintiff’s attorney leans back in his chair (prompting the chair to “squeak,”) Joni is paralzyed, staring at the chair in question, willing two more “squeaks” out of it. Next thing we see is Joni trying to explain to Janet what happened in court, but it’s of little use– the settlement has now been withdrawn, and Janet is pulled off the case.
Shaun is upset by this news, though Janet gives a detailed explanation of Joni’s history as a way to explain why she thinks Joni is bad for his case. Still, Shaun finds his way to Joni’s home with one burning question in mind: Why did you want to become a lawyer?
She shares her story, and Shaun seems reassured that she’s the right one for this case. He asks Janet to at least make Joni “First Chair”-- and she does– but Joni is to remain silent in the courtroom. Which… she isn’t. But this time, her speaking up helps Shaun’s case.
Next, when the plaintiff is on the stand bemoaning the changes in his life since the amputation, Joni goes about proving that said plaintiff is, in her own words, “a dick” who should be grateful Shaun saved his life rather than suing him for any reason. Once again, the plaintiff’s attorney squeaks his chair (deliberately?) and Joni is frozen with anxiety… but this time, Janet deliberately squeaks the chair twice more (while the attorney is still sitting in it), resulting in a contempt charge for herself… but also freeing Joni to complete her line of questioning.
It soon comes time for Shaun himself to take the stand. Janet cautions Joni beforehand, stressing the importance of the jury “liking” Shaun. What Joni does is essentially let Shaun be Shaun: she asks about mistakes he made the night of the accident and he reveals them (also revealing he believes said mistakes did not change the outcome), and she also has him share his story of becoming a doctor as a man with ASD. In her closing argument, Joni asks the jury not to judge Shaun by the ASD-related things that might make them uncomfortable, but on “who he is… at every moment of his life he has tried to make a difference, tried to make things a little better. Please don’t punish him for that. Please do what the plaintiff should’ve done. Say ‘thank you.’”
Joni wins Shaun’s case (as well as some newfound respect from Janet), and the episode closes with Shaun and Joni, post-celebration, back in the hospital lab, with Shaun resuming the procedure on the plaintiff’s amputated hand that would determine whether or not amputation was truly necessary. (We never see the results, but it’s a moot point now that the trial is over.)
So-! Will we learn more about attorney-with-OCD Joni DeGroot in the 2023-24 TV season, or did her journey end the same night it began? It drew in 3.41 million viewers, making it the 4th highest-rated episode of S6 to date… seemed to be well-received by viewers (based on what I witnessed on Twitter)… and this review was mostly positive as well (not to mention THIS review). I’ll include my own thoughts as I run through some possible pros and cons for The Good Lawyer.
(By the way– I’m treating this episode like a stand-alone rather than another chapter of State of the Shea due to the minimal involvement of Lea– and Glassman, for that matter– in the story. Also, the lawsuit was not for a case we’ve seen on a previous episode of TGD but one created for the sake of this one episode. Except for the fact that Lea is as visibly pregnant here as she was the previous week, “The Good Lawyer” could have taken place anywhere within this season.)
The PROS of picking up The Good Lawyer:
The undeniable parallels in compelling backstory, and how it relates to present day, Joni’s neurodivergence and her ability to manage it while pursuing her dreams as an attorney– that was the most obvious mirror to Shaun’s situation. But her reasons for becoming a lawyer (a potentially lengthy tale in family tragedy and suffering in the hands of a fractured legal system) clearly resonated with Shaun’s own difficult upbringing. And as the hour unfolded, Janet’s overall role in Joni’s life looked more and more like the Glassman/Shaun relationship. (Though I agree with the TV Fanatic review that underscored the patchiness of the Joni/Janet story in this pilot episode.)
Having a lead character with OCD, like having a lead character with ASD, means creating situations that highlight the highs and lows and help the viewer feel like they understand the character better. While we’re all familiar with “ShaunVision” by now– and got an intriguing look at Joni’s thought process via the special effects that “placed” her at the scene of the accident alongside Shaun and Park– it was the way we felt her OCD in action that was captivating in a way that Shaun’s ASD never quite is. That’s no one’s fault; as has been said many times now, every journey on the autistic spectrum is unique. But the intrusive, repetitive thinking of OCD? The management of it? The way it interferes with daily life? Much of it was there, in the writing and direction of this episode (by David Shore/Liz Friedman and Ruben Fleischer, respectively).
“I don’t like the word ‘stupid,’” Shaun cautioned Joni in his careful manner when she stopped by the hospital to stop him from testing the severed hand. “Desperate, then,” she quickly substituted as she moved on with her point. She thinks fast, but in a different way than Shaun does. She has a reputation for being late (or not showing up at all); Shaun is the opposite. Her OCD developed as a result of her father’s death in a car accident when she was 8; Shaun was born with ASD. Some of Joni’s symptoms come and go in fits and starts, while Shaun’s ASD permeates his life. In other words… those who think watching an OCD character is pretty much like watching an ASD character are in for a surprise.
