Hit the gas on these to fill that Mickey-shaped hole in your heart.
There’s a lot to love about The Lincoln Lawyer — both the show overall and its titular character, Mickey Haller (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo). Based on a novel series by Michael Connelly, the hit legal drama (which just returned for a third season) follows Mickey’s personal and professional life as a Los Angeles defense attorney who, instead of an office, prefers to work out of his Lincolns. With compelling performances, an addictive plot, and near-perfect pacing, The Lincoln Lawyer is a show that’s easy to speed through. And when you finish, it leaves you eager for more.
If you’ve found yourself in that very predicament, don’t fret. From dynamic leads to unsolved mysteries to drama in and out of the courtroom, these 11 shows all contain one or more of the same elements that made The Lincoln Lawyer great. So here’s our closing argument: If you love that show, you’ll love these, too.
Anatomy of a Scandal
Affairs are always messy, but even more so when they become national news. Sophie Whitehouse (Sienna Miller) learns this firsthand when she and the rest of England find out her husband, James (Rupert Friend), a prominent politician and the father of her two children, has been sleeping with his aide, Olivia Lytton (Naomi Scott). As the scandal breaks, the Whitehouse family’s lives are changed forever. But it gets worse: James has been accused of raping Olivia and must stand trial. The prosecutor is Kate Woodcroft (Michelle Dockery), an ambitious, top-notch lawyer who becomes mysteriously off her game over the course of the trial. Adapted from the Sarah Vaughan novel of the same name, Anatomy of a Scandal is a high-stakes saga you won’t want to miss.
Why you’ll love it: Heartbreaking performances, surprising secrets, and the can’t-look-away-ness of it all.
Better Call Saul
In this Breaking Bad spin-off and prequel, we get to know more about Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkirk), another sharp yet flawed criminal lawyer we can’t help but root for. The first season takes place six years prior to the events of Breaking Bad — well before Jimmy becomes the unforgettable Saul Goodman (as in “[It’]s all good, man!”). At this point in time, Jimmy’s moniker is “Slippin Jimmy” due to his con artist past, but he aims to leave that man behind and become a reputable attorney. Change is hard, though, and Jimmy’s sketchy leanings soon find their way into his law work, and the theatrical, ethically questionable Saul is born. Critically acclaimed and nominated for more than 30 Emmys, many claim Better Call Saul is even better than the hit series that spawned it. You be the judge.
Why you’ll love it: Dark humor, morality musings, and impressive character arcs.
Bodyguard
Led by the magnetic Richard Madden as Police Sergeant David Budd, this political thriller became the highest watched BBC drama in a decade when it premiered in 2018. David is a British Army veteran who suffers from PTSD, which has caused issues for his wife, Vicky (Sophie Rundle), and their two children. Now, he works as a principal protection officer (PPO) for the London Metropolitan Police. His latest assignment? Protecting ambitious Home Secretary Julia Montague (Keeley Hawes). The two share a palpable sexual tension, but David loathes her politics. Soon after taking the job, lines begin to blur. Will David be able to separate personal beliefs from police work? Attraction from duty? Hit play and see for yourself.
Why you’ll love it: Suspenseful twists, tension-building action sequences, and lots of opportunity for character analysis.
The Diplomat
When a British aircraft carrier is attacked in the Persian Gulf, the newly appointed United States ambassador to the United Kingdom, Kate Wyler (Keri Russell), is sent to stop a war before it starts. The US initially assumes Iran is behind the attack, but it soon becomes clear things are not as they seem. And despite initial reservations about her suitability for the gig, Kate must use her ability to bend ears and diffuse situations to prevent more deaths on a global scale. In the midst of dealing with said international crisis, Kate must also manage her rocky marriage to Hal Wyler (Rufus Sewell), who happens to be a career diplomat, too. You’ll get completely engrossed in both seasons of this political thriller.
Why you’ll love it: Political volleying, well-placed moments of levity, and the incredible power of persuasive conversation.
Fool Me Once
Adapted from a novel of the same name by acclaimed mystery writer Harlan Coben, this twisty whodunit promises to fool you a lot more than once. When we meet mom and former military pilot Maya Stern (Michelle Keegan), she’s mourning the recent deaths of both her husband, Joe Burkett (Richard Armitage), and her sister, Claire Walker (Natalie Anderson). But just two weeks after Joe’s funeral, Maya sees him — appearing alive and well while playing with their daughter on a hidden nanny cam in Lily’s (Thea Taylor-Morgan) room. As Maya searches for the truth about Joe and his family’s dark past, she finds that the Burketts, led by matriarch Judith Burkett (Joanna Lumley), will do anything to keep her from finding it.
Why you’ll love it: Top-notch acting, nonstop thrills, and a storyline that’ll keep you guessing.
Inventing Anna
Remember hearing a woman with a (fake) German accent chastising that “you look poor” over and over in 2022? This Shondaland limited series is that meme-able quote’s source material — and another addictive story inspired by real-life events.
