I may not have cared for Raising the Bar, TNT’s lawyer drama starring Zack Morris, but it’s clear that the writers and producers listen to fans and critics. If you’re not watching the show it’s the one with Mark-Paul Gosselaar sporting a horrific Lindsey McDonald style head of hair. The second season opens with fellow lawyers giving video testimonial about the hair. It’s an obvious acknowledgement that the show is listening to the few fans it has in order to grow into the new year.
While Jerry’s peers give him crap about his hair he takes it all in stride and continues on with his life. It’s not until a juror he is unable to prevent from being seated informs long-locks that he doesn’t trust the lawyer due to his appearance that Jerry makes the choice to chop the hair. Basically Raising the Bar actually takes time to make the long hair a plot point. This self referential storyline is supposed to be fun for the viewers, but who really cares about Jerry’s hair? I guess with the vast improvement the haircut makes it needed to be mentioned.
After that whole incident Raising the Bar continues to be what it is: a competent lawyer procedural drama. The cast is good, the stories are interesting enough, and most importantly the cases that take up the bulk of the show are often engaging. The show seems to like to hit the viewer over the head with its obviousness, but in a series like this that can be beneficial to the casual viewer. You’ll always know where the characters stand on issues because they’re clear with intentions and actions. The real problem with the show is that it brings nothing new to the genre. You’ve seen all of this before.
Raising the Bar - Season 2 Premiere
Starring: Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Gloria Reuben, Jane Kaczmarek
Premieres: Monday, June 8, 2009 at 10:00 p.m. on TNT
