Season 1
Fairly Legal
Fairly Legal is fairly adequate -- featuring a peppy star in Sarah Shahi and a likable ensemble, but lacking the pungent wit or inventiveness to elevate it above an easygoing procedural.
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Critic Ratings: 24No Score Yet
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Episodes
Lawyer-turned-mediator Kate Reed (Sarah Shahi) tries to save her recently deceased father's firm in the premiere of this series following Kate's attempts to solve others' problems, as well as her own. The firm's fate rests on the resolution of a dispute between a clothing magnate and his son, who's set to inherit his father's business.
Kate oversees a settlement between the state and a falsely convicted man (Paul Schulze) who spent 22 years in jail. Though finally free, the man is unable to move forward due to the pain of his past.
A high-school-football coach comes under fire for his old-school methods by a student's parents. But Kate, who's been assigned the case by her nemesis Judge Nicastro (Gerald McRaney), senses there's more behind the coach's motives than he's letting on.
A cooking-show star (Eddie McClintock) clashes with the company that's releasing his barbecue sauce, but Sarah discovers that the chef's assistant (Camille Sullivan) is the true talent behind the operation. The situation becomes more complicated when a person from the assistant's past also wants a piece of the pie.
A man who was hit by a truck seeks a settlement with an insurance company. But the man's wife has her own grievance: she claims her husband was forever changed after the accident.
Kate mediates the firing of a young inventor (Devon Gummersall), whose boss holds the rights to his revolutionary device. The inventor threatens to kill himself and steals the device, leaving Kate with a complicated situation to diffuse.
A simple financial matter escalates into identity theft and an immigration issue.
A singer (Chris Vance) asks Kate for help convincing his former bandmates to allow their song to be used in a commercial. When negotiations stall, the client must reveal his real motives.
Kate's best friend comes to Reed & Reed for a prenuptial agreement.
In the Season 1 finale, Kate has a lot on her plate as she tries to prevent trouble at the Croatian embassy and settle a dispute between two brothers. Adding to her load are threats from Judge Nicastro and looming personal changes.
Fairly Legal: Season 1 Photos
Tv Season Info
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Genre:
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Network:USA
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Premiere Date:Jan 20, 2011
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Creator:
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Exec. Producers:
Cast & Crew
Episodes
Lawyer-turned-mediator Kate Reed (Sarah Shahi) tries to save her recently deceased father's firm in the premiere of this series following Kate's attempts to solve others' problems, as well as her own. The firm's fate rests on the resolution of a dispute between a clothing magnate and his son, who's set to inherit his father's business.
Kate oversees a settlement between the state and a falsely convicted man (Paul Schulze) who spent 22 years in jail. Though finally free, the man is unable to move forward due to the pain of his past.
A high-school-football coach comes under fire for his old-school methods by a student's parents. But Kate, who's been assigned the case by her nemesis Judge Nicastro (Gerald McRaney), senses there's more behind the coach's motives than he's letting on.
A cooking-show star (Eddie McClintock) clashes with the company that's releasing his barbecue sauce, but Sarah discovers that the chef's assistant (Camille Sullivan) is the true talent behind the operation. The situation becomes more complicated when a person from the assistant's past also wants a piece of the pie.
A man who was hit by a truck seeks a settlement with an insurance company. But the man's wife has her own grievance: she claims her husband was forever changed after the accident.
Kate mediates the firing of a young inventor (Devon Gummersall), whose boss holds the rights to his revolutionary device. The inventor threatens to kill himself and steals the device, leaving Kate with a complicated situation to diffuse.
A simple financial matter escalates into identity theft and an immigration issue.
A singer (Chris Vance) asks Kate for help convincing his former bandmates to allow their song to be used in a commercial. When negotiations stall, the client must reveal his real motives.
Kate's best friend comes to Reed & Reed for a prenuptial agreement.
In the Season 1 finale, Kate has a lot on her plate as she tries to prevent trouble at the Croatian embassy and settle a dispute between two brothers. Adding to her load are threats from Judge Nicastro and looming personal changes.
Critic Reviews for Fairly Legal Season 1
All Critics (24) | Top Critics (14) | Fresh (17) | Rotten (7)
It doesn't need much more than Sarah Shahi, who becomes the center of pretty much every scene.
USA's Fairly Legal is fairly good.
Fairly Legal in a sense is Shahi's coming out party as an actress capable of toting the load. Not that USA requires any unduly heavy lifting.
A dazzler - snappy pace, majestic sets, shrewd plotting and a heroine on the side of the angels.
Kate's bamboozling of others grows a little wearisome after the first four episodes, and the show could have used some fresh twists. Nevertheless, "Fairly Legal" is above just-fair and enjoyable viewing for its sharp characterizations.
Fairly Legal is above just-fair and enjoyable viewing for its sharp characterizations.
It's a better show for what it's trying to say than for what it actually does, but it's a pleasantly diverting hour of programming all the same.
There are few shows that hook me on the pilot episode, but Fairly Legal may be one of them. For me, the trick is to combine great characters with an interesting premise that will make me want to come back for more. I think Fairly Legal has done that.
With spunky mediator Kate Reed, the USA network has added another winner to its growing roster of great characters.
Did I mention the show was fun? Just not particularly gripping or unique.
It's refreshing to get a legal dramedy coming from the mediator perspective.
Kate is a typical USA Network protagonist, and Fairly Legal a typical USA show.
Audience Reviews for Fairly Legal: Season 1
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