Anna Delvey (Julia Garner) seems to have it all: She lives in a fancy New York City hotel, dines at all the hottest restaurants, works out with a personal trainer (Laverne Cox), and has big plans to open the Anna Delvey Foundation — an elite social club for artists and creatives. Just a day in the life of an absurdly wealthy heiress, right? Except Anna Delvey isn’t an heiress. She isn’t even Anna Delvey. She’s Anna Sorokin, and she’s used her fake persona to swindle thousands of dollars in cash, goods, and services. When she’s finally caught, journalist Vivian Kent (Anna Chlumsky) sets out to get Anna’s side of the story for a magazine article, and it’s hard to know what’s fact, what’s fiction, and what’s stranger between the two.
Why you’ll love it: Flashy drama, courtroom fashion, and Anna’s one-of-a-kind accent.
The Law According to Lidia Poët
This Italian period drama was inspired by the true story of Italy’s first female lawyer. In 19th-century Turin, the clever and capable Lidia Poët (Matilda De Angelis) investigates murders with a Sherlock Holmes-esque flair, all the while fighting for her right to practice law alongside her male peers. Though Lidia graduates law school and passes the bar, she’s disbarred quickly after — the reason essentially being that she’s a woman and thus not allowed to sign legal documents. Helping Lidia in her pursuits are Enrico (Pier Luigi Pasino), her older brother who’s also an attorney and is hesitant for Lidia to join the profession, and Jacopo (Eduardo Scarpetta), an alluring journalist with the means to make Lidia — and her struggle for equality — famous.
Why you’ll love it: Fun costumes, gripping puzzles, and an inspiring narrative rooted in history.
The Night Agent
After saving a train full of civilians from a bombing on the DC Metro, FBI Agent Peter Sutherland (Gabriel Basso) is assigned to monitor an emergency telephone line for “Night Action,” a top-secret investigative program for the Bureau. “It rarely rings,” the White House Chief of Staff Diane Farr (Hong Chau) assures him. But then, of course, it does. The caller is Rose Larkin (Luciane Buchanan), a former cybersecurity CEO staying with her aunt and uncle — both secretly night agents — when their house is attacked. Before the agents are killed, they give Rose the number and code word to be connected with Peter. After Rose is rescued, Peter takes her into protective custody and she tells him the scariest thing so far: that her aunt warned that someone in the White House can’t be trusted. Now, it’s up to Peter to find the mole, keep Rose safe, and literally save the nation.
Why you’ll love it: Conspiracy theories, spy action, and hairpin escapes.
The Recruit
Graymail is a sort of government blackmail where someone — typically a defendant in a criminal case — tactically threatens to reveal state secrets unless the charges against them are dropped. As a rookie lawyer for the CIA, Owen Hendricks’ (Noah Centineo) job is to vet hundreds of graymail letters and determine which ones are legitimate. Enter Max Meladze (Laura Haddock), a letter writer and former CIA agent who does have secrets to spill. Owen decides to pay the imprisoned Max a visit and suddenly finds himself thrust into a dangerous world of international espionage and life-threatening situations, all while trying to maintain a normal life as a twentysomething.
Why you’ll love it: Centineo’s charm, cool stunts, and no shortage of action-spy-adventure scenes.
Suits
The best lawyers are the most persuasive ones, right? That’s how Mike Ross (Patrick J. Adams) winds up an associate at Pearson Hardman, a successful New York City law firm, despite being a college dropout with no law degree — or even bachelor’s degree — to speak of. Blessed with a photographic memory, Mike has made a career of taking LSATs and bar exams on the behalf of others for money. That’s until he happens into a job interview with Harvey Specter (Gabriel Macht), Pearson Hardman’s best closer, and Harvey hires him. Now the two are off to win all their lawsuits, while keeping Mike’s lack of a bar license top secret from the rest of their co-workers — which include paralegal Rachel Zane (Meghan Markle); Harvey’s secretary, Donna Paulsen (Sarah Rafferty); his work nemesis, Louis Litt (Rick Hoffman); and the firm’s managing partner, Jessica Pearson (Gina Torres).
Why you’ll love it: Witty dialogue, interesting cases, and powerhouse female performances from Torres, Rafferty, Katherine Heigl (Seasons 8-9), and the Duchess of Sussex herself (Seasons 1-7).
Unbelievable
In the summer of 2008, Marie Adler (Kaitlyn Dever) is raped in her apartment by a masked man with a birthmark on his left calf. Marie is forced to retell, and thus relive, her story multiple times, but when it comes time to file her report with the two detectives assigned to her case, the men decide she’s lying. They bully her into retracting her statement before closing the case and then charging her with making a false report. Three years later, Detectives Grace Rasmussen (Toni Collette) and Karen Duvall (Merritt Wever) are working together to find a serial rapist — one with a birthmark on his left calf.
This crime drama is a hard watch at times, especially knowing it’s based on real-life events reported in the 2015 Pulitzer Prize-winning article “An Unbelievable Story of Rape” and the subsequent 2018 book, A False Report. Still, it’s an important story of strength, survival, and supporting women who have the courage to tell the truth.
Why you’ll love it: Resilient characters, a committed cast, and the conscientious treatment of difficult subject matter.
