User Reviews

When I saw this on Hallmark recently, it was in one two hour block, not as a two-part episode. In that format, it is a pretty solid episode. The man being defended has been framed by a group of people including the police chief.

In this case Ben's recently separated daughter has the assignment of defending the accused. She is a little distracted because not only does she feel he is innocent, but she has just separated from her husband. Ben, who never liked her husband tries to help. At every turn though, witnesses disappear or are murdered.

Then they figure out Ben's house where the daughter has moved back too since the separation has been bugged. By listening in, the murderer is staying one step ahead of their investigation. In the last hour they find out about the bugs, Ben's daughter gets tossed in jail for contempt of court, and Ben takes over the case and sorts out who the real murderer is.

This is a review of both parts 1 and 2.

Brynn Thayer is back playing Ben's daughter Leanne. This was weird considering she just played a flirty character in another episode this season, and Ben seemed to like her romantically. That aside, the mystery itself was complex and interesting.

Ben having it out with the judge in part 1 was hilarious. Now that same judge is accused of sexual assault. Leanne talks him into representing the judge. I don't like her. I can't remember if I felt this way 30-plus years ago when I first watched this. I found her very disrespectful to Ben's friends, Les, Conrad, and Bob. Maybe Les I could understand a little bit what she did there. And she has a point about everyone asking her if she has children. After all, if Ben had grandkids, wouldn't his besties know? I guess there's some distance between the two because she ran off and eloped with some man Ben never liked. Now the man has dumped her for a younger woman. Or is that reason? Maybe he just found her personality grating.

I didn't like the way she talked Ben into representing Judge Eller. Ben usually sort of feels the client out and then decides on whether he wants to take a case or not. In this case, he really didn't like the judge since he had him arrested for contempt. But he felt pressured here by Leanne. I didn't like that. He has felt pressured before in other episodes for different reasons, but here it was because it was his daughter and because there was this distance between them. I think he felt bad about that and didn't listen to his gut instincts. Ben gets the judge off. But here's the kicker: he did in fact sexually assault the woman. Ben got a sexual assaulter off! Ben got an attempted rapist off!. All because Leanne talked him into representing the creep.

The judge is now accused of murder and wants Ben to represent him again. He refuses. Leanne tries to talk him into it. But no. So Leanne takes the case herself. Let me stop here. The audience knows the judge didn't commit the murder, right? Because we're savvy enough to know that the murder somehow ties in with the assassination plot, and that this is Ben's daughter, and is a Leanne's centric episode, so she's gonna be right. The problem for me is, "so what?" Why would anyone want a client that lied to their lawyer in a previous case and was actually guilty of the crime he was accused of? Sexual assault at that! Leanne says it's because she believes him. That's it. She had no conversation with the judge. But she believes him. So stupid. In my opinion, she just likes being contrary to her father. Deciding her views and way of doing things is right, and his views and ways of doing things are wrong.

Everyone kept saying Leanne was like her father. How? Ben is cranky, charming, and cute. Leanne is none of these things. I really didn't like her in the courtroom. She seemed smug all the time. To be fair, Ben often acts smug. But here's the difference, when Ben questions, he's got this folksy, friendly, charming, nice thing going. He's sort of gentle even tho he's going in for the kill. You love to see him in action in the courtroom. He's also very expressive in the way he delivers his lines and in his body language and facial expressions. Which often makes me laugh. We're supposed to laugh because Ben is cranky, charming, and cute. Leanne doesn't have any of this. She's just smug.

Leanne does get the Judge off. Or, should I say Ben does? Congratulations you got the sexual assaulter and attempted rapist off the murder charge. Now he can go and commit those crimes again against some other poor woman. Maybe I'm not being fair. Especially since finding out who the real perpetrator unleashes a scandal of higher-ups that are guilty of murders and other things including the involvement of minors in pornography. But the premise of defending this man just rubbed the wrong way.

I thought the entire murder plot aspect was really interesting and complex as everything connected back to the assassination plot. The real perpetrator was clever in setting it up. Leanne got too much screen time. Way too much! The emotionally heavier stuff of Ben connecting with his daughter was cringe. Sorry, but I like the lighter aspects of the show. It's why I watch it. Ben was great throughout. I wish we had a little more of Michelle given that this is her last episode. I'll see how the next season goes with Leanne. I hope it's better. 6/10.