What I’m Watching: Franklin and Bash (Season Finale)

Franklin and Bash: Season 2, Episode 10 “6:50 to SLC” (B+)

Like any good finale, this episode had high stakes and a monumental revelation that threatened to make things considerably less stable for our good friends Jared and Peter. They seemed horrified to discover that Stanton had hired them as a poison pill, though they got over it incredibly quickly thanks to a meager apology offered by Stanton during their party. If there’s one thing they can do well, it’s cause a ruckus, and they did just that aboard a plane, which successfully negated the elder Franklin’s bid for Stanton Infeld. Both Damien and Hannah proved trustworthy in the end, and now Jared and Peter don’t have much to worry about in terms of their futures. Peter getting temporarily disbarred was a silly stunt, but seeing Jared so amused by it was rather entertaining. Emily’s help getting to the right people unsurprisingly put her job in jeopardy, and it seems that she may now be sticking around in a more permanent way, which is sure to cause problems given Jared’s many roommates. I enjoyed Pindar’s rather unfiltered response to the notion of her moving in, and I expect that he’ll be the one most affected by the new living situation. I hadn’t planned to keep watching this show after treating it just as a guilty pleasure last summer, but I’m delighted to report that this show has found its funk in its second season, exceptionally ridiculous and often hilarious on many occasions. It has yet to be renewed for a third season, but I suspect its chances are quite good.

Season grade: B+
Season MVP: Mark-Paul Gosselaar as Peter

What I’m Watching: Franklin and Bash

Franklin and Bash: Season 2, Episode 9 “Waiting on a Friend” (B+)

This flashback-filled hour was full of familiar TV faces. David Costabile was on hand as Richard Taflinger, an eerily similar role to the one he has this season on “Suits,” Shiri Appleby from “Roswell” was his assistant Emily, who spent more time flirting with and then making out with Jared than anything else, and Judd Apatow favorite Carla Gallo of “Undeclared” fame got to play the very angry Tammy, who was set on getting Jared and Franklin in trouble for her getting arrested. Seeing how Jared and Franklin met each other and how they first encountered both Pindar and Carmen was a lot of fun, as were the interrogations that Taflinger attempted. He managed to match Pindar’s deflective techniques extremely well, shattering his attempt at stonewalling, while Carmen did an impressive job of resisting his condescending comments and turning the tables on him. I’m surprised that Emily actually came over to polygraph and then kiss Jared, though nothing on this series should really come as a surprise anymore. Bringing in the roller skater with the skimpy uniform was a good trick, though it was more amusing to see them try a stunt for the first time and get scared when they found themselves held in contempt. In the course of their defense, they did seem to score a win with Damien after he got himself booted from the case and then assured them that he wouldn’t have sabotaged their defense on purpose. Stanton definitely has their best interests in mind, and it seems like they’re winning over more and more enemies every day.

What I’m Watching: Franklin and Bash

Franklin and Bash: Season 2, Episode 8 “Last Dance” (B+)

This show just doesn’t stop, keeping things semi-serious by giving Stanton a stalker and then making sure they stay ridiculous by bringing a stuffed bear into a courtroom to determine what is and isn’t art. Damien asking Carmen for support didn’t elicit any especially entertaining scenes, but it’s good to see the whole gang involved on a more regular basis. Stanton and criminal-turned-lawyer Jeffers, played by the usually despicable Todd Stashwick from “The Riches” and other memorable guest spots, did a good job of realizing that they were being pitted against each other while the bank teller sought to ruin both of their lives. Leave it to Stanton to straighten everything out and give the whole crew a happy ending. Jared and Peter tracking the judge down to his gym was a risky move, but it seems to have paid off as their sketch artist held up against the immigration witness who tried to get the husband’s body termed a corpse rather than a work of art. It was good to see Boris Kodjoe, star of the short-lived J.J. Abrams series “Undercovers,” as Nolan, whose chemistry with Hannah was immediate, and though I suspect this is a one-shot guest spot, it would be fun to see him again to help her get some rest and relaxation. The final conversation about what each of the lawyers want to happen to their bodies when they die was entertaining, and the best line, as usual, went to Stanton, particularly for its delivery: “You assume I’m going to die.”

