The characters Mickey Haller and Harry Bosch from Michael Connelly's popular novels have proven just as popular on screen too. With two of his books getting movie adaptations headlined by the likes of Clint Eastwood and Matthew McConaughey, Netflix has capitalized on their popularity too with the highly popular show, The Lincoln Lawyer. The show was once the streaming giant's most watched English language show globally, so it's no surprise that it was renewed for a second season.
With the highly anticipated second season currently out, the show's passionate fan base can't seem to get enough of it. Following lawyer, Mickey Haller, a recovering addict who suffered a fall from grace, the show delves into the high profile case that helps him rebuild his reputation as a dogged and brilliant legal mind. The show has so far been known for its great characters, intricate storylines, and great twists. In a show also packed with fantastic dialogues, here's a look at the best quotes from the show so far.
10 "I can win almost any case as long as I know what I'm dealing with." - Mickey
In Season 1 of the show, Mickey Haller takes on the dubious criminal case of Trevor Elliot, who is accused of a double murder. While the evidence all points toward him being guilty, Mickey approaches the case in a circumspect manner.
His experiences have taught him never to prejudge a matter. While he backs himself as a lawyer, he recognizes that there are huge red flags about the case, a sentiment aptly summed up by this incisive quote.
9 "I left a motorcycle club to work for you, and somehow, my life has gotten even crazier." - Cisco
The dynamic between Haller and his private investigator, Cisco Wojciechowski, is a complex one, to say the least. While the pair know each other well, and Haller trusts Cisco completely, Cisco is also his second ex-wife's current fiancé.
The past between them is initially a little murky. While Cisco was part of a motorcycle gang, who apparently left it to work for Haller, the truth may be a little more complicated. This quote was a memorable one since it sums up how convoluted and tricky Haller's world can be between his past, his ex-wives, and the cases he takes on.
8 "Okay, let's be clear on something, Lisa is a client. Nothing more, nothing less. Like any client, she deserves our full scrutiny. Yu think she's guilty? Go ahead, make your case." - Mickey
Season 2 of the show recently became available on Netflix. The plan is to roll it out in two parts, each consisting of five episodes. With Part 1 already up, we so far know that Haller has a new client, a chef named Lisa, who is also accused of murder.
This time, however, there are other complications since Haller shared a night with his new client when he first met her. This causes his team to question if he can truly stay objective this time. These questions make the courtroom drama at play here that much for intriguing. His response is fair, but the question is, will he be able to live up to it if needs be?
7 "There's two juries, Mickey. The one in the courthouse, and the Twitter Mob outside." - Trevor
Season 1 of the show saw Mickey Haller defending a high-profile billionaire game developer named Trevor Elliot. Elliot was charged with a double murder, and everyone believes him to be guilty, while the audience is invited to wonder whether he might be innocent.
Haller sees the case as an opportunity for redemption. He struggles to obtain evidence vindicating his client, but instinctively believes in him at times. This quote was a poignant one from Trevor since it reflected the reality of cancel culture in the modern world, and society's propensity to prejudge people before they ever have their day in court.
6 "I lose this case and I'm just a guy who got a second change and fell flat on his face." - Mickey
Trevor's case, while offering the possibility of a true redemption story for Haller, also had the potential to destroy his career even more. Backing a potential double murderer whom everyone else is convinced is guilty places Haller in a precarious situation.
He's well aware of just how high the stakes in the case are. While he knows it can reignite his career and reputation as a gifted defense attorney, he's also all too aware of how much he has riding on being able to pull off a successful outcome.
5 "I don't want to say this out loud, but sometimes, the simplest answer is the right one. Maybe Lisa did it!" - Lorna
Lorna Crane and Mickey Haller were once married. Despite their divorce, they maintain a mutually respectful working relationship and close friendship as Lorna still basically runs Haller's practice for him. She also has a sharp mind since she's also studying toward being a lawyer herself.
Mickey and Lorna often play well off each other, since Mickey can be morally questionable at times, but always charming. Meanwhile, Lorna is sweet and funny, but tough when she needs to be. Mickey and Lorna are ably portrayed by Manuel Garcia-Rulfo and Becki Newton respectively, as Roger Ebert highlights in their review of the show's second season so far.
"Garcia-Rulfo’s Mickey charms wherever he goes, but his vulnerability really wins him points. He’s sexy and honest, with enough mischief to keep him interesting. Newton’s Lorna also mixes playfulness and toughness, oozing her charm."
Their tricky past aside, the pair often show great insight toward each other. However, Season 2 has so far thrown up some new curve balls. Since Haller is defending Lisa, a woman he's shared a night with, Lorna finds herself questioning Haller's judgment on this one. Time will tell which one of them is right, and if Haller really is too close to this case.
4 "Before you can win, you gotta act like you can win, which means you gotta believe you can win." - Mickey
Like the character from the books, Mickey Haller proves to be a complex character. While his past gets held against him a lot, his efforts to change his life certainly are admirable. While his old mistakes have left his reputation tarnished, this is sad in a way since he's certainly brilliant at what he does.
In this meaningful quote, Mickey sums up how he approaches his work. With it, he displays just how tricky a profession being a lawyer can be. However, he also shows how he always manages to muster the confidence he needs to still succeed at his job despite all the setbacks he's faced over the years.
3 "Sometimes I think they teach it in the academy, how to piss people off. When you think of all the bad blood between the people and police, you'd think "how not to piss people off" would be in the curriculum." - Lorna
The author of the books that The Lincoln Lawyer is based on has a brilliant background as a crime writer and was even once a Pulitzer Prize finalist. On the other hand, the show's creator, David E. Kelly, is a former attorney himself, and a successful producer behind other great legal shows like Boston Legal.
Between their joint insights into politics, crime, and the justice system, quotes like this one from Lorna Crane prove how the story keeps its finger on the pulse of reality. The shows often used this trait to reflect some of the most contentious societal issues.
2 "Lisa, I'm your attorney right now. I'll tell you what I tell every client. It doesn't matter what I think. It's irrelevant." - Mickey
This quote from season two is as fair an answer as Mickey can provide to Lisa when she asks if he believes that she's innocent. This is a very real predicament all criminal defense attorneys will likely encounter in their careers — having to defend a client whether you believe they may be guilty or not.
In the end, it's true, Haller's own opinion on the matter shouldn't matter. She is his client, and he has a duty to represent her to the best of his ability either way. However, the fact that they share a complicated romance does create an added layer of intrigue to this one, since it is logically possible that his judgment may be clouded. Of course, he's also been wrong before too, so how it's all going to turn out will likely make for some very intriguing TV.
1 "Opening statements are special. It's your time to bond with the jury, but go on too long and you'll lose them." - Mickey
Much of The Lincoln Lawyer is premised on a redemption story. Mickey Haller's entire reason for taking on difficult and high-profile cases is because he's trying to prove that his past doesn't dictate how good he is at his job.
With this quote, he sums up a lot of the great instincts he has as a lawyer. He may not always be right, and he's certainly not perfect. However, quotes like this always prove that Mickey Haller is a great attorney, often one with a knack for recognizing psychological nuances that help win cases.