Meet The Defenders

“I’m the only thing my daughter has,” pleads a mother to lawyer Nick Morelli played by Jim Belushi in an earlier episode of The Defenders on AXN Beyond airing Tuesday nights at 9:50. “(Then,) We should get you out of here,” Nick assures the woman charged of killing a woman. (By the way, it also airs back-to-back on Super Tuesdays with The Marriage Ref at 8:10 p.m. and Drop Dead Diva Season 2 at 9 p.m.)

That speaks of what type of attorneys-at-law Nick and Pete Kaczmarek (portrayed by Jerry O’Connell) are. They simply play the knight in shining armor carrying an attaché case saving women in distress or those whose life hangs in the balance. What’s remarkable about these characters is they will go over the details of the crime or accident to win the case. Nick and Pete as defense lawyers live up to the show’s title The Defenders.

This is clear when Nick tried to reopen the case of a mother accidentally hitting a runner while driving. According to the prosecution, she was on her phone talking to her daughter. The argument was “we’d take care of our neighbors when driving.” And the woman failed that to do. And thus she was liable.

Nick went to the scene of the crime figuring out how fast the woman drove while the lady ran. He and his partner Pete even checked pictures of the runner taken after the crime was committed to see details that would free the woman or get a lower sentence. Voila! They saw a cellphone attached to the runner’s arm and an application calculating the speed and distance traveled of the victim. It did help to get the woman out of jail and to see her daughter again. She didn’t commit a crime. It was an accident waiting to happen. That was the main argument.

Aside from supporting Nick, Pete handled a possible case of a remorseful guy Walter who confessed stealing $10,000 from the jewelry store where he works. It was done outside the court doing some settlement. Pete was able to convince the owner not to file a case against the employee explaining that the latter was experiencing financial problems. There were instances when the owner played hard and wanted to earn extra thousands from the deal. But associate Lisa Tyler (Jurnee Smollett) did a deal by buying an expensive piece from the store. That sealed the case.

Jim Belushi (left) and Jerry O’Connell play Las Vegas defense lawyers Nick Morelli and Pete Kaczmarek, respectively who go all out to represent their clients and win cases.

The Defenders is set against the hotel-casino filled Las Vegas. Your eyes will feast on these colossal buildings and architectural marvels — and that signature desert. But the TV series on AXN Beyond is about Nick and Pete who are serious with their profession brainstorming to get a better argument and picture of the crime. They believe in their clients’ testimonies and follow what they wish for.

Case in point was a black woman who was arrested for protesting the death of her husband. She said the building was “built in blood.” With Nick’s legal genius, it appeared that the people behind the construction didn’t conform to the state’s safety standards. Thus, a settlement involving a large sum of money was underway. But the woman decided to continue the case. Nick and Pete gave in. “(I couldn’t) accept the same unsafe condition will go on,” she said.

Another example was a Caucasian, skinny guy jailed for shooting a buffed man. Nick and Pete made a good deal for him because he was going to serve a few years instead of 40 years or even a life imprisonment for manslaughter. But the guy suddenly changed his mind and wanted to be free. The duo was able to secure for another day in the court for their client. Nick studied the crime scene and prepared an altercation map. He argued that it was human nature to turn away from the gun when someone pokes a gun on you. That would make a difference with the trajectory of the gun. With the help of Lisa, Nick was able to bring a Latina witness showing what the guy did was to protect his brother from the four big guys beating his brother like a dog in the corner.                             

Yes, The Defenders is about hearing testimonies, judges overruling lawyers, throwing tricky questions, asking the judge for the acquittal of the accused, and big, touching speeches from the counsels. But it’s about telling and unearthing the truth based on facts and evidences. It’s about your rights and others’ rights in the name of the law. For Filipinos, you can’t help but wish to have lawyers like Nick and Pete who are more than willing to offer their legal expertise.

The storytelling is engaging and only focuses to at least two cases. The “interchanging” scenes show where each case is going. The TV series is accessible. Expect comedy twists on it because you have Jim and Jerry. It’s not only all about legality of things. Viewers can also get a peek of the personal lives of your attorneys-at-law. Nick is separated from his wife Jess and seems to have found a new love in the woman with the “bear” case. Pete uses his charm to sleep with a district attorney to win the case. Adding spice are the spunky, ingénue assistant named Zoey (Tanya Fischer) with her colored posts-it and Lisa who can’t stand in front of the court unprepared but has an eye for details. The main characters also know how to have a life by watching a magician’s show and Frank Sinatra Jr.’s performance.

At the end of the day, each client can’t thank the lawyers enough. “But this is what we do,” as Nick puts it. Right, they are just doing their job to defend people.

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