CONVICTION

THE COMPLETE SERIES

REVIEWED BY CHARITY BISHOP

Our rating: 3 out of 5

Because of: sexual content, language, thematic elements

Rated:

Far be it from me to condemn any of Dick Wolf's projects. The man has had me eating out of his hand over the years with his crime dramas. Conviction is the latest in his attempts to further pursue the legal system on primetime. It had potential but just doesn't reach the moral resonance of his other projects.

When enthusiastic but intimidated Nick Potter (Jordan Bridges) comes to work at the District Attorney's Office, he has little idea the legal nuances he will be forced to contend with. Most of his coworkers are honest, hardworking people with limited experience and big expectations. Under the guidance of Bureau Chief Alexandra Cabot (Stephanie March), they attempt to prosecute and convict the numerous trials that cross their desk. Nick is the new kid on the block and comes from a wealthy family who would much rather see him in private practice. He shares office space with Jessica Rossi (Milena Govich), a staunch feminist who takes most rape cases personally and is secretly sleeping with Jim Steele (Anson Mount), the morally ambiguous "top dog" prosecutor who will stop at nothing to get a conviction.

Also on the team is Brian Peluso (Eric Balfour), who secretly is in love with perky, redheaded Christina Finn (Julianne Nicholson), and ambitious Billy Desmond (J. August Richards), who has never yet lost a case. Faced with a difficult trial against a known drug trafficker, Nick makes a terrible mistake that winds up with the lead prosecutor dead and the office devastated by his loss. As he attempts to find his footing among his colleagues, further personal problems are unearthed that both place in peril their legal decisions and the fate of everyone involved. It is not so much that the show fails on an emotional level, but that it attempts to cover so much ground in so little time. Having such an enormous leading cast, not to mention the numerous victims and criminals that pass through the doors, means that each case is not given the amount of screen time required in order to make the audience truly care. One of the virtues in the flagship series Law & Order is that it's more about the case than personal moments, but Conviction is more about personal moments than the cases, and they are lost in the process.

Some of the characters are very likable. Christina became an instant favorite for her moral character and charm, and others start growing on you with time. The most universally disliked character is Jim Steele, for his unorthodox and often cruel tactics in attempting to win his cases at all costs. I did not like his ambitions, the means of getting there, or the fact that he was juggling two women on the side. What could have been compelling legal drama became more of a soap opera, with you wondering week to week who was going to wake up beside who. There are some good episodes and marvelous moments. Watching Christina and Brian's romance unfold is one of the sweeter highlights of the series, and it comes to ripening in the final episode, when he risks his life to protect her from a deranged, armed convict in the courtroom. Nick's rocky relationship with his sister is another heart-grabber, although he takes the moral low ground on several occasions with various bad decisions. 

The two best episodes are "Deliverance," with guest star Reiko Aylesworth (24) as a corrupt attorney, and "Hostage," when the prosecutors are trapped in a courtroom with an armed madman. What frustrated me the most is the unethical tactics of everyone involved. Prosecutors intimidate witnesses, cover up for corrupt cops, and push things way too far in criminal court. They don't have the upstanding conviction of Jack McCoy or Ben Stone. I am not sure I would trust some of them to uphold the law. It's an eerie departure from the norm of Wolf's better shows. There is also more content concerns. Language becomes an occasional problem, and there is the customary scenes of violence and gruesome crime photos.

Beyond the numerous episodes that wallow in the details of rape cases, the first episode concludes with Steele and Jessica romping in bed. It's portrayed as a "no strings attached" relationship, which means sex without commitment or even affection. It's nothing more than an "outlet" for both of them. Steele and Alex Cabot have a fling on her desk after hours, in a moment of reckless abandon ("Savasana"). It doesn't prevent her from going on with her plans to marry a successful businessman. "Indiscretion" features graphic scenes from a homemade sex tape. Nick wakes up beside a strange girl in the Pilot, and Desmond carries on an affair with a junkie. One ridiculous sub-plot case involves a man accused of sending a woman pictures of his privates. He is forced to drop his pants in the judge's chambers (view blocked) and a discussion on size commences.

Maybe I have become spoiled with the fluff-free aspects of Wolf's three other franchises. I like criminal cases more than soap dramas, and the cavalier approach both to sex and the law bothered me. It was a show with vast potential but only become really good in the last few episodes. By then, it was too late to salvage it from the moral wasteland of primetime.