The Lincoln Lawyer has become one of Netflix’s most engaging hits in recent years, with every new season following a compelling case for Mickey Haller (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo) and his companions to tackle. The Lincoln Lawyer season 2 ending 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 Graye), claims he didn’t do it, and wants the titular lawyer to defend him. While unsure at first, Mickey soon uncovers shocking truths surrounding Gloria’s death, leading to his biggest case yet.

The Lincoln Lawyer Season 3 Excels Thanks To A Tight Storyline

There Aren’t Any Subplots That Feel Like Filler

One of the standout elements of The Lincoln Lawyer season 3 was its heavily focused storyline, which rarely veered 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 are not as many one-off cases or multi-episode side stories like with the first two installments. This ends up working to the show’s benefit, as the case around Gloria’s murder and Mickey’s attempts to concretely prove the conclusions from his investigation needed that extra time to breathe.

This stellar presentation is compounded by equally engaging performances from The Lincoln Lawyer‘s cast. Garcia-Rulfo still stands out as Mickey, perfect for the stressed attorney who’s always in his own head. Other notable performers include Becki 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 whole cast succeeds at elevating the already compelling case with both personal stories and broader roles in the season.

Other important new cast members include Devon Graye as Julian La Cosse, John Pirruccello as prosecutor William Forsythe, and Holt McCallney as ex-cop Neil Bishop.

Mickey’s defense of Julian against his murder charge is the most interesting the series has been so far, with the protagonist needing to step back from his personal attachments to accurately determine the truth. This proves difficult at first, but once he sees the larger picture associated with Gloria’s death, he becomes driven to ensure her justice. The case’s unfolding is filled with winding roads and occasionally too much reliance on luck. But, even with some slight conveniences as Mickey and his team gather intel, the story flows in a believable way.

Despite Some Distractions, The Lincoln Lawyer Maintains Focus To The Very End

Every Story Feels Thematically Tied Together

While there aren’t as many subplots throughout The Lincoln Lawyer season 3, some characters are still spotlighted with their own issues weaving their way into the main story. While none of them directly connect back to Mickey’s case, they do 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 rather satisfying way.

As the case progresses, new information clarifies what happened in enthralling ways, but also ones that emphasize the grueling nature of trying to enact justice without a full picture of what happened.

To keep its core momentum while highlighting a few side stories, The Lincoln Lawyer unites its plotlines through a central theme of flaws in the legal system. As the case progresses, new information clarifies what happened in enthralling ways, but also ones that emphasize the grueling nature of trying to enact justice without a full picture of the truth. Potent 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 Lawyer season 3 is the perfect follow-up to its predecessors. This season is a major improvement on the show’s already tried and true formula, offering a more straightforward plot bolstered by the mysteries surrounding Gloria’s murder. Given just how well the story progresses, tying its intriguing complexities together in shocking ways, this feels like the best season of the Netflix original so far.

All 10 episodes of The Lincoln Lawyer season 3 are now streaming on Netflix.