What I’m Watching: Franklin and Bash

Franklin and Bash: Season 2, Episode 7 “Summer Girls” (B+)

I’m glad to see that the summer associates aren’t fully taking over this show, but, instead, they’re filtering in slowly to either help or to stir up trouble. Damien was extremely awkward around Elisa the entire time, both when he was trying to hide the fact that they knew each other from her past job and when he was trying to hide the fact that he really liked her. Sleeping with her was a bad decision no matter where her career path takes her, but Damien really stepped in it when he ended up having to offer her a full-time job rather than fire her. It will be good for him to have a woman in his life, so long as he’s not breaking the rules by being with a summer associate in his own firm going forward. Jared and Peter’s exploits in military court weren’t nearly as comical as might be expected from this duo, and Hannah also played a productive role in assisting their defense. Forcing the captain into speaking up to reveal her actions and defend them was smart, and it’s hard to blame Jared or Peter for anything during that trial. Hannah deleting the file on her computer is big, and maybe that means that Jared and Peter won’t have to worry about being ousted after all. Pindar’s daytime drive to get the fancy knife he broke repaired was a hilarious subplot, due mainly to the fact that he got pulled over for going seven miles an hour and for having a license that had expired five years earlier, and also to Stanton’s serious defense that managed to annoy the judge into letting Pindar off.

What I’m Watching: Franklin and Bash

Franklin and Bash: Season 2, Episode 6 “Voir Dire” (B+)

Admittedly, this episode’s central case was far less ridiculous than tends to be the case on this show, but that resulted in some decent storytelling that isn’t always front and center. Having Danielle Panabaker around as summer associate Bonnie helped since Jared and Peter, while still cocky as ever, did talk more than usual about their plans, and also went to others in the firm, namely Hannah, Damien, and Infeld, for advice on how to proceed with the jury selection process. They were extremely manipulative, no surprise, in their clever removal of two problematic jurors, when Peter told one she was pretty on the stand and when they purposely spoke to another to get her dismissed. It was entertaining to see the episode end in the middle of the case, since both lawyers were so sure that Hewitt would walk straight into their trap of putting Kiki on the stand, who would prove through her jealousy that their client was in love with Annabelle and therefore acting to protect her rather than himself. In their goofy pursuits of justice, Jared and Peter have made more enemies than friends, but fortunately they do have Carmen and Pindar on their team, and those two are truly invaluable, whether it’s interviewing witnesses to investigate Sal’s relationship or distracting the prosecution in a crucial moment. Missing partner meetings to eat chicken and waffles (just one food, apparently) may get them in trouble with the other partners, but they do have a good thing going regardless of their titles and affiliation.

What I’m Watching: Franklin and Bash

Franklin and Bash: Season 2, Episode 5 “L’Affaire du Coeur” (B+)

This episode focused a whole lot less on the supporting cast and much more on the dynamic duo, though Damien of course had a large role to play. The judge getting arrested as he was about to hold Jared and Peter in contempt was a twist, and it was intriguing to see just how steadfast and calm both Judge Kohler and D.A. Pollack were in the face of the charges since they knew both the law and the facts of their case. Unfortunately, Pollack was trying to set up her fiancé to be with the temperamental prison inmate, played by Jamie McShane, most recognizable as the grief-stricken Cameron Hayes in the third season of “Sons of Anarchy.” Peter sleeping with Janie during the trial was highly unadvisable – mainly because I want to see more of Kat Foster’s Wendy, who seems to have up and disappeared – but didn’t appear to affect the case at all. I enjoyed seeing Judge Kohler refuse to recuse himself from the case they were testifying, sure to result in them getting held in contempt again. Damien got the chance to get personal with his old buddy Lance, played by Tuc Watkins, who portrayed Bob on “Desperate Housewives.” Damien invoking himself in his questioning was brave, but the best part of the whole case was definitely Infeld’s own test of gayness, which involved asking who won the most recent season of “Dancing with the Stars” and what Kathy Griffin’s current hair color is, two facts that apparently should be known by gay men.

