Franklin & Bash Season 1 Review

• 10th Nov 2011

I like my American TV and I’m normally pretty on the ball with new shows but, I have to admit, Franklin and Bash caught me by surprise. An excellent, funny and entertaining surprise. The story is simple enough, following the lives of two streetwise LA lawyers, Jared Franklin (Breckin Meyer) and Peter Bash (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) as the titular Franklin and Bash. To say their tactics in the courtroom are ‘out there’ is an understatement. From flirting with the jury to getting themselves arrested, they will do anything get the right verdict. In the Pilot they are recruited by high powered lawyer Stanton Infeld (Malcolm McDowell) to ‘shake things up’ at his firm, Infeld Daniels. Cue plenty of comedy as these two unconventional lawyers try to navigate the world of corporate law while still doing what they do best. First things first, the script is smart and sharp. The writers have done an excellent job to keep the show dialogue heavy without overdoing it and boring the audience. It’s fun to listen to a conversation that starts with a hypothetical about who they’d rather sleep with before moving into a concise and detailed legal discussion. Each episode is essentially standalone, featuring one or two cases that are resolved by the end. There is some long term storylines such as Peter getting over his newly engaged ex-girlfriend and Jared’s father issues which are explored but not completely resolved. This works well, meaning the writers can focus less on convoluted long term plots and more on the short term episode stories which seem to show the characters off best. Next up is the casting. Meyer and Gosselaar are perfect together as Franklin and Bash. The chemistry between the two is flawless, they have fantastic timing and together they form the ultimate “bromance”. Even in one of the weaker episodes, a lackluster story holds up based on the two of them alone. The rest of the cast shouldn’t be forgotten though; Malcolm McDowell is hilarious as the eccentric Stanton Infeld while Kumail Nanjiani is excellent as the germaphobic Pindar Singh. Special mention must go to Reed Diamond as Damien Karp who plays a perfect foil to Peter and Jared. All in all Franklin and Bash is a funny, smart and entertaining show that is a must watch. From the script to the actors this show is well crafted and sophisticated and, with a second series already in the works, you’re onto a winner. An excellent purchase and a very funny show. All I can say now is to go buy it, you won’t regret it. Mike Wharton