June had a pretty paltry rollout of crime shows, with Based on a True Story the only real standout worth watching. July is better, though still pretty thin on offerings, which makes me think the WGA strike may actually hit home a little harder and sooner than we’ve been told. I’m eager for a fair contract to be reached so we can go back to the usual glut, but in the meantime, this month does promise some starry projects, most notably the new iteration of Justified and a Soderbergh thriller to top it off.
The Lincoln Lawyer
(Netflix / New season premieres July 6th)
Netflix’s adaptation of the Michael Connelly series has a kind of blue-sky appeal. It’s an eminently watchable crime show with a charismatic lead, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo jumping off the screen as Mickey Haller. The new season is based on Connelly’s 2011 book, The Fifth Witness, and looks promising, a nice mix of depth and glitzy L.A. noir.
The Afterparty
(Apple TV+/ New season premieres July 12th)
I’m going to be honest with you. I didn’t make it through the first episode of the first season of this one. But I’ve been told by some that it was fairly entertaining, and it’s kind of a marvel that the show is back for a second season, so why not celebrate the fact here? It’s always fun to see a murder mystery comedy thriving.
Full Circle
(Max / Premieres July 13th)
Steven Soderbergh directed all six episodes of this one, which is all I need to know to get my ticket punched. Claire Danes leads an impressive cast, and the writing is from frequent Soderbergh collaborator Ed Solomon. We’re looking at a family under pressure with shady links to Guyana, and some very moody lighting. Let’s do this.
Justified: City Primeval
(FX / Premieres July 18th)
So, quite obviously, this is the most anticipated TV series of the year, and really it’s not even close, at least in these quarters. Justified, one of the greatest crime series ever made, is back: well, sort of. This time we’re in Detroit for a wild ride through the Motor City, and Graham Yost is involved in the project, but not at the helm, and most of the cast is going to be unfamiliar, but we’re talking about Olyphant as Raylen Givens here, and dammit I’m excited. It looks like we’re dealing with a slightly more noir creature here, which is not necessarily my preference when it comes to Justified, but I trust everyone around this project, and I’ve long wanted to see some of the talent involved make the trek up to Elmore Leonard’s hometown.
