Shonda Rhimes may have left ABC for the luxury period pieces from Netflix, but her legacy and influence can be seen especially on Thursday nights on her old network. Step into the intimidating heels of Scandal‘s Olivia Pope en How to get away with murder‘s Annalize Keating is the fearless Katey Sagal who takes on the role of Annie “Rebel” Flynn Ray Bello, not so loosely based on Erin Brockovich (who also produces Rebel). If you saw the Oscar-winning film from 2000, the set-up looks familiar: AA serious, earthly advocate assumes a multitude of covert causes while her own personal life falters.
Like Erin, Rebel has three children and three husbands (for the sake of symmetry, the series corresponds to one child per spouse; Erin is also separated from all three, while Rebel’s current marriage is in motion at the end of this pilot). She does not have a proper degree: A Rebel line taken straight out of the movie if everyone keeps assuming she’s a lawyer: ‘I hate lawyers.’ (A better line is if a bystander asks if Rebel is that famous lawyer and someone responds, ‘She’s not a lawyer. She’s just hard. ”) What she does have is a bunch of smart and moxie who make it possible her to throw herself into a crowd of David versus Goliath situations, always on the David side. Rebel working for an older, real-life lawyer (Andy Garcia’s Cruz stands for the mentor role of the real Ed Masry), who is frustrated and overwhelmed by her efforts, yet seemingly helpless to combat such a dynamic force of nature.
If almost anyone other than Katey Sagal is played, her holy, selfless attitude would be almost too much to take in. Fortunately, the charisma of the TV vet, who has been polished to perfection on the small screen for decades, rather makes the character of Rebel a pleasant sign. Unfortunately due to the complicated family life of the lead, Rebel ‘‘s pilot has to offer a large amount of expositions to set up a not insignificant number of characters: Rebel’s gynecologist son Nate (Kevin Zegers) is the product of the union with her first husband (Matthew Glave), a policeman; child number two Cassidy (Lex Scott Davis) is a daughter like Rebel herself, who just wants her to rebel and goes to work for her corporate lawyer father Benji (James Lesure), who is her sister Lana (Tamala Jones) is Rebel’s best friend; child number three Ziggy (Get Away ‘ Ariela Barer) is a teenager only from rehabilitation that Rebel adopted ten years ago with third man Grady, who may be on his way (John Corbett, who plays a cadre refreshingly for a while).
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There are so many family ties that are referred to, that the episode actually makes a lot more sense during the second look, even though it once again means a shrinking dialogue, as Rebel sarcastically admonishes her son: ‘I’m sorry my sympathy with my fellow people has you causing suffering, ”or Grady tells Rebel that if she stayed home one day,“ Who would save the world? “Although Rebel (like Erin Brockovich) is certainly an admirable figure, you can also see how all the constant crusades may not be the happiest stayers at home (although there is a wonderful moment where Grady complains about how Rebel ‘s never make him dinner, and all four female leaders shout in harmony: ‘Make you dinner!?! ”)
But it’s a pilot, and that’s why there are so few stars those outside the gate: there is much to set up, while also making a story interesting enough to bring the viewer back. Cassidy has an exemplary courtroom (much admired by her new colleague, Nashville ‘s Sam Palladio, who was allowed to use his original accent for a while), shows Lana her worth by being the earth in Rebel’s heaven (take a perp off to begin with), and Garcia is as usual excellent. But it’s finally Sagal, for which we will return. His was apparently so popular by ABC (hey, they did everything right with her Married … With children co-star, Modern family‘Ed O’Neill) that she had a choice from a tower of scriptures – and she chose well. Rebel put her in front and in the middle, create a fiercely determined yet compassionate and sympathetic character. The supporting cast and guest stars, with names like Battlestar Galactica‘s Mary McDonnell en Scandal ‘s Dan Bacatinsky, also predicts good future for the series.
Showrunner Krista Verafter all, noff has been in the Shondaland series for years, most tripsthe executive producer Grey’s Anatomy and Station 19. Rebel let the currently suitable plots not only take place in the courtroom, but also in the well-known hospital environment, thanks to Nate’s career (and colleague Abigail Spencer, arriving next week). Search for a multipleof passionate speeches, many girlfriend servants and separate explanatory rules such as: “We do what we can to tip the scales to justice,” and “‘I bring the CEOs of multimillion-dollar companies to their knees and not in a sexy time.” As Rebel start prioritizing show tell, although, Sagal may have found a new home worthy of her legendary talent.