ABC turns the legal drama genre on its head with For Life, a new series premiering February 11th on ABC. Inspired by real life events and merging legal and prison dramas into one series, it creates an exciting premise and a show that promises a heartwarming reward for viewers who stick with it. If you love shows like Prison Break and Law and Order, For Life is right up your alley.
Aaron was wrongly convicted of a crime he didn’t commit and sentenced to prison for life. With a wife and family outside, he devotes his time in jail to studying the law with the hopes of being able to represent himself one day in court and fight for his own freedom. He puts his lawyer skills to good use in the meantime, taking on clients from his prison mates to help others in similar situations.
The entire prison system is under much public scrutiny with huge questions about the disparity of white to black and latino ratios in the prison system. The show certainly uses that to its advantage and with Aaron’s unique skill set, the segregated prison yard begins to break apart. In one episode, he discovers that the neo nazi gang that previously wanted to kill him for the color of his skin are now hoping he will take their case. There are plenty of powerful moments like that and as he works on his own case, he discovers a higher level of corruption that led to his imprisonment.
Nicholas Pinnock plays Aaron and is easily likeable and sympathetic. You feel his determination and fear in each episode as he finds himself in over his head with some of the cases. His family life also ends up in a bit of turmoil, which he is powerless to help with while stuck behind bars.
For Life is a good series, although I don’t typically seek out these types of dramas. It doesn’t have the same level of mystique as Shonda Rhimes classics like Scandal or How to Get Away with Murder and while I enjoyed the three episodes I screened, it’s not drawing me back for more. It’s all drama without any fun and is simply not my brand of Tuesday night entertainment. But it just might be yours and if so, you can catch the premiere tonight at 10:00 pm on ABC.
I give For Life 3 out of 5 thickening plot lines of corruption.