What I’m Watching: Franklin and Bash

Franklin and Bash: Season 2, Episode 4 “For Those About to Rock” (B+)

As if Jared being sentenced to serve as a judge in small claims court and having the bailiff take his photo when he strutted out into the courtroom wasn’t enough, he had to go and defend the man he sentenced during that brief stint. The appeal of a rock and roll legend is almost as strong as a real-life superhero to this duo, and therefore it’s no surprise that they got some excitement from defending the mysterious rocker played by Peter Weller in a friendlier part than he usually tends to play. Beau Bridges’ return as Jared’s father made for a rather spite-filled trial, but at least he loves his son enough to discard one gift for the sake of another. Singing in the middle of testimony is definitely novel, but of course Jared and Peter could explain it away and get it allowed. Infeld pushed some buttons in this hour, even provoking a comment that he had become more like Franklin and Bash rather than setting a good example for them, in his defense of the deceitful doctor played by Thomas F. Wilson, best known as Biff of “Back to the Future” fame. The judge’s humorless response of “There are plenty of other ways to put it” to his assertion that “There’s no other way to put this, you are a scumbag” was amusing, and calling Pindar to the stand was an interesting move. I like that he was both afraid of talking and of not talking, and it seems that he’s done well for himself, eliciting a kiss before ruining the moment by talking about e coli and unwashed strawberries.

What I’m Watching: Franklin and Bash

Franklin and Bash: Season 2, Episode 3 “Jango and Rossi” (B+)

It’s no surprise that Franklin and Bash would have rivals with a similar dynamic and a similar tendency for the ridiculous in this episode with just as much guest star stuffing as last week. It was a lot of fun to see Eric Mabius, veteran of such shows as “Eyes” (in which Garcelle Beauvais also starred),“The O.C.,” “Ugly Betty,” and, most recently, “Outcasts,” and Seth Green as Jango and Rossi, who went up against Franklin and Bash in the case. I’m very glad that the judge didn’t allow the dog to be put on the stand, and I enjoyed Franklin’s quick reaction to hearing about being put in contempt when he wasn’t the one that had done something wrong. Attacking the prosecution’s height was highly amusing as well. Cybill Shepherd made for a fitting diva in the form of Evanthia. Rick Fox’s appearance as the dog’s rightful owner led to a sensational ending, and an unfortunate nightcap for an overly hopeful Infeld. The dog case, however, was not the best case this week, since that’s the one that involves a robbery with a gun made out of cheese. Karp swapping with the dynamic duo enabled him to do something strange but fun – working with Pinder – and allowed them to win the case by discovering the rather obvious reasons that the pizza place’s owners would have wanted the shop to be robbed. Karp asking for payment in cheese at the end of the episode was definitely the icing on a very cheesy cake.

What I’m Watching: Franklin & Bash

Franklin and Bash: Season 2, Episode 2 “Viper” (B+)

This show is really growing on me. It’s also possible that it’s getting better with age, or maybe just more likeable as the plotlines get more ridiculous. The arrival of Jane Seymour as Peter’s mother, who did inappropriate exercises while sitting with Karp and then texted Wendy for a booty call for son, was not the craziest part of the episode, but only on this show could such a parent be tolerated (and so encouraged by Jared!). the fact that Wendy actually went along with the booty call after discovering its source suggests that she’s a little outrageous herself, though she may not be around for long if Peter goes back to pursuing the infinitely less interesting Janie now that she’s no longer getting married. The dynamic duo couldn’t contain their excitement at the opportunity to represent a real-life superhero, played by Sean Astin of “Lord of the Rings” fame. It was a far better part for him than his season five stint on “24” as a counterterrorist agent, and he played it well. That they had to strip away his own self-perception to get him exonerated is a shame, but he seemed to deal with it positively, and everything worked out in the end. I wasn’t sure what was going to happen when Pindar came face-to-face with the girl that caused his phobias, and her first reaction, running away, seemed just about right. Making her into someone with a restraining order and problems of her own is great, and I’m hopeful that she sticks around to get fixed along with Pinder.

