El Guardián

I'm in awe that this is the same actor who plays the Mentalist which is way more happy go lucky character. But the storyline of the contrasting world the main character lives in representing rich corporate clients vs the poor who need family service lawyers is a reminder of the haves and have nots and it's bleak to see. No wonder the main character barely cracks a smile.

I know I watched this when it was on air but somehow watching it streaming as a sort of marathon makes it more powerful. Others have commented and disagreed on the acting also speculated why the show didn't last. I wanted to add my couple of cents. Simon Baker basically does play the same role in the Mentalist, (savior) but smiles and wins more hence the show not being canceled. In the Guardian, the hero does not always win, the ending is not always happy and the characters are always flawed. This might be too much for network TV. The theme song and introduction are obnoxious when compared with cable shows such as Dexter, Oz. Lulu's character is not written with as much depth as the others so its hard to fault the acting. I think the viewer felt a bit manipulated by the drawn out back and forth with Nick. Its always hard for writers to get over the hump of what to do with all that sexual tension. Just look at what happened to House. Dabney Coleman is brilliant in his intensity. This show has many shades of gray and is very much worth watching.

The pace of each episode is unusual giving lots of pregnant pauses after each clause of very well written and realistic dialogue. The characters are very flawed and real and I really enjoy the juggling of the legal aid clinic and big corperate law. They have 2 stories in one show that reflect sometimes on each other giving us more occasions to think about the world that the show is based on. The lack of phyisical contact with Nik and clients really increased the tension. You know he wants to hug those kids. Also Dabney Coleman gives a stellar performance of your chain smoking aging corperate lawyer who has many regrets in his life but also really enjoys his job. I could go on and on but Kudos to the producers of this show and keep up the good work.

"THE GUARDIAN," in my opinion, is a pure CBS classic! I haven't seen every episode, but I still enjoyed it. However, I think it was always touching when a mishap occurred. I always felt deeply moved. It's hard to say which episode was my favorite. It would probably have to be the pilot. Despite the fact that it was a short-lived series, it would have been nice if all the main characters had stayed with the show throughout its entire run. It seems that no one stays with a show throughout its entire run. Everyone always gave a good performance, the production design was spectacular, the costumes were well-designed, and the writing was always very strong. In conclusion, I hope they bring it back on the air for fans of the show to see.

This series has potential as a legal drama. The twist is that the main character has been busted for drug use and been sentenced to community service with children, making him look at things from a whole new light. The performances are good, and I like the premise. I might recommend this one if you like Simon Baker and Dabney Coleman.