Have watched THE FIRM since it started. The "wet-behind-the-ears" Tom Cruise has returned 10 years later as the mature Josh Lucas in the Mitch McDeere role -- and that's a huge improvement. Lucas carries the show, and is a terrific (albeit hugely idealistic) lead. The brother Ray has caught fire as his best ally in the past 2-3 shows, after a modest start.
I suppose the two biggest reasons I like this show are (1) it's a combination of Perry Mason & The Fugitive, and (2) Tricia Helfer is the most venomous female lead since Jane Badler in "V". She snarls when talking about people behind their backs (all of whom are beneath her), then turns on the charm when they drop into her penthouse office.
There are instances in several episodes where the story lags, but then there's an action scene just around the corner to perk you up. Also, each episode includes a weekly case that must be started and decided within about 38-40 minutes of airtime -- not easy to pull off. The rest of the hour is spent on advancing the overall plot line. But despite this observation, it's still a damn good show -- so I'm in for the duration.
UPDATE -- so now it's nearly three months later in the saga ... NBC has jacked us around by switching it to Saturday nites, then pre-empting it in a heartbeat. But I'm still t'round, and a loyal fan. I have caught the headlines about the upcoming "cancellation" -- but that's something I'm not buying since we're now only 4-5 shows short of the 22 episodes that were originally shot. I suspect with episode 22 will come the resolution of the whole yarn, and I'm good with that. Josh Lucas is still firmly in control as the lead, and does a damn good job. The characters of Ray, Tammy, and Abby have defined themselves as the weeks have gone by. Two weeks ago, after a surprise suicide, I was trying to figure out where they would head next to keep me riveted, but the storywriters have now brought the long smoldering MOB out of the bullpen, and back into the picture, as well as this surprisingly strange behavioral twist in Mrs. McDeere. I think both of these plots will play out nicely in the next month, and THE FIRM will run its course. Again, I think it is entertaining, dynamic, and just feverish enough in its pacing to outrun our chance to say "now wait a minute" when something doesn't ring 100& true. It is a lot like the vastly underrated film "The Parallax View", where Director Alan Pakula gave us a roller-coaster of (somewhat) plausible plot twists, and never let us catch our breath to protest. So the critique here is unwavering -- I've been in the flow for 18+ weeks, I'm good to go for the final 4. I happen to like this show ... and Josh Lucas is THE MAN... !