What I’m Watching: Franklin & Bash

Franklin & Bash: Season 2, Episode 1 “Strange Brew” (B-)

After not being so into this show last summer, I’ve come to accept it as a highly entertaining guilty pleasure, and as a result I enjoyed this season opener quite a bit. Starting off with Franklin being trapped in a tank full of water was great, and Infeld’s subsequent announcement that they might be made partners was an exciting challenge that could change the game considerably. The fact that Hanna has chosen to ally herself with Damien to use their newfound promotion to get them kicked out of the firm altogether is bad news for this dynamic duo. They’ll be able to have some fun in the meantime, however, and it will enable Carmen and Pindar to take a more active role in the firm’s activities and on their cases. This episode boasted a number of fantastic guest stars, including Ernie Hudson and Martin Mull’s judges and Melora Walters’ restaurant owner. Eddie Jemison from “Ocean’s Eleven” and “Hung” made for a fun client, struggling to defend himself after a drunken, costumed encounter with the law, and Kat Foster was superb as the extremely attractive Officer Cowell. Her chemistry with Bash was excellent, and I do hope that she’ll stick around since, despite her attraction to him, she’s going to make him work to woo her. Bash’s Spartacus moment in the courtroom was almost as over-the-top and ridiculous as the opening water tank stunt, and it assures that these guys are going to provide plenty of arguments for Hanna and Damien to try to get them kicked out.

What I’m Watching: Franklin & Bash (Season Finale)

Franklin & Bash: Season 1, Episode 10 “Go Tell It on the Mountain” (C)

Well, this is certainly a spectacular event – or at least a spectacle – to make for a memorable season finale. I would have been hooked on the guest appearance of “Battlestar Galactica” alumna Tricia Helfer alone. It’s rare that she plays a human, and a normal one at that, and Brett Cayman was a great part for her. Only on this show would an attorney be undressing in another lawyer’s office and not care when he walked in on her. Karp agreeing with Franklin and Bash about Brett was almost a sign of the apocalypse, and I was thrilled to see Karp and Hannah team up to do something productive for once and realize that Brett was just trying to get rid of both of them so that she could take over the firm. Infeld telling Hannah that he wants her to take over the firm when he leaves is a bit of a surprise, but I suppose she deserves it since she hasn’t done all that much this season since sleeping with Jared at the very beginning. Infeld admitting to killing his friend was interesting, and I guess it was only a matter of time before Franklin and Bash brought a courtroom to a morgue. Infeld really is a do-gooder, upping his community service requirement so that he can truly atone for his sins. The subplot with Danny Trejo’s masked fighter was entertaining enough as well. This show has been amusing, and while I can’t guarantee I’ll watch it again next season, I’ve had a pleasant time laughing at it.

Season grade: C
Season MVP: Breckin Meyer and Mark-Paul Gosselaar

What I’m Watching: Franklin & Bash

Franklin & Bash: Season 1, Episode 9 “Bachelor Party” (C)

I’m giving this episode a slightly hirer grade than the past few installments because it’s just as entertaining and decidedly a bit more logical. That’s presuming that a man would come to his fiancée’s ex-boyfriend to be his lawyer after getting caught with a prostitute and that a teacher might unknowingly sleep with a high school student, but allowing such liberties has always been necessary for this show. James Van Der Beek was fun as Janie’s fiancée, and I liked that he was a nice guy who took a liking to Peter. I was amused by Peter’s discovery that they hadn’t had sex in the last six months, and even more impressed by how he used it in her defense. Peter asking Janie questions because he’s never before had her under oath was great, and I’m glad to see that they’re at least partially back on good terms even if she’s probably still getting married. I enjoyed Jared’s connection to the teacher because he was a troublemaking alum of the school, and I was pleased to see John de Lancie, recently seen on “Breaking Bad,” as the headmaster of the school. Realizing that the student plagiarized a Skinemax episode and manipulating the committee into believing that the other person in the room with whom the student had had sex was on the committee rather than bartender were both clever tactics that only this show would use. Karp’s profile was an okay subplot, and I’m much more intrigued by what’s going to become of this story about finding an old colleague of Infeld’s in the mountains.

