Shonda Rhimes may have left ABC for plush times on Netflix, but her legacy and influence can still be felt on her old network, especially on Thursday night. Entering the intimidating heels of Scandal‘s Olivia Pope and How to get rid of murder‘s Annalize Keating is the fearless Katey Sagal, who takes on the role of Annie “Rebel” Flynn Ray Bello, not so weakly based on one Erin Brockovich (who also produces Rebel). If you’ve seen that 2000 Oscar-winning film, the setting may sound familiar: AA serious, down-to-earth lawyer takes on a multitude of unsubstantiated causes as her own personal life falters.
Like Erin, Rebel has three children and three husbands (for the sake of symmetry, the series matches one child per husband; Erin is also divorced from all three, while Rebel’s current marriage is in full swing at the end of this pilot. ). Does not have a law degree: A Rebel line taken directly from the film when everyone assumes he is a lawyer: “I hate lawyers”. (A better line is when a viewer asks if Rebel is that famous lawyer and someone answers: “He’s not a lawyer. It’s very loud. ”) What she has is a lot of intelligence and moxia that allow them to make his way in a multitude of situations David versus Goliath, always by David. Rebel works for an older, current lawyer (Cruz de Andy Garcia plays real life mentor Ed Masry), who is frustrated and overwhelmed by his efforts, yet seemingly helpless to combat such a dynamic force of nature.
If Rebel had played almost anyone but Katey Sagal, her holy and altruistic position would have been too much to take. Fortunately, the charisma of the TV vet, polished to perfection on the small screen for decades, makes the Rebel character an attractive drawing. Unfortunately, due to the leader’s complicated family life, Rebel’The pilot has to provide a mega-load of exposure to place a not insignificant number of characters: the son of the gynecologist Rebel, Nate (Kevin Zegers), is the product of the union with her first husband (Matthew Glave), a cop; Cassidy’s second child (Lex Scott Davis) is a daughter just like Rebel, which makes her just want to rebel and go to work for her father’s lawyer Benji (James Lesure), whose sister Lana (Tamala Jones) he is the Rebel’s best friend; baby three Ziggy (flee Ariela Barer) he’s just a teenager from rehabilitation that Rebel adopted 10 years ago with her third husband Grady, who could be on the road (John Corbett, playing invigorating once on the fall).
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There are so many cross-family ties that the episode actually makes a lot more sense on second viewing, even if it means a lasting dialogue again, like the Rebel, who sarcastically admonishes her son: “My sorry my compassion for fellow human beings has caused you suffering ”or Grady telling the Rebel that if he stayed home from work one day,“ Who would save the world? “While Rebel (like Erin Brockovich) is certainly an admirable figure, you can also see that all that constant crusade can’t be added to the happiest of home lives (although there’s a wonderful time when Grady complains about how Rebel ‘You never make him have dinner and all four female cries shout in unison: dinner!?! ”)
But this is a pilot and that’s why there are so few stars the ones right outside the gate: there is a lot to prepare, while also crafting a story interesting enough to make the viewer want to come back. Cassidy has an exemplary scene in the courtroom (much admired by her new colleague, Nashville ‘S Sam Palladio, allowed to use his native accent for once), Lana shows her value by being the earth to the Rebel’s sky (TAKING down to start), and Garcia is excellent as usual. But is Sagal, in the end, for which we will return. she seems to have been so requested by ABC (hey, they did well with her Married with children co-star, Modern family‘s Ed O’Neill) that he chose her from a tower of scripts – and he chose well. Rebel puts it in front and in the center, creating a firmly determined character, but compassionate and sympathetic. Secondary cast and guest stars, with names like Battlestar Galactica‘s Mary McDonnell and Scandal’with Dan Bacatinsky, also augurs for the future of the series.
Showrunner Krista Vernoff, after all, has been in the Shondaland range for years, the most recentexecutive producer Gray’s anatomy and Station 19. Rebel allows topically appropriate plots to take place not only in the courtroom but also in the family setting of the hospital, thanks to the career of Nate (and his colleague Abigail Spencer, who appears next week). Look for a lotit’s about passionate speeches, lots of friendships and anxious explanatory lines like: “We do everything we can to tip the scales to justice” and ““I bring the executives of million-dollar corporations to their knees and not in a sexy way, at a good time.” If Rebel begins to give priority pointing over say, however, Sagal may have found a new home worthy of her legendary talent.