Critical Condition: Pearson

Pearson | Neon, from Thursday

☆☆☆☆ “Pearson is named for Gina Torres’ steely do-gooder attorney Jessica Pearson, newly arrived from Suits’ New York to clean up Chicago as a fixer in the mayor’s administration. In a previous backdoor pilot, Jessica headed to Chicago to file a lawsuit against the city on behalf of an estranged aunt, only to end up accepting a high-profile job with shady young mayor Bobby Novak (Morgan Spector) in exchange for dropping litigation …  Think The Good Fight, but dryer and less clever.” — The Hollywood Reporter.

☆☆☆☆ “Pearson lacks the humour, quirkiness and cast chemistry of Suits … It’s a solid, by-the-numbers drama that checks off all the usual boxes but doesn’t offer much that’s new, other than some nice location photography (most of the series is shot in LA, but there are establishing shots using Chicago landmarks and streets).” — New York Post.

☆☆☆☆ “Despite Jessica Pearson being a beloved character from a previous series, Pearson took a minute to really figure out what it is and where it should go. The end of Season 1 is a hopeful promise of what the show can do … The ingredients are all there for something great and memorable, someone just needs to add a little hot sauce for a kick.” — TV Guide.

☆☆☆☆ “In Suits, Pearson was largely a supporting character whose main job was to keep her weird, temperamental staff of attorneys from killing one another. In this show, however, her responsibilities have increased. She has to sell a badly written character, juggle a hellish number of barely comprehensible storylines, and—unlike in Suits—do it all without cracking a smile.” — Reason.

☆☆☆☆ “For fans of Suits, the change in tone that comes with Pearson will no doubt be jarring, but it offers a more substantial role for Torres in a more fleshed-out version of Jessica … For people who aren’t fans of Suits (or haven’t watched in years), it’s not necessary viewing for Pearson, which serves as a standalone vehicle on its own … The best true comparison to be made for Pearson is that it’s kind of like a basic cable version of Damages (only focused on politics instead of law) in terms of approach and scope.” — Paste.