Expect plenty of ridiculousness in the future, by the way, since this show has officially been renewed for a second season!

What I’m Watching: Franklin & Bash

Franklin & Bash: Season 1, Episode 8 “The Bangover” (C-)

This episode truly takes things to the extreme as Franklin and Bash are held in contempt for inexplicably fighting with lightsabers in court but put under house arrest so that they can’t turn their incarceration into a business opportunity. The convenient presence of Carmen’s convict friend and lover Dante and Karp’s marijuana-smuggling-prone cousin Lily make for one overstuffed episode of ridiculousness. Among the episode’s wilder and sillier moments were Franklin sticking his foot out the window so that the ankle monitor’s signal would register and the police could come save them and Pindar arguing that Carmen simply couldn’t keep her hands off Dante because of the sexual connection between them. Pindar testifying was rather amusing, especially when he lost all his confidence when he realized the pot muffins he had eaten were actually just muffins. Dante turning himself in was rather absurdly and improbably sweet, and hopefully Carmen can do something more productive and sensible with her time now. It’s no surprise that Bash quickly bedded Lily, though having her tell the judge that she planned to stay with him instead of Karp seemed like a rather quick step. It’s good to see the relatively unlikeable Karp win one every once in a while, without even having to call Infeld to step in. It seems like there’s no keeping the truth from him, however, since he appears to be all-knowing and also happens to have pissed off a good number of people in the legal world, lawyers and judges alike.

What I’m Watching: Franklin & Bash

Franklin & Bash: Season 1, Episode 7 “Franklin vs. Bash” (C-)

I suppose it had to happen sooner or later, and if this show lasts a while, it’s bound to happen again at least a few times. Pitting Franklin and Bash against each other is exactly the kind of device that would serve this show well, especially as Infeld encourages its occurrence. That said, it leads to some entirely ridiculous courtroom conduct, but that’s nothing unusual for this show. Objections like “betrayal” and “stealing my moves” would only fly on a show like this, and the rather randomly timed decision to recombine efforts and defend their clients together feels forced. The entire nature of the case is a stretch, but that’s just something to get used to here. Infeld is seeming increasingly like a puppeteer, pulling the strings on all of his lawyers to manipulate them as he sees fit. I will say that Franklin and Bash definitely make a better pair than the alternative, which is an umemotive Hannah and an unsmiling Karp. It would be nice to involve Pindar and Carmen in a more direct and consistent way since they often seem to enhance the situations and cases involving Hannah and Karp. The Franklin vs. Bash case was much more interesting and involving than the thirteen-year-old adventurer putting equal effort into winning his case and trying to hit on Hannah. That’s one storyline that didn’t work all that well, especially because the father’s attachment to his son was rather obvious and easy to pick up on from the start.

What I’m Watching: Franklin & Bash

Franklin & Bash: Season 1, Episode 6 “Big Fish” (C-)

This show continues to be decently entertaining while becoming even more ridiculous than ever before. Having a CEO who stole from all of his shareholders is nothing original since nearly every legal show is doing that these days. The twist that he’s dying and he wants to reimburse everyone he ripped off is a bit more innovative, but of course this show isn’t content to leave it at that and needs to include a few even more absurd modifications. His misdiagnosis seems a bit too convenient, and threatening his lawyers was a big jump, though I suppose not too surprising for such a self-centered, powerful man. Franklin and Bash managing to suggest an alternative sentence and condemn him to that while interviewing him on the stand is something that could only happen on this show, and to think that the judge would allow any of that requires an enormous amount of suspension of belief. Jason Alexander was relatively fun in the role, though I can’t say that it demanded all that much of him. The secondary plotline was absolutely silly, with Hanna and Karp including Pindar in their latest efforts to attract a new client simply because of his ethnicity. It’s hardly a shock that what ended up being the downfall for the surprisingly well-presented Pindar was a toenail clipping collection put on the fridge by Franklin and Bash. This law firm has to be one of the most preposterous places to work, and not just because bonuses are given away to charity based on a throw of a dart.

