ABC’s newest law drama,
The Deep End,
has been promoted
as Grey’s Anatomy
but with lawyers instead
of doctors. However, nearly
fi ve minutes in, it becomes disappointly
clear that this new show
lacks what brought its counterpart
so much acclaim.
The show is based on the successes
and shortcomings of fi ve
twenty-something new lawyers
who try to stay afl oat at the prestigious
Sterling Law Firm in Los
Angeles.
The hype behind The Deep
End fades as its irrational story
lines unfold, which prove to be
less than plausible given the
show’s setting.
The plot contains a series of
improbable, yet predictable, scenarios.
Cliff Huddle (played by
Billy Zane), also known as “The
Prince of Darkness” for his arrogance
and vindictiveness both
in and out ofthe court room, has
temporarily been put in charge of
the law fi rm after the founder’s
son, Hart Sterling (played by
Clancy Brown), leaves for three
years to tend to his wife’s medical
needs. Sterling returns to the
fi rm after the loss of his wife and
fi nds himself playing secondin-
command to Huddle. In addition,
Huddle’s wife, Susan Oppenheim
(played by Nicole Ari
Parker) happens to be the senior
partner alongside her husband,
playing the power couple of the
law fi rm.
Another example of the
show’s outlandish scenarios is the
fi rst pro bono case for Dylan Hewitt
(played by Matt Long), one
of the new, young attorneys. In
the case, a mother fi ghts for custody
of her son following her husband’s
sudden death. However,
the boy’s grandmother also wants
custody of the child. After a series
of hogwash events, audiences
discover that the grandmother is
actually his biological mother, a
surrogate for her late son. Hewitt
fi nds a loophole in the California
state law and wins the case in the
grandmother’s defense, giving her
legal right to her grandson/son.
The Deep End has its moments
of charm and interesting
characters, but the storylines are
too over-the-top, which leaves
the show feeling more like a judicial
satire. Although the show
has potential, the writers may
need to add a touch of reality to
the plot to increase its viewership.
Audiences should know
beforehand that the show’s season
premiere is enough evidence
for The Deep End to be a sinking
show – case closed.
