Fairly Legal might not be the best portrayal of how the real mediators work or of the traits which are supposed to be had by that profession – if there are even such things – and I’m not one who needs my entertainment to be always based on reality anyway, but Kate Reed who changes her profession from lawyer to mediator is without a doubt the best and the cutest mediator ever graces the small screen.
She has a bubbly personality, endless energy and enough charms to entice flying birds onto ground. But once she finds a cause it’s impossible to steer her off into another direction. Like a little tornado she’ll sweep everything that stands in her path to justice.
I think her success in mediating difficult cases has more to do with her own personality rather than her educational/professional background besides of course having the full support from her ever resourceful assistance, Leo. Plus, she has a direct line to Justin Patrick her very own district attorney.
Although the first season of Fairly Legal doesn’t give me the fever of an addict it is fun to watch. But despite liking it I don’t foresee myself falling in love with the series mainly because the pairing between Kate and Justin doesn’t do it for me.
And I don’t appreciate how certain things are being disclosed while others are simply ignored without proper explanation. It might not bother some people but background story of the main characters are important to me.
Until the end of the first season I am still in the dark as to why Kate and Justin are estranged yet close enough to still enjoy some ‘benefits’ from their almost ended marriage. Neither does the show offer any clues about how these two very different people could marry in the first place.
Don’t get me wrong although Justin Patrick doesn’t talk to the romantic side of me I don’t hate him, I can see how hot he is and totally understand why Kate can’t keep her hands off him. And I’m a sucker for the opposite attract things. It’s just that I can’t bring myself to root for him.
There’s something about Justin that makes me think he doesn’t love Kate enough, at least not enough to accept all her quirks and passions for justice and her distrust for the system as part of her unique charms.
It is clear how he resents the fact that she doesn’t put him as her number one priority no matter what. Never mind that she puts him on hold only when she has clients who need her time and help more than him.
Kate on the other hand still loves him. She even tries to talk him into getting back together while it is obvious that Justin wants to end their marriage without any more delay. Only after learning that Justin cheated on her that she finally signs their divorce paper.
Her utter shock, anger and pains at his betrayal reveal that whatever the cause of their separation she never thinks that Justin who she considers as an angel of justice, who she trusts wholeheartedly doesn’t have enough honor to honor his promise and commitment to her.
Strangely, it’s not until the second season that I finally warm towards Justin despite this is where he finally admits to Kate that he cheated on her during their marriage.
Unlike Kate, I’m not shock at all knowing Justin cheated on her, his admission clears thing up for me. I no longer resent him for not loving Kate enough because now I know for sure that he doesn’t. I no longer wonder why I can’t root for this couple because now I know there’s really nothing to root for.
Finally the show starts to connect with me.
Justin who is at first a less than satisfactory romantic male lead who turns out to be a cheater to boot now turns into a trustworthy lead that I like. He loses my support for winning Kate but gets my vote of confidence to become the best DA for San Francisco.
I couldn’t fall for Justin in the first season but I instantly like Lauren Reed, Kate’s awkwardly sexy supposedly evil gold digger uptight step mother. I find her icy and awkward ways very endearing.
Lauren and Kate are like night and day. Ice and fire. Order and chaos. Their differences are so glaring that it’s hard to see how they could ever get close to one another but that’s the charms. They make you root for them. And I’m loving every scene that brings these two together.
Perhaps, that’s why I fall for Ben Grogan the new male lead who joins Fairly Legal in the second season. He instantly makes me root for him and Kate. Despite the fact that it doesn’t take a genius to notice that he has nothing in common with Kate Reed. Despite the fact that he’s an ass of the first class.
Ben is all about making money and winning. And that’s all he cares about. Kate despises him on sight. I on the other hand love him since the first moment he opens his mouth and tries to pick Kate up at a bar.
On the surface he really has nothing in common with Kate. But it’s easy to see that they are actually not that different. Putting aside their different goals and priorities in lives we’ll find two people who have the same temperament.
Kate talks a mile, so does Ben. Kate is compulsive, so does Ben. Kate will not loose her sleeps if she needs to break some rules while helping her clients, Ben doesn’t even recognize the word if it happens to stand in his way. And surprise surprise they even have the same tastes!
I really love Ben and Kate’s interactions. I love seeing how Ben slowly falls for the good girl Kate. I love seeing how nobody notices how he slowly changes except for Leo, Kate’s personal assistant who’s privy to all her secrets and later Ben’s ex when their path crossed.
The second season is the time when I fall in love with Fairly Legal. This is the season when I finally get the fever of an addict. I want more and more. Can hardly wait for the season 3. Praying that they will not ruin it and deliver.
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