What I’m Watching: Franklin and Bash

Franklin & Bash: Season 1, Episode 5 “You Can’t Take It With You” (C-)

I suppose it’s something that this show is so committed to its ridiculousness and that it’s found a stable point of uninspiring quality at which to level off. It seems a bit early to bring family into the mix, especially when father and son end up as opposing counsel on the same case. It would seem to make that a situation like that would present some sort of conflict of interest, even if both parties detest each other. Beau Bridges was rather lacking in emotion and cruel as the elder Franklin, and seemed a bit too vindictive and short-thinking to be a skilled lawyer. While it’s intriguing to learn that Infeld knew him, it’s not highly believable since that would likely have come up much earlier. The client dropping dead before the verdict was rather over-the-top as well. Amusing as it was to see Karp get all flustered when his secret video ended up getting sent out to the entire firm and a bunch of judges instead of clandestinely deleted, it’s highly improbable that Pindar mess up that much and that Karp could play it down so easily. Also, Karp would never come to the two people he hates most since he knows full well that they would try to screw him, though they didn’t even have any part in it. The side plot involving Tom Arnold was plenty ridiculous, but you do have to give Bash some credit for getting him out of his contract by having him punch someone in front of a judge.

What I’m Watching: Franklin & Bash

Franklin & Bash: Season 1, Episode 4 “Bro-Bono” (C-)

One might have presumed that this show couldn’t get any more ridiculous, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. As if seducing and kissing a witness on the stand wasn’t enough, now Franklin has to actually get drunk in court to keep viewers rolling their eyes just as possible. To be fair, these cases weren’t nearly as interesting as the ones that preceded them, and it doesn’t ever seem as if the dream duo of Franklin and Bash actually split up and handle separate cases. Throwing Karp a surprise fiftieth birthday party is exactly the kind of nonsense that throws this show over the line from remotely unbelievable and over-the-top to completely preposterous. Those expectations aside, this show is still a good deal of fun. Hannah’s claim that her tryst with Franklin led her to pleasure nineteen times is rather amusing, and Infeld seems to think that such office romances are actually productive, going so far as to encourage Bash to sleep with one of the employee’s wives. It was good to see more of Carmen in this episode, showing off her skills with bottle-kicking and expressing her distaste for vomit anywhere in her vicinity. The affair case that involved both parties seeing the same woman was decently intriguing, but I quickly lost interest and failed to follow exactly what happened with all of it. I do enjoy seeing Franklin act like a jerk to Bash’s ex, and it’s nice to see that these buddies really do look out for each other after all.

Take Three: Franklin & Bash

Franklin & Bash: Season 1, Episode 3 “Jennifer of Troy” (C-)

This show isn’t content with just being semi-ridiculous. It seems determined to go the whole way in each of its many wacky plotlines, as evidenced just by the banter that goes on within the firm and the way it’s meant to be taken seriously. The fact that bets are placed on case verdicts and the boss approves of them is quite silly. It also seems terribly unproductive for one lawyer to purposely sabotage another. In terms of this week’s most notable plotline, of course Bash can’t stop at seducing his client on the stand. He has to go ahead and kiss her in front of the entire courtroom, just to get his point across fully. It’s a ridiculous case, to be sure, but it seems abundantly clear that it’s exactly the kind of thing we’ll be seeing on this show on a regular basis. Pairing it with the Chinatown storyline ultimately made sense because of the rather obvious power of love in both cases, though it really didn’t quite fit the tone of the show aside from Franklin and Bash’s inability to carefully and respectfully maneuver worlds not their own. I’m always pleased to see a “Lost” alumnus turn up anywhere, and therefore the presence of Francois Chau, better known as Pierre Chang and a few other aliases, as the father and shop owner was welcome. Malcolm McDowell puts little effort into his performance as the very powerful, cultured patriarch of the firm, and it’s at least good to see his talents put to some productive use.

