Although Conviction only lasted a season, the series is worth taking a chance on if you are a fan of Law and Order or of legal dramas. All 13 episodes of the show (which was created by Dick Wolf) are now collected in a nice three-disc set that also features profiles on the new characters.
With a fresh cast of new faces, and the “ripped from the headlines” style that made Law and Order such a long running success, Conviction captured what was great about the original series. The show also expanded on traditional Law and Order standards by giving viewers a look into the lives of young assistant district attorneys as they begin their careers in the cutthroat New York City judicial system.
I have always been a fan of the Law and Order series, and I really enjoyed Conviction. Wolf made several changes to the Law and Order formula, and even got rid of the trademark introduction and “double chime” noise. In fact, with the exception of Stephanie March’s Alexandra Cabot character, there is very little connection to Conviction and the other Law and Order series that have been brought out on television.
Instead of the standard Law and Order plots, Conviction took some of its themes from shows like E.R. and The Practice. Instead of trial tested lawyers, Conviction features a group of young prosecutors learning the ropes and tricks of the trade while dealing with some of the worse criminals walking the planet.
The series features a number of great performances, and works extremely well as a truly ensemble cast. The main characters are located in one of the city’s bureaus and include Brian Peluso (Eric Balfour), Nick Potter (Jordan Bridges), Jessica Rossi (Milena Govich), Jim Steele (Anson Mount), Christina Finn (Julianne Nicholson), and Billy Desmond (J. August Richards).
Conviction follows young lawyers beginning their careers
All of the actors excel in their roles, and offer a different side of the legal system that we are used to seeing from the Law and Order. Unlike the Jack McCoy character, these lawyers are not always sure, and often make mistakes.
Disc One episode 1: “Pilot” - quickly introduces all of the characters that will be on the series as Nick Potter joins the New York District Attorney's office which is currently investigating a known drug dealer. Finn finally gets into the courtroom only to lose the key evidence for her case. Episode 2: “Denial” – Steele is forced to prosecute a 14 year old boy who killed his brother with a baseball bat. Peluso investigate a possible hate crime. Episode 3: “Breakup” - Finn investigates the suicide of a young girl who was dying of cancer, but discovers the mother might have been lying. Potter deals with a friend’s arrest for cocaine possession. Episode 4: “Indebted” – Desmond takes on a rapper who is on trial for stabbing a reporter. Potter is forced to pick sides after a ride along with the cops goes bad.
Disc Two episode 5: “Savasana” - Finn takes on a shaken baby case, and Potter has to deal with office politics. Steele cancels a date with Rossi, but ends up spending the night with Cabot. Episode 6: “Madness” - Potter fills in for Desmond on a bail reduction case with terrible results. Rossi deals with a family battle concerning a deaf girl's boyfriend stabbing her father. Episode 7: “True Love” - Potter gets mugged and beaten at gunpoint. Finn meets a hot, young doctor after he becomes her star witness for her latest case. Episode 8: “Downhill” – Potter takes on an easy case until a priest makes trouble for him. Cabot double crosses Rossi and cuts a deal with a rapist in exchange for testimony in an insurance fraud case. Episode 9: “The Wall” – Steele faces off against a judge in a case in which a teen died while playing the "choking game."
The show has more of the office politics than Law and Order
Disc Three episode 10: “Deliverance” – Steele faces off against an accused murderer who is also a female attorney and knows how to manipulate a jury. Episode 11: “Indiscretion” – Steele prosecutes a rape case, but has to deal with the victim’s father getting in the way. Finn and Peluso come close to having a date. Episode 12: “180.80” - A congressman’s daughter is found raped and murdered, and Steele has to deal with the pressure of getting the killer behind bars. The episode ends with a cliffhanger that leads into the final episode of the series. Episode 13: “Hostage” - The two murder suspects from “180.80” take control of the courthouse, and hold several members of the DA's office hostage.
While Conviction is a really good show, the series does have some faults that might turn off some viewers before it has a chance to hook them. The episodes are all fast paced, and some of the characters quickly get lost before you have a chance to know who they are (this is most noticeable in the “Pilot” episode).
Also, the attorneys seldom lose a case – which gets a bit old towards the third disk. Still, the series ensemble cast make the show worth watching, and fans of Law and Order will find something they like with Conviction.
Conviction is now available at Amazon . As of yet, there is not a release date for the UK. Visit the DVD database for more information.
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