Kat with a K

Pilot Review: Fairly Legal

I watched USA's new legal-ish drama Fairly Legal last night, because as I've said, I like pretty much every show USA makes. And so far, this one seems . . . fine. Kate Reed (Sarah Shahi) is a lawyer-turned-mediator with a complicated family life and a really annoying habit of being late for everything. I know a lot of people were excited about Shahi getting a show, but I'm not sure I'd ever seen her in anything; for me, the draw was Michael Trucco of Battlestar Galactica and Castle, who plays Kate's ex-husband. The cast is solid all around, and Virginia Williams as Kate's maybe-not-so-wicked stepmother was an unexpected delight.

But as far as the plot . . . meh. The legal issues dealt with in the pilot weren't particularly interesting. But I'm not sure that's the point. They did provide a good basis for establishing the characters and the dynamics of their interactions, which is more important for a pilot, at least to me. I'm intrigued enough by these characters' stories and how they all work and live together to keep watching. It just occurred to me that USA's "Characters Welcome" motto probably explains a lot of why I like all their shows. I want compelling characters who have complex, multi-level interactions with each other. If the cases of the week are interesting too, well, that's a bonus. Kate Reed and company aren't as compelling as the Lawson brothers or Neal Caffrey or Mary Shannon yet, but they have potential, and I'm willing to give them some time to get there.