These McBride "movies" remind me of the Andy Griffith (Ben") Matlock TV series, which I enjoyed very much. I haven't checked to see if the same writers are involved, but Matlock opened in the same way, with a clever introductory court scene, with nothing to do with the story proper. This is in accordance with the reviewer's comment that anyone could play McBride. I have enjoyed all 5 of the MCBride movies seen so far. I'm a sucker for this kind of show. I thought the reviewer was somewhat harsh, & hence my vote of 7 out of 10. However, I do agree with his comments in general. I like John Larroquette as much as I liked Any Griffith.
4 Reviews
Rapidly losing steam
blanche-219 September 2005
Although the actual mystery in this episode wasn't as bad as the last McBride I saw, it made for pretty dull viewing nonetheless. It's a shame they can't combine the elements more, i.e., humor, energy, and a good story. The show had some decent pieces to it, but they weren't pulled together.
It was great to see Harold Gould in the beginning as an alleged counterfeiter being defended by McBride and handsome Jack Scalia as a Jerry Springer type TV talk host. Scalia and his TV antics weren't on long enough for this viewer; he winds up dead very soon after the start of the show. The accused murderer is an ex-client of McBride's, so McBride goes to his aid. Because this is a high profile case, Liz Torres is brought in as a temp in McBride's office to handle the calls. Much more humor could have been mined from her part as well as Gould's.
Laroquette is a wonderful actor, but really, anyone could play McBride. The character should be more tailored to Laroquette's talent, and the pace of the show picked way up. This particular episode dragged noticeably. The series needs more colorful character types like Torres and Gould and less blandness. Marta Dubois and Laroquette had a sparring, flirtatious relationship, but now they seem to be just friends. And it's boring.
"McBride" can do better and it has.
It was great to see Harold Gould in the beginning as an alleged counterfeiter being defended by McBride and handsome Jack Scalia as a Jerry Springer type TV talk host. Scalia and his TV antics weren't on long enough for this viewer; he winds up dead very soon after the start of the show. The accused murderer is an ex-client of McBride's, so McBride goes to his aid. Because this is a high profile case, Liz Torres is brought in as a temp in McBride's office to handle the calls. Much more humor could have been mined from her part as well as Gould's.
Laroquette is a wonderful actor, but really, anyone could play McBride. The character should be more tailored to Laroquette's talent, and the pace of the show picked way up. This particular episode dragged noticeably. The series needs more colorful character types like Torres and Gould and less blandness. Marta Dubois and Laroquette had a sparring, flirtatious relationship, but now they seem to be just friends. And it's boring.
"McBride" can do better and it has.
Just a review of the series's music
P_B_W_Brian24 June 2020
I can't believe anybody actually got paid for the music that continually plays. It is beyond repetitive. It could have been composed by HAL9000. It even rarely bother to change from scene to scene, or to indicate tone or mood changes. I watch a lot of Hallmark movies
I Stopped Watching The Series With This Episode
WHicks100235 September 2021
OK, the series started well and I enjoyed the first three episodes. Episode 5 was a real fall-off and this one was even worse. What makes it truly horrible is the too loud, monotonous and repetitive "music" that plays throughout. It is a direct steal from Thomas Newman's soundtrack for AMERICAN BEAUTY, but a hack job by a hack "composer." What were they thinking to hire someone so untalented? If I were Newman I'd sue Ewan Johns. I won't watch any more episodes.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
