User Reviews

I had my doubts about this new program, even though I loved the lead character from day 1! Women who are vulnerable, but at the same time, strong and consistent, appeal to me. It seems difficult to find a mix of these traits in most series on regular TV. The Maricela and the Desert episode was able to effectively take a story that could have been cliche and sappy (a child having to endure a horrible event involving her family members), and gradually show us how a thoughtful and caring authority figure ( the judge) was able to gradually understand how to effectively communicate with the child in order to allow her to feel safe and empowered--creating a child-friendly environment with teddy bears and comfy chairs and "blankies" proved to be the solution. I've been in courtrooms for jury duty, and as an adult, find them very intimidating and unwelcoming places. For a child it must be terrifying no matter how kind and/or normal the adults may seem, especially when the details of trials are hardly ever positive and/or redemptive, and often involve violence and gamesmanship. For the judge to decide to decorate and soften the venue using universal symbols of comfort and reassurance was heart-warming in this age of vindictive social media and children growing up way too quickly! Last night's episode inspired me to apply to become a child advocate in our local court system. I had thought about it since I retired, and this morning I started to contact agencies locally to attend orientation meetings and start my training. Looking forward to more thoughtful and relevant episodes of All Rise--hope it makes the big time!!!