Tightly-focused story makes the most enthralling case of Netflix series

The Lincoln Advocate has become one of Netflix’s most engaging hits in recent years, with each new season adding a compelling case for Mickey Haller (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo) and his companions to tackle. The Lincoln Advocate Season 2’s finale set the stage for its newest entry, revealing Mickey’s old client, Gloria Dayton (Fiona Rene), was murdered. However, her accused killer, Julian La Cosse (Devon Gray), claims he didn’t do it, and wants the titular lawyer to defend him. Although he is unsure, Mickey soon discovers shocking truths surrounding Gloria’s death, leading to his biggest case yet.

The Lincoln Lawyer Season 3 excels thanks to a tight storyline

There are no subplots that feel like filler

One of the standout elements of The Lincoln Advocate Season 3 was his heavily focused storyline, rarely veering off into other cases for Mickey or subplots for other characters. While there’s still enough focus on the team’s personal lives to keep the show from feeling too procedural, There aren’t as many one-off cases or multi-episode side stories as with the first two installments. This ends up benefiting the show, because the case surrounding Gloria’s murder and Mickey’s attempts to concretely demonstrate the conclusions of his investigation needed that extra time to breathe.

This stellar presentation is compounded by equally engaging performances from The Lincoln Advocates figure. Garcia-Rulfo still stands out as MickeyPerfect for the stressed lawyer who is always in his own head. Other notable performers include Becky Newton as Lorna Crane, Yaya DaCosta as Andrea “Andy” Freeman, and newcomer Allyn Moriyon as Eddie Rojas. Jazz Raycole’s Izzy Letts and Angus Sampson’s Cisco Wojciechwoski are still compelling, though, with a strong focus on Izzy making her story more important. The entire cast succeeds in elevating the already compelling case with both personal stories and broader roles throughout the season.

Mickey’s defense of Julian against his murder accusation is the most interesting that the series has been so far, with the protagonist having to withdraw from his personal attachments to accurately determine the truth. It’s hard at first, But once he sees the bigger picture associated with Gloria’s death, he is driven to ensure her justice. The unfolding of the case is filled with winding roads and sometimes too much reliance on luck. However, even with some small conveniences when Mickey and his team gather intel, the story flows in a believable way.

Despite several distractions, The Lincoln Advocate maintains focus to the end

Each story feels thematically tied together

Although there aren’t that many subplots left The Lincoln Advocate season 3, Several characters are still spotlighted with their own issues weaving their way into the main story. While none of them directly tie back to Mickey’s case, they broaden the scope of the show without distracting from the core storyline. Mickey himself is the subject of one such story, which makes for a nice change of pace in contrast to previous seasons. With one big case to follow, the show spends more time characterizing him outside his profession in a more satisfying way.

To maintain its core momentum while highlighting a few side stories, The Lincoln Advocate Unites its plotlines through a central theme of flaws in the legal system. As the case progresses, new information clarifies what happened in exciting ways, but also that underscore the cruel nature of trying to enforce justice without a full picture of the truth. Strong commentary on the justice system ensues, emphasizing the imperfections of the legal system, despite the goodwill of many using it to seek resolution.

Through its use of a tightly focused plot, thematically related subplots and engaging characterization, The Lincoln Advocate Season 3 is the perfect follow-up to its predecessors. The season is a major improvement on the already tried and true formula of the show, offering a more straightforward plot strengthened by the mysteries surrounding Gloria’s murder. As the story progresses, its intriguing complexities tie together in shocking ways, This feels like the best season of the Netflix original yet.

All 10 episodes of The Lincoln Advocate Season 3 is now streaming on Netflix.