- Network: ABC
- Series Premiere Date: Oct 3, 2016
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Critic Reviews
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Coercion might be the only way to get an audience for this incredibly labored legal drama.
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The plot is ridiculous, the writing is bad and Atwell seems embarrassed to be there.
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Judging from the premiere episode, Conviction is not just compelling and topical, it’s a master class in TV-series construction.
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Much of this is pretty standard stuff, part legal drama, part soap. Atwell, though, is always so lively and interesting to watch. But the material may sink her at the end.
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[Conviction] is a mess from beginning to end, full of clichéd characters and confusing rules.
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Hayley Atwell tries her hardest, but Conviction has too many clichés for her to overcome single-handedly. She deserves a better show than this one. In fact, we all do.
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The show’s pacing is brisk, the acting is fine on all fronts (the British-born Atwell’s American accent slips a bit here and there) and it’s nice to look at--which just might be enough to keep Conviction going.
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The cases are unsurprising, the central characters’ back stories are contrived, and the show’s efforts to be sexy and saucy are clumsy.
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The procedural element is smartly done, the stakes realistically high, and Atwell's chemistry with Cahill's D.A. compelling.
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IF House of Cards and Scandal didn't convince you that Hollywood has mixed feelings about political wives with their own political ambitions, you should check out ABC's Conviction. Beyond that, I can't think of a reason to bother.
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It’s slightly above average as this type of series is concerned but not something that will satisfy "Castle" fans still smarting from its cancellation.
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There are twists and turns, as you’d expect, but few of them are any more believable than the characters, who feel like empty vessels into which traits and quirks have been randomly poured.
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In short, Chelsea Clinton's evil twin from a parallel and even more dysfunctional universe! Any way we can beam back to the days of Amy Carter?
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There are worse things on TV than Conviction, but this is a waste of time and talent.
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Atwell’s performance is solid enough, particularly when Armstrong is around for badgering purposes. But the weekly skirmishes with “The System” end in ways that at best strain credulity.
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An overheated, overwritten and implausible story.
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Conviction doesn’t have the courage of its, errr, principles. It wants to prove the justice system is broken, but it still believes justice comes from a cool office with glass walls and attractive people.
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Conviction is so into overkill, it’s hard to tell what to take seriously.
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A show like Conviction, which is fine but not terribly inspiring.
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A law procedural so paint-by-numbers it's like everybody gave up halfway through and added terrible colors out of boredom.
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The self-imposed restriction of having only 5 days to handle each case gives the episode some urgency, but the clunky dialogue and viewer hand-holding sets it back.
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Atwell showing up nets it brownie points, but the show has no idea how to use her to its strengths, and subsequently only reveals its own glaring, fumbling weaknesses.
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The weekly cases aren’t going to dazzle, based on the pilot. That means the cast has to shine, and it only flickers.
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Conviction, co-created by Liz Friedman and Liz Friedlander, prefers the blunt approach, in strict accordance with ABC’s predictably melodramatic house style for one-hour dramas. The edits from scene to scene can feel more like amputations than quick cuts.
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Atwell is skilled, but with just 42 minutes and a whole murder case to get through, her First Daughter backstory and the wide net cast for her character feel a lot like grasping at distant, barely visible straws. Still, Conviction is a fun watch, and a series that will likely resolve its initial hiccups.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 32 out of 61
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Mixed: 11 out of 61
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Negative: 18 out of 61
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Oct 3, 2016
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Jan 22, 2017This review contains spoilers, click full review link to view.
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Oct 4, 2016