Representing people in a court of law would be much easier if all you did was stand before a judge, plead your case, and hope for the best.
When someone else on the other side is just as determined, if not more, to see you fail, it becomes a bit harder. You must master balancing your defense and not provoking prosecution too much.
Mickey got a bit cocky on The Lincoln Lawyer Season 2 Episode 5 and jeopardized his entire case, thanks to an expert witness testimony.
But before the showdown in the courtroom, the opener gave a glimpse of where Mickey was concerning his relationship with Lisa.
It would be unbelievable to think that Mickey had turned off his feelings when he started representing Lisa. His meeting with Lisa was unusual and had significantly changed his life, so it was reasonable that he would have erotic daydreams about her.
The fact that he could tame his desire for the sake of the case was a point for him.
Lisa’s ex-husband came up, something that irked her a lot.
In The Lincoln Lawyer Season 2 Episode 3 review, we avoided believing everything Lisa said because she seemed to be hiding something. The thing with Jeff was a prime example.
First, she would become annoyed when Jeff was brought up, meaning that even when he was thousands of miles away, she was still mad at him. Whatever happened in their relationship was not the kind of thing people split amicably.
Mickey finally managed to get a hold of Jeff and spoke to him about the case, but Jeff distanced himself from it.
It was suspicious just how that happened.
Mickey had never seen Jeff or heard his voice, so for everything it was worth, the person on the other end could have been anyone.
It was Lisa who got the email; she was the one who sent Mickey’s number.
Way before, she was who claimed that the toolbox was Jeffs.
Another pattern was emerging where Lisa conveniently explained everything about Jeff. He was in Mexico, and he was unreachable. He didn’t want anything to do with the case, etc.
Is it too early to think Jeff met a worse fate than divorce? What if Jeff is dead?
Jeff might be dead.
Jeff: Me and Lisa didn’t exactly have the best marriage. I’d rather not get dragged back into her drama, if you catch my drift.
Mickey: Wh– Drama? I mean, you two fight a lot? I know she could have a bit of a temper.
Andrea and Mickey argued in court, and for the most part, Mickey had the upper hand. They tried to disprove the witness’s lousy eyesight, but they failed. The only way to discredit her was to make it doubtful that what she saw was correct.
That involved introducing photos of the scene into evidence, which opened a pandora’s box for Mickey on The Lincoln Lawyer Season 2.
Discovery arguments are an issue for trial, Mr. Haller, as you well know. I’m allowing Miss Freemann to continue. You engineered this to make her show her cards. You can’t complain now because you don’t like your hand.
Judge
Yet, it didn’t seem fair that the judge allowed a whole forensic expert to testify just because Mickey introduced some photos at the last minute.
Lorna had taken those photos a few minutes prior, and Mickey would have had no time to manipulate them in any way to tell the story he wanted.
On the other hand, a forensic witness had all the time to make a case and, for whatever reason, even corrupt the findings.
The photos and the witness were not even remotely similar.
But after what the witness testified to, Mickey started looking at Lisa in a new light.
All the evidence pointed to her being the killer; overwhelming evidence like that never lies.
She had the motive; by her admission, she had the opportunity and the means, and witness statements incriminated her in a way that couldn’t have been falsified. It is hard to fake forensic evidence if everyone involved is trustworthy.
However, there is something you should know. I was there that morning in front of the building like she said. I just need to be honest with you. I found a spot on the street in front of their building. There was nowhere else to park. And if I don’t get to my vendors early, they sell out.
Lisa
The best thing about the Lisa Trammel case for Mickey was the obscurity it enjoyed in the media. There wasn’t a lot of interest in a tiny preliminary hearing where a chef has been accused of murdering a real estate giant.
Henry’s entrance into the picture on The Lincoln Lawyer Season 2 Episode 3 threatened that, so Mickey tried to keep him at bay as much as possible.
If another story starts floating around about Lisa, Mickey would have no way to control the narrative, which could end up hurting his client. That was not a risk he was willing to take.
He thought an agreement would stop Henry, but he thought wrong.
Mickey had been enjoying working on the road so much that he forgot the risks associated. Honestly, I’d trust a cloud service more than a simple Lincoln, where someone can break into the car and steal a file.
How did he not foresee that?
He blamed himself for the mistake but was too proud to admit that he had messed up. He transferred the guilt to the next person available, Lorna.
They had a system that had worked for a long time, and Lorna was in the clear.
I don’t want my client files in someone’s cloud. I told you that. I know lawyers who have been hacked. It’s not pretty. Goddamn it, Lorna. You have your mind on your wedding, school, and everything besides your job.
Mickey
Mickey lashed out at her and might have made a bigger mistake than he knew.
Lorna had all the chops to become a great attorney. She was smart and had learned so much with Mickey. Despite his office running smoothly and Lorna being on top of things, he treated her as a regular secretary.
His words hurt her, and after the past few hours she had dealt with Cisco’s mess, she was not in the mood for Mickey’s nonsense.
Go fuck yourself, Haller!
Lorna
“Suspicious Minds” saw Mickey’s trip into that damned garage bear more than one tragedy.
The rights agreement was missing, and some people were waiting for him.
Being a lawyer, a million and one people could be holding a grudge against Mickey. Was Russell making a comeback after he was left to rot in prison on The Lincoln Lawyer Season 2 Episode 2?
Did Henry hire a Hollywood fixer like Ray Donovan to deal with Mickey (not Ray’s dad)?
Was it Lisa?
The cliffhanger was a great one, carrying the same intrigue it had in the season premiere.
What did you think?
Are you excited to see how this plays out in part 2? Do you think there’s more to Lisa than meets the eye?
Join the conversation in the comments section.
Denis Kimathi is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. He has watched more dramas and comedies than he cares to remember. Catch him on social media obsessing over [excellent] past, current, and upcoming shows or going off about the politics of representation on TV. Follow him on Twitter.