Round Two: Franklin & Bash

Franklin & Bash: Season 1, Episode 2 “She Came Upstairs to Kill Me” (C)

I’ll allow for the fact that this show is quite entertaining. It’s absolutely preposterous, sure, but it’s just the kind of show that might be a lot of fun in an under-populated early summer season. To take this show seriously would be a disservice since it takes away the fun of it, and for the moment, I’m willing to let some of the silliness slide. Reed Diamond’s Damien is becoming a horrific nuisance with his constant childish comments about the skills of the firm’s newest additions. What makes that work, of course, is the excitable spirit with which Franklin and Bash respond to his claims and insult him right back. Splitting the show between their antics at the firm and their out-of-office research with Carmen and Pindar seems to work well, and allows for some smart multitasking and coverage of multiple cases. I always love seeing Natalie Zea of “Dirty Sexy Money,” and, though it didn’t offer her much to do, the part of a woman accused of killing her husband by having too much sex with him felt perfect for her. Fred Willard was interesting in a slightly more serious role than he usually takes, and I like how the old guy joke ended up being a prominent factor in the outcome of the case. I also enjoyed seeing Thomas F. Wilson, best known as Biff from “Back to the Future,” as the scorned spiritual adviser who definitely did not believe Franklin’s story about his wife giving birth to his child.

Pilot Review: Franklin & Bash

Franklin & Bash (TNT)
Premiered June 1 at 9pm

Summer TV on TNT is always tricky. Sometimes, you luck out with fare like “The Closer,” which is entering its seventh season and has already been commissioned for a spinoff series to follow. Then, you have poor excuses for television like the preposterous legal drama “Raising the Bar.” In the middle, you have stuff like “Trust Me,” an utterly forgettable dramatic buddy comedy. That’s a perfect show to look at alongside “Franklin & Bash,” though TNT’s newest series is admittedly far more ridiculous. It’s not as bad as something like CBS’ recently cancelled “The Defenders,” but is anyone expected to take this show seriously? To be fair, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have its clever moments. As silly as they are, both Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Breckin Meyer aren’t nearly as grating and over-the-top in all that they do as someone like, say, Jerry O’Connell. That means that they might be believable as people, even if they’re not overly compelling as lawyers. Still, most of their antics are straight out of the lawyer comedy playbook, which only makes them half as entertaining. Neither of them is particularly funny, but fortunately there are some decent supporting players in the cast. I couldn’t place Dana Davis, who plays Carmen, only to discover that she was on “Heroes” as Monica. This is a much better part for her. Reed Diamond plays seedy well, and Malcolm McDowell can be great without even trying. I’m always happy to see an “Eyes” alumna back on TV, and I’m hopeful that Garcelle Beauvais-Nixon’s character here is just as complicated as her former role. It’s also nice to see Alexandra Holden, better known as Ross’ young girlfriend Elizabeth on “Friends,” in a more mature role, and Mircea Monroe from “Episodes” on duty as DeeDee. Even with a fun cast, this show isn’t terribly original, and it’s hard to get through an episode without multiple rolls of the eyes. In a slow-starting summer like this, I’ll probably stick around for a few weeks, but doubtful for much longer.

How will it work as a series? Law shows are perhaps the most omnipresent on television, and TNT sure likes procedurals, especially ones they can run during the summer. What’s unfortunate about this otherwise creative show, however, is that it insists on having plotlines like Bash being able to look into his ex-girlfriend’s eyes and tell that she still loves him while they work together each episode. That’s going to get tiring fast, and this show’s antics might as well.
How long will it last? TNT likes to do good by their shows, and even the much-inferior Gosselaar-starring “Raising the Bar” lasted two full seasons. I’d expect that TNT wants to keep this show around for a while, and though it won’t live out a long, healthy life, a second season sometime soon probably wouldn’t be out of the question.

Pilot grade: C+