If TGL DOES get picked up, I hope the three cast members we saw in this episode remain locked in for the duration. Kennedy McMann was an absolute pleasure to watch in the titular role, and her chemistry with Shaun/Freddie Highmore was every bit as unique and lovely as one might hope it to be. Bethlehem Million, as Joni’s sister (half-sister?) and roommate/bestie Abbie, looks to be a great source of 20-something realness and support in Joni’s sheltered world. And Felicity Huffman… I mentioned a while back how fond I’ve been of her work ever since she starred in ABC’s dramedy Sports Night in the late 90s. Nearly 25 years (!!) later, portraying a seen-it-all veteran in the field of law, she still shines bright.
If TGL DOES get a pickup, the show is likely to engage in the occasional “crossover” episode with The Good Doctor– two character intertwining hours of law-meeting-medicine (or vice versa) designed to increase viewership for both programs as one show’s audience follows the action to the other show. It’s a formerly novel kind of gimmick that now happens regularly with franchise television. Think Grey’s Anatomy/Station 19 on ABC, the various NCIS programs on CBS, and of course all the different incarnations of Law & Order on NBC. If the goal here was to create something crossover-worthy for TGD, I say mission accomplished.
A few things about “The Good Lawyer” episode that rubbed me the wrong way (but perhaps couldn’t have been helped under the circumstances of a one-episode pilot…)
From a storytelling perspective, there were definitely elements of the episode that didn’t ring true to me. Aside from the typical “TV” issues of a legal case– things happening in an unrealistic time frame, steps being skipped, etc.-- there was the lack of input from Glassman or Lea that we’ve come to expect and enjoy on a TGD episode.
Yes, both were seen and heard early in the episode, but as was stated several times, Shaun’s very career hung in the balance. Surely one or both of them would try to talk him out of counting on Joni? I’m cutting TGD some slack on that, of course, because the time needed to go to Joni scenes in this unique situation. But it underscored, for me, the fact that this episode was self-contained (Shaun/Joni would win by 10PM Eastern Time, end of story), cut-and-dried, and just not as interesting as it could have been if it were an intrinsic part of S6.
There was also the question of Park recalling the events differently than Shaun. Why wasn’t he up on the stand getting grilled by the opposition, inadvertently hurting Shaun’s case? What about the plaintiff’s sister– wasn’t she, too, a witness to what Dr. Park did or said in Shaun’s direction? Both people were there in the courtroom, but never uttered a word. Again the “no time; the audience needs to understand Joni better” argument applies. But it’s a pretty convenient argument, isn’t it?
Instead, it became a case of Shaun the Good Samaritan Doctor vs. Bob the Ungrateful Dick… which was probably more fun for the writers AND the viewers, let’s be honest. (Who DIDN’T want to give the opposing attorney’s chair a couple of good shoves for Joni’s sake?)
But wouldn’t Shaun have taken issue with that in a “typical” TGD episode? And would he be so willing to take the stand and “tell the courtroom about himself,” laying out his ASD like a badge of honor that should prompt extra consideration from the jury? As far as I could tell, his autism had zero impact on his decision-making the night of the accident. It wasn’t like his senses were overwhelmed at some point and he was unable to function…
Again, none of this really matters as the goal of the episode was to make JONI a lead character to root for, and I think they did that. It’s the what-might-have-beens with Shaun and other TGD cast members in the episode that irritated me a bit.
The CONS (minor ones, I think) of picking up The Good Lawyer:
Will potential viewers simply dismiss this as a gender-flipped version of TGD? I hope not, as I think it has more to offer than that. ABC might need to market it carefully to set it apart as a younger, feistier cousin (especially to make the most of Kennedy McMann’s Nancy Drew fanbase).
Will certain elements of Joni’s OCD wear thin? In other words, will a shortcut to the looming voiceovers (Tap three times or bad things will happen!) be utilized after a certain point so that they don’t wear thin? Will camera angles and voices continue to distort when Joni has an OCD episode?
Could Felicity Huffman’s recent criminal past be a turnoff?
Is it too late in TGD’s run for a spinoff? Might ABC’s Powers That Be decide to pass on a new legal drama, simply because they aren’t as invested in the six-year-old medical drama with whom it’s affiliated?
To that last point: I don’t think it matters as much as I originally thought it did, given that the NCIS back door pilot aired during season eight of JAG. Eight!!!
But perhaps the most important thing to remember as we wait patiently for the verdict on The Good Lawyer is that ABC appears to be looking for more franchise opportunities for its prime-time programming. They’ve obviously done it with Grey’s Anatomy/Station 19 as I said earlier; they also debuted The Rookie: Feds this past season for crossover appeal with The Rookie, though I’m not sure of the former’s chances of renewal.
All in all, I think Shore & Friedman did what they set out to do: create another unique, compelling, compassionate lead character working hard to make her way in a dramatic, high-risk setting. I hope we see her again.
