The Fix Season 1 Episode 1 Review: Pilot
Christine Orlando
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With the help of real-life attorney and author, Marcia Clark, The Fix Season 1 Episode 1 takes on the case of the century and adds just enough fictional twists to keep us guessing.
For those of us who lived through the OJ Simpson case, the similarities are strikingly obvious. Instead of a famed football player, we have a movie star and swap out the dead wife and boyfriend for a dead wife and girlfriend.
We keep the by the book female ADA and charismatic defense attorney but there's no mention of a low-speed chase on the 405...yet.
All jokes and comparisons aside, The Fix is a compelling murder mystery and legal show with a stellar cast.
Robin Tunney (The Mentalist) plays Maya Travis, the ADA who is swamped by guilt after movie star and possible double murderer, Sevvy Johnson walks free.
Related: NYPD Blue Locks Down Two Original Stars for ABC Revival
Maya is so devastated that she walks out on her life, career, and best friend, CJ, and ends up on a horse farm with handsome, boyfriend, Riv, played by Marc Blucas (Necessary Roughness, Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Yes, he will always be Riley Finn to me.)
One of the saddest things about pulling Maya back to LA is that she looked so darn happy on that farm. She appeared light and care-free.
I doubt she'll be feeling much of that over this ten episode run.
Maya's stoic anguish is palpable, from the moment she loses the original case and ends up walking around the dark DA's office barefoot, to eight years later when she hears that Sevvy may have murdered again.
I say "again," but do we really know that Sevvy did it the first time?
Maya and ADA Matthew Collier certainly seem convinced, as does Jessica's father when he gets in Maya's face about being complicit in his daughter's death because she didn't do her job right the first time.
But as Matthew points out, Ezra Wolf, played by Scott Cohen (Necessary Roughness) did everything he needed to do to sway the jury...
Wolf capitalized on 400 years of racial injustice and a celebrity client who knew how to break out a megawatt smile.
Matthew
"The Wolf," as he likes to call himself and which says so much about the depth of his arrogance, has reason to crow. He made millions defending Sevvy the last time around and he won.
Wolf has a solid plan and a determined team, not to mention a mole in the DA's office, so he's got plenty of reason to be cocky.
Speaking of the mole, I liked Loni! I sympathized when the DA handed the lead chair over to Maya.
Loni had every reason to be pissed off about getting shoved aside on this career-making or breaking case but giving information to the defense so they could hide evidence made her an immediate villain.
I wish they had waited for an episode or two for that reveal.
Whether Loni likes it or not, bringing Maya back makes a lot of sense. It's not just her high-profile history but her knowledge of the players.
Like how a trip to Bora Bora is Sevvy's go to make-up gift after beating up his girlfriend the first time.
Sevvy: And Maya Travis?
Wolf: You let me worry about her. She’s tough but she fights fair. It’s always been her weakness.
So this will all come down to Wolf's ability to work the media and the system against Maya's expertise and insight into Sevvy Johnson.
Of course, that is if Sevvy did kill Jessica.
You’re never gonna get me, Maya. I’m an innocent man.
Sevvy
As much as I feel the need to keep the possibility open, it's difficult to believe that anyone could have such back luck that not one, but two of their girlfriends are brutally murdered.
Sevvy Johnson certainly acts like a guilty man, shoving his step-son out the back door with pieces of evidence he swears the police will misconstrue and offering to pay his ex-wife $100K to stand by him once again.
Although originally hesitant, Maya's all in by the end of the hour, even with Riv doing all he can to lure her back to the farm but does she realize she's got more enemies to contend with than Sevvy and Wolf?
It's clear Loni would love to take Maya down and Matthew's wife, Effie, isn't thrilled Maya's touching fingers with her hubby.
We're left with more questions than answers.
But I hear, unlike in real-life, we won't be left hanging at the end and that alone has me looking forward to The Fix Season 1.
What about you?
Will you be watching more of The Fix? Could you tell this was written by Marcia Clark?
Check back in for my review of The Fix Season 1 Episode 2.
Until then, you can watch The Fix online here at TV Fanatic.
C. Orlando was a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. Follow her